For today’s Entrepreneur of the Day, we are celebrating Kirsten Halik! In 2017, Kirsten founded activewear brand Crowned Athletics.
Crowned Athletics is where fantasy meets fitness, their designs empower you to be strong, confident, and a little bit magical. Inspired by beloved fictional heroines, their high-quality athletic wear is designed to ignite the character within you. These aren’t costumes; they’re modern, luxurious outfits for women who love both fantasy and fitness!
In 2017, Kirsten started with a handmade prototype and a bold dream. She launched her first two princess-inspired tank tops, Mermaid Princess and After Midnight Princess, in 2018. Since then, Crowned Athletics has expanded into a full collection of sports bras, leggings, skorts, jackets, and more! Each piece is personally designed by Kirsten in Southern California, and she aims to work with teams of all women in this business.
More than just activewear, Crowned Athletics is a movement. With regular donations to the ACLU and American Red Cross, and a mission to help women feel powerful inside and out, they are here to help you step into your story and wear it proudly.
When asked if she had any advice for women who wanted to start their own business, Kirsten said, “Don’t wait to feel 100% ready — you won’t. Confidence comes after action, not before. Start scrappy, start small, and start before you have it all figured out. I launched Crowned Athletics while working full-time in architecture, shipping orders from my garage with zero experience in apparel manufacturing. What I did have was curiosity. I dove into research and soaked up everything I could — podcasts, books, events, even competitors. Immerse yourself in the world you want to be part of. Getting a little obsessed is part of the process.
Be wildly persistent — not in a hustle-until-you-drop way, but in a ‘keep going when no one’s clapping yet’ kind of way. Some days will be quiet. Some days you’ll question everything. That’s normal. What kept me going wasn’t constant motivation — it was showing up anyway. Building habits. Creating structure. Building a routine that moved the needle even when I didn’t feel inspired.
It’s also okay to grow slowly. People often assume Crowned Athletics is a new business, but it’s been nine years in the making. Real momentum takes time. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s highlight reel. Keep evolving. Keep learning. Strive to be a little better every day — not perfect, just better. It really does take ten years to become an overnight success.
And if you take nothing else away, take this: Build something you actually love. Because when it’s hard (and it will be hard), love is what keeps you from quitting. Every crown sparkles in time — don’t quit before the brilliance starts to shine”
