Meet Dylan Lipari | Business Owner & COO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dylan Lipari and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dylan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Learning to deal and manage risk is maybe one of the most important characteristics in a business owner. Risk is terrifying and unfortunately that never changes. Their has never been a major risk I have taken since I have been a partner in Superare Fight Goods that didn’t absolutely scare the hell out of me. Didn’t stop me from taking it and making it happen, but getting over and through that fear is absolutely necessary. Risk to me is growth. If it doesn’t scare you its usually not the biggest of the steps you can take. By no means do I mean to make poor, risky decisions, but to enter in to the unknown within your space in a calculated (to the best of your capabilities) manner. No matter how much you plan or how many times you go over the potential issues there are always problems you cannot foresee that occur. Always. How you handle and approach them mentally and in real time is what will define you and your business. Risk has played the biggest role for me at Superare. Not sure about my business partners and how they feel but we opened a store, in a new market, in the only city in the country with direct competition to us, 3000 miles away from where we all live. We don’t have any investors so if we fail we fail hard and with our own money. I will never forget landing in LA while the store was under construction and thinking this could only go one of two ways. We are embraced by the LA combat sport community or not. Thankfully our good reputation followed us to the west coast. The fear of failure and the weight of doing the work of full teams of people between just the three of us did not deter us from following through, executing to the best of our capabilities, and absolutely crushing our newest location in LA. The end result was a 3rd location, 2nd flagship, and a store doing well on a coast we are not from. Without the risk we took in opening this location I don’t think we would be as big a brand in our space. Their was no point in that process that I was not low key terrified. But risk is scary and absolutely necessary if you are running and own a growing business. I know a lot of the things I mentioned above are recycled. “Risk is growth” “growth is scary” etc. But they are recycled because they are true. Absolutely true. If you own your own business or are thinking of starting one just remember when you are scared your learning or leveling up. I think risk is necessary for any business to grow. The bigger the risk the more interested I am in it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My Brother, business partner, and I are the three owners of the brand and store Superare Fight Goods. We are the only combat sport lifestyle stores around and from what I understand and perceive, the industry standard for stores like ours. That comes off as cocky I am sure, however I have worked everyday for the 6 years I have been a partner in this company and none of that speculation comes undeserved at least in my opinion haha. We specialize in boxing, muay thai, BJJ, and MMA gear and non douchey apparel that you can only find within our stores worldwide. We only hire people who train and you absolutely do not need to train to shop in our stores. think of us like the dopest skate or surf shop you have ever walked in to but for fighting and better than that hypothetical store also. My brother started the company 10 years ago as the sole proprietor. Our partner and myself became involved when we opened up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan (our second location). Since we joined forces we have been growing faster than we can wrap our heads around and its awesome! Everyday is a challenge of some sort. However we get over and through them by either admitting we are above our heads and asking questions or working together to figure them out. The only thing I ever want anyone to know about our brand and stores is that we care about you. We have spent the last 10 years building our business on honesty and integrity and we would never compromise those values at your expense. If you visit one of our stores you will be treated like the absolute homie from the moment you walk in until you leave. Whether you train or don’t our stores are for everyone and I guarantee we have something for you within our four walls. Try me, come visit, you’ll leave with something.  And if I am there in that location and on the sales floor…your screwed haha 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh this is easy, i literally did this last night. – Take them to Tere’s Mexican Grill on Melrose and Cuhuenga. – Walk around Fairfax/Melrose area and either people watch or grab coffee at Toasted and Roasted then people watch. – Hang out at a beach of some sort. I like El Matador in Malibu. – Hit one of my favorite gyms in the WeHo area which include Lobos Boxing Club, Fortune Boxing, Madd City Boxing, or Trinity Boxing. Or if we are feeling ourselves go train some Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai over at Reno Gracie Los Angeles. – Then go get dinner at Broken Spanish downtown (i think they closed down due to covid and i am heart broken).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would dedicate any and all of my business acumen to my parents. My mom and dad have successfully owned and operated beauty salons by entire life. Even when I didn’t want to, listening to their advice has always helped me when I didn’t have the answers or needed insight. They are seldom wrong and I truly am very appreciative of all they have thrown my way as parents and mentors.  And also my brother Zach.  After all, had he not took the initial risk of starting this brand I would still be working for corporate retailers and having way less fun.

Website: www.superareshop.com
Instagram: @Superareshop // @DylanSuperare
Facebook: Facebook.com/Superareshop
Yelp: Superare Fight Goods

Image Credits
@Lipariphotos