Founder Cuts $10 Million Holiday Sales to Fix Delivery Failures

Lindsey Carter made a difficult decision this month. She is pulling her brand, Set Active, off the market for the biggest shopping days of the year. The move puts a projected $10 million in sales at risk, but Carter says the company cannot sell what it cannot deliver.

Set Active generated eight figures in net sales in 2025 and is currently profitable. The company sells athleisure clothing sets designed for daily wear rather than just the gym. Carter launched the business in May 2018 after taking on $20,000 in personal credit card debt. She filled her Los Angeles home with inventory as she started the venture.

The decision to skip the holiday launch stems from delivery issues. Carter says Set Active has struggled to send orders to customers on time in 2026. She did not specify the exact causes but noted the stakes are high as the holiday season approaches. On Oct. 19, she posted on Instagram that the company would cancel its Black Friday and Cyber Monday drops until further notice.

The brand will not release new clothes until the items physically arrive at its Los Angeles warehouse. Carter explained that she is choosing to miss a large revenue number to maintain trust with customers. She stated that the brand was built on transparency and community, and that the customer comes first.

Carter, 35, has navigated significant personal hurdles alongside the business growth. She has two children and never took maternity leave after starting the company. She later described that choice as probably one of the biggest mistakes she has ever made. In 2023, she experienced symptoms of postpartum depression while running the startup.

The wider market environment has also shifted. Circana data shows that women's activewear spending in the U.S. increased by 2% between October 2025 and September 2026. That growth rate is down from 7% in the previous 12-month period. Kristen Classi-Zummo, a Circana analyst, notes that shoppers are favoring casual items like sweatpants and sweatshirts over active gear.

This trend aligns with Set Active's product line. The company sells colorful, patterned clothing sets that are not solely intended for workouts. Their social media content often features women in casual settings, such as pickleball courts or the banks of the Seine in Paris. Carter originally started the brand because she could not find matching workout sets that looked good for errands and coffee meetings.

Carter says she now views professional challenges as part of the entrepreneurial journey. She previously struggled to separate work stress from her personal life, often losing sleep after rough days. She now tries to return home to her family feeling grateful and takes things day by day. She says she signs up for the full scope of what entrepreneurship brings when she starts a business.