What did you learn from the period when you didn't fully own your brand?
I learned that protection is everything. Legally, yes, own your trademarks, understand your contracts. But here's something that surprised me: you cannot just trust the experts. Even your lawyer. That sounds crazy to say but professionals can fail you. They have their own limitations, their own blind spots, their own interests. What I wish I had done sooner was seek an outside opinion from a trusted mentor, someone with real business experience who had my best interest in mind and nothing else. That layer of perspective is invaluable and I didn't have it early enough.
I also learned that in business, people do not care about you, your family, or your personal well being. That was a hard and painful lesson. When the relationship didn't feel right, I simply wanted to leave. I didn't want to fight. But when I tried to walk away, it felt like they were trying to kick me and my family out onto the streets. It was cold blooded. They made me fight. And that experience changed how I move in every business relationship going forward. Trust is earned slowly and protected carefully.
Beyond that, I learned that my energy is limited and not everyone deserves access to it. I learned that solitude is productive. That stepping back from the noise isn't weakness — it's discernment.
During those years when the trademark "Heron Preston" was owned and controlled by my former partners, every idea, every project, every expression that involved my name required their approval. As an artist, that felt like wearing handcuffs. So I flipped the label. Literally. I turned old orange labels from my DSNY project backwards, revealing the blank side, and used them as my tag. No name. No trademark. No approval needed. That flipped orange label became my escape route. A loophole. A quiet rebellion. A reminder that creativity will always find a way out. When systems try to limit the artist, the artist will reinvent the system.