I chose 8fig because of the flexibility and the trust.
Reshaping fitness fashion
Peachy Athletic started when its founder, Amanda Martin, a disabled Marine Corps veteran, noticed that so much of traditional sportswear was geared toward certain body types. A CrossFit veteran of 8 years, she always had difficulty finding clothes built for people with different figures.
Currently, most of the apparel industry is geared towards certain thin or muscular body types that don’t fit every kind of person. “I wanted to make clothing that was more inclusive, specifically for CrossFit athletes and women that have larger legs and different shapes than what you’d see on the average model,” says Amanda.
8fig was very flexible and open and I think that they are great for entrepreneurs that are starting out and even bigger brands.
So she worked on her own designs tirelessly, in order to scope out a niche that her clothes would fill. The goal was to take a different path than what brands were already offering in order to stand out. “In order to run a business you have to do something new or something better,” feels Amanda.
From the get-go, she focused heavily on her customers and what they needed, making items they asked for specifically. This helped her build a strong community early on and ensured new launches saw demand from the get-go. It also meant she had a good support and feedback system throughout her journey. Sales kept growing and Peachy Athletic developed a loyal customer base on its Shopify store.
Being a small business, it’s so difficult to get funding. 8fig just made it easy and they’ve been working with me through all the ups and downs. They’ve always been there and they’ve always been very flexible.
“Customers were saying that my clothes had changed their lives,” says Amanda. She was receiving messages saying, “I’ve never felt comfortable wearing shorts in my entire life and I put your shorts on and I don’t feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Because of that, I was able to go to the gym and work out and feel amazing.”
This kind of feedback meant a lot to Amanda and helped her push through the difficult times. In her experience, “running a business as an entrepreneur is very hard. There are lots of challenges, there are lots of sacrifices that are made. To have someone say that you’ve changed their life allowed me to keep going and do bigger and better things.” Amanda says, ‘It’s not about making money. It’s about the customer.”
Having that flexibility, it just doesn’t exist anywhere else. That’s why I chose 8fig.
Financing boost
Amanda initially financed everything herself, which she soon realized wasn’t sustainable long-term. She tried several different funding options, including an MCA (Merchant Cash Advance) provider that “kind of took advantage,” according to her, “that was a learning process.” After this experience, she took her time to find a funding source that was right for Peachy Athletic. This was when she discovered 8fig. She found it to be “flexible based on my needs. That’s something that I’ve never had from any other funding supplier.”
Peachy Athletic had difficulty raising capital before 8fig. “Especially when you are funding things on your own, it’s really hard to just pull tens of thousands of dollars out of thin air. You have to make that money.” Amanda liked 8fig because she felt trust and understanding and was given a funding plan that matched her business’s requirements. She used this financing to invest in inventory and marketing campaigns, to boost her sales momentum and keep scaling.
8fig is flexible based on my needs. That was something that I’ve never had from any other funding supplier.
When explaining her decision she says, “I chose 8fig because of the flexibility and the trust. 8fig put a lot of cost in me, based on my business performance. They put up a large sum of money to fund me in the beginning. I thought it was really awesome that they give businesses a chance.”
She particularly appreciated the flexibility in 8fig’s funding. “Being able to have flexible payment plans going forward, and if sales slow down I can ask for a change, are all fantastic things that really set 8fig apart from any other funding source that I have used.”
This capital allowed Peachy Athletic to launch over 50 new products, as well as many variations of existing merchandise. Amanda was also able to improve her ability to maintain consistent inventory levels while bringing new products to market.
