our story

It's been a long ride to get to this point in the journey...

Do you want the dramatized version or the real one? The real one is not as sexy but still quite rollercoaster of success and failures that have led us to grow into our passion. By our, I mean me.

I'm Mike Ginn, this is my brand. This is my story.

2007

If you thought this journey started in 2025 with the launch of DCXIV.com as this amazing luxury street wear brand, you would only be seeing the very tip of the iceberg. No, 2025 is the evolution of a long time coming. The DCXIV you see before you is born again for the first time. But not the first rodeo.

DCXIV has a long history of content, dope articles and interviews with some amazing people in entertainment, sports and tech. In fact, it all began as purestyledc.com back in 2007. I like to let people know, we were Maxim before Maxim was in an online capacity.

PureStyle was one of the first online magazines that was in that fold. Entertainment, great writing (in my opinion), interviews and yes... Photo shoots with models just because they were pretty. And no, it didn't help me with the ladies. PureStyle was revolutionary in that era of the internet. I didn't know the impact I had at the time, it would be much later that I would hear the praise and compliments. I was just creating a website that I would like to read and watch.

Keep in mind, this was the MySpace era and beginning of the Facebook era. The social media impact and immediate response wasn't readily available. I was shocked when telling the story of this evolution a few years later to hear that people knew my site existed and remembered it well.

You see, PureStyle went through a journey of its own. From 2007-2009, it was very active. After that, it was in hiatus off and on until 2011 when a friend asked if he could write for the site. That friend was Evander Wilson III, he was a friend from my "real world" and former co-worker. I was a bartender for years, that's another story for another day. Evander would be the kick my ass that got me to go to the next level.

Sadly, PureStyle would be done for good around 2013.

2012-2013

While PureStyle was going, I got motivated to launch another brand close to my soul. In January of 2012, I relocated to Denver, CO for a short period. I figured, fresh start. Definitely way different than Washington, DC and the DMV. I loved living in Denver. It was very short lived but I did love it.

During that time period, I would launch several different and newer versions of PureStyle. The most successful was Ambition Lifestyle.

Ambition Lifestyle was my baby. My motto. My creed! And eventually I shutdown PureStyle and merged all the content on to Ambition Lifestyle. Continuing what I was doing with the content, but as tech evolved, so did we. Now it was more video and audio. The thing that made this chapter relevant to today (other than this is the story), was this is when I first decided I wanted to launch a clothing brand.

The clothing brand never got going and off the ground, but the seeds were planted. Over the years, I would try to get that off the ground multiple times under Ambition Lifestyle... unsuccessfully.

Don't worry, this is the cliff notes verion of the story. I know it's getting a bit long already.

2014

At the end of the Summer of 2014, my life was going great. Engaged to be married (yes, we did. 10 years until a different story to tell came to be). Happy and motivated, I decided it was time to get back to doing what I loved. I created DCXIV and while it was mostly because it was a 5-letter domain, it also has personal meaning. DCXIV is roman numerals for 614. Or in my case... 6/14. I know all the bad people on the internet are going to try and use that against me. Don't worry, I have fraud alerts on.

But yeah, I named my new business after my birthday.

DCXIV was supposed to be the dream. A content heavy website and clothing brand. I wanted to open an office in DC and Miami. The one in Miami was the perfect location. Right on the corner of Collins and 9th, South Beach. Glass windows. Two floors. Perfect for a pop up shop style clothing store on the bottom and magazine offices upstairs.

Well, I'm sure you can tell by the tone of this that it didn't work out. Though, strangely enough that property is still available 11 years later. Makes me think it was a front for the mafia or something because the realtors never really got back to me and the best I got was a brochure from of the website.

Ok, shorter version... Over the years, DCXIV would come and go. Including hosting The Certified Podcast, which I loved. But the lessons I was learning would set the tone for everything else I was doing.

You see, in 2013 I started Art of MMA and got more involved in that side of things. I love combat sports and that was just a natural fit. That would evolve into Fighters First (fightersfirst.shop) which is still going strong.

The reason I mention that, it's what led to this.

For the last few years, Fighters First has been my full attention. Fighters First is a clothing brand that makes officially licensed shirts, hoodies and other merch for fighters and pro wrestlers. Yes, I finally got my clothing brand in 2021!

I had begun making t-shirts for my podcasts (another story to tell), and eventually took the side hustle and made it the main thing. The seeds for making the DCXIV I always wanted started getting stronger as the years went on. So much so, that it became an obsession. I didn't want to neglect my business Fighters First, but I eventually listended to Gary Vaynerchuck (podcast, not in person) and started saying AND instead of OR.

Here we are. Believe it or not, I left a lot out. But you wanted a story. So yes, here we are! Launching a premium, luxury street wear brand that is looking to establish itself as one of the top brands on the planet. And I have the lessons learned and scars to prove I know how to do it.

Now, I'm thinking I should write a book. But I'll wait a few years for that...