I always had this grand vision for Radry as being a leader in the golf space. I still believe that. I'm in no rush, I'm in this for the long haul. We're slowly getting over the hard part of bootstrapping a brand, which is being able to handle minimums without the fear of sitting on a bunch of inventory. There's less stress in pulling the trigger on POs, which is a great spot to be in. 

However...

Earlier this year (and partially still), I'm went through a slight identity crisis. Not so much what Radry is and stands for... I hope I make that fairly clear. But more so what I want to be known for. I have this fear that if I lean too far into my art that Radry will become my art alias where I also sell "merch." That term makes my eye twitch. That's not what I want at all (I don't think). So it's caused me to be reluctant to keep pushing art out. I want to be taken seriously when it comes to apparel and be known as a brand, but still have my art rise in demand and be seen by more people. I love creating art and seeing it sell so well has me excited. It has also become my differentiator within the crowded golf space.

So does leaning into it more cause the apparel side of the brand to suffer at all? 

That's what keeps me second guessing everything. You can't be everything to everyone.

After having lengthy conversations with friends in the space about all of this, the most common question I got was, "what makes you the happiest and do you have an end goal for all of this?" Creating things, anything, makes me happy. I don't know why I kept wanting to put my creative wants and needs into a box. I think I was too worried about the outcome and not the process. The process is where the secret sauce is. If I can find enjoyment within it then the rest will take care of itself. So why can't I make original paintings, but also drop a cut and sew wind jacket? I find enjoyment in both things. I don't have an end goal for Radry. That's why this is called "a never ending art project." The whole thing is one big experiment. Experimenting is key to staying creative. I think if the answer was to sell the company at some point, then maybe making the brand less personal to me would make sense. But that's not what I want. At least not right now. I just want to make things and continue to be in the golf industry because I love the sport and I love the people in it. 

So please excuse my overthinking. We're moving on as Radry.... the creative brand who makes shit. If you like it great, if not, also great. If you're confused, great, so am I and that's fine. 

Ok now on to making some more hats... or maybe some oven mitts or something. 

- Tony