How We Started The Defiant Co
Every brand starts somewhere, a spark, an idea, a moment of belief.
Ours started in 2018.
No investors. No marketing agency. No blueprint for success.
Just me, my Dad, a few boxes of clothing, and a stubborn determination to build something real.
The Beginning
When we launched The Defiant Co in 2018, it wasn’t some grand business plan. It was a passion project built from grit and graft.
My Dad handled the books and the postage, the behind-the-scenes work that kept the wheels turning while I took on the events, marketing, and the mission of getting our name out there.
We started with just four products. Four items that represented what we stood for, simplicity, purpose, and defiance.
And even then, we didn’t try to do too much too soon. We wanted to grow steadily, to listen, to learn. Sure, we had big ideas - more colours, technical pieces, new collections but we understood one thing early on: doing it right matters more than doing it fast.
Family First
This brand has always been a family affair.
From the start, everyone pitched in. Packing new stock, helping at events, running deliveries, whatever needed doing, someone was there.
Our family’s support wasn’t just helpful it was foundational. It gave us the backbone to keep pushing forward when things got tough.
The Defiant Co was never just a business. It was and still is a family effort built on belief and hard work.
The Project Gym and the Power of Community
Back in those early days (and still today), I was part of the fitness community at The Project, a gym that became more than just a place to train it became our launchpad.
The coaches, members, and friends there were the first to believe in what we were building. They didn’t just buy a few pieces, they bought everything. They wore the gear, shared it, talked about it, lived it.
That kind of support doesn’t just sell stock it builds momentum. It reminded us that our message was resonating: defiance isn’t about rebellion for the sake of it, it’s about standing tall when things get hard.
Hitting the Road - The UK CrossFit Scene
Once we had a few drops under our belt, it was time to take the brand out into the real world.
We started attending CrossFit competitions up and down the country, everything from small local throwdowns to major UK events.
We didn’t pick and choose. Big or small, we showed up.
The big events were incredible for exposure; thousands of eyes, hundreds of conversations, a buzzing atmosphere that put The Defiant Co name right in the mix.
But the small events?
Those were the ones that mattered most.
Because that’s where you meet the people who get it.
The ones who understand the grind, the community, the culture.
One year, we clocked 56 days on the road living out of bags, setting up stands, meeting athletes, hearing stories, sharing ours.
It wasn’t glamorous. But it was real. And it built the foundation of everything we are today.
The Turning Point
The brand was thriving, but let’s be honest, it was thriving on sheer hard work and grit more than strategy.
Everything we achieved came from putting in the hours, pushing harder, and figuring things out as we went.
That works for a while but eventually, you need structure.
When my Dad retired, Torie came on board. And that’s when things levelled up.
Torie brought business acumen, strategic thinking, and long-term vision. She didn’t just help the business run she helped it grow.
With her insight, we started to combine the graft with a game plan.
And that changed everything.
We went from working hard to working smart and suddenly, both sides of the business started to accelerate.
Building for Longevity
After years of non-stop events, we made a big decision: take a step back.
We took a year off from in-person events to focus purely on building processes and scaling online.
It wasn’t easy events were what we loved, and they were the heartbeat of our brand. But the break was necessary.
We built systems, improved our logistics, developed stronger product lines, and laid the groundwork for longevity not just the next drop.
And it worked.
Our online presence grew stronger than ever. Our customer experience improved. Our operations became smoother, sharper, more sustainable.
That year off gave us structure and space to breathe.
The Comeback - Rogue Invitational 2025
After that break, we came back hungrier than ever.
Our first major event back on the calendar was the Rogue Invitational 2025 our second year attending, but it felt like the first time all over again.
And it was a massive success.
Everything clicked from the stand, to the community engagement, to the sales, to the feedback. It wasn’t just a comeback, it was a statement.
The Defiant Co was back. Stronger, smarter, sharper.
The support from the UK CrossFit community reminded us exactly why we started. It wasn’t about selling clothes it was about representing mindset.
From Then to Now
From four products and a kitchen table, to events across the country and a global online audience the journey has been wild.
We’ve grown, adapted, failed, learned, and evolved. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the reason we started:
To build a brand that represents people who refuse to follow the herd.
The Defiant Co isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence.
It’s not about trends. It’s about truth.
It’s for those who keep going when it gets hard. The ones who train in the cold, compete under pressure, and live with discipline.
We built this brand for them, and, with them.
The Defiant Co Today
Now, we’ve found the balance between strategy and soul.
We still work hard but we also work smart.
We still attend events but we do it with purpose.
We still push boundaries but we do it with direction.
And as we grow, one thing will always stay the same: the people who got us here will always be part of our story.
Our family. Our community. The Project. The CrossFit boxes up and down the UK. The customers who’ve supported us since day one.
The Defiant Co exists because of all of you.
