Interview by GS MAG, originally published HERE; reprinted with permission.
GS MAG: What is The BJJ Box?
BJJ Box: Every month we pack boxes full of BJJ items and ship them to our subscribers. We like to pick our items from a few categories: apparel, hygiene, accessories, nutrition and/or supplements. So for example, you could get a T-shirt, a full bar of soap, maybe a chapstick and/or some stickers, and a few supplements/nutritional items to try. We feature whole items and apparel in every box with some samples here and there, all picked with our subscribers in mind.
GS MAG: What led to your decision to get into the BJJ business?
BJJ Box: There are three of us that are involved in running this company. Each of us are ranked, we teach, we compete, and love jiu-jitsu.
Actually, we have our own jiu-jitsu school. Sean is the head instructor, Chase is the assistant instructor, and I(Tori) teach the kids. So I guess you can say we have been involved in the BJJ business for some time now. Starting this company was merely a brilliant idea that my husband came up with.
GS MAG: Your company seems to be doing well, especially since it has not been around for a number of years. What do you attribute your success to?
BJJ Box: Social media. Instagram and a few Facebook ads here and there when we started off. Also, we have some subscribers who have been with us since the beginning and recommended us to their friends. Now I feel like its a lot of both, word of mouth and social media. We are this small company that a good amount of people know about now.
GS MAG: How do you decide which companies you will work with?
BJJ Box: Nothing is really concrete in that way, I feel. Sometimes I contact people. Sometimes they contact us. It comes down to budget and if our subscribers will like the items. Making the subscribers happy is the most important thing; its always the big deciding factor.
GS MAG: What sort of unique challenges do you face as a company servicing what is really a niche market?
BJJ Box: I think one challenge we faced recently as we started to take on some growth was finding the formula for making all of our subscribers 
happy with the items we get every month. It’s hard because some people are okay with whatever they get, it’s cool no matter what. Other people have higher expectations. I feel those expectations really helped us figure out the winning formula for the company and the products we put out every month. The other big challenge was the budget. Finding out exactly what to spend on each item that goes in the box. That has been readjusted a few times. I feel like we’ve really started to get everything down now.
GS MAG: Why the box business model?
BJJ Box: I don’t feel like we picked the model on purpose. It’s just the way it came about. I believe it may have picked us. My husband was getting ready for Gracie Worlds last year. He was training very hard and doing crossfit almost everyday. He had heard of the WOD Box and was deciding whether he wanted to sign up. After a few days, he decided he wouldn’t use all of the stuff that came in that box and decided to look for some sort of monthly jiu-jitsu box. He looked for two weeks and he never found it. It didn’t exist.
GS MAG: Why not some other type of product?
BJJ Box: Like I said before, this wasn’t planned. It was a “Hey, what do you guys think of this idea?”and “Okay. Let’s do it!” We had no idea it would grow past 50 people. The thing I love about the BJJ Box is we wanted one for ourselves. So we made it, we love it, and have shared it with everyone else.
GS MAG: What do you hope to achieve with your business?
BJJ Box: We want to grow jiu-jitsu. Efforts are being made to have jiu-jitsu on TV. Athletes in the UFC make great money, but the best jiu-jitsu
guys have nothing comparable to that. I want us to be a contributor in some way. Whether that is helping the little BJJ companies get exposure through the box, or showing our subscribers new companies to buy from, or maybe even in the future being able to sponsor Athletes who need the help. There’s a lot of heart behind what we do. We all have to grow together. It’s the only way it will work.
GS MAG: How do you prioritize goals for your business?
BJJ Box: We just take everything one step at a time. Things that we can’t work on right now get written down and set aside for when we can. The first priority is what is in the box every month. Right now we’re still small time. We don’t even have custom packaging yet, but our subscribers seem okay with that for now because we put awesome stuff inside the box every month. Ultimately, our goal is to grow. We can contribute more that way and also I will be able to quit one of my day jobs!
GS MAG: Where do you hope your company is in the next few years?
BJJ Box: I hope that we are able to do big things with the box. Honestly, I can’t even see that far ahead. I’m sure this time next year, things will be very different. We’re almost at 200 subscribers and honestly we are all ecstatic about that. We’re just going to keep working hard and take the path where it leads us.
We would like to thank BJJ Box for taking the time to share their story with us. We wish them only the best in their business endeavors.
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