VBE Spotlight on: Vertical Athletics

Vertical Athletics

Vertical Athletics was founded in 2008 by Renee Krieg

For over 15 years, Vertical Athletics has been a leader in creating high-performance and functional products made with world-class athletes in mind, but suitable for consumers of all fitness levels. Female- and Veteran-Owned, VA is owned by Renee Krieg. Vertical Athletics started in 2008 as a tall-sized athletic apparel company and evolved to focus on headbands, gaiters, and face coverings. 

Learn more about Renee & Vertical Athletics at: verticalathletics.com

About the Business - Custom & Cool!

What services do you provide?

"Custom athletic accessories made from patented cooling fabric. ie: Cooling towels, cooling headbands, cooling visors, cooling scarves, and new for 2023 are cooling shirts"

Who are your primary customers?

"We primarily sell wholesale to MLB and MLS stadium stores, Fanatics, Rally House, Scheels, Dick's Sporting Goods and smaller regional sporting goods stores and boutiques. We are also growing our corporate promotional business and have worked with the Dallas Mavericks, Phillies, MLB, and Kaiser Permanate making cooling headbands and masks for their marketing events."

When and how did you start your business?

"'When I got off active duty in the summer of 2006 I went to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchanding in Los Angeles so I could learn cut and sew apparel manufacturing. I was still in the Army Reserves while I went through school so it was quite the extreme contrast going to Fashion School during the week with wonderful giggling girls 10 years younger than me and then drilling out of Camp Pendleton with Maines on the weekends. But the extremes of the two environments helped me ultimately transition back to civilian life faster.

When I graduated from FIDM, I wrote a business plan, raised Angel capital and started my company in Feb 2008."

Business Growth Challenges - Growing Through Challenge and Change

What were some of the challenges in starting your business?

" I started my business 6 months before the crash in the summer of 2008. Nothing sold online so I bought an RV and hit the road doing pop up shops at sporting events all over the country. At every event we just hoped to make enough money to put gas in the motorhome so we could make it to the next event."

What is the key to the success of your business?

"Grit and quickly adapting to new trends and opportunities in the market."

What lessons learned can you share with people to make their business succeed?

"Define your core values and stick to them. Put systems in place as quickly as possible. This is something I'm still working on but it's made a huge difference over the past year."

What pitfalls should they avoid?

"Know your finances and understand your COGS. Keep good bookkeeping records- when you eventually get audited it makes everything go smoother. Know your profit and don't sell below cost for 'exposure'."

What other information about you and your business would you like to share with the NaVOBA community?

"We make 100% of our products in the USA with components that are also Made in the USA. Our products are Berry Amendment compliant and we have pretty quick turn times. My Goal for this year is to work with 25 new Corporate partners providing them with custom branded cooling accessories (towels, headbands, bandanas, visors, and shirts) for their hot-weather events. So if you know anyone looking for cool swag (wink wink) please send them my way."

Service information

Branch:

Army

Service Years:

2001-2007

Highest Rank Attained:

Staff Sergeant

Why did you join the military?

"The Army was my first job out of college. I thought I wanted a career in government and I wanted to pay back my student loans from college. It was a great starting point to adulthood."

Military Occupation:

"I was an Intelligence Analyst"

Significant Achievements/Experiences:

"I played on the All-Army volleyball team for 4 seasons."

Biography/Fun Facts

In 10 years...

"will have hired a CEO so I can stay in my zone of genius and continue doing business and product development."

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"If I weren't running my current business, I'd be starting another. I'm wired to be an entrepreneur creating useful things."