Why I Started Always Working Clothing

My First Photoshoot With AWC

July 2023

I graduated from university in 2021 and the year that followed was one of the hardest periods of my life.

I moved from job to job, often being told I was too slow, not good enough or easily replaceable. Sometimes I was fired, sometimes I quit. At the same time, I had finished university with a grade I wasn’t proud of and my mental health was at a low point. Slowly, I started believing the same things people were telling me that maybe I really wasn’t good enough.

One day I took my cap off and looked at the logo and had a simple thought: what if I tried to make my own cap with my brand on it?

I went home, drew a logo and wrote down a name and uploaded my first design to Printful. That was the beginning of Always Working Clothing.

The name was meant to remind me of something important. Not that I should always be productive but that I should always keep working on myself and my dreams.

Lesson 1 — Growth Takes Time

When I officially launched AWC in January 2023, I had a very simple plan.

I thought I would create my first clothing collection, promote it online, post every day for 30 days and things would start to grow. I invested in a website and began sharing content regularly.

My first launch had zero sales.

Sometimes my posts were liked by friends and family. Sometimes they were liked by nobody at all.

At first this felt discouraging.

But over time I realised something important: the beginning of building anything meaningful is usually slow.

And that’s not failure, it’s part of the process.

Lesson 2 — Listening to Your Market

Three months after my first collection, I released another one focused on mental health.

It also failed.

No sales. No feedback. Nothing.

A few months later I participated in a mock investor pitch with the Roundhouse. I delivered my pitch confidently, but the feedback I received was difficult to hear.

Some people said they would hate to wear clothing with the phrase “Always Working” on it.
Others said they didn’t understand the logo or the connection to mental health.

I remember standing there with tears in my eyes, trying not to cry while hearing all those comments.

But the truth is, many of those comments were right.

My idea wasn’t fully developed yet. I hadn’t clearly defined what the brand really stood for. And worst of all, when people challenged my business, I couldn’t defend the business I loved.

So instead of rushing into another collection, I decided to pause. I stopped releasing products and started thinking deeply about what I truly wanted Always Working Clothing to become.

Lesson 3 — Creativity and Wellbeing Are Connected

Taking a step back from the brand also meant taking time for myself.

For a long time my inner voice had been very negative. I constantly told myself I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t realise it at the time, but that kind of thinking slowly eats away at you.

Over time I realised something important: building something meaningful requires taking care of yourself as well as your ideas.

If you are constantly stressed, exhausted or doubting yourself, it becomes almost impossible to create anything meaningful.

Before I could share a message of belief and encouragement with others, I had to learn how to be kinder to myself first.

Lesson 4 — Rest Matters

In September 2025 I returned to the brand with a new idea: a mini magazine series beginning with the question “Am I Enough?”

For the first time, I was able to post consistently without burning out.

It might not sound like a big achievement, but for me it was huge. For almost two years I had struggled to stay consistent without feeling mentally drained or overwhelmed.

What changed was simple: I started resting. I slowed down. I gave myself patience.

Sometimes the most important progress comes from learning when to stop and breathe.

Lesson 5 — Believe in Yourself

In November 2025 I released my third collection, redesigning the caps from my first collection in three new colours. This time I chose to focus only on caps so I could move slower and introduce other clothing when I was ready.

Around the same time I returned to university to study my master’s degree and found out about a support service called Greenwich Generator. Through this support service I ran my first market stall and presented my brand to the public.

I was also selected for their six-week Greenwich Enterprise Challenge for the following year.

In that same month, I organised my first event for Always Working Clothing. We raised £200 for charities and for the first time I spoke about my journey in front of an audience of around 30 people.

There have been many ups and downs since then and I still have a lot to learn. But if the version of me from 2021 could see where I am today, he would probably just say one thing:

I’m glad I didn’t give up.

I’m in a better place now. I have people I can talk to about my business. Running a business can still feel lonely, but there are also moments where I can ask for help, grow as a person and hopefully inspire others along the way.

My message to the version of myself from 2021 and to anyone struggling right now is simple:

It really does get better.

It may take time.
It may take patience.
But it is worth it.

So don’t give up.

Keep moving forward.
And keep working on your dreams.