Sali Christeson, founder and CEO of the women's workwear brand Argent, wasn't tuned in when President Trump unveiled his "Liberation Day" tariffs last Wednesday, April 2, but it didn't take long for the news to hit her text messages with the same jolt that shook the global stock market.
The executive tells me she spoke with at least twelve other founders, specializing in everything from casual wear to ballet flats, within the first day of the announcement. Internally, a "dark cloud" hung over her meetings with Argent's suppliers and team members. Christeson and her fellow business owners saw critical suppliers for their labels on the long list of countries subject to so-called reciprocal tariffs, including Vietnam, China, Cambodia, and European Union nations like Italy and France—and realized that business was about to become more challenging than ever.
