It's been almost nine months since you saw me standing under the blazing lights of Shark Tank, palms sweaty, knees wea… okay, not weak, but definitely wobbly — and pitched ToughCutie to America. And let me tell you, I'm still not over it. I mean, did you see how CUTE I looked?! Skin shining, melanin poppin', juicy curls. If only I could afford the makeup, cameras, and lighting a billion-dollar entertainment conglomerate can afford. Maybe then I'd film more videos for social media. If you've been following me for a while, though, you know that's unlikely.

Since then, life's been a blur of wool, adrenaline, and an inbox that needs its own support group. Not to mention this blog where I left you all hanging, waiting for Part 2 (sorry, y'all, and if you're new here, read Part 1). I knew being on Shark Tank would be big. What I didn't realize is that it would turn ToughCutie into a thing. Like, "my cousin saw you on TV" kind of thing. A few days after we aired, my old roommate actually texted me this:

Okay, maybe those lights aren't that good after all 😅. The camera does add ten pounds, doesn't it — or in this case, a strangely gremlin-like expression. Either way, I've been recognized by at least five strangers since then, so that's got to count for something, right?

So, What's New?

Well, I didn't exactly move to a private island or anything. And no, we didn't go viral — unless you count that sick reel I made of me climbing the Manitou Incline (see what I did there?). I blame my lighting setup, not the content, obviously.

But I did get a ridiculous amount of love from women all over the country who stepped in and stepped up for something better. I've heard from thru-hikers, trail newbies, moms, workers, and even one very enthusiastic weirdo.

Notwithstanding the weirdo, I'm a bit worried, because even after all these years in business and millions of people seeing me pitch on TV, not one person has asked for foot pics. Which feels like an oversight, because my feet? Pretty great. But hey, socks first, OnlyFans never (probably).

Following the show, many of you saw me shipping out orders like crazy, popping up at events, collaborating with incredible partners, and even reminiscing about putting our socks through some serious trail miles. 

And you better believe we've had our share of hiccups — like having to find a new sock factory soon after we aired and rebuilding our entire supply chain from scratch (still on-going by the way). Not-so-shameless plug (since this is my website after all): you can preorder V3 of our flagship model, Eve, from our new factory here — since we definitely need the support right now.

Through it all, what's kept me going are the messages. The messages from strangers saying things like, "I've never felt this supported by a sock," or the ones reminding me that I am among a small but mighty group of audacious, outdoorsy Black female business owners.

Collaborating with incredible partners and celebrating audacious, outdoorsy Black female business owners

Putting our socks through serious trail miles - spotted at Glacier National Park

Messages like these keep me going - support that goes beyond just socks

That, and Pete Davidson's pitching his sock company on Shark Tank this month... 

So yeah, one reason I remembered to come on here and write this is because apparently, it's sock season in the Tank again, and Pete Davidson will be pitching his company. That, and an unapologetically unfiltered friend giving me shizz about waiting forever to read part 2. Will he get an offer like I did? Who's to say? I'll be watching, though — popcorn in one hand and strong opinions in the other, partly for entertainment and partly because it instantly transports me back to my own moment in the Tank.

At the end of the day, it's a good reminder: whether you're a comedian with a sock line or a scrappy founder with a dream, stepping into the Tank is thrilling and unforgettable. And while the lights fade, the work doesn't. The real show is what happens after the cameras turn off. And that's where you'll still find me — building ToughCutie, one damn good pair of socks at a time. Or maybe even one damn good something else at a time because… hint, hint… stay tuned, lovelies. Especially if not enough folks preorder socks from our new factory here. Bigger HINT HINT.

Thank you, next.