The Non-Highlight Reel

This has been a big year for Purse & Clutch.

I made the choice to invest deeply in getting us to the next level. Not just for growth’s sake, but so we can exponentially increase our impact. 

This meant hiring the most amazing designer (hi Lori!) to completely reimagine one of our main collections & I truly couldn’t be more proud with how beautifully it has turned out.

I’ve connected with more custom branding partners than I’d even set as my stretch goal, and without a single cold pitch, we had five dream nonprofit partners lined up for fall fundraisers.

Then, word came that our artisan partners were having trouble sourcing leather. 

For years, we’ve relied on a trusted tannery in Addis Ababa.

One that shares our values & commitment to quality. 

At first, we heard that tariffs on raw materials were too high, limiting access to hides. 

So we waited, trusting our partners’ resourcefulness & experience.

They found just enough to keep things moving. Then inflation hit hard. Prices soared, and the tannery owner ultimately decided to close their doors. 

Overnight, there was no leather available at all.

I had to let each of our nonprofit partners know we couldn’t move forward with their fall production. 

For our custom branding partners, we secured just enough leather to complete our fall run, but the delay meant we wouldn’t have time for a second holiday production or restock our new collection.

With already limited inventory heading into the holiday season, we’ll have just 63 more items arriving in mid November.

And then came a 53% tariff bill (normally closer to 10%) on our upcoming leather ornaments from India. More on tariffs later, but I promise to make it fun!

In short: between the lost production run & paused fundraisers, I haven’t been able to fully recover our initial investment in the new Purse & Clutch just yet.

You see people talking about big swings, but few talk about when it doesn’t go as planned. 

We’ve all faced disappointment in things that are out of our control. 

When I first understood the weight of these changes & what they meant for our finances and for our artisan partners, I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. 

I kept waiting for a message saying, “We found a solution.”

But that message never came.

So, I sat in the disappointment. I let myself feel it. 

During a recent group coaching call, my coach asked if I’d had a good cry yet. I said, “I think this is it.” The women on the call teared up with me, holding space for both the fear & the hope.

When my coach asked what I needed from others, my first instinct was to joke, “Buy a bag.” 

But as I thought about it more, what I truly need is encouragement. 

To be seen in the in-between, in that quiet space of waiting & unexpected rebuilding.

We’re often told to push through, to figure it out alone.

But I’ve learned that real resilience is built in community.

So, I want to ask: please, yes, buy a bag if one’s been on your wishlist. But also, if you’re able, send a note of encouragement. 

Just comment below.

I’ve switched the few remaining items that will arrive in just over a month to preorder so you can see exactly what will be available through the rest of the year.

If we can sell through this current inventory & make our upcoming Leather Ornament launch (November 6th!) something special, we’ll be in a strong position to hold steady until spring  when our artisan partners will be ready to launch new work through smaller tanneries we’ve begun connecting with outside Addis Ababa.

This season has been full of challenge, but also full of heart.

And I believe, deeply, that we’re building something lasting, together, even with a big, unexpected road bump.