We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Victoria Santana & Adrian Gutierrez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Victoria | Adrian below.
Victoria | Adrian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Great Question! Every portion of our company name is specific to our values and where we come from. “American Vintage Society,” the American part is derived from a couple of things. We are an American owned and made company, not to mention proud Texans. Adrian is also a Veteran with 10yrs of service in the United States Air Force. Vintage, something we preach and harp heavily on because we are a Muay Thai dominant school and keep everything traditional and authentic as possible. We strive to keep our training and execution of the art exactly as you would find if you were to travel to Thailand; this also includes the Culture and how we apply Muay Thai to our every day lives. We are not a club, dojo, or gym. We are a community and a family. Everyone is there to help each other grow and be better than they were the day before. We bring other forms of martial arts into the mix to provide the most effective combat training for self-defense and competitive fighting. This is what makes us a Society.
As for our logo, we wanted it to embody who we are and what we do. The two silhouettes in the middle are the owners, Kru Adrian and Kru Victoria practicing the art of Muay Thai, with the American and Texas flag in the background; and the main color is Olive Drab, which is the military green.
Victoria | Adrian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Victoria: Competitive sports, fitness, anything involving outdoor activities like fishing, camping, swimming, I mean your name, I love it! I have always been very active and competing in team sports pretty much my whole life, it’s my bread and butter, it’s what keeps my physically and mentally grounded. I love to push my body to its limits and continue to learn new things to grow and evolve into someone better than I was yesterday. But this was always an outlet for me, I never considered doing anything like this as a Career when I was younger. I actually made the decision to become a Coach years later, right before I started my last semester in college. I was about to finish my schooling as a Chemistry major until one day, I decided to switch and ended up graduating with a Bachelors in Exercise Science and Kinesiology. Since then, I have acquired multiple Certifications through NASM, discovered a new love with Muay Thai where I have been training for many years now and have earned the title of Kru. Muay Thai is more than just a sport, it’s a spiritual journey that embodies Respect, Family, and Discipline. It’s an effective style of Martial Arts that showcases one’s true skill in fighting and self-defense. My husband and I want to bring all of this to Texas and show why it’s such a beautiful sport and way of life.
Adrian: I’ve trained sports growing up and my parents always encouraged me to push myself and supported me. Fast forward to 18 years old, I got on a bus in 2004 and headed to Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, TX. It was a great adventure and career in Security Forces. I spent 10yrs doing the job I loved and separated in 2014. I picked up a few martial art styles like MMA and Kickboxing, but my real passion at the time was Bodybuilding. In 2015 I had started a job as Gym Manager at 9Round Kickboxing in Austin, TX (I just so happened to meet my wife while working here). I had also discovered Muay Thai and would practice any chance I had. I never had any formal training in Muay Thai but would watch and google as many fight videos from Thailand as I possibly could. From 2015-to 2019, I worked at a few different gyms as the Director of the Muay Thai Program.
During that time, I also started fighting and competing in the ring. Along the way, I met my current coach and mentor, Kru Yai Belton. We quickly bonded and he brought me into the full world of Muay Thai. In 2020 I received the title of Kru, which means “Teacher” in Thai. To be brought in and given that title is no easy task, it takes hard work and dedication. It was a huge moment for me, as mentioned before I never had any formal training prior; and to have my skill set and teachings signed off by someone who is a huge figure in the Martial Arts and Muay Thai community was an extraordinary feat. This was when my passion grew even greater and really kick-started the journey to opening my own Muay Thai Gym.
What sets us apart from other Muay Thai schools/gyms is the authenticity we provide and execute. Not just the with Martial Art itself, but the values and culture as well.
We are a self-defense and competition school. The majority of people that walk through our doors are not looking to be competitive fighters. There are various goals and reasons throughout the gym. Some are looking for self-defense, some are looking for a fun way to stay fit and healthy, and others are trying a martial art for the first time; whatever their reason, we are there to set everyone up for success!
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Adrian – This is something that I get asked about a lot. The school is on the fine line of being a side hustle but not a full blown, full-time for me. I do have a day job in the SaaS industry. I’m a consultant for SMB (small-medium business) MSP’s (managed service provider) and MSSP’s ( managed security service provider). What that means is that I help and recommend the right tools and software for a business to grow and be successful. That can range from productivity, security, continuity, infrastructure, etc. I basically do this from 9am-5pm and immediately switch hats to business owner/coach as soon as I am done. My wife, Victoria, handles anything business related during the day (along with any classes or personal trainings she has booked) and also runs her set classes in the evening.
I am very fortunate to be with the company and industry that I’m in. It has been a game changer for us and has helped tremendously during our first year of growth and operation as a new business. With any new business, especially a martial arts gym, it is a long play to get to positive revenue and profit. It was only a year ago that our dream became a reality and we would not be where we are today without our investor and the revenue stream of my day job. My goal and and mission is to be able to step away from my day job and be fully committed to my passion and community that we have built at AVS.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Just like the giant, neon green banner that is displayed on our building; We keep it AUTHENTIC. We are normal people who are committed to our mission and craft. We keep it real, and carry ourselves outside of the school, the same as we do inside. Our compassion and love for the sport is felt as soon as you walkthrough our doors. People can tell when you’re “faking the funk” or just trying to sign them up as another number. We’re very particular on keeping a good vibe and energy. We have no problem turning people away who are not a good fit for the community and family. Keep your ego at the door and come in humble and ready to have a goodtime.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Americanvintagesociety.com
- Instagram: @americanvintagesociety
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanVintageSociety/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-vintage-society/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCniCl12ac3AIxfQjia5B4XQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/american-vintage-society-buda?osq=american+vintage+society