The Rise Before the Fall: A Timeline of Success

How much real life hard work goes in to building something original, and how quickly it can be destroyed

When I first opened the doors to my tiny studio in 2010, I had no idea that this space would become the birthplace of so much joy, and eventually, so much pain. It was a sweet, humble, and manageable space with room for just six mats—and it was mine. Within six months, I faced my first challenge: a lawsuit over the name "misfit." I fought it, determined not to let anything derail my vision. The irony wasn’t lost on me—the lawsuit was from a "miss-fit," while I was interested in reclaiming the concept of "MISFIT." To me, it represented the rebel, the outsider, the lone wolf—the one who never quite fit in. It took seven years to pay off the legal fees, a constant reminder of the fight I was willing to endure to protect what I believed in.