A Brand that Moves You.

HIStory

Born and raised in Miami, Florida—Dade County!—Rob Ford, Owner and CEO of Get the Steppin Fitness Group, LLC, was taught to go to school, perform well, attend college, and get a good job. After graduating from the illustrious Howard University with a degree in Economics, he landed a great job with the federal government. Since then, he has held several sales jobs, married his high school sweetheart, had three beautiful daughters, and bought a home in the Maryland suburbs. And then COVID-19 happened.

Growing up in a Christian household with five siblings, Ford immersed himself in the Bible and the Christian faith. After giving his life to God at an early age, he was often told there was something different about him. “Everywhere I go, I’m told my smile and presence light up a room,” he says, attributing that to the Holy Spirit and his faith in God.

“One day I walked into a sales call and the owner of the business told me, ‘Rob, you’re going to be something great. You’re going to impact millions of lives.’ This man didn’t even know me,” Ford recalls. “I didn’t know exactly what that meant at the time, but I think I know now.”

The Start of the Movement

“The brand was created out of a crisis.”

In 2018, Ford fell in love with fitness. With the help of their personal trainer, he and his wife lost more than 30 pounds in 90 days. “Yo, I was 200 pounds before I started working out, and in 90 days I was down to 170 pounds. My wife and I were in the best shape of our lives!” Ford worked out five days a week. He began posting encouraging health and fitness videos on social media and challenging people in his circle to live healthier lives. Fitness was now his thing.

Then, in the spring of 2020, the world shut down because of COVID-19. Ford, like the rest of the world, was home, scared, and overwhelmed. “Three months after the world shut down, I legit gained 25 pounds! I was depressed and stressed out. I went from working out four or five times a week to sitting at my desk or on my couch with a laptop in my face, eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream at least four times a week.” It had gotten bad, Ford said.

In the summer of 2020, something clicked. He was tired of seeing his belly hang over his pants and spill over his seatbelt when he sat in his car. Ford stopped eating “trash,” began exercising at home, and walked 10,000 steps every day. “I would tell myself before every walk to ‘Get the Steppin’.’ It was a way to pump myself up.” In 30 days, he lost 18 of the 25 pounds he had gained.

After seeing results, he began challenging friends and family to take 10,000 steps a day. The challenge caught on with a small group of friends, then opened to the surrounding community. That is when the Get the Steppin 21-Day Step Challenge was formed.

“The brand was created out of a crisis. Me and so many others needed to get up, get moving, and Get the Steppin’. Our lives depended on it.”

The step challenge became a way for people to lose weight, gain mental clarity, build community, and have fun.

The Branding

“You are not a clothing line, you’re a step challenge.”

Growing up, Ford watched the legendary comedy series Martin. Martin Lawrence is one of his favorite comedians and entertainers. On the show, the lead character, Martin, would kick people out of his apartment whenever he got upset. Before he did, he would say, “Get tah Steppin’!” and everybody would leave.

“It’s a dynamic phrase used in a variety of forms,” Ford says. He took the phrase Martin used to kick people out and turned it into a way to motivate and encourage people to get off the couch and exercise.

Ford and his wife created a logo one late night, inspired by the phrase but designed to be their own. “I was very careful not to copy the show’s logo exactly,” Ford says. He wanted something familiar that would remind people to get moving. He selected bright neon and highlighter colors—green, orange, lime, and more—so the brand would stand out.

Originally, Ford did not plan to create an apparel brand. He and his wife bought T-shirts, vinyl, and a heat press, then made shirts to thank each step challenge participant. He did not know that his small thank-you gesture would become a creative, impactful marketing tool for the company. Ford began the process of trademarking the logo in September 2020, and it became fully trademarked in June 2021.

The bright colors caught people’s attention whenever Ford or challenge members wore their shirts. People began asking where they could buy Get the Steppin T-shirts. With so many requests, Ford began taking orders from people outside the challenge, too. “Things started to get crazy! My wife and I were up some days as late as 4 a.m. fulfilling T-shirt orders.” In fall and winter 2020, Ford launched branded GTS hoodies. Sales reached from Washington, D.C., down to Miami, Florida. He was on a roll, but would soon learn what burnout felt like.

One cold evening in January 2021, Ford and his wife, Jamisha, sat down to discuss the plans for Get the Steppin. Both were exhausted after the previous six months of apparel orders. “Babe,” his wife said, “I love what you’re doing with Get the Steppin. But don’t forget why you created the company. You are not a clothing line; you’re a step challenge, and the people expect you to continue that.”

For the next 90 days, Ford reevaluated the purpose of his brand and company. He followed clothing brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour to learn more about their stories and beginnings. He found that each had a compelling story and started from a need to improve people’s lives.

“Get the Steppin was created to motivate and inspire people to live healthy lives. It was created to bring awareness to the importance of physical activity. And what better way to bring awareness than to create a dope, creative clothing line that provokes health consciousness and fashion? My wife was right. Get the Steppin isn’t a clothing line; it’s bigger than that. It’s bigger than just a step challenge. Get the Steppin is a movement!”

We don’t just wear the brand—we rock the brand. So get up, get moving, and Get the Steppin’! Thank you for the love and support.