Takiyah "TDUB" Ward, the founder of The Re-Sole 206, sat down with Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae to address her business's recent setback and her proactive measures to overcome it. The Re-Sole 206 is Ward's inaugural storefront, specializing in cleaning, restoring, and customizing footwear, a craft she has passionately honed for over two decades. On March 7, two individuals robbed her business, stealing 26 pairs of customer-owned sneakers.

"It was other people's things that were taken. There's that personal sort of responsibility and accountability that I'm dealing with," Ward said. "It's been a nightmare. It's been literally the worst thing that I could ever imagine happening this soon in the game."

Having only been up and running for five months, the two suspects broke in through an adjacent retail spot. They then used a saw to cut a hole in the wall to enter Ward's business. 

"I got to the store as I always do 11 am, and the contractor who's next door stopped me as I'm entering the space, and he's like, 'I gotta tell you I'm so sorry. We had a break, and I think they got in your store.' I opened the door, and I looked, and I didn't see anything immediately, and then I turned and saw behind the register, and so many things had been taken," Ward said. "My cash register has been taken, and I just dropped. I just dropped and I just lost it. It was literally the hardest thing that I've ever had to deal with."

Ward shared the emotional rollercoaster she's been riding since the incident unfolded.

"It's been quite a whirlwind of dealing with this and going from spending so many years building this idea and getting the opportunity to even entertain the idea of going brick and mortar because this has always been something I've done since I was a kid in my room, or in a closet that converted into a studio or in a studio I was able to build in my home, but it was never something that I can really offer in this way. And I was so excited to have the space to really show people the possibility of this industry," Ward expressed.

She continued, "I'm trying to help people understand and educate people on the importance of what care means when it comes to this thing. To have something like this happen, it's been really hard."

Since the break-in, Ward has confronted the situation head-on. She started by contacting her customers to inform them of the incident and then, in a call to action, rallied support to recover her stolen merchandise and hold those accountable for the theft. On social media, Ward released images of the stolen shoes just in case they are being resold to shoe resellers around the city.

"I'm like, 'Look, if you guys see any of this stuff anywhere near your store, chances are it was taken from me. It was taken from my customers. So, if we are the community we say we are, let's look out for each other. If you see it, hit me up," Ward said. "That blast is out there now, and we're continuing the internal investigation of who did what and how it happened."

In her conversation with Holiday, Ward seized the opportunity to shed light on the prevalent issue of break-ins plaguing Seattle, particularly their detrimental impact on local businesses.

"Almost every business within the vicinity of me has had the same experience. It's become par for the course. If we become numb to it, whether you're a resident or retail owner, everybody is having to deal with this. Having packages taken off of your porch, having people lurking around your house trying to figure out ways to get in; it's happening on a daily and constant basis," Ward said. 

She continued, "If we allow that energy to persist, it will. What we have to do as individuals, as business owners, as community members, as family, as friends, [and] as neighbors is look out for each other. We have to connect. A lot of people have town halls and meetings and have all these things about what the community needs to do, who needs to act, who needs to say something, and who needs to do something when. It's up to us."

Ward also took the time to underscore the unwavering support she has received from her dedicated clientele.

"Most people, there's the initial shock of like, 'Oh, my things are gone.' But then immediately after that, it's like, 'I'm so sorry this happened to you. This is your business. This is your livelihood, and I'm so sorry," Ward said. " I really got to give a shout out to the Re-sole customer. They're the best people. I am so thankful for y'all. I'm grateful for y'all and your grace and your ability to allow a shoe to just be a shoe."

The Re-Sole 206 still welcomes visitors from 11 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Those unable to visit in person can reach out to their Instagram or The Re-Sole 206 website. In addition, they are spearheading a recovery campaign, where those wishing to contribute will see their donations go towards the $15,000 in losses. That link is available here.

"We are down, but we are not out. We are still bringing quality sneaker care services to the Central District. We're not going anywhere," Ward said.

To hear more news happening in Seattle, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 am on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.