What Ochuko Akpovbovbo of As Seen On Wears to Work Out
In conversation with every Substackers favorite Substacker. Plus a bunch of free newsletter ideas for brands.
It’s been almost eight months since I launched this Substack and boy am I drinking the cool-aid. Today’s workout chat is very much “for the girls” as they say. And by “for the girls,” I mean for anyone equally invested in Substack and its brightest stars, namely,
. (Scroll down to skip right to the Q&A! You’ll miss some free ideas, though.)Before we get to it, I wanted to share some thoughts on a trend emerging on the platform, which is the rise of founders baring their souls via newsletter, and to explore what it could mean for activewear brands. The undeniable Substack “It Girl” or “Carrie Bradshaw of her generation” (as Janice Min called her in the New York Times), Feed Me’s
, explored the trend in her newsletter this week, speaking to The RealReal about their new Substack strategy and ruminating on how other brands might join the platform.
I’ve spoken here with two executives writing Substacks of their own:
of Loefller Randall and of Bala. Randall leans into her tastemaker status with content like “12 Things I Can’t Travel Without,” where she cleverly plugs her products alongside other adjacent brands, DIY projects that show off her creative prowess, and travel recaps that will make you jealous. It all serves to bring people closer to her brand and more invested in her perspective on style. Holloway, on the other hand, offers BTS insights from her entrepreneurial experience, down to the tech stack with which she runs her business and the specific marketing tactics that are working for Bala. If Randall’s newsletter is about curation, Holloway’s is about thought leadership. of Crown Affair is another executive crushing founder Substack. Her newsletter is all about elevating creativity, and she’s even been leading workshops in the Artist’s Way via the Substack chat. Emerging brands are getting in the game too, like SENIQ co-founder Tina Thompson via . These newsletters serve as tools to bring customers into the brand ecosystem and offer a solid alternative to cultivating authenticity for founders who are more adept with their pen than performing in an Instagram reel.Naturally, I’d love to see more sports and activewear brands enter the field. And naturally, I have a few free ideas for them:
Outdoor Brands: I love this YouTube series from Black Crows on Ghost Resorts, which feels ripe for a newsletter narrative. The outdoor space lends itself so well to a founder-as-concierge (or insider expert) type of Substack, with recommendations for how to plan a perfect week skiing in Austria or what hikes to do in the Adirondacks or behind-the-scenes looks at a cycling trip through Belgium.
or Paris by .
For example, Hikerkind co-founder Chelsea Rizzo could take Instagram content like the below – in which she styles their packable puffer from Manhattan to the Catskills – and write a recap of her trip upstate, complete with trail tips, the cutest coffee shop for a pre-hike beverage, campsite or hotel recommendations…you get the picture. See interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s insider guide to Mexico City for a blueprint. Or these wellness-oriented city guides to Toronto from
What makes this different from a brand blog you might ask? The nuance is in embracing some of the emerging Substack norms – a little less polish, a little more personality, and perspective. It also needs to have a light hand on promotion – Jessie Randall sprinkles in Loefller Randall products, usually contextualizing why it’s the perfect item for the event/trip in question, and quickly moves on. This is about world building not product pushing.
Tennis: Racquet sports feel ripe for the kind of travelogues and curation described above. What hotels in Palm Springs have the best courts and best pros? How do you navigate getting court time in NYC? What’s the gossip in the Wimbledon queue? Where do you get the brunch after a hitting session in Miami? I’d love to see Spence’s founder Amanda Greeley sharing tips from her journeys or perhaps developing a tennis-specific Q&A format like a Proust Questionnaire or Into the Fridge for racquet people.
P.S. Spence just dropped their “Warm Up” Collection – a literal and metaphorical soft launch of thoughtfully designed sweats. I love the punny creative direction (that Volvo!) and the self-aware copy acknowledging “We’re not claiming that we’ve re-mapped the cosmos with sweatshirts and dad hats.” The brand is leaning into nostalgic futurism, with some spacey elements in their visuals and comms. Love the attention to detail! Founder Amanda Greeley shared some context with me, here.Running: I think there’s a really interesting lane here for multi-brand retailers, and
of Running Wylder is leading the pack. Running stores have a great opportunity to shed light on what consumers are actually buying as well to wear-test and compare products. Hadley Hammer from had a great post this week where she tried on 25 pairs of ski pants. I could see a running retailer doing this for shorts or shoes. I’d love a monthly recap of what brands people were coming into the store asking about vs what they ended up buying. I could also see a series (The Fit Files?) that profiled customers from the perspective of the store associate. You’d showcase a runner who came into the store, what they were training for, what they wanted, what shoes they tried on, and what pair they settled on and why.
There’s of course no shortage of content for activewear brands to showcase their design thinking – whether that’s BTS from wear-testing or sharing how seasonal colors were selected (Alex Mill does this really well on their Instagram). Activewear brands cater to passionate customers – these kinds of details help deepen affinity and build confidence, especially for newer players to the game.
The starting point for any brand looking to engage on the platform is, of course, to get familiar with the landscape. As discussed in my lede, one of the leading lights on this platform is as seen on’s
. The 25-year-old writer brings a keen eye for business and culture, combined with a sharp voice honed by a voracious reading habit (she’s just launched a book newsletter, 2 Girls 1 Book, with – nbd.) I love how she described her decision to begin writing As Seen On:“My reasons for starting this newsletter were always simple—feeling smart; knowledgeable, has always been important to me. I believe the smartest people are great writers, and so I wanted to be one.”
And her commitment to high standards (I relate so hard to the part in bold.)
“I say, what’s the point of doing it if you’re not the best? Make no mistake, I do not write this newsletter (mostly) three days a week in pursuit of anything other than my version of greatness. This is just the sort of person I am. I’m aggressive with my desires, unflinching with my demands. More than once, I’ve been called a very greedy girl. Thankfully, I have no conceits of world domination. I simply want to write a kickass newsletter with a consistency that impresses even me. All very reasonable, I think.”
Ochuko has lived in Nigeria, Canada, the U.S., and now, Germany, where she’s manager of global membership at Adidas HQ. I was excited to get her globetrotting, Gen Z, and brand-insider perspective on the state of activewear. And she did not disappoint!
THE ROAD AND STUDIO ARE MY RUNWAY
In Conversation with Ochuko Akpovbovbo, creator of As Seen On
What was your introduction to sports? Do you remember what you wore?
Sports were a big part of my identity growing up. It was huge. My schools had sports days where kids in each grade were divided into houses to compete for a cup. I was a really good athlete, so all the houses wanted me—it was my claim to fame. We had uniforms at my school, including sports uniforms, so that’s what we wore. I actually didn’t do much sports outside of school, so until I left Lagos, if I was doing sports, it was in my school sports kit.
What’s your workout routine these days?
Oof. If you’d asked me a month ago, the answer would have been nothing. Ironically, once I left home, I stopped participating in sports altogether. I guess I never learned how to enjoy sports in a way that wasn’t tied to competition, and once that motivation was gone, I stopped. I’d like to say I’ve taken up sports again for reasons beyond improving how my body looks, but that wouldn’t be honest. My workout routine lately has been short runs (I’m building stamina) two or three times a week, plus a workout class on weekends—usually Pilates."
How do you think about getting dressed to work out? What's most important to you?
I want to feel good in my body—which means being comfortable and wearing flattering silhouettes. When I work out, I’m hyper-aware of my body, often facing a massive mirror in class. I want to like what I see and not fuss with my clothing.
You’ve lived all over the world. What, if any, differences or nuances have you noticed about how women dress for performance in the different places you've lived?
I’ll be honest—because I don’t work out (I’ve never belonged to a gym), I don’t really notice what people wear to exercise. Ironic, since it’s my job, lol. But what’s interesting is that wearing workout clothes when you’re not working out is a pretty American thing. A few years ago, I spent the summer with my aunt in Edinburgh—I was still in college then. One day, we were going out, and I put on leggings and a track top. She gave me this withering look and said, 'We’re not in America, Ochuko.’ Then this weekend, my friends and I decided to go to brunch after our Pilates class. My Spanish friend got really anxious because she was still wearing leggings and didn’t want to go into town looking like that. Our other friend, who’s British, told her, 'Don’t worry, people will just think you’re American.’
I'm curious about your take on the current running boom. I'm seeing so many of the same articles get written about run clubs as dating apps, GenZ “midlife” crisis marathons, and the boom in running fashion. I always appreciate your sly take on these kinds of trends, especially ones like this that are both rooted in reality (yes, more people are running) and buoyed by the SEO/social media/brand investment hype bubble.
I think you have your answer right here. Yes, people are running, but yes, it’s a trend far overblown by the SEO/social media/brand investment hype bubble, as you’ve said. It’s just a fun thing to write about, I guess—young people getting off their phones, coming together, maybe even falling in love while touching grass! It’s not a movement, though. Remember, running is the gateway drug to working out. It’s accessible and can be acted upon almost immediately. If people want to start exercising, they’re usually going to start by going for a run.
I loved this quote from your newsletter: “This is why everything requires “lore” now. Because, let’s be honest, no one needs any of this stuff. We’re in an age of consumer frivolity, where the brands who understand fun will win.” Are there any activewear or sports brands you think are nailing it right now? Or alternatively, anything you'd like to see brands do more of?
Well, adidas is killing the game, obviously. Let’s get that out of the way. Hoka is doing a great job with community and brand building, and I’m very interested in the aesthetic message of Literary Sport.
What do you think is missing from the market in terms of performance apparel for women?
Two words: fun and function. Newness. Sexiness. Yes, I want my workout clothes to be flattering—to hold it all in where needed and let it out where necessary. And sizing. The sizing stresses me out.
Quick Thoughts
Things That Caught My Eye or Ire…
Nike Goes All In on Women: “Win with Women” was a phrase Hoka used internally 5 or so years ago when they were developing their marketing strategy. (It worked!). Now Nike wants a piece of the action. Last week, I took issue with the idea of investing $24 million in Super Bowl advertising to celebrate women’s sports, given that that money goes into the pockets of the NFL and Fox. Still, I should have known it was only the tip of the iceberg. Nike’s putting on a masterclass in building 360-degree campaigns – from a total female athlete takeover of the website and a new So Win Collection, a dedicated Art But Make It Sports post, short-form social content, and a rumored collab with a boutique women’s fashion brand coming at London, Milan or Paris Fashion Week.
BUT (And this is a big BUT), there are zero women on the List of the Top 100 Highest-Paid Athletes. This is why things like Nike’s ad get my goat. $24 million alone wouldn’t land any of their athletes on the list (#100 Daniel Jones of the Minnesota Vikings earns $37.5), but the combination of sponsorship + salary + prize winnings could certainly get someone there. Coco Gauff earns $30 million. Again, actions > words.
It’s Brand Anthem Week. With spring around the corner, brands like Adidas and On have joined Nike in releasing new campaigns. Adidas launched “You Got This” with a teamwork theme that strikes a very different tone from Nike’s “So Win” messaging. On got some more bang-from-their-Elmo buck, following their Super Bowl ad with “Soft Wins with Elmo.”
Sports marketing is increasingly clustered around two emotional poles. You’ve got Nike’s return to brash “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” form and the softer “Winning Is for Everyone” approach embodied by this latest On ad, Hoka’s “Fly Human Fly” and Asics’ refrain around “Sound Mind, Sound Body.” It feels like Adidas is landing somewhere in the middle. Where should Brooks’ “Let’s Run There” sit on the spectrum? Maybe it’s time to make a chart.Yellow is Trending. I used to gobble up all the reports from Fashion Week but now rely on folks like
to tell me what’s percolating. She explored the way yellow – different from the buttery hue Pinterest hailed in its trend report – was styled on the NYFW Fall 2025 runways. What immediately caught my eye is the way this color is being interpreted in running. Both Norda and On released new yellows for spring, which are more sophisticated than the neon shade usually used to signal performance.
On's Cloudboom Strike, Norda's Parhelion FWIW I am in seriously in love with Norda’s Vermillion colorway.
The venerable summed up The Sweat Lookbook’s thesis statement in her latest newsletter on skiing.
“There’s nothing like unflattering clothes to induce misery while attempting a sport you are completely hopeless at.”
I loved the level of detail she committed to, here!
’s recent skiwear round-up.
I also loved this from
“Clomping up to the gondola line in a Perfect Moment onesie is likely to elicit an eye-roll or two from “locals” and “advanced skiers.” But as long as my outfit gets the job done functionally, I give zero shits if a Reddit bro in his (peacocky in its own way, I might add) Arcteryx / Melanzana getup is passing judgment on my sportwear choices. My friend who rocks a Cordova suit says, “I ski better when I feel sexy,” and to that I say: add to cart.”
The Sweat Lookbook is here to celebrate all the different ways women dress for performance – from the serious to the sophisticated and everything in between.
also so intrigued by literary sport and here for the rise of yellow
Thanks for the mention! I agree that Substack is a great tool for adding vulnerability to brand voice, and building more trust with consumers. This is especially important for emerging brands with smaller marketing budgets. That said, if a brand wants to collaborate with me on a Paris guide, I’m open 😁