We are now well into our 18th year in the business. I would have never guessed one NYC Marathon Lottery entry would have led down this path. It's been a freakin journey to say the least.
We've gone from becoming the original Running Skirts® started in our basement and garage to stocking shelves across the world in Running, Specialty and Sporting Goods stores. We met you at expos, races and trade shows. We've formed running groups, life-long friends and a wonderful little Running Skirts Community.
Many may not know that I (Cindy) have single handedly been managing and operating our business since Christy stepped away from day to day operations about 10 years ago. I have been the management, sales & marketing, expo crew, customer support, order fulfillment and business development 1 man skirt band. Needless to say all of this while raising two kiddos and holding a full-time remote tech job and training to be a competitive athlete was no easy task. As many fellow entrepreneurs out there know - owning your own business can be very rewarding, but also quite stressful. There is no guaranteed paycheck!
Through the pandemic years we downsized and continue to fight our way to being a viable company in California. Due to the rising costs of doing business in California and the crazy tax rates here, we are struggling to keep the lights on. We have watched other women-owned apparel businesses go out of business over the last few years and it is heartbreaking because we know and feel the struggles of entrepreneurship and how much blood, sweat and tears goes into it all!
We need your support now more than ever in order to continue providing RunningSkirts to the world. We are launching a liquidation sale as we work through this difficult time and figure out the next steps for our business - whether it be new partnerships, restructuring, fundraising etc.
Thank you for your support over the last 18 years! Hopefully we will overcome this challenging time and continue to provide you with your favorite running skirt styles!
Sincerely,
RunningSkirtsCindy