San Diego-based entrepreneur Taylor Ogle says that he founded NFQ while living in his military dorm room. Three years later, it has become one of the fastest growing veteran owned premium fitness apparel brands.
Our audience is keen to read stories about entrepreneurs creating a difference in the world. Your profile speaks volumes about the outstanding work you have done. Enlighten our readers about your work.
Thank you for the compliment! Well, my name is Taylor Ogle. I am a full-time entrepreneur residing in San Diego, California. I started NFQ in 2016 while living in my military dorm room. Three years later, we're one of the fastest growing veteran owned premium fitness apparel brands out there. We take pride in providing our loyal supporters with the highest quality apparel, which offers unmatched versatility & durability for athletes of every sport. Our community was created on a foundation of hard work, and the will to never quit despite life's greatest obstacles.
Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it?
I founded NFQ in 2016 while living in my military dorm room. I had recently attempted to Palace Chase out of the military, which is an option to separate early to pursue the schooling, but eventually, I decided against it. I knew that school wasn't the answer. I was never a good student. I couldn't push myself physically or mentally if it wasn't something that truly interested me. But I've always really been interested in clothing and fashion. So one day I came home from work and decided I was going to start a clothing brand. I knew that I possessed zero knowledge in business, and if I was going to grow my company organically, it would need to have a flashy name. Thus, NeverFuckingQuit (NFQ) was born. Three years later, we are one of the fastest growing veteran premium fitness brands. Right now the possibilities are endless, and opportunities arise daily. The idea behind NFQ was driven by my military background and ideals that I witnessed during my time serving. Many military members share our love for fitness, so we have been able to also capture an audience of athletes from nearly every sport. Our brand has evolved into supporting and providing incredibly durable performance items for most sports out there.
This story is something many readers would surely relate to. Now, go in detail and tell us about how your brand works.
Growing up, I was an extremely creative individual. And I was always inspired by many streetwear brands. When we began selling our product, we sold a specific amount of units at one time, similar to that of Supreme. I've actually always been quite a fan of Supreme and how they do things. I knew that to create demand, especially on a good product, you need to create a sense of exclusivity. So that's what we did. As we continued testing our different products and sourcing new manufacturers, we found what would really change NFQ forever. During my fitness journey, I was never able to find the perfect pair of running/training shorts, especially good ones that featured pockets. In mid-2017, we created our first pair of training shorts. To this day we've designed and released 100's of different shorts designs, and all of them have been amazing sellers! Customers look forward to the next drop, and the chance to snag a pair of shorts they've wanted but haven't been able to get for so long. Currently, our shorts combined with our Limited Piece Drop model, are helping us achieve the growth we never imagined. We have since expanded our catalog of fitness apparel, and plan to soon expand our reach to millions.
What challenges did you face during the process of brand creation? What challenges do you face on an everyday basis?
There were an immense learning curve and many, many challenges I faced in the initial startup phase. From legalities, to manufacture sourcing, marketing, designing, and most importantly, leading. I never considered myself a leader, and frankly never filled that role before creating NFQ. We had some recent issues that could have potentially been detrimental to NFQ as a company, but one thing that came out of it was our amazing team. We were all able to unify, overcome our setback and we are now stronger than ever. I couldn't be any more excited to lead my team into our next chapter of growth at NFQ!
The challenges I face on a daily basis primarily revolve around me learning not only "how" to be an entrepreneur but to be a successful one. There are an endless amount of challenges daily as far as the business goes, but the priority for me is to ensure I remain the leader I need to be for my team. And also, to keep researching and learning as much as I can to benefit us every day.
What it means to run a successful business like this. What does it take?
In order to run ANY successful business, you must know what you're getting into. In 2016, I didn't. I have endured losing thousands of dollars, losing friendships, and most importantly have sacrificed a great deal of time from my family, to make this dream of NFQ work. I am grateful to have the amazing support that I do from my team and family to make all of these challenges worth it in the end. Ultimately, our whole team is what keeps this running smoothly. Everyone has a special job or role and we all work together to get it all done.
Tell us your future vision about the brand. What is your dream about taking it to the next level?
My vision for the brand is to see NFQ grow into more than just a clothing brand. To be a movement! We want to see people around the world take this brand, embody it as we do, and never give up on their goals. To live as A Different Breed.
Big picture physically though, my dream is to build a huge NFQ Headquarters. This would include several training facilities within, as well as office and warehouse space to run daily operations for the business. I've always said that you can adapt the NFQ mindset to any sport, or to really anything in life. It would be amazing to see those like-minded individuals prepping the brand and enjoying their favorite sports activities together! We are always excited to see our growing community online, but it would mean everything to see it there at our Headquarters. And hopefully, that would also help to continue growing the amazing team we have now into thousands. That day couldn't come soon enough.
Success often comes with bundled stress in different forms. How do you cope up with that?
Yes, it does. I actually just realized how stress can truly affect one's life when I pursued NFQ full-time. It's been a long past 8 months. I definitely have specific ways I manage my stress, but I'd have to say one of the most important stress relievers for me is training. Along with modeling for my brand sometimes, I also stay heavily active and even compete. I fought last year in two MMA bouts, won my first fight, no contest second. I am currently training boxing full-time, and plan to compete in the next year or so. These forms of training help me manage my stress and stay focused.
What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and make a living through it?
Stay motivated, stay dedicated and stay consistent. NEVER QUIT. I did not plan my endeavor, but I was deliberate in my actions. I saw my purpose, I believed in it, and I took action.
Also, I feel like it's important to start out with the least amount of debt as possible. Though I do know every business is different, and some require large investments upfront. Just be prepared, and have a backup plan if things aren't working out
