Meet Anjni Raol Singh of Kali Active in WestSide

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anjni Raol Singh.

Anjni, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Kali Active started after experiencing some burnout from my last corporate design job. I had just moved from NY to LA with my company and was feeling the itch to start a side hustle. As I was working on the initial idea of the brand, I had taken up boxing workout classes as a form of therapy for myself and noticed there weren’t any brands addressing women in the fight space.

Most of the women had the same pink wraps and gloves and there was such a lack of design and style to the gear. I realized the options were pretty dismal and the male-dominated industry wasn’t even addressing this growing demographic of women who were using fight training as a way to workout. That’s when the lightbulb hit, and I decided to dedicate my time to work on Kali Active as much as I could.

I had extensive experience and knowledge working in branding, sportswear design and product development and knew I could get the brand to market. We officially launched at the very beginning of 2015 at a tradeshow in NY to crickets. Everyone was still on the yoga, pilates, and spin vibe and we were “too early” with our vision. Overall, people loved our brand and what we stood for but didn’t see the fit in the current market.

About a couple months in, we sent some of our boxing handwraps to a new fitness studio opening in NY, and they used them in their initial press launch. The wraps were a hit, and we were the first brand making waves in this new boxing fitness craze. Kali Active is the leading fitness brand empowering women with unique quality fight gear. It’s cool to think we have had an integral part of something that makes women feel like such badasses and the brand has certainly created its own voice within the market.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Launching a product based brand in a space that is relatively new has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. This industry like many has a lot of old ways of doing things, so when someone that is not known comes in and disrupts it, you end up really hustling.

We’ve had interesting things happen to us because I think of us as the “underdog-little-engine-that-could.” We’ve had people copy our designs, use our items and credit other brands, and we’ve even had a brand use our image on their social channel like it was their own.

The fitness and sportswear space is highly competitive because health and wellness has become really important. Most of the sportswear brands you think of were founded by men, and I think as a woman of color who used her experience to launch this company, it is extremely important to show diversity and representation as a founder.

Kali Active – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At the core, Kali Active is known for design, quality, and community. We geared our product to an underrepresented demographic, women, and gave them a platform to flex their badass selves. We are known for our elevated style and comfort in the gear we release.

I am most proud of the community we have created and the repeat customers/clients that have loved coming back to us to help them grow. Not everything is perfect, and as a founder, I am always learning. I am still amazed by how positively people react to our brand! We have a small team, but I’m involved in everything from design, product development, shipping logistics to customer service.

I think what sets us apart is that we are tuned into the fitness community and have created our own niche within the space. We are one of the only brands at the intersection of fashion, fight, and fitness. It’s kind of cool to have a unique take on something that’s been around forever. Who knew boxing gloves could be sexy and badass at the same time!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I’m a daughter of South Asian immigrants,so the bar of success is always set high! Ha! If you’re not a doctor, it always feels like you are always chasing that carrot.

I still look at this company as a baby and feel like I’m just getting started. As a creative (I’m sure other creatives can relate) I have a very warped view of success. It’s more like I think of myself as a work in progress.

Mostly, there is a checklist that I have that is made of small goals and bigger goals. So every time those smaller goals are checked off, it feels like I am moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaliactive.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @kali_active
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaliActive/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaliactive

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