"Show me someone who has never failed in life, and I will show you someone who is driven by fear". ---author unknown---
Respectfully, I've come to realize that I have failed in my aspects of my life. Most of my shortcomings have caused me to question my faith, my purpose, and at times, even my own abilities and existence. It’s difficult to weather the storm while you’re still standing in the middle of it.
I didn't have the privilege of growing up with what some may call an "easy life", but I was blessed. I was blessed because I was exposed to so much - and yes, because I failed at so much. Those experiences shaped my understanding of who I didn't want to become. I didn't want to live in fear of "what if" or "I should have tried". From those failures, shortcomings, and life lessons, House of TAFT was born - a creative side of me that has always existed but for a while was suppressed. Its speaks to the inner child in me who has always been fascinated by fashion and deeply in love with music, especially hip hop.
House of TAFT takes me back to a place of safety and innocence — a time when I was young enough to love freely, to dream boldly, and to enjoy life without yet understanding the realities that awaited me.
Just like in sports, a great coach creates a schedule that challenges his team — testing their unity, character, physicality, and mental toughness. When preparation is done with precision, it leads to success — not just in the regular season, but in the playoffs and beyond. That kind of preparation builds something special. It builds what I call being Battle-Tested.
The things I endured as a child, and the challenges you’ve faced in your own life, have made us Battle-Tested. They’ve given us a foundation strong enough to withstand the test of time. It doesn’t make failure easier to accept, but it does remind us that we’re built for this — that we can overcome.
It's easy to ask, "why me?" But excuses are for those who choose to use them. Every single day, someone is being Battle-Tested in some way, shape, or form. We must remember - these are only small tests preparing us for a much greater journey.