In a world where the percentage of Black founders is shockingly low, Chris is a trailblazer in the rising sport of Pickleball. Join us as we delve into his story of innovation, perseverance, and taking risks to build a successful business. After being furloughed in 2020, Chris decided to create a business that solved a problem in the racquet and paddle sports industry. His goal? To get a paddle in as many people's hands as possible and grow the sport of Pickleball. We explore his unique partners...
May 16, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this interview, professional Pickleball player Rob Nunnery pulls back the curtain on the sport's inner workings and shares insider insights that will leave you amazed. Join us as Rob talks about his nomad life, upcoming partnerships, and what he looks for in a partner. He also provides a status update on Adam Stone's pro career and discusses his own career before Pickleball, including the launch of a business podcast. Rob also unveils his exciting new project with Selkirk TV and shares his th...
May 04, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In this engaging video, we delve into the world of SixZero, a company that has revolutionized the paddle industry. Join us as we explore the origins of SixZero and how they managed to stand out from their competitors. Discover the impact of reviews on their business and what sets them apart from others in the market. We also discuss the open throat design and dive deeper into the reviews of SixZero paddles. Learn about their iterative design process, patents, and unique shape. Join us as we expl...
Apr 27, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 13
I talk with Carl Schmits, Managing Director of Equipment Standards and Facilities Development over at USA Pickleball. We talk about paddle delamination, thermoforming, facilities and courts, paddle testing, his background and how it shaped who he is, and his perspective on the current landscape of the sport and what aspects can and will keep it from growing. Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:04 Guest introduction 03:02 New testing tool Optical Scanning Platform 05:45 What is the scanner looking for? 07:30...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 12
I talk with Kaitlyn Myers, co-founder of the largest indoor Pickleball facility in Texas with 19 courts. We talk about her background, how Pala differentiates itself from most Pickleball facilities, how they don't use a paddle stacking system, their Selkirk and Michelob partnership, and her experience as a female founder. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:08 Start of conversation, her background 02:30 Start of Pala 05:11 Bring a facility to Austin? 06:30 Details of Pala 09:00 Pala playing schedule, segme...
Apr 13, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Interview with Chris Dickert, co-founder of the most popular paddle on the market right now, Legacy Pickleball. We talk about his background, influence on junior paddles, the origin of the Legacy Pickleball brand, Reddit, delamination, thermoforming paddles, USA Pickleball regulation, Ben Johns, and what Legacy means to him. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:00 Intro and context 02:10 Start of conversation 03:40 Ellie and Super Junior paddles 07:14 The birth of Legacy adult paddles 9:40 Sponsored by ...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Online Pickleball retail store, The Pickleball Exchange, is re-designing the ways of the shopping experience for Pickleball shoppers and players. Joey B, the owner of The Pickleball Exchange, has demonstrated just that by 1. Having a demo court in his shop and 2. Providing a tailored in-person service when it comes to Pickleball product knowledge. He knows every customer is different and so are their needs, so he makes sure that your experience is tailored to you, and not what everyone else is b...
Mar 30, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Maybe you caught that episode of Jimmy Kimmel featuring Maren Morris mentioning Pickleball and how she ended up on the cover of Pickleball Magazine just 4 months ago? Or you heard about the Galentine’s Day event this past February in LA hosted by well known actress and comedian, June Diane Raphael. My guest, Laura Gainor, is one of the faces in the industry behind helping making that happen. We take a deep dive into why LinkedIn is highly overlooked as a social media platform for Pickleball and ...
Mar 16, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Steve’s addiction to games has led him to founding one of the most exciting sporting events in pickleball. Wanna know the single most important driver to all of his ideas and pursuits? Joy. In this episode he shares his insights on the current landscape of pickleball, the incoming changes, as well as a few ideas he’s brewing up. . leave a comment below with your thoughts on MLP and pickleball being a spectator sport. . #pickleball #podcast #sports #youtube Interested in purchasing a Volair paddl...
Mar 08, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Blake Renaud, CEO and founder of PicklePlay, took the opportunity and risk to leverage technology in an industry that has otherwise chosen to neglect it. It has paid off as her app has grown to 50,000 users, helping connect individuals of all experience levels. She talks about building out her team which started with folks overseas but has now found a home in the US. We hear about her experience as a female founder and the importance of continuing to believe in your pursuit despite what people w...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 5
Jorge Barragan, co-founder of The Picklr, started this indoor pickleball facility business as a college dropout. Hugely influenced by his immigrant parents, his business is rapidly growing with locations in Utah, Colorado, and eventually across the US and internationally. In 3 years, they’re aiming for pickleball courts in 120 locations. Listen to the full episode to hear more about their major brand partnership with Joola. . VOLAIR DISCOUNT: Get a 10% discount by using code: LIM20 Or use this l...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 5
My guest in this episode was Evan Specht, co-founder of Diadem. We talk about starting a business with your friend, his background in Aerospace Engineering and Business, building a successful tennis brand, and being a former tennis coach of pickleball pros Christian Alshon and James Ignatowich. Hear more about how they were able to flourish during COVID, really finding a way to separate Diadem from any other brand in the market. And, Evan mentions a new product they’ll be releasing and it’s not ...
Feb 15, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 4
My guest in this episode was Aubri Steele, founder of Civile. She talks about building her team which consists of people coming from big brands like Hurley and Nike, how being an educator by trade has formed her leadership approach, how her morals and outlook on life align with the brand and the story they want to tell, and founding a company when the world felt unstable. Quitting her job, finding herself after losing her father, and taking that leap. - Chapters: 01:00 Aubri and Civile 03:15 Big...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 3
I interview Ryan Cohen, co-founder of Volair Pickleball, pickleball gear brand co-founded with pro Julian Arnold. Having known Julian since high school and always finding himself generating ideas and pursuing them, it was a no-brainer that he'd eventually start a business in the pickleball space, especially after falling in love with it in 2020. He talks about how his business acumen is translating to finding opportunities in pickleball, resulting in improved management and treatment of players ...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 2
I interview Jonathan Clay, the founder of Kitch Pickleball, an online retail and custom apparel company. - KitchPickleball.com launched in 2016 at the US Open Pickleball Championships as a start up apparel brand in what was then the growing sport of pickleball. Through key partnerships with other organizations within the sport, professional and amateur players we would grow the Kitch brand nationwide and help grow the sport of pickleball. Today, we stand tall as a pioneering brand in the pickleb...
Jan 20, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 1
