Today we’d like to introduce you to Logan Hronis.
Hi Logan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My business partner, Nate Campbell, and I started Instinct Sportswear in 2014. Starting out, our goal was to provide innovative products and training tools for baseball players.
Having both been former college baseball players, we felt we had a lot to offer in this market specifically and that’s where our journey started.
We wanted to bring a fresh style and design aspect to team uniforms that wasn’t available when we played. I have a background in art and design and I thought this was something that the baseball market needed badly. At this time, we were hyper-focused on baseball but we were getting referrals daily for other sports. It was time for us to evolve and after a lot of research and development we were able to offer uniforms and apparel for all sports.
Another big goal of ours was being able to reach customers outside of teams and athletes. We began designing and creating unique products for the casual/lifestyle apparel customer. The casual/lifestyle lines actually led us into the wholesale market.
Now, a large portion of our customer base are wholesale customers that want the quality of companies like Nike and Under Armour with a custom feel. We fit into a unique space in the market because we are able to handle large volume accounts while still offering a personal touch. Probably the most rewarding part of what we do is helping local businesses bring their designs and creativity to life.
Today, we still make jerseys, but mainly for large-scale organizations and facilities that want the high-quality items, lower prices, but also the customization and branding opportunities that aren’t offered by the “big box” guys. Today, we are proud to offer high-quality team uniforms along with our Instinct casual/lifestyle apparel to our customers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! I think most business owners would tell you the same, but it is especially the case with us.
We have spent (literally) countless time, energy, and money on R&D in the last few years. With materials, shipping, fabrics, and supply chain being incredibly variable, it has been a constant uphill battle. We want our clients to feel they’re truly receiving a one-of-a-kind product and branding experience, and it has been an incredibly long road to achieve this.
One of our biggest struggles starting out was convincing larger organizations that we could meet production requirements at their scale. We remain very grateful to the first larger organizations that gave us a chance and allowed us to prove ourselves. We’ve aways placed the customer first and valued customer experience above all else.
To date, we have never spent a single dollar on marketing or social media-sponsored posts. We plan to make a marketing push in 2023 but to date we have relied solely on referrals, repeat customers, and positive online reviews. We are very excited for the next phase of our business and the growth ahead!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Instinct Sportswear?
We specialize in wholesale and high-end custom sportswear. Our target market is basically two types:
1. Larger sports organizations — clubs, leagues, and teams who need uniforms and fan gear for their program.
2. Wholesale — large-scale full custom orders (all-over print) and detailed product sourcing for large quantities (branding, promo, and custom features). For larger volume customers, we even offer private label options.
With our almost 10 years of expertise, we have the ability to customize nearly every inch of every single product. When we say full custom, we mean FULL custom.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Honestly, I think we lucked out in this capacity, being former college athletes. We have a number of former teammates and friends scattered across the country that know and trust us. Many of them ended up working in sports and this was a major factor in our success, in the beginning.
I know it sounds cliche, but I can truly say that the best networking opportunity we’ve taken advantage of is making customers happy. We have had countless instances of customers in other states randomly finding us on Google, placing an order, and then referring 5 friends to us. We really can’t say thank you enough to all the great customers we’ve had that have trusted us enough to refer their family and friends.
Ordering custom gear is NOT usually a fun process for people (especially jerseys/uniforms.)
When we make it easy and affordable while keeping the high-end quality and customization, it’s a sigh of relief for our customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.instinctsportswear.com
- Instagram: @instinctsportperformance
- Facebook: @instinct sport performance
- Twitter: @Instinct_sports