Serial entrepreneur Don Mastrangelo would tell you he was not planning to launch another business when he started his fitness journey. With 23 ventures already behind him, a book Ready, Set, Sell!, and a tenured career as a sales professional, Don was focused on something much more personal - his health. At the end of 2019, Don began working out with the support of coaches and started seeing real progress. Then, like so many of us, his health plans were derailed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, closing gyms and putting his progress on pause.

Determined to keep his wellness journey on track, Don took matters into his own hands – literally. He designed an all-in-one fitness machine to use at home, ensuring nothing would stand between him and his health goals. What began as a personal project to support his health, quickly evolved into Jacked Up Fitness, a brand offering pro-grade, all-in-one home gym equipment. Their mission is to empower people across the globe to build strength and confidence from the comfort of their homes with one, easy-to-use machine.

Like many of Don’s ventures, a personal solution turned into a nationwide movement. Jacked Up Fitness is fast-tracking their growth and Clearco’s strong support of the brand has helped accelerate this.

A fitness journey turned business opportunity

Often, the best ideas come from solving your own challenges. After designing his all-in-one fitness machine, a few of Don’s friends wanted one too. Don thought, “Why not?” and decided to build a few extras. “I figured, okay, I’ll make some for friends and family. We’ll turn this into a side hustle during the pandemic.”

It all started with a local Facebook ad. People traveled from all over Southern California just to see Don’s machine, with many so excited they didn’t mind waiting six months to get their own. Seeing how much this resonated with others, Don expanded to a Google ad nationwide and suddenly, the orders poured in.

Don and his team got to know their customers through ongoing conversations, incorporating their feedback and glowing reviews to make the product even better. It’s no surprise that 73% of people say customer experience plays a big role in their buying decisions, and 65% believe a positive experience with a brand is more powerful than any ad. Jacked Up Fitness even worked with personal trainers and physical therapists to customize the machine, ensuring it met real-world needs and delivered results. 

Jacked Up Fitness grows 10x in year 1, consistently selling out of inventory, yet banks wouldn’t finance

Jacked Up Fitness grew at an incredible pace - tenfold growth from 2020 to 2021, followed by threefold growth in both 2022 and 2023. The timing couldn’t have been better. The U.S. home fitness equipment market, estimated at $4.81 billion in 2022, is projected to grow to $8.50 billion by 2030.

No matter how much inventory Don and his team secured, it wasn’t enough to meet the demand.

“[Our need for] capital was driven by demand for inventory,” says Don. “No matter how much product we made, we sold out of it.”

Scaling this fast came with challenges. The company bootstrapped from $70,000 to $700,000 and soon after hit $8.5 million, all without investors or partners. Yet traditional banks weren’t an option to support their growth or inventory purchases.

“We don’t fit in [the banks’] box,” Don explained. “No inventory on hand, no receivables, no retained earnings, and no real estate for collateral. The banks would imply, ‘When you slow down and don’t need money, we’ll give you money.’” 

Jacked Up Fitness turns to MCAs, credit lines, and funding

Searching for solutions, Don turned to alternative funding sources like Shopify Capital and other Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) solutions. These options worked for a while, but as financing providers shifted criteria or discontinued programs, funding became inconsistent and unreliable. Ampla offered a promising credit line, but when their program ended abruptly following Ampla’s falter, Jacked Up Fitness faced a serious challenge.

“We were doing $1 million a month in revenue, and we lost our credit card program,” Don recalled. That’s when Jacked Up Fitness found Clearco, which stepped in to provide the stability and funding Jacked Up Fitness needed to keep growing. "Clearco offered support in preliminary conversations with regards to the refinancing that was helpful.”

Clearco refinances Ampla line of credit for Jacked Up Fitness and continues to fund inventory, marketing, and more

Clearco quickly became a trusted funding partner. With a flexible, non-dilutive funding model, Clearco provided the stability Jacked Up Fitness needed to keep scaling.

“Clearco understood our ecommerce, direct-to-consumer business model and was easy to work with,” Don shared. “They got us started with a nice [funding amount] right out of the gate.”

Clearco refinanced a previous Ampla line of credit, providing much-needed breathing room for the business. Today, Jacked Up Fitness uses Clearco primarily for marketing, logistics, and inventory, fuelling their ongoing growth and evolution into a lifestyle brand.

“We need a partner in the trenches, and Clearco has been there for us.” says Lisa Lopuck Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at DigitalPopUSA who works with Jacked Up Fitness.

Jacked Up Fitness’s favorite things about Clearco funding:

• Reliable support: Clearco provided funding that fit the unique needs of Jacked Up Fitness, helping them stay on track during crucial moments of growth.
• No equity sacrificed: With Clearco’s non-dilutive funding, Don could access the capital he needed without giving up ownership or control of his business.
• Scaling with confidence: The funding provided the resources Jacked Up Fitness needed to seize new opportunities, stay ahead of demand, and continue building a brand people trust.
• Stability when it counted most: Clearco stepped in during tough times to refinance a previous line of credit, giving the business the stability to keep moving forward. The best funding partners support brands during the inevitable peaks and valleys of their business. Don noted, “When we hit rough points in quarter two and quarter three, Clearco helped us through.”

The future is strong for Jacked Up Fitness

As per Lisa, “I went to South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2024 and everyone stated that Jacked Up Fitness is a unicorn story. Jacked Up Fitness is bootstrapped from nothing – just one founder, Don, to the level we have today. It’s the kind of story every investor is looking for. That’s what makes me excited.”

Clearco was there when it mattered most, giving Jacked Up Fitness the tools to keep showing up for its community – helping people feel seen, supported, and empowered to build their strength and confidence. Clearco’s strong financial support of this super-strength and hyper-growth brand will continue to be important through 2025.