Today we’d like to introduce you to Audel Del Toro.
Hi Audel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a LA Sports fanatic all my life & have always wanted to start an LA sports-based brand but never went through with it or had the opportunity. Last year (2020) in January, I was laid off from my job & instead of looking for a new job, I decided to bet on myself and finally start the brand “Can’t Beat LA”. The first product I launched was the original “Lakers/Dodgers” LA mash up hat. I knew the logo design was going to be a hit but I had no idea it was going to take off the way it did. I was able to get my hat into the right people’s hands & they helped catapult the brand and put it on the map.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. Especially for how quickly the brand was growing, I literally learned everything on the go. I think the hardest part was having to be the Creative, Customer service, Social media manager and the Shipping department all at once. There were times we would be up until the early mornings and my entire home would turn into a warehouse. Thanks to my wife and family I was able to get through those crazy times.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I started “CAN’T BEAT LA” I had trouble thinking of the name. I knew I wanted it to be an LA sports-type name so I would watch LA sports games (Lakers/Dodgers) and during a replay of a Laker game against the hated Boston Celtics, I heard the infamous chant from all the hating cities: “BEAT LA” & I said that’s it! They “CAN’T BEAT LA!” & not only did the brand name mean sports teams Can’t Beat LA but also the name in general represents the best city in the world. Us Angelenos are proud to be from LA and there’s no other city that can beat LA weather, LA food, LA tradition and LA sports. You just “Can’t Beat LA”. One of the things that set the brand apart from other LA sports brands is how unique my designs are & how quickly I have current event LA-themed shirts ready for LA fans. If someone makes a great play or says something during a game & it’s game-changing play or defining moment in a sports game, you better believe Can’t Beat LA is gonna have that shirt ready for the fans. I look at Can’t Beat LA as a fans brand I created for the people. The real die-hard LA fans that deserve the best product and something they can wear at Dodgers and Lakers games to represent Los Angeles and their favorite teams but at the same time also making sure these designs are printed on high-quality garments. That’s another thing that separates CBLA from other brands is the quality. Anyone can design a logo or a graphic and slap it on a cheap tee and call it a brand but I make sure these designs/graphics are printed on high-quality garments that people can wear for a long time. That’s something I’m really proud of.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Back in Highschool, I used to be the editor and writer for the sports section in my Journalism class. I even contributed to some Lakers websites and wrote articles on the Lakers years ago. The purple & gold passion is real. Ha!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: CANTBEATLA.COM
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cantbeatla?utm_medium=copy_link
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cantbeatla_?s=21
- Other: https://instagram.com/cantbeataudel?utm_medium=copy_link
