We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steve Alejos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steve below.

Steve, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

It all started in 2006. At that time, I was a 19 years old discovering who I was. Prior to that, I was a nerdy kid that got bullied verbally and physically from time to time. So, in order to control the hate that I had and to build my confidence, my late father suggested that I take self-defense classes.

I remember walking to the nearest martial arts school that I could find, which was John Wai Martial Arts Academy. I walked in and said “I want to learn how to fight”. Of course, they looked at me with a perplexed look and responded “Sure we can teach you that, but that won’t resolve your problem. The real problem is that you think battles are won with just your fist, when in reality they are won with your mind.” After training for only 2-3 months, my perspective on fighting changed forever. I learned so much about what a fighter goes through physically and mentally. There were times when I would spar people bigger, stronger and more physically fit than me and I would feel defeated. But those were the moments that counted the most. To overcome those adversities, I had to dig deep and find that extra push, breath and strength.

I wanted to be more involved in the MMA/fighting community and, coincidentally, one night, I came across a brand new reality show at that time called The Ultimate Fighter (“TUF”) by the UFC on Spike Tv. The concept was that there were 16 fighters of two weight classes. All of them lived in a house together and they would compete in a tournament style elimination. The winner of their own weight class would get a 6-figure contract for the UFC. The show was pretty crazy to say the least. The raw emotion these fighters went through on the show—the joy, the depression, the fear, the excitement—is probably the reason the show’s tag line is “As Real As It Gets.”. Another thing that stood out was the fight shorts that competitor Diego Sanchez was wearing which was the brand “TapouT”. It was cool, different and exclusive to the fight community. I knew I had to get my hand on them.

At first I would print out the graphic (TapouT) on transfer paper and iron them on to blank t-shirts. I was a graphic designer so I would even come up with different designs. Eventually I did buy a (TapouT) t-shirt but I was beginning to become more curious in making my own designs, my own brand.

The Ultimate Fight finale was finally on, it came down to 4 fighters competing for the grand prize. Diego Sanchez completely dominated his fight against Kenny Florida, making him the winner of his division. The next fight was Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. That fight was nothing but unbelievable. The back and forth battle was something out of a Rocky movie. Joe Rogan was the commentator and when Stephan Bonnar got knocked down by an overhand punch from Forrest Griffin, Joe yelled out “HE GOT ROCKED!”. My eyes opened wide and I didn’t blink for about 30 seconds, because I found the name of my brand, ROCKED.

I wanted to pay homage to the TapouT brand so the logo eventually had that curved warp to it but the letters didn’t look right. So, I changed the lettering to R-A-W-K-T . What was also interesting is that the logo also represented teeth so eventually, I created a wolf mascot as a sub logo. Also, if you chant Rawkt™ (Rocked) a few times, it sounds like a wolf barking. The wolf symbol represents loyalty, strong family ties, good communication, education, understanding, and intelligence. According to Natives, out of all the land animals, the wolf has the strongest supernatural powers and is the most accomplished hunter. RAWKT ™ was born.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started a branding agency called Alejos Brand about 5 years ago. We offer web design, graphic design, content creation, video and photography. I’ve helped over 100 businesses grow through our marketing efforts. The apparel and fitness industry related clients were always my favorite. The reason being is because I’m a fitness advocate and a MMA practitioner. However, I had to put myAthletic Apparel Business I had on hold when I started my Agency. I would get asked from time to time if I would ever continue it, but I always said the only way I would bring it back is if I did things differently with the right help, which eventually, I did.

As the universe or the law of attraction would have it, I met Kelly Nguyen, now the co-owner of Rawkt™. She has a background in accounting, specifically tax, and has worked both for multinational companies and in public accounting, where she supported the launch of new business initiatives, products and partnerships. She had a personal goal of looking into either starting her own business or investing into one. We already had a great relationship as we both shared a passion for the fitness industry. She also loved athleisure brands like Lululemon, Alo, Nike and so forth. It was inevitable that we would team up. What Rawkt™ was missing was a true women’s line and that higher-end look and feel. I felt that Kelly would not only bring her global experience to the table but her vision and likeness of what was missing. I knew the reason my business didn’t work before was because I didn’t have a partner that could bridge the business administrative gaps that I was missing.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was a graphic designer for many years before owning my 2 businesses. I graduated at the Arts Institute of Fort Lauderdale and had an amazing experience. I was very passionate about design and bringing ideas to life. Over the years, as I worked for other companies, I quickly realized that working for someone else was a limitation in my growth. I knew that I had an eye for photography, videography and branding ideas in general. My mind would go beyond just the design aspect of business but how it was represented. My mind would race with so many ideas and visions. When I would share my ideas with some of my friends and colleagues, they would all say that I should run an agency or at least venture into other areas besides just graphic design. The fact that there is a payment cap that you’re faced with as a graphic designer also drove me. I knew that I could accomplish more by helping businesses grow in all aspects. I was confident that I could do it. So, I left my 9-5 job as a graphic designer to develop my own agency and eventually started my own clothing company. Not only do I get to help businesses grow with my marketing efforts, I get to do the same for my own business as well.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When we first started off, we only had one t-shirt design and the first thing that we did was place it on an amateur fighter. We quickly wanted to establish ourselves as an athletic apparel company with a combative edge. We wanted to get the type of followers that enjoy combative sports and that workout. We made sure our content was consistent with the type of branding Rawkt™ represented so we have always collaborated with like-minded individuals.

There are three ingredients in building an audience: (i) being authentic, (ii) being consistent, and (iii) being creative. Be authentic in who you are and what your brand represents. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. People will see right through it. Content is king. You need to be consistent in what you’re promoting. You have to post content on a regular basis to get more eyes and awareness on your brand. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be in your audience’s eyes. Be creative – look for ways to stick out. There will be trends to follow but always strive to be a trendsetter.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rawkt.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/rawktinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rawktinc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoDMLSQ6uYracG4TMv97IkA
• Other: www.instagram.com/rcvsbc

Image Credits
Photography By: Kevin Duplan Ad Graphics By: Alejos Brand