Tell us your story. Why did you start your business?
We are Ben & Jordan, two brothers from Sydney Australia with a background in global advertising, design and marketing. We make mens leggings for fitness, fashion and festivals/
The Kapow brand was born at Burning Man in the Nevada desert with 35,000 men wearing ill-fitting women’s leggings because they couldn’t find cool ones for guys. From that point on we started noticing an adventurous change in men's fashion – from the gym to the high street, get-ups were becoming bolder and brighter. We consulted men all over the world about their athleisure and fashion needs, and they told us they wanted huge colours, wild patterns, and show-stopping designs.
The Kapow brand champions looking good, having fun, and standing out in a crowd. Today our leggings are worn by BASE jumpers, rock stars, bodybuilders, yogis, acrobats, models, athletes, and everyday heroes all over the world.
How did you come up with your business name?
The word Kapow references the sound effects from the old superhero comics – Zap! Blam! Kapow! – because wearing meggings makes you feel two feet taller and unleashes your inner superhero. Plus we did some research and learned that words starting with a K are more memorable.
Tell us about your products and services. How do you help clients?
We believe that human beings are born for self-expression, and we design our leggings to stand out in a crowd. “Dress to impress” is no longer enough. Today's men want to “Dress to express”. They’re also designed especially for guys, with more length and width in all the right areas, and high-stretch contour fabric that makes the “package” blend in with the waist. Our designs range from animal prints to futuristic metallics, and we use the highest quality fabrics and manufacturing.
What makes you unique? What is your unique selling proposition (USP)?
Our background is in design and marketing for international brands which definitely helped in the business sense, but it also gave us a good idea of what we don’t want to be – which is overly corporate and taking ourselves too seriously. Our progressive designs, dedication to quality, and irreverent attitude make us unique.
The Kapow USP is our brand and our global community of men who dress to express. Our tagline is “Be brave. Be unboring” and we live this every day. We design apparel that feels like a second skin and makes men feel like rockstars.
Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years?
Our goal of being the no.1 supplier of mens’ leggings on the planet – from fashion, to festivals, to sport and fitness. We’ve put a big focus on distribution and our vision is to have a network that can get killer meggings to our customers wherever they are in the world. We’ve got an Originals, Metallic and Performance range currently, and will be expanding this to include 2-3 new ranges, as well as expanding into other products and apparel.
Any advice you would give to entrepreneurs and business owners?
First and foremost – worrying is a waste of time. Whatever you’re stressing over either will happen or it won’t, and either way you’ll find a way to deal with it. Secondly – look to outsource tasks that other people can do better than you can. This will also free up time for you to focus on growing your business, and not get bogged down in minutiae.
It’s never been easier and easier for anyone to start, fund and run their own business. The revolution has already begun. You don’t need an MBA, the ability to code and a team of experts to start your own biz. Everything you need to go DIY is already available, and it will continue to get better, easier and cheaper.
What is your favorite business quote and why?
“Time infuriates me. The way it continues to pass me by while I stand there and watch.” I can’t remember who said it, but it’s great motivation to get out there and make things happen NOW. No more procrastinating.
What have been some of your achievements that you are most proud of? Why?
Growing a community of men who believe in self-expression and love to dress how they want, not how others think they should. Men’s fashion has traditionally been conservative but every day we hear from guys all over the world who are breaking boundaries and living the dream.
