In the words of Mario Andretti, “Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
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Andretti literally took the fast track to success, with others of the same mindset quite close in his rearview. Among those fearlessly crushing goals is an up-and-coming self-defense advocate, Amy Robbins. You may know and recognize her best as the co-founder and CEO of Alexo Athletica, the company that conceptualized athletic leggings with a built-in gun holster.
Since her company’s inception, Robbins seems to be showing up everywhere. And she’s gaining speed—not only with Alexo Athletica, which she’s successfully managed to promote, but with herself as well. Aside from Alexo, Robbins is a professional model, public speaker and Second Amendment advocate. She also hosts her own podcast and television show. Robbins is taking on life in the fast lane, and I doubt she’ll be slowing down anytime soon.
Deep Roots
Much of Robbins’ success can be attributed to her solid family upbringing, which keeps her grounded in her core beliefs today. Growing up in rural Texas in a family full of girls, her father would lovingly refer to her as “the son he never had.”
Amy was a competitive tomboy who grew up loving sports as well as the outdoors. Her competitive spirit meant she never aimed to outperform others and prove her worth. Instead, she consistently strove to outperform herself and always improve; that mindset sparked a flame that’s still within her today.
It wasn’t until her junior-high years that she developed a love for fashion. She also developed the ability to balance fashion with her tomboy attributes. As is true for most of us, those years were also very rough for Robbins, as bullying from other girls was nothing short of relentless. Where this could break some, Robbins believes it only made her stronger. “While I am glad we didn’t have the pressures of social media that kids have to deal with now, I am thankful for what I went through because it toughened me up,” she said. “It made me learn how to believe in myself but also gave me compassion for others dealing with the same thing. This stuck with me and gives me the drive to help build women’s confidence along with helping them realize they can stand up for themselves.”
Taking Flight
Robbins’ junior-high days propelled her toward a promising future that included attending Texas A&M University, working as a professional model and starting her own talent management agency. Now you may be wondering how any of this commingles with the firearms industry and what could have gotten her affiliated.
It all started with one friend who, unbeknownst to Robbins, had nominated her for D magazine’s “10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas.” Through this nomination, Robbins caught the eye of a production company that asked her if she was pro-gun and if she’d like to be part of a panel on a show discussing guns. Up to that moment, all Robbins knew was to point and shoot, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her. At the audition, she met YouTube star Colion Noir, and they instantly bonded like siblings. She was chosen for the show, entitled Noir, and the rest is history.
Gaining Traction
This show taught Robbins everything she knows about firearms and the Second Amendment. She fell in love, soaking it all in. This then led her to work for NRATV, producing and writing for Noir as well as several others. Through her new line of work and becoming educated in personal safety, Robbins began to understand not only the importance of concealed carry, but also the empowerment that comes from having the ability to defend oneself.
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As an avid runner, she realized the vulnerability of not being able to adequately and functionally carry a self-defense tool while exercising. This is where Alexo Athletica was born. Robbins came up with a new concept of athletic leggings. They featured multiple pockets in the waistband to hold everything a woman would need or want to carry. She designed these leggings with built-in holsters for firearms as well as pockets to carry identification, a phone, money and other such items.
Active Carry
Robbins explains, “I knew that women were most vulnerable while wearing activewear, as this caused them to throw their self-defense tools in their purses. I wanted to create something that would allow them to keep their tools on their bodies and retrieve them quickly. My dream was an entire product line that would work together to conceal whatever it was that women wanted to hold in the waistbands, but in a stylish way.”
In 2015, without prior experience in the world of fashion design, production or marketing, Robbins began her new journey. No matter what obstacles or negativity stood in her way, she continued with sheer determination to pursue her goal. Finally, she found a production/manufacturing company that believed in her vision, and Alexo Athletica was launched in 2017.
The new company began with preorder-only sales in the hopes that customers would soon see the value in Robbins’ product. To her pleasant surprise, the leggings sold out long before she even had the product in stock! Alexo Athletica is still skyrocketing, and women everywhere are loving the concept. For the woman who had zero experience in fashion design, Robbins is now the CEO of a company that’s thriving and growing, with additional products beyond the original leggings that are meeting the concealed-carry needs of women around the globe.
Going Further
Robbins’ passion for self-defense and self-reliance goes even further than Alexo. She also hosts Not Your Average Gun Girls along with Emily Valentine, a well-known blogger seeking to educate women on ways to carry their firearms without sacrificing their wardrobe style through her blog Style Me Tactical. The two ladies started their show as a podcast. However, they’ve since been picked up by OpsLens Media, which has given the ladies their own TV-produced show.
“We set out to launch a podcast—and now a show!—with a concept that was new to the industry, and Amy never backed down from the challenge,” Valentine said. “Amy is dedicated and passionate, and she brings that to the show every day. Her energy is infectious, and we balance each other out so well. I am so fortunate to get to see firsthand an amazing leader in our industry.
“Amy is a great friend with a big heart,” Valentine continued. “She is genuine and has a strong foundation built on her faith and family. She is an example of showing young women everywhere that it is possible to attain your dreams through hard work. Those are all the things that set her apart and why I’m grateful to call her a friend. I hope everyone finds someone like her that is supportive, loyal and there when you need a shoulder to lean on.”
In Her Words
Robbins is riding in the fast lane and she isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Between running her company, hosting a show, public speaking, firearms training, pop-up shops and making time for her husband and best friend since the second grade, it’s impressive that she finds time to decompress and unwind.
“Before Alexo, I had a great routine. I was able to turn off my phone, go on a long run and really tune out the world when I needed to. However, starting a company does not allow me to do that as easily as I once did, and that’s OK. What keeps me centered is the mission of our company and the vision to see every woman live a safe, confident life.
“I don’t like to press pause right now because we must keep moving forward, keep creating and keep innovating to stay ahead of the demand,” she continued. “I do always find time though to pray, spend time with God and get a workout in, which for now greatly helps when things get stressful. I’m also extremely blessed to have a very supportive husband that I not only love but I like, and we enjoy the time we get to spend with each other.”
Robbins’ mission is focused on empowering women to protect themselves, but that doesn’t mean that she is “anti-man”: “Our message is about empowering women but not alienating or hating men. I make it a point to praise both the men and women in my life who have helped me get where I am today, and I try to always give credit where it is due no matter their gender, especially the ones who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms and our safety. At Alexo Athletica, we love men! A decent percentage of our customer base is men who are buying for their loved ones. We need their support and welcome it,” she said.
Amy Robbins: The Genuine Article
Robbins is definitely a go-getter, but she’s also one of the most genuine ladies in the industry. No matter what social status one may have, it’s evident she treats everyone the same. She’s personally interactive with her customers as well as everyone on her social media platforms. With Robbins, what you see is what you get, and her energy is always contagious. She handles the spotlight with grace and dignity, whether it’s accolades or negative press from the anti-gun factions, and her confidence never waivers. She’s made all Alexo Athletica’s customers and the viewers of her show feel like they’re part of a family. Even if you haven’t met her in person, she’ll make you feel like a friend.
Robbins exudes passion in all she does. She offers this advice to everyone interested in pursuing their dreams: “Stop dreaming and start doing! Put a plan together, be ready to work your tail off, believe in yourself even if no one else does, let the word ‘no’ drive you when you hear it, and don’t give up, no matter how many times you are going to want to. Also know that no one is going to care more about your dream than you are, so you better be ready to work for it.”
This article is from the August-September 2019 issue of Personal Defense World magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com. For digital editions, visit Amazon.
