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The fitness industry had a design problem long before Natalie Holloway and Max Kislevitz decided to do something about it. Wrist and ankle weights were ugly, utilitarian, and meant to be hidden. Bala flipped that by making weights look like jewelry and inspiring a generation of women to put their fitness equipment on the coffee table.
In this written conversation with Nathan Okuley, a former growth marketing partner for Bala, Natalie reflects on the design conviction that made it possible, and what building a brand for nine years actually teaches you.
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NO
It seems like Bala is everywhere these days but how did it start?
NH
Max and I started Bala as a side hustle with one product idea, the Bala Bangles. Our superpower was marketing — since we came from ad agencies — but we knew nothing about building a business or making it profitable. The process felt very unknown, and there weren't as many resources available then. We taught ourselves along the way, made a ton of mistakes, and worked hard to make it work.
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NO
What did the first version of the idea look like?
NH
We were traveling in Indonesia and wanted to add resistance to our workout. That's when we realized we could add weights. The problem was that wrist and ankle weights were ugly sandbags that hadn't seen any innovation since the 80s. Everything in the space was masculine, steel, and black. It was a male-dominated category. I wanted to make working out feel less like a chore and more like something you actually look forward to. The Bangles were born out of that frustration.
Max sketched the first version on a napkin right then and there. What's wild is that the sketch looks almost identical to what the product became, he had a clear visual in his head from the very beginning. What it showed was essentially a bracelet. Not a sandbag, not a velcro strap. Something that looked like jewelry. In that moment, we redesigned the entire space and introduced a product that was more functional, comfortable, and something women actually wanted to be seen wearing. Designed to be left out, not thrown in a closet to hide.
When we got the first physical sample back, that was the moment it became real. You can sketch something and believe in it, but holding a version of it in your hand is different. It was soft. It was weighted just right. It looked exactly like what we had imagined. We had never made a product before and genuinely had no idea what we were doing, and somehow it came back looking the way it was supposed to. That was the moment the idea stopped being a dream and started being a business.
Max sketched the first version on a napkin right then and there. What's wild is that the sketch looks almost identical to what the product became, he had a clear visual in his head from the very beginning. What it showed was essentially a bracelet. Not a sandbag, not a velcro strap. Something that looked like jewelry. In that moment, we redesigned the entire space and introduced a product that was more functional, comfortable, and something women actually wanted to be seen wearing. Designed to be left out, not thrown in a closet to hide.
When we got the first physical sample back, that was the moment it became real. You can sketch something and believe in it, but holding a version of it in your hand is different. It was soft. It was weighted just right. It looked exactly like what we had imagined. We had never made a product before and genuinely had no idea what we were doing, and somehow it came back looking the way it was supposed to. That was the moment the idea stopped being a dream and started being a business.
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NO
When you first imagined Bala, was it aesthetic-first, function-first, or did both emerge together?
NH
Design and function were both incredibly important from the very beginning. You can sketch something and believe in it intellectually, but holding a version of it in your hand is different. That was when I knew we had something. It was soft. It was weighted just right. We tested products along the way to make sure they were functional, because the Bala test requires both. That said, if I had to pick one, I’d say Bala is a design company masquerading as a fitness company. That approach has become a powerful marketing tool, especially through gifting. The product creates instant interest through design and invites people to be part of something bigger through functional lifestyle.
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NO
If Bala is a design company masquerading as a fitness company, what does that mean in practice?
NH
It shows up everywhere, from the brands we partner with to how we style a model for a photoshoot. Everything we touch has to be elevated. The product, the packaging, the shoot, the partner. If any one of those things feels like an afterthought, the whole thing falls apart.
But the clearest way I can explain it is this: we design fitness gear you want to both use and display. Old-school weights were meant to be used and put away. Hidden, basically. We wanted the opposite. Something that made your home look better just by being in it. Something that a boutique hotel or workout facility wants to show off on a tour. Because here's what we figured out early: if it's out, you'll use it. If it's in a drawer, you won't. Design isn't just about how something looks. It's about whether it changes your behavior.
But the clearest way I can explain it is this: we design fitness gear you want to both use and display. Old-school weights were meant to be used and put away. Hidden, basically. We wanted the opposite. Something that made your home look better just by being in it. Something that a boutique hotel or workout facility wants to show off on a tour. Because here's what we figured out early: if it's out, you'll use it. If it's in a drawer, you won't. Design isn't just about how something looks. It's about whether it changes your behavior.
“We design fitness gear you want to both use and display.”
Natalie Holloway Bala
We didn't always have language for that internally. It was more instinct than framework in the beginning. But it's absolutely how we brief products today. The first question is always: would you want to leave this out? Not just can you use it, but does it deserve to be seen? If the answer is no, we go back. That standard has held from the Bangles all the way through to everything we've made since. It sounds simple. It is actually really hard to execute consistently.
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NO
What constraints were you working within?
NH
Fitness is emotional. And it's hard to get into a good routine. So why can't the products we interact with inspire movement? That was the real question we kept coming back to. We weren't trying to reinvent the wrist weight so much as we were trying to reinvent how fitness equipment made you feel when you looked at it.
The materials themselves — steel and silicone — have real requirements for fitness products. But beyond materials, we were working within the constraint of our own inexperience. We had never made a product before. We Googled how to start a business. We found a designer on Upwork to do a CAD drawing. We sourced a manufacturer willing to troubleshoot materials and specs alongside us. Max built the website. I shot the product photos. We had a $5,000 budget and no supply chain knowledge whatsoever. In a weird way, that was freeing, we didn't know what was impossible so we just kept asking for what we wanted.
The materials themselves — steel and silicone — have real requirements for fitness products. But beyond materials, we were working within the constraint of our own inexperience. We had never made a product before. We Googled how to start a business. We found a designer on Upwork to do a CAD drawing. We sourced a manufacturer willing to troubleshoot materials and specs alongside us. Max built the website. I shot the product photos. We had a $5,000 budget and no supply chain knowledge whatsoever. In a weird way, that was freeing, we didn't know what was impossible so we just kept asking for what we wanted.
NO
What were you trying to make people feel the first time they saw or held them?
NH
Powerful and excited. Like they can take on the world, one workout at a time. I wore mine to fitness classes in the early days just hoping they'd spark conversation. And they did. People would stop me and ask what I was wearing. That was the moment I knew the design was doing its job — a product that gets noticed, creates instant curiosity, makes someone feel something before they even use it. We also wanted them to feel like something you could wear out in the world, not just in the gym. On a walk. Doing laundry. That broadened what the product even was.
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NO
What was the most expensive lesson you learned in manufacturing that first product?
NH
Many, many expensive mistakes, whether that was packaging errors that cost us time and money, or placing a large PO (like $1M+) and missing the holiday window, which meant sitting on too much inventory a retailer couldn't sell through. Those are the kinds of mistakes that don't feel catastrophic in the moment, and then you see them on the P&L and your stomach drops.
The whole first year of manufacturing felt like one long expensive lesson. We were figuring out MOQs, lead times, material specs, quality control — all of it from scratch. The silicone alone took close to a year to get right. Manufacturers kept pushing back because it added cost and complexity, and we kept pushing back because we knew it was the thing that would make the product feel different. Soft, sweat-resistant, comfortable enough to wear for an extended period. That was non-negotiable, even when it probably should have broken the budget.
And then the copycats arrived, which was frustrating and flattering in equal measure. You search Bala Bangles on Amazon and there they are, a dozen versions of the idea, most in the same colorways, same general shape. But the one thing they couldn't replicate easily was the silicone. That material quality at our price point was hard to fake. In a strange way, all that time and money we spent fighting for the overmold became the thing that protected us once the market got crowded.
The whole first year of manufacturing felt like one long expensive lesson. We were figuring out MOQs, lead times, material specs, quality control — all of it from scratch. The silicone alone took close to a year to get right. Manufacturers kept pushing back because it added cost and complexity, and we kept pushing back because we knew it was the thing that would make the product feel different. Soft, sweat-resistant, comfortable enough to wear for an extended period. That was non-negotiable, even when it probably should have broken the budget.
And then the copycats arrived, which was frustrating and flattering in equal measure. You search Bala Bangles on Amazon and there they are, a dozen versions of the idea, most in the same colorways, same general shape. But the one thing they couldn't replicate easily was the silicone. That material quality at our price point was hard to fake. In a strange way, all that time and money we spent fighting for the overmold became the thing that protected us once the market got crowded.
NO
What came after Shark Tank?
NH
It led to us getting our hands dirty and really understanding our P&L. It meant saying no to the shiny object syndrome that comes with launching a brand and making decisions based on ROI, not on what was fun or exciting.
NO
During COVID, Bala grew more than 2,000% in one year. What was that like?
NH
It really put Bala on the map. It was the combination of airing on Shark Tank and then, two weeks later, the world shutting down. Everyone needed home workout equipment and rushed to buy Bala Bangles. But beyond the COVID moment, there have been many points where we've had to adapt to changes in culture, consumer behavior, and the fitness landscape. The key has always been staying rooted in our core belief that movement should feel good and fit naturally into everyday life.
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NO
As Bala scaled, did you ever feel pressure to ‘normalize’ the brand?
NH
Oh yes. In 2022, our whole team was frustrated and telling us to just make it more basic, to stop trying so hard with the fashion-meets-fitness angle. We had a standoff and decided to meet in the middle. It's a delicate balance to push the boundaries without confusing the customer. The last thing we want is someone coming to our site unsure whether we sell fitness products. We still have fun as a fashion-leaning brand, but we make sure the product is always front and center.
“We had a standoff and decided to meet in the middle.”
Natalie Holloway Bala
We launched a store in Soho that year with a large budget. No regrets because it was truly incredible, but it definitely hurt our year. We spared no expense. Revenue had jumped from $2 million to $20 million in a single year during COVID, and then the world reopened and the at-home fitness boom ended almost as fast as it started. We had to figure out what Bala looked like on the other side of that.
NO
You talk about saying no as a discipline. What did learning that cost you first?
NH
That year taught me that there's a version of creative vision worth protecting at any cost, and a version that's just ego. It takes clear-eyed honesty to see the right version even if it’s opaque to others. I know the store was worth it. It was a physical expression of everything we believed the brand could be — and you cannot put a number on what that does for the team, for partners, for customers who walk through the door and finally understand what you're building. That is brand equity in the truest sense.
What I had to let go of after COVID was the feeling that everything was possible all at once. That period of explosive growth made us believe we could do everything, launch everything, say yes to everything. Coming down from that required a kind of discipline that did not come naturally to me. I am a builder, I want to go. Learning to be selective, to say no to things that are genuinely exciting because the ROI isn't there, that was the real lesson of 2022. I'm still learning it, honestly.
What I had to let go of after COVID was the feeling that everything was possible all at once. That period of explosive growth made us believe we could do everything, launch everything, say yes to everything. Coming down from that required a kind of discipline that did not come naturally to me. I am a builder, I want to go. Learning to be selective, to say no to things that are genuinely exciting because the ROI isn't there, that was the real lesson of 2022. I'm still learning it, honestly.
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NO
Most brands treat collaborations as marketing stunts. You've used them as creative expansion. How do you decide what's worth it?
NH
It has to make our customers excited and drive sales. Both. Leadership all has to agree before we move forward. When we say yes to a partnership, it has to be a hard yes from all of us, each evaluating from a different angle.
The place we've tipped too far is harder to admit. In the early days, there were campaign moments?? where we leaned so hard into the fashion and editorial side that people genuinely didn't know we were selling fitness equipment. We'd style a model in heels with the Bangles and it looked incredible — but it confused people coming to us for the first time. That was the lesson behind the 2022 standoff. We had let play run too far ahead of the powerful. Finding that rebalance was uncomfortable but necessary.
The moment we got it exactly right was the Dunkin' collaboration. On paper, it shouldn't work — a fitness brand and a donut chain. But that tension was the whole point. It was playful in the most unexpected way, and it still felt powerful because the product was real and the creative was sharp. It sold out in two days.
The place we've tipped too far is harder to admit. In the early days, there were campaign moments?? where we leaned so hard into the fashion and editorial side that people genuinely didn't know we were selling fitness equipment. We'd style a model in heels with the Bangles and it looked incredible — but it confused people coming to us for the first time. That was the lesson behind the 2022 standoff. We had let play run too far ahead of the powerful. Finding that rebalance was uncomfortable but necessary.
The moment we got it exactly right was the Dunkin' collaboration. On paper, it shouldn't work — a fitness brand and a donut chain. But that tension was the whole point. It was playful in the most unexpected way, and it still felt powerful because the product was real and the creative was sharp. It sold out in two days.
NO
Is there a core feeling Bala is always trying to evoke, regardless of product?
NH
"Bala" means strength and childlike in Sanskrit. The feelings we're always chasing are powerful and play. Most fitness brands pick a lane. They’re serious and performance-driven or soft and approachable. We've always believed you don't have to choose. The person who wants to feel strong and the person who wants to have fun are the same person, and she deserves a brand that speaks to both sides of her at once.
NO
You’ve since launched a podcast and written a book. What’s driving that?
NH
Both have the same theme: mentorship. This feels like my second act. After nine years building Bala, I feel the urge to share what I've learned and help other people build their own brands. I'm still very much in the day-to-day at Bala, but working on the podcast?? and book?? has been cathartic, and I hope it helps other people on their entrepreneurial journey.
One simple thing we did early on: we agreed that every day we were going to take some action in service of the business. Three to five steps on a project, every single day, until we'd gotten somewhere. Don't overthink it — just keep moving forward.
One simple thing we did early on: we agreed that every day we were going to take some action in service of the business. Three to five steps on a project, every single day, until we'd gotten somewhere. Don't overthink it — just keep moving forward.
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NO
Looking back, what was the single boldest decision that made Bala what it is?
NH
The boldest decision we made was also the earliest one. We decided to make something beautiful in a category that had never cared about beauty. That sounds simple now, but at the time it felt genuinely risky. Manufacturers thought we were being difficult. Retailers did not have a frame of reference for it. The fitness industry had a playbook and we were ignoring it completely. Every practical voice around us was saying: just make it functional, keep the cost down, get it to market. And we kept saying no, it has to feel like something too.
The leap of faith was not knowing whether anyone else felt the way we did. We were making something for a customer we believed existed but couldn't prove — a woman who wanted to work out and also wanted her equipment to be beautiful, who didn't think those two things were in conflict. We had no data on her. We just knew we were her.
What I know now is that the decision to hold the design standard, especially in those early manufacturing conversations when it would have been so easy to compromise, was the thing that made everything else possible. The Shark Tank moment, the COVID moment, the collaborations, they all trace back to the fact that the product looked the way it did. If we had made a cheaper version, a more practical version, a version that listened to every piece of advice we got, it would have been just another fitness product. Nobody was going to put that on the cover of Vogue. Nobody was going to stop us in a yoga class to ask where we got it. The design was not the marketing. The design was the business.
The leap of faith was not knowing whether anyone else felt the way we did. We were making something for a customer we believed existed but couldn't prove — a woman who wanted to work out and also wanted her equipment to be beautiful, who didn't think those two things were in conflict. We had no data on her. We just knew we were her.
What I know now is that the decision to hold the design standard, especially in those early manufacturing conversations when it would have been so easy to compromise, was the thing that made everything else possible. The Shark Tank moment, the COVID moment, the collaborations, they all trace back to the fact that the product looked the way it did. If we had made a cheaper version, a more practical version, a version that listened to every piece of advice we got, it would have been just another fitness product. Nobody was going to put that on the cover of Vogue. Nobody was going to stop us in a yoga class to ask where we got it. The design was not the marketing. The design was the business.
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