The Day Built Different Was Born
I’ll never forget that day. The day I started this brand. The day everything changed.
I was in one of the darkest places of my life — the kind of pain that words don’t really capture. I had just lost my mom, Brenda Marie Gigi. The woman who believed in me more than anyone ever could. The woman who made me feel like I could do anything. When she passed, it felt like the world stopped spinning.
I remember locking myself in the closet for hours that day. Not because I wanted to hide, but because I couldn’t face the world. I couldn’t face reality. I kept thinking it was a nightmare I’d eventually wake up from. I’d pinch myself, hit my chest, pray — just hoping I’d open my eyes and hear her voice in the other room again. But no matter what I did, the truth stayed the same. She was gone.
I was surrounded by silence. And in that silence, I went through every emotion possible — anger, sadness, confusion, disbelief. I remember scrolling through my phone, just looking for something, anything, that could make me feel close to her again. I had over a hundred voicemails from my mom. But for some reason, I clicked on one specific message that day. One message out of all of them.
And in that message, my mom’s voice came through — calm, loving, strong like always. She said, “Baby, I believe in your brand. Keep going.”
That was it. That was the moment everything shifted. That one message hit me harder than anything. It felt like she was talking directly to me in that moment, telling me to get up, to fight through the pain, to keep her legacy alive.
So I did.
That same day, Cheatcode Athletix was born — a brand inspired by her, built on her belief, and driven by her strength. What started as a way to cope with pain became something so much bigger. Built Different wasn’t just a name — it became a reflection of everything my mom represented. Strength. Faith. Resilience. The will to keep going no matter what life throws your way.
Every hoodie, every drop, every story behind this brand carries a piece of her. It carries that moment in the closet, that voicemail, that heartbreak — and that promise I made to her:
“I’m going to take this to the top, momma. I want you to tell me you’re proud of me next time I see you.”
Until that day comes, she lives through this brand. Through every person who wears Built Different. Through every message of hope and perseverance that comes from it.
This brand isn’t just fabric and stitching. It’s a legacy.
It’s my therapy.
It’s her voice — still pushing me to keep going.
💜🕊️ In loving memory of Brenda Marie Gigi. Forever Built Different.
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