The ROK IT Mindset

Before ROK IT fully became an apparel brand, it was a mindset and a way to live. It was about living a certain way and holding yourself to those values before you ever wore the shirt. Yes, it was going to be a brand, but the thought process was, “Let’s make sure that this is a good way to live before we proceed.” Turns out, it was a pretty good choice.

Taking action, realizing your bad habits, and subconsciously falling back into old routines—that is true self-awareness. Being able to stop and recognize patterns, then adjust them. Because let’s be honest, those habits and trends are what got you here in the first place. What’s going to be different this time? Same action and execution mean the same results. It’s just how it works.

So let’s break down the “why” of each word in ROK IT.

Ruthless: My personal favorite. The definition of ruthless is to “show no pity,” and it can’t get any more blunt and honest than that. Show no pity to the excuses, the old habits, or the obstacles in your path. Show no pity to who you once were, because you’re about to leave that person in the past. Life isn’t pretty. It’s mean and unfair, and sometimes you need to have that same attitude toward yourself to get where you need to go.

Own It: This is all about accountability. How can you be your true self when you lie to the reflection in the mirror? You may have said or done some things in the past that you’re not proud of, and you need to accept that. Do what you can to remove that burden and move on. The longer it lingers, the harder your path forward will be. Own every fiber of your being—because if you don’t, someone else will. You aren’t perfect, and that’s fine.

Kindness: Pretty simple. Be kind—to yourself and to others. Put into this world what you want to see. On days that are hard, against you, and feel like nothing is working in your favor, being kind to yourself is necessary. Not as a cop-out to justify laziness, but to say, “I did the absolute best I could with what I had today,” without playing the victim. It’s free to be kind. Hold the door open. Say please and thank you. Smile at a stranger.

Improve: You have goals, and you have to work toward them. When you wake up, you aren’t magically better—you have to show up every single day and put actual effort toward what you want. Some days you’re on fire and making serious progress. Other days you might be moving the needle 0.5%, but the bottom line is that you’re there, making progress.

Transform: It’s time to stand in front of the mirror again. What do you see? It isn’t who you saw when you started, is it? What you’re seeing is the beginning of the person you’ve always dreamed of—the person you once fantasized about. This is your transformation taking place in real time, driven by your efforts.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on day 1 or day 259. ROK IT is for those willing to do what is needed to make themselves, their families, and their communities better. By incorporating these tactics into your day-to-day life, you can create real change. Want to know how I know?

Because I’m not perfect either. I’ve made mistakes and was once someone I thought I would never be. But I changed course and owned who I was. Nothing is impossible—it’s just hard. And that’s why not a lot of people do great things. Because if it were easy, everyone would do it.