Two Steps Forward, One Step Sideways

For all the technology we have, sourcing can still feel surprisingly primitive.

It is kind of wild to think about trying to build a brand without the internet, without LinkedIn, without the ability to find manufacturers, suppliers, and ingredient partners from your laptop. In theory, it should all be easier now. You can identify companies faster, find contacts faster, research capabilities faster.

And yet, getting people to actually respond is another story.

Some never reply. Some reply once and ghost you. Some seem interested until the conversation starts requiring actual follow-through (ugh, work is hard, ha). In a world where people are actively looking for business, partnerships, and revenue, it is amazing how hard it can be to get something as simple as a sample moving.

I know part of it is scale. Right now, I am small. I am not placing massive orders. I am not walking in with a giant purchase commitment and a forecast that makes everyone perk up. I get that.

But still. Sometimes it feels like pulling teeth just to get the basics.

And sourcing is never just sourcing. It is not a clean checklist item where you find the ingredient, get the quote, receive the sample, and move on with your life. It is layers. It is timing, communication, credibility, minimums, shipping, and a constant need to keep momentum without getting attached to any single path too early.

That is the part I did not fully appreciate at the start.

You can feel like you are making real progress. Calls are happening. Samples are moving. Conversations sound promising. You start to think, okay, this is working. This is finally starting to take shape.

Then one thing breaks.

In my case, a supplier for one of our more unique ingredients went out of business.

Just like that, a path that seemed clear no longer existed.

That is the kind of moment that can make early-stage building feel especially fragile. When you are big, a disruption is a problem to solve. When you are small, it can feel personal. Like the universe would like to remind you that no plan is safe for too long.

But I am learning this is part of it.

Building a brand is not a straight line. It is progress, interruption, adjustment, regrouping, and then progress again. Two steps forward, a little step to the side, and the dance progresses.

Sometimes it is just sourcing.

Sometimes it is just business.

And sometimes the work is less about finding the perfect partner immediately and more about staying in motion long enough to find the right one.

That takes more persistence than glamour. More follow-up than genius. More resilience than most people talk about when they glamorize entrepreneurship. Recently someone who was supposed to be trustworthy, told me to pivot if I can’t find the right supplier for the ingredient. Hard pass. This is a critical ingredient and I’ll figure it out before I abandon the direction.

I still believe the right partners are out there. I still believe the right formulation is possible. And I still believe that small does not mean insignificant, even if it sometimes gets treated that way in the process.

It just means I have to keep proving I am serious.

And I am.