In 2020, like many things, sport came to a complete stop. Not only is it a massive outlet for those who compete, sport also has so many attached businesses which this pause affected. One being Aztec Diamond.

However, Aztec Diamond has always held a unique place in the equestrian world. Founder Jordan McCabe saw the gap years ago for equestrian apparel that wouldn’t look out of place in the gym or your daily life. 

This family-run business has managed to maintain it’s growth, even getting a new warehouse, despite the pandemic and this is because it’s unique selling point still caters to horse rider’s needs, even now. 

I caught up with Jordan to discuss what it’s really like working with family, chasing lifelong dreams and what it’s like behind the glamour of being an entrepreneur. 

In your own words, what is Aztec Diamond?

Jordan: Aztec diamond is a modern sporting and lifestyle apparel brand for the female rider. I believe that Aztec diamond, as a whole, is a lifestyle because of the industry that it is in. 

The aim has always been to dress women, equestrian or not, to look and feel their very best. That’s where the brand kind of originated from and the reason behind it. We like to create modern products that combine that performance solution that they need for equestrian plus luxury finishes, minus the premium price tag. 

How much crossover is there between lifestyle and competition wear?

Jordan: Between lifestyle and equestrian wear there is definitely a distinctive difference in look. 

But one of the reasons I did start the brand and one of the main reasons for developing a lot of the products in the early days was that there weren’t really any brands within the marketplace that crossed that equestrian and lifestyle barrier. 

We wanted to create products that someone could go ride their horses in, they go to the gym in, they could pick their children up from school and they didn’t have to get changed. I think that’s what Aztec Diamond created.

“I still have files of drawing in the office from when I was around 10/12” – Jordan McCabe, Aztec Diamond

You said about the early days, I wanted to see what it is like starting a brand with your mum and what it is like working with family?

Jordan: When the brand initially started, ever since I was a really young child all I ever wanted to do was to create and equestrian clothing brand. I still have files of drawing in the office from when I was around 10/12 of brands and products that I wanted to create. When I left school I went to college and I did business and textiles. 

When my grandma passed away, I was about 17 I think, and she and my mum gave me the inheritance to start the brand. Then a year after starting the brand, my mum came. Basically from the beginning, my mum worked with me. 

We are quite a big family and friends lead business. So I have my mum, my step dad, my auntie, two best friends from school, cousin – so we are quite a very, very close-knit team.

I would say working with family is just amazing. It really does bring a whole new meaning to work and business. There’s obviously been some challenges in the past. I think as there is in any business really. We do of course argue sometimes, like any mother and daughter would, but in general, it’s just amazing. 

There’s a much more emotional connection when you work with people who are your friends and family. I think it just makes you enjoy work more. I love it. 

I wanted to ask about 2019 cause you won The New Entrepreneur award, what was Aztec Diamond like in normal times?

Jordan: Normal for us, we have a warehouse and office building. We would be in the office 5 days a week. We would do a lot of shoots. We’re quite a close-knit team in the way we work, so I love brainstorming and getting everybody together.

I think when the pandemic hit that was the biggest change for us really. Not being able to kind of all be together in the office. But we were quite an agile and flexible team before the pandemic. I think out of a lot of businesses I think we were one of the most prepared ones.  

Do you think being a family team helped when the pandemic hit?

Jordan: I think so. When you have friends and family working together, there’s a much more loyal approach to work. People don’t just see it as a job, they kind of see it as their family. 

When we all started having to work from home, I think it was really good for me that everybody kind of had that loyalty there that I knew they were going to do what they were supposed to be doing whether we were in the office or not. 

“it really stopped the industry quite suddenly” – Jordan McCabe, Aztec Diamond

How did lockdown change the equestrian world?

Jordan: Equestrian is essentially a sport, whether it’s a hobby or whether you do take it seriously as a sport it came from an industry that does need competition. Not having the competitions, really stopped the industry quite suddenly. Everything ran in timeline with competitions. So I think it did have quite a big effect on the equestrian industry

I think the difference between equestrianism and other sports – when you have a horse you still have to ride your horse and look after your horse, whether you compete or not. You know if it was something different like cycling or something like that, you don’t still have to ride your bike or look after your bike.

Whereas you do still have to go ride and look after your horse every day. For a business like mine, we were really lucky that people still needed equestrian apparel whether they were competing or not. 

Did it change how you communicate with customers when not seeing them face to face at shows?

Jordan:  I mean we definitely did really miss going to the shows last year. We do 2 or 3 shows a year. It’s just amazing to go and meet all of the customers. We have a really loyal customer base and I feel like we have a really good relationship with the customers and that’s been built really from going to the shows.

I think this year we did feel a huge gap although it was a lot easier without having two full weeks at a trade show. We did really miss it and we can’t wait to do them again this year.

“As a community we managed to raise over £250,000 for NHS workers” – Jordan McCabe, Aztec Diamond

How has the equestrian community pulled together?

Jordan: The main thing that I think of one of the biggest equestrian events so one of the horse shows obviously had their show cancelled and they decided to create an online event, called Equestrian Relief. 

We actually sponsored and got involved with as a lot of brands did within the community. Famous riders took part in different challenges every day, not equestrian related things either. Things like baking, drawing. That was really fun, and they were all filmed and they treat it as a competition. 

As a community, we managed to raise over £250,000 for NHS workers so I think that was really amazing to see the community come together there.

That’s such a nice idea. With Aztec Diamond being a lifestyle brand, do you think your customer has changed with the growing popularity of loungewear and activewear?

Jordan: This is actually a really interesting question because we asked this question not too long ago within the team. We’ve actually just completed a customer survey and we found out that only 1% of people who filled out the survey weren’t equestrians. 

I thought that was really quite interesting cause we’ve sold a lot of leisure wear within the last year. More than we normally would but I think it was just existing customers needing more leisurewear instead of riding wear. 

“I really didn’t manage it very well. But the thing was I didn’t really want to.” – Jordan McCabe, Aztec Diamond

Since everybody’s lifestyle has changed, I wanted to ask you how you’ve found balancing your time between work and time for yourself?

Jordan: That question is quite interesting for me. Because until the pandemic I really didn’t manage it very well. But the thing was I didn’t really want to. I think anybody who is an entrepreneur or owns a business, the reason that you are successful is because you love what you do and you work a lot.

I will admit every couple of years I would have a major burn out where I just got quite ill for a couple of months. But I just do believe that people who succeed in this type of industry, you have to have the passion and the grit at the beginning to just really throw everything into the business. 

It’s actually helped me a lot, cause I’ve managed to step away. I haven’t been able to travel, I know I would go see suppliers quite a lot and I would travel around having meetings. It’s made me just kind of sit still and relax. So on that subject, the pandemic has actually been really good for me. 

If anyone is wanting to start a business or side hustle, what would your advice be?

Jordan: I think unless you have a really unique idea and you’re not going to be copying off anyone else or you’re really passionate about that, I would say don’t do it. 

I think it’s maybe a bit of a controversial opinion but I think nobody praises people who are really good at a subject and get a really good job within a business anymore. Everybody wants to be an entrepreneur.

I think it just needs to be empowered and spoken about again that it is a really great thing when somebody goes to university, becomes really successful at something and gets an amazing job within a company. I think it’s kind of been seen to be not as good as having your own business and I think that needs to be flipped again. 

I don’t think people realise who hard it is either. It’s quite lonely.

How have you balanced that because lockdown can be quite lonely anyway?

Jordan:  Ironically, I think I actually feel less lonely now that we’re in lockdown. Cause I used to spend a lot of the time in the office on my own, on a night or early in the morning and when people weren’t in. 

Whereas now, I’m at home with someone all the time so I think, ironically for me, having everybody online all the time and being at home with my partner all the time. I now feel less lonely. 

“what I’m most proud of this year, how much the staff have grown” – Jordan McCabe, Aztec Diamond

What are you proudest of Aztec Diamond achieving this year?

Jordan: Oh my staff 100%.  We took the time in 2020 to build a really strong infrastructure within the brand. Making sure that all the staff had the support they needed and the training they needed. 

I think anyone as an entrepreneur, as you start to get bigger and you start to employ friends and family but nobody is massively skilled. We spent the time and made sure the staff were trained properly. 

We have people learning things. So now we have a really strong infrastructure within the brand where we have weekly meetings with staff reporting their KPIs and everybody knows if they’re on track or not

I think that’s definitely what I’m most proud of this year, how much the staff have grown. 

What do you think will be on trend this year?

Jordan: For brands like myself, it’ll definitely be more competition wear. So I think people whether they were thinking about competing or not before the pandemic, I think everybody’s just going to want to get out there. 

I think for me personally within the brand, the biggest trend will be that we will see an uplift in all the competition wear.

What are you most excited for when lockdown is over?

Jordan: We’re actually in the process of having a big warehouse renovated. At the moment we have offices and warehouse separate, which before the pandemic was a little bit difficult to work with because everybody was kind of in-between. 

After the pandemic is over, fingers crossed, in June we are looking to have that renovation finished, that’s definitely what I’m most looking forward to. We’ve got big offices, a show room, a studio. So yeah, I can’t wait for that, to get everybody back together. 

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Written By Lauren Waugh

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