This Fitness Trainer Built a $191 Million Activewear Brand by Solving a Problem Every Woman at the Gym Faces

Krissy Cela was literally stitching her own workout clothes—cutting waistbands, cropping tops, dying fabric—because she couldn’t find what she needed. The problem wasn’t just one thing. No brand solved all three of her needs at once: color, performance, and silhouette.

Then, there was the issue of price. Premium activewear brands like Lululemon were charging up to $128 for a pair of leggings.

That frustration became the impetus for her brand Oner Active, which hit $191 million in revenue in 2025. Cela says Oner Active’s toxic-free Soft Motion fabric went so viral that one style in one color sold 15,000 units in 10 minutes. Now Cela is taking on rivals Lululemon and Alo by doing what they won’t: making desirable activewear at fair prices.

“I’m never going to charge someone $100 for a pair of leggings. It’s just not going to happen,” she says.

It’s that kind of blunt honesty that’s helped make her so successful. Her current Instagram and TikTok accounts boast 4.4 million followers collectively.

She breaks down the market like this: Nike had performance but the silhouette (how the clothes look on your body) was awful. Alo has the look but it’s a lifestyle brand, not built for performance. Lululemon pioneered quality but women are getting bored of the shapes.

Enter Oner Active to fill the void at a price point “that is pretty much accessible to anyone who wants it.” Cela says the brand now sells one piece of activewear every nine seconds.

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Overcoming hurdles

Cela arrived in the UK from Albania at age five via small boat and lorry. The boat nearly capsized. She lost her toys and family photos. Her parents worked three jobs to keep the family afloat. Years later, she built a massive online fitness community before launching Oner Active in 2020. She knew exactly what her audience wanted because she was her audience.

While her story is inspiring, it hasn’t necessarily gotten easier. She still encounters constant hurdles. “I had more ‘no’s last year than you could ever imagine,” she says. “B2B partnerships, talent has said no to partnering with us. It was gut-wrenching.”

Even with the brand growing, solid profit margins, and a devoted community, doors keep slamming. “You start to wonder if all your decisions were wrong,” she says. “Why are other brands getting more recognition than Oner when they’re not doing half of what we’re doing?”

Then there is the issue of being a female founder.

“People do not like women talking about numbers,” Cela says flatly. “When guys talk about numbers or they drive nice cars or they have nice things, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, bro. Where’s that from? I want to learn how you did it.’ If I show off too much or I talk about numbers too much, it’s the case of, ‘Well, yeah, she didn’t get there alone. Well, yeah, she had help.'”

Oner Active is Krissy’s brainchild, but she’s learned that being a great leader is also about building the right team around her. In 2023, she brought on CEO Zach Duane, who has been key in helping scale the business alongside Krissy and the 87% female leadership team.

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Keeping up the momentum

The temptation to give up is constant. “It’s very easy to indulge in self-doubt. It’s very easy to just throw the towel,'” Cela says. “I think the reason people are successful and others aren’t is just about keeping that tempo, that momentum. You cannot stop, because eventually, something is going to happen.”

Her advice to entrepreneurs is brutally simple: “Have a little cry, give yourself five minutes, but you need to keep going. Time is so limited. If I’m going to waste my time dwelling and self-indulging in sympathy, then it’s me pulling away from that precious resource.”