The #TeamCoco writers occasionally have the chance to interview passionate business men and women, that often leave their mark on you and make you realise that going it alone in the world of business is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding things to do. Speaking to entrepreneur and founding CEO Nathanael Rush of Rush Fit Gear was not only an interesting insight to the world of fitness gear, but also an insight to being open to change your brand name until you find the perfect fit.
From men’s clothing, to women’s clothing, accessories and more, Rush Fit Gear is seriously taking the US by storm, and we’re hoping it will hit UK stores soon. For a greater and more in-depth look into Nathanael Rush of Rush Fit Gear, here’s our #BoyBoss feature by Rachel McAlley.
Q. Can you give a brief insight to Rush Fit Gear, tell us about what you do?
A. Rush Fit Gear is an athletic clothing company. The goal that I had for my business when I started it was to create athletic clothing that is durable, something that could last for years and still look and feel brand new. So by combing materials that allow for incredible stretch and be extremely soft I created a product that truly has a one of a kind feel. And most customers comment that it feels like nothing they own.
Q. When did you realise you were destined to launch your own business?
A. I have always wanted to own my own business. The idea of working for myself is something I have wanted since I was little. I never could see myself sitting behind a desk all day working for someone else. I always had a dream that one day I would own my own and make my own rules.
Q. What made you go into the fitness clothing market?
A. Like I said I have always wanted to own my own business but I never knew what I wanted that business to be. About 2 years ago began to get more and more into fitness. I have played sports my whole life but was never into working out in a gym until about 2 years ago. What started as a hobby quickly became a passion for me. I even went on and became a certified personal trainer. So when I thought about owning my own business again I decided to combine my dream with my passion. Originally I wanted to start “rush fit” as a gym but that overall start up cost was more then what I had at the time so I went with athletic clothing since I spent most of my day in athletic clothing.
Q. Was it a long process from making the decision to set up Rush Fit Gear to producing your first piece?
A. Short answer, YES! Although thinking back it wasn’t too long but felt very long in the process. So it took about a year for design and prototypes. Lots of trial and error and in the end I have an entire closet of clothing that will never see the light of day because the vision of my business changed or the clothing just did not meet the standard I wanted. After about a year and a half I finally got to the place where I was happy with the product enough to share it with the world.
Q. Do you design all your own pieces or do you have a team of designers?
A. I do create all the designs for Rush Fit Gear. This is one of my favorite parts about owning my business; I have hands on every element. Although I do have some key people in my life that I always run my designs by just to make sure that other people who aren’t involved with my business, therefore have nothing at stack, have a good reaction to everything.
Q. All your latest collections can be found on your website, do you also stock in any stores?
A. Not yet. Although that is definitely the goal. I would love to see Rush Fit Gear up there with all the other top athletic brands of the world.
Q. Do you ship your clothing worldwide?
A. Yes, we have shipped all over the world. This is something that I love about the growth of my company, seeing people in other countries enjoying the product!
Q. What is your most sought after item, and do you have a personal favourite piece from any of your collections?
A. The most popular Item is the Legacy Performance Shirt in Maroon. Which also happens to be my favourite piece. This Shirt turned out amazing because it has a feel to it that just feels luxurious. Most of the time once people feel it you’re immediately intrigued by it. And it’s hard to compare it to other athletic shirts because it feels that unique.
Q. If you were to expand the business today, what would be your next steps?
A. If I could expand it today, I would love to expand into stores. This is definitely a goal that we are working towards and I am looking forward to the day when that is a reality.
Q. Looking to the future, where would you like to see your business Rush Fit Gear in 5 – 10 years time?
A. In 5-10 years I would love to see Rush Fit Gear expanding into all areas of fitness. I want the business to be more than just great clothing but also I company that trains and conditions world class athletes for a variety of sports. And also being able to be the official sponsoring a professional sports team.
Q. What valuable piece of advice were you given before setting up your business that you still follow today?
A. I think the best advice that I have been given is to never loose sight of the values and principals I started my company with. Which it can be tempting sometimes to cut corners in business when it saves money but it also devalues the product and brand. Sometimes it takes longer to manufacture some clothing but it’s worth the wait if it means having a great quality product.
Q. What piece of advice would you give a budding entrepreneur now that you have launched your own successful business?
A. My advice would be to anyone starting out is to not be afraid of change. Change from product to brand and even logos, people have no idea how many different “lives” Rush Fit Gear has lived prior to it being what it is today. I spent a lot of time limiting myself to ideas or designs and even brand names rather than allowing my company to form an identity over time. Once I decided to accept the change of names and designs everything else began to fall into place. I wasn’t limiting myself to one thing. And it allowed me to be really creative. It’s great to accept that change for a new business is a great thing for a new business! The beginning part of a business is great because that when you can be as creative as possible and that’s what you should really take advantage of. This has lead me to a place where I feel like we are creating some amazing stuff.
Thanks to Nathanael Rush for taking the time to answer our #BossBoy questions. We love everything about Rush Fit Gear, and can’t wait to see this brand being worn by sports teams across the world in the future.
