A LOVE LETTER TO #TEAMWERKSHOP
I wanted to reach out to all of you, my AMAZING posse of bendy babes, to let you know about a recent chain of events that have occurred here in the land of rocking eagles.
As many of you know, there have been delays in my getting inventory on the webshop. Being out-of-stock for so long is turbo lamesauce and I felt that you all deserved a proper explanation.
My sublimation printer (whom I have been working with for over a year) had recently approved a large production order for me. As soon as I cut the fabric, they unforeseeably informed me that they would no longer do any more work for Eagle Rock WERKSHOP™. This, of course, was devastating as I was relying on them for my next three months of webshop inventory. Soon after, I came to find out that they had been secretly, and duplicitously, working on their own line of leggings the whole time that they were doing work for me. They had led me to believe that they would do my production so that they could simultaneously launch their own brand ... knowing full-well that I would be out of stock and unable to compete with them. They have copied my pattern/fit, are using eerily similar product descriptions, replicated my webshop design, and now they have started reaching out to all of you on instagram in a shameless marketing ploy. And while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what they have done is simply unethical and wrong. I could absolutely sue them for unfair competition leveraging, but it would hardly be worth it ... the last thing I would want to do is subject myself to all that negative energy. I prefer to take the higher route.
In the midst of all of this, I close my eyes and fill my heart with light and positivity. My amazing friend Dawn (@monkeymix) chanted this mantra the other night during a yoga class that she taught and it was exactly what I needed to hear at the exact moment that I needed to hear it :
I am reminded that Eagle Rock WERKSHOP™ is more than just a brand. It is the foundation of something much greater. #TEAMWERKSHOP is a family; WE ARE A FAMILY. We practice together. We laugh together. We cry together. We support each other. We inspire each other. We take small breaks throughout the day to connect with each other from around the world. We are beautiful. Also, you can be sure that every single "like" and/or comment you receive from @werkshop is 100% genuine and filled with my sincere gratitude.
That said, I hope that you stand by me over these next few weeks as my stock remains idle and I restructure my business. I am incredibly proud and excited to announce that I am now partnering with a phenomenal production facility here in Los Angeles that specializes solely in the highest quality activewear. Not only do they share my philosophy and pride themselves on being a place of integrity, but they have also been in business for 35 years! Together, we are planning very big things for the future of Eagle Rock WERKSHOP™. I can promise you, without a doubt, that once our new studio is fully operational, #TEAMWERKSHOP will be unstoppable!
In short, I see this temporary setback as nothing more than an opportunity to connect with you, my virtual family. While (this brand that shall remain nameless) thought that they could steal you away from me, I say we let them bring us closer together ... I would love for you to reach out and share your story with me; tell me what you love about Eagle Rock WERKSHOP™. Tell me what you think I could do better. Let me know what you'd like to see from me in the future ... or, if you'd like, just drop a note to customercare@werkshop.com (or below) and say hello. You are both the reason that I am able to do what I do and the reason that I do it ... without you, there would be no TEAM in #TEAMWERKSHOP. I will never forget that.
xoxoo,
Tina Z
