💌 Letter from the Founder

To the ones still healing, still building, still showing up — this is for you.

My name is Kia, and I’m the founder of This Ain’t Easy. This brand was born from a journey I never asked for — one that forced me to rebuild from the inside out.

Years ago, shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri, I was shot multiple times while sleeping in my home. That moment shattered my sense of safety and changed my life forever. It led me back to Chicago — the city that raised me.

I grew up on the South Side, raised by a single mother who taught me what strength really means. I beat the odds. I graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Engineering and a minor in Business. I worked my way up in the tech industry, holding leadership roles and helping shape systems that weren’t always built for people like me.

But deep down, I knew my path wasn’t just about success. It was about impact.

This Ain’t Easy is more than a brand — it’s a mirror, a movement, and a message. It’s for the cycle-breakers, the quiet warriors, the ones doing the work behind the scenes. The ones healing out loud and showing up anyway.

Every product we release — from affirmations to apparel — is rooted in truth. Not perfection. Not aesthetics. Truth.

I’ve survived trauma. I’ve survived this city. And now, I’m building something that helps others thrive through theirs.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in your own healing.

We’re not just wearing it — we’re living it.

— Kia