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Starting A Pickleball Paddle Brand: SURPRISING Fact About China
500 Plays1 year ago
Matt Miller, founder of Maverix pickleball, specializing in paddles, and how he built his pickleball brand.
• Maverix code: BuildingPB https://www.maverixpickleball.com
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#pickleball #pickleballpaddle
Chapters 00:00 intro 01:33 beginning 01:45 giveaway, sponsors 05:47 beginning of matt's story 08:42 branding 09:45 origins of maverix 15:05 shoe dog, the story of nike 17:34 where maverix is now 19:37 maverix paddles in depth, shape 26:13 visiting china 28:43 R&D process 30:21 how do diff materials get introduced 34:13 what's next for maverix 36:03 paddle testing 42:23 experimenting with diff materials, cores 43:33 how he got started 48:23 personal 56:58 most significant accomplishment of the company 58:08 maverix patents 1:00:17 most significant personal accomplishment 01:04:03 sending paddles to rob lowe 01:06:03 best advice he's received, books 01:09:03 closing
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Transcript
Visit to Austin and Introduction to Mavericks
00:00:00
Speaker
Back in July, someone I had never met before came to visit me in Austin. I picked him up here, we played here, and we ate here. But the conversation happened.
00:00:14
Speaker
here. Matt Miller is the founder of Mavericks, a brand that specializes in pickleball paddles, and he arrived one week before the release of their new paddle, The Clash. Trying different things, seeing if it works, doesn't work, try something else. And that's really been the name of the game to this point is just learning, building foundation, trying, trying, trying.
00:00:35
Speaker
and things slowly have moved forward so shoot we're about to launch the clash paddles which will mark six yeah six paddles that we'll have on market kind of something funny is that we have a patent pending on I'll just say some sort of technology that's out there okay that's Another company had launched, I'll just say last year sometime. The initial intent was to sit down for the podcast, but it just ended up becoming so much more than that. We played as soon as he landed, got barbecue at the famous Terry Blacks, and then he came by the local facility, Eastside Paddle Club, to demo his paddles with members,
00:01:15
Speaker
And then with the help of a friend, we hosted a Mavericks paddles only Moneyball event with a cash prize and free Mavericks gear. This is a story of Matt Miller, founder of Mavericks.
00:01:33
Speaker
Got to start it off with a candle. This company sent this to me called Vacation. I don't know if it's going to be a good smell or a bad smell.
Clash Paddle Giveaway
00:01:45
Speaker
I know I haven't done a giveaway in a really, really long time, but the founder and the guest of this podcast, Matt Miller, wanted to give you guys a chance at winning the Clash Paddle. The way we do these giveaways is make a comment in the comment section down below of this video of what really stood out to you after watching it. Once you've done that, take a screenshot of your username and the comment and then send me a DM on Instagram at buildingpickleball so that I know it's you. We'll have this giveaway running for seven days. I'll also make the announcement on Instagram as well. And then the winner will be selected at random. And then I will reach out to you on Instagram.
Sponsors Peek and BeFreeBar
00:02:20
Speaker
Really quickly, I'm going to give a shout out to my sponsors, Peek and BeFreeBar. The first mention is going to be Peek. This is the Nandica. The Nandica provides sustainable all day energy and makes you feel like you're doing something good for your body. Coffee can be a lot.
00:02:35
Speaker
I get it. It's been around a long time and it's become such an integral part of most people's mornings. But when I have the coffee, it feels like a ball of energy, but without any real direction. And Peak reminds me of a paper airplane. Same amount of energy, but it's got a much clearer direction.
00:02:55
Speaker
Try Peak and get up to 20% off plus a free rechargeable frother and a glass speaker when you purchase exclusively at peaklife dot.com slash B pickleball. Okay, if you watched the last video, you heard me talk about this product.
00:03:12
Speaker
It is called Be Free Bars. This is a woman-owned business. I was connected with a husband who runs an indoor pickleball facility up in Pennsylvania, and his wife is a registered dietician. So when they came to me, I was super, super stoked. Plant-based, there's no gluten, no dairy, no sugar alcohols, no gums, no artificial sweeteners,
00:03:31
Speaker
and it is a woman owned business. What I love about their products is they have very minimal ingredients and and nothing that you can't pronounce or like aren't familiar with. The Blueberry Burst has 12 ingredients. If you're interested in trying them out, go to BeFreeBar dot com What's going on, everyone?
Brian Lim's Personal Story
00:03:49
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of Building Pickleball. I'm your host, Brian Lim, and my guest today is Matt Miller. He's the founder of Mavericks. Prior to Mavericks, he was firefighting full time, which he still does. And actually, before we even get started, I just wanted to say, like, thank you for your service.
00:04:06
Speaker
um Some people know my background.
Balancing Life and Passion Projects
00:04:08
Speaker
Some people haven't heard this story, but like when I was just an infant, like it's baby, my mom put me down to go to sleep. She had like the pills on the side, so I wouldn't turn over. I ended up turning over and then like she found me hours later, like my face down and I was like, my face was purple and everything. So then she called the first person, the first people she could call were the firefighters and they were like the first on the scene. They like helped me out. and I've always had like an admiration and like I feel like I just had like extreme gratitude towards you guys. So yeah, I appreciate it. Never met a bad firefighter, man. Yeah. No, that's a, that's a crazy story, man. And that's a, that's why we do what we do. And it's not always that we can kind of have that kind of outcome, but man, that's crazy.
00:04:52
Speaker
Yeah. Um, but I appreciate it. And dude, welcome to the podcast. Welcome to Austin, Texas, man. Thank you so much for having me. And it's an honor to be here with you and, uh, you know, seeing everything you do, I admire, you know, your artwork and what you've kind of done to the pickleball space. And so to see be sitting here, you know, being in Austin with you, man, it's a surreal and honored to be here. Yeah. No, man. Thank you. Uh, just grateful that I have an opportunity to talk with people who Like interesting stories, interesting backgrounds. Obviously we both know there's over like 300 panel brands. I think that's what separates like how the amount of work that someone is willing to put in and that someone like yourself, you know, like still firefighting full-time single father, essentially the soul founder of this brand. Yeah. That's a lot to juggle, man. How do you do it?
Growth in Pickleball
00:05:47
Speaker
It it is a lot. Um,
00:05:50
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, dude, I've always just kind of chased different passion projects and I get into different things, you know, kind of for the end for the end goal, but like I just, I enjoy the build process of anything, um whether it's, you know, chasing the firefighter dream or got into rental properties for a minute and just kind of going from taking a distressed property to having a vision of, you know, its outcome. Like I just really enjoy getting in that process and building.
00:06:19
Speaker
Um, and so when I got into this, it was, I kind of had a little bit of graphics background back in the day. And so just kind of the thoughts of bringing a paddle brand, I was looking for something new and the way that I can kind of incorporate, uh, my daughter's name into all of it. Like it was just, I was super passionate about it. And, uh, yeah, just love every day of just kind of wake up and every day that I see, you know, little, um, improvements, that's kind of what keeps me going. So yeah, it's been fun.
00:06:48
Speaker
I feel that's what separates founders is or successful founders is people who enjoy the journey versus people who just want the outcome, which I don't blame them, right? The society here c glamorizes the outcome most of the time without showing what what it takes behind the scenes for sure.
00:07:11
Speaker
Yeah, no, um I completely agree with you. And I think that, you know, when you're looking at, I guess brand or brands in general, um if you're getting into it strictly for the business, you lose really the emotional connection of it. And that's kind of the spin. And that's where I really enjoyed, you know, building Mavericks while yes, we're aimed at, you know, producing really quality products. It's more of like the story and the emotional connection and building the community.
00:07:37
Speaker
um And yeah, I agree with you. I think that that's really what does ultimately in the long term Separate some different brands or businesses in general because people relate to Just that emotional connection or story and that's you know with your stuff That's why I really it really resonated with me because it's you do it in a completely different way where it's There's a lot more store and emotion involved in it. So yeah. Yeah I just felt like people would just see the name, the logo, the product, and you just wouldn't know who is was behind it. And of course you want to know like where you're putting your dollar and where you're putting your money and spending towards. I just didn't think that enough people were saying or talking about what was happening behind the scenes if we're in so a sport that's growing so much.
00:08:25
Speaker
things are still underdeveloped. So how do we get through these times? How do we get through like a lot of the obstacles um that the tournaments are facing? Company founders are facing, players are facing just that whole game. Yeah, no, I agree with you. And it, you know, kind of just going back to branding is that I think that over the long haul, um,
00:08:47
Speaker
People like to relate to a brand and I always talk about Nike, you know, like when you compare Nike to other brands, yes, they have a good product, but people buy into Nike because there's an emotional connection and they've done a really good job with their branding where they've taken people's stories because people relate to story.
Emotional Branding
00:09:04
Speaker
And you know, you and I talked yesterday about North Face and Patagonia. ah Those are two other really good examples where while yes, their business is product focused, their branding is all people focused.
00:09:15
Speaker
um And, you know, i again, you know, we talked about this the other day where um in this space right now, I see that there's a lot of just kind of product-based businesses. And I think, you know, we talked, I have a lot of respect for what Doug from Bread and Butter's done, because he's done a super good job of um really bringing in that emotional connection for people. So trying to strive to get there one day.
00:09:44
Speaker
Doug. Man, he's killing it. How did you even get into Mavericks?
Origins of Mavericks
00:09:54
Speaker
Yeah, that's an interesting story. So um the end of 22,
00:09:59
Speaker
um i I was kind of, I was looking for something new and um kind of doing the single father thing. And so I was doing some real estate stuff before that with my dad where kind of buy distressed properties and fix them up and I really enjoyed that. um But my time was so limited you know my time with my daughter and then work where I was kind of looking for something new and we were playing pickleball at work started playing in around 2020 and I really enjoyed it. um I've always had kind of a competitive nature grew up grew up playing sports and so pickleball really resonated with me and I loved it.
00:10:38
Speaker
So then fast forward moving into 22 when I'm kind of just looking at different stuff. I, um, I kept coming back to pickleball and the idea of paddles and like, I've kind of going back to my background with my dad, I grew up with tools and like just building stuff and like always enjoyed like dissembling, whether it's paddles or like just kind of understanding how things work. And so.
00:10:59
Speaker
When I started learning about paddles, it was super intriguing to me. um And then honestly, one day I just kind of said, fuck it. And i it was a complete mind mindset shift for me, because I've always had these different ideas. And I think you know in life, everybody does. And we never really act on them. And finally I said, it's like, fuck it. I'm going to just take a step forward, start talking to some factories in China.
00:11:24
Speaker
And, um, they're honestly kind of where that was, that was the first step to actually learning about paddles. And cause when I got into it and rock carbon fiber, what's that? So yeah, I mean, that's that's kind of how it started going. And then as I started diving into it, I just really, really enjoyed the brand part of it. And then being able to bring my daughter's name and like it's integrated into so many components of Mavericks that that was kind of the fun part for me. It was you know working on the branding and the image and having this vision of you know where I would like it to go and the story.
00:11:58
Speaker
um That's kind of just how it started and really it was, you know, and kind of as I've learned just one step at a time, like just kind of take the next step and figure out what the second step is from there. So what's your daughter's name? Uh, Haven.
00:12:15
Speaker
haven hour So, and I know it's like, well, how how's that incorporated into Mavericks? um So when I was kind of going through all the branding, um you know, the the name Haven, obviously it didn't really fit like a paddle brand. and so It's probably a six month process of like kind of going through names and like hey I wanted to do a spin off of her name and so hey Vic which is the name of the paddle like that was kind of like yeah I'm like yeah it wasn't really liking that and then a buddy at work was like dude you should do like Miller paddle company cuz like a real strong American name and I'm like
00:12:51
Speaker
I'm like, yeah, I can see i can see that. um But then I sat on it. I'm like, you know, and then one night I came back from hanging out with some buddies and I had a couple drinks and I'm sitting there, you know, as I would always do and just going through Chad GPT and just writing down different names and maverick though, the word came up and like, I've really enjoyed or I really liked, you know, what that means. Like somebody, it's a trailblazer getting out, and like doing it. I'm like, well, this is like, this is what I want the brand to represent.
00:13:21
Speaker
And then I'm like, well, how does that tie into my daughter's name? Like, well, the M from Miller, AVE from Haven. And I'm like, throw the X on the end. And I'm like, well, that was it. So that was ah that was kind of how that started. But then the name Haven or Havoc, like for the first paddle, like I had some different names for the first paddle, but I'm like, no, I want to use Havoc. Because again, it's just I think that when there's meaning, like it just kind of keeps driving me forward.
00:13:49
Speaker
So yeah, that's how it all kind of, kind of weird deal, but yeah, that's how it all kind of came to be. So this is why we have the podcast, man. Yeah. cause If I looked at that, I was like, this guy just is using it from Top Gun. No, no. And so dude, that, and it's funny you mentioned that because I want it, the first paddle we came out with had those little, um, uh, one of the chevrons on the bottom, the little lines.
00:14:16
Speaker
And I was looking at, I'm like, man, this really resembles Top Gun. And I'm like, I don't want this to be Top Gun. Because people at work are like, oh yeah, we got the goose paddles, you know, like kind of making jokes. fins all um And I did not want any associated with map ah maverick from Top Gun. However, again, like the word maverick, like it had meaning to me. And then just being able to tie it into Miller, AVE, and like, it just made sense. And so I kind of also realized that, you know, you can sit here and spin your wheels and you will never find a name that you actually like. Yeah. You know, and it's like, we were sitting here today and I came up with the word Nike and we hadn't heard it and I'm like, yeah, but ultimately it was just like, no, this is what we're going to do. But yeah, that's a, that's the story behind the name. That's funny. So yeah, I'm reading shoe dog right now by Phil Knight.
00:15:08
Speaker
I think it's Phil Knight. Yes. Yeah. And he's talking about the, the name process. He was going to call it dimension six or six dimension or something. Dude, I'm getting the chills
Nike as an Entrepreneurial Example
00:15:18
Speaker
that you're mentioning that cause I'm, I'm literally reading it as well. We talked all going to China and read a about three quarters of the book on the way there. Yeah. And still have a quarterback to read still. But, um, yeah, dude, that's a, that's an inspiring story. Really inspire.
00:15:34
Speaker
Yeah, dude. Just doing it out of like his parents basement and then eventually buying the office space. But then all the times where he could have quit or he just didn't allow it to happen. It's like the times where the manufacturer or the supplier wouldn't give him the shoes like on it. Suka. Yeah. And then yeah um I think just not having money. He didn't let that stop him like being in debt, like when the bank would tell him right would reject his loan.
00:16:02
Speaker
Yeah, we reject the loans. Yeah, it's really interesting and Yeah, it's feels yes like long ago, but it's still very relevant. Yeah, dude. And that, that story is, ah you know, it like that really inspired me reading it. Cause exactly what you were saying when you read about his trials and tribulations, he was just, you know, kind of ran straight into the fire and he was in all sorts of debts and lawsuits. And that did not stop him from you know moving forward every day.
00:16:34
Speaker
And, um, dude, it was like eight years before they actually got any traction with Nike. Right. And so when you look at that, like, and I think that we're all guilty of this in life is like, you look at Nike now and you're like, Oh man, you don't understand the story that it took to get there. And like, when he started, there was already rebalc and I think new balance and like, think yeah, he was, he was nobody, yeah but it went back to like, you know, his story, his vision, and he just kept going.
00:17:05
Speaker
super inspiring story. Yeah. There's just so many times where he could have ended things. Yeah. The competition to the guy who was starting to take the, what do they call it? The territory. Yeah. When that guy was starting to take territory from him and he just found a way to go around it or just always a solution. There's always a solution. You just have to be open to the possibilities yeah and just like open minded to what they could be. Right.
00:17:34
Speaker
Um, where, so we've talked about the early stages
Mavericks' First Year
00:17:40
Speaker
of Mavericks. Where are you now with Mavericks? And what is that like?
00:17:46
Speaker
Well, we just crossed the the line of one year of actually being on market. um And it's been a hell of a journey. um It's crazy to think that it's only been a year, but yeah, you know, we launched with that first Havoc 16 paddle um and just kind of took off from there. um Branding has always been kind of something that I've been very focused on, but from day one,
00:18:11
Speaker
It's like I have a little bit of business background and understand finance a little bit, understand graphics. But this was a different beast and I'm kind of glad that it's been a slow process because it's given me the ability to learn. um So the past year really has just been learning, building a foundation, trying different things, seeing if it works, doesn't work, try something else. And that's really been the name of the game to this point is just learning, building a foundation, trying, trying, trying.
00:18:40
Speaker
and things slowly have moved forward. So um yeah today you know we shoot we're about to launch the clash paddles which will mark six yeah six paddles that we'll have on market um and so we while we have those coming out I'm kind of not stepping back but also really making sure that the branding and the foundation is set and so um we're kind of working on an ambassador program right now, which I was super passionate about and kind of diving headfirst into that. And yeah, so right now, man, it's just, it's still learning and just one step at a time. Like I, I know that I don't have the answers to everything and I've never done it. So it's just, like I said, just like Phil Knight, just trial and tribulations, man, just trying different stuff.
00:19:30
Speaker
Do you have the paddles with you? I do. Let's check them out. Let's go. That clash. I like the clash. Yeah. Yeah. oh Yeah. I was a little skeptical on the boxy shape with the sharp corners at first, because you had sent me paddles. Yeah. Honestly, I think it feels like it may have been a year ago and it never just didn't stick with me. But, uh, the clash I like, I just probably need to give him another try, honestly.
00:19:58
Speaker
Yeah. So dude, um, so this havoc shape and gosh, I didn't realize I grabbed a demo. Um, it's a little bit dirty here, but, um, so with, with the havoc shape, um, it does take a little bit to get used to, um, just, yeah, just because the dimensions a little bit different. However, most people we've found, like once you get used to it, it really it feels different just because the way that we've been able to take weight off the top of the paddle, like it's about 1.2 ounces, and then that gives you the ability to take that weight and put it elsewhere in the paddle, because with paddles, the mass is so important to twist weight or torsional stability. um And so kind of by being able to take the weight off the top, redistribute it into the sidewalls of the paddle,
00:20:46
Speaker
you kind of end up with an elongated paddle with a lower swing weight, higher twist weight. And they do play different. And this has been, you know, kind of going back to Mavericks and trying to do things differently. This has kind of been the reason that we've had this as a flagship paddle is because we want something that stands out. And, you know, I've i've also said from day one that this paddle is not going to be for everybody. And I get that um So, you know, we have that mindset and that's why we kind of came out with a clash as well. Havoc 15 Pro, um which is a carbon Kevlar blend and then the Havoc 15 All-Cort, which is all carbon fiber. And those those guys launched in April and then... We had to do the, uh, the old hybrid shape here. and love the hybrid Man. And I was dragging my feet on it because it's ah going back to being different. I'm like, man, I don't want to follow the herd and do the same thing that everybody else is doing. However.
00:21:53
Speaker
That's what the people want. We got to do it. um But, you know, I kind of talking to buddies when we were starting this, the one thing I wanted to do again was try and do something a little different. So we did the 15 millimeter cores on both of them, which does kind of give it a little bit of a nice in between feel of the 16 millimeter and the 14 millimeter where, you know, 16 is more control oriented versus 14 being kind of more poppy and more powerful.
00:22:18
Speaker
um And so it has been kind of a nice, um I guess, hybrid between those two cores. But yeah, um so the Clash 15 Pro is going to be, ah it's carbon Kevlar blend. um and It's kind of more power oriented, but still has a lot of really good control versus the all core, which is 100% carbon fiber.
00:22:40
Speaker
And this is kind of a more control-oriented paddle, however, it still plays a lot of pop and power. And then those guys are launching next week, July 26th. July 26th. I like the Clash. yeah I like the Clash Pro. um I generally generally don't add weight in the beginning. I just let the paddle, I just feel it out. right And most times I like it without the weight. And then just yesterday, while we were playing, or before we started playing, I added weight around the top edges, right and it made, ah for me, it made like a significant difference. i It did feel a little bit, obviously a little bit more head heavy, which was nice, but it still maintained the the control aspect, and I feel like it gave me a little bit more pop. right This is obviously anecdotal. I don't have the tools. I'm not Chris Olsen or Brayden, but it it felt a little bit better. yeah when Once I added that weight there, it felt, yeah, I liked it.
00:23:39
Speaker
Yeah, through through our testing, people have loved these paddles. um But, ah you know, I think it's so familiar with people that um it's, and we kind of knew that, that, you know, the hybrid paddles, they all have, you know, slight variances. um But people have loved this paddle. And it's funny because the reviewers, the reviewers love this paddle.
00:24:02
Speaker
um Which, which is tough because, you know, I think that a lot of them primarily are testing hybrid paddles. So naturally, um, this is super familiar to them. Um, but yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, just trying to have some variety in our lineup here. And, uh, yeah, excited to kind of bring these paddles out and see how people like them. Yeah. I liked that you guys did the 15. I, I obviously don't know for a fact, but.
00:24:32
Speaker
I feel 15 is going to become a lot more popular. I agree. It's if we're going in the direction of power, sometimes a 14 or a 12 or an 11 is a little bit too much. It just doesn't have the control. It's like, OK, how can we still get that while increasing the power? Just take a millimeter off. Yeah. And it you don't lose the control, which I think is right. It's obviously very important because People tried out the gen three. People tried out all these new power panels and they still end up coming back to the standards 16 or 15. Sometimes the power is just a little too much. People are just losing control. For sure. um Yeah.
Paddle Design and Innovation
00:25:15
Speaker
And it's it's a funny story how he kind of came up with a 15 millimeter because I have one of my really good friends, Jeff. um He and I talk almost every day and he's always kind of giving me his two cents with branding. And we have a brotherly relationship a lot of time. you know
00:25:30
Speaker
Telling him to shut up or whatever but at the end of the day his like the stuff he says always resonates and he was one that really pushed me on the 15 millimeter idea and At first I'm like now man, you know, I people are so familiar with 16 millimeters and then finally one day I just said, you know, fuck it Let's, uh, let's do it and, um, or at least try it out. And when we were testing them, the biggest thing that we noticed was that they still felt like you had the same control of the 16 millimeter paddle, but then it was more whip being more powerful. And that's where I'm like, man, there's there's something to this where, yeah, you kind of get that little bit of a hybrid. So yeah that's kinda, it's worked out and it's been nice. Yeah. That's solid. Yeah.
00:26:16
Speaker
I previously you had mentioned visiting China. Yeah. Tell me about that experience. What is that like? Yeah. China was, uh, it was a kind of a trip. Um, when I got started, it was always a goal of mine to visit China because
00:26:34
Speaker
I mean, kind of going back to the way that my brain works, like I can learn a ton about paddles by taking them apart, by talking to the factories, you know, by dissecting other paddles and learning that stuff. But there was this part of me still that it was killing me that there was different details in the process that I didn't fully understand. And it didn't feel right as a paddle manufacturer to be selling paddles and not like really have an intimate knowledge of how everything is made. And so I said, you know, that was my goal was to get there and I didn't know when it was going to happen. So I think it was back in January, I floated the idea out to the factory and they were like, yeah absolutely come. And i'm looking my I'm looking at my schedule and it was my schedule was jammed. And then they hit me up, I think in like March, like, hey, are you coming?
00:27:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yep. And so booked a flight, I think it was April 15th. And I was only able to get, well, two and a half days on the ground there. So four days total because I had to get back to my daughter. um But yeah, man, it was an awesome experience. They treated me like a king. It was put me up in an amazing hotel. They you know took all the factories, showed me exactly you know how everything was done.
00:27:51
Speaker
But I think the biggest thing that I took away from that, not, I mean, beyond the relationship, because the relationship building was super important to me with the factory, but um understanding the potential of R and&D was huge. um Until I went there, the door wasn't, it was cracked, it wasn't fully open to, hey, come back, spend two weeks here, we'll build a new paddle every day, test whatever you want until we get to the finished product.
00:28:18
Speaker
And when, when they were kind of telling me that like, okay, you know, that, that makes sense. And I was already super happy with the factory that I'm with because I have a really good relationship with them. Um, but when that happened, that's where I'm like, man, you know, it's, I'm, I'm extremely happy that I made the trip and, um, you know, happy that I'm doing business and building this relationship with them. But yeah, overall amazing trip. It was, uh, definitely, definitely a different experience. What is that R and D process like?
00:28:49
Speaker
So I kind of, kind of, I mean, as it is now, without giving away too many. see Yeah. um As it is now, you know, it kind of starts with tearing apart a lot of different paddles and understanding what different people are doing and trying to understand what people want out of paddles, you know, more control, more power, more pop.
00:29:08
Speaker
um So it really starts on paper with you know just different ideas um and then talking to the factor about, hey, can our what are our possibilities? Or what are you know what can we do? Can we do this? Can we do that? um And literally it's just step by step. you know You come up with an idea, have them build different paddles you know using whatever, multiple layers, you change changing the direction of fibers, all this different stuff. Maybe you incorporate fiberglass into one paddle, maybe you don't.
00:29:37
Speaker
um And it's really just kind of trial and error. um Now i I obviously don't have the background that Rafa from Gearbox has where he can probably just cut straight to the chase. um But yeah, for me at this point, it's it's a lot of trial and error. And, you know, while I guess, like I said, I don't have the engineering background per se that Rafa has. um We can come up with a lot of really good ideas talking to the factory and some of the engineers there and then bringing them back and then just having you know putting them in the hands of High-level guys and kind of getting that feedback ultimately is what kind of tells you what's good and or what what works and what doesn't work So how does material how does a material get introduced? like Kevlar for example, yeah, who who brought that is it something that China is a or understands and knows about or is it on the menu? Wait, if you're, if the brand is the manufacturer, what do you consider China in the relationship of business? So they're, they're the factory, but factory manufacturer. Yes. And
00:30:44
Speaker
At the end of the day, while I would like to say that, you know, one of the brands, we came up with this revolutionary idea of introducing Kevlar and carbon fiber. um I don't think it's a secret that that's not really how the process works right now. um They're doing the factories, all the factories do a ton of R and&D themselves.
00:31:05
Speaker
And the reason being is that the more they can offer to us, you know, the the more that we can essentially buy and and expand our R and&D. So um I don't remember who the first, I think it may have been Pickleball Apes or something that did Carbon Kevlar first, but what ends up happening is, you know, the factory's China come up with new materials and they're offered out to you know, paddle manufacturers, and then it's up to us to kind of try it. Cause there's, I think like 30 different material types that I could try right now, but where, where do you draw the line? You know, so it's, uh, yeah, that's, that's kind of how the process takes place. And you don't know if those materials are going to be approved by a governing body either. Right. No, you you don't. However,
00:31:58
Speaker
I mean, the the material itself, um, I mean, I mean, really the two things that are going to fail your deflection or your grit test. Um, and the grit is really, it's a peel ply resin. And so, and this is kind of a misconception, but whether you put carbon or carbon Kevlar or whatever it is, they all have the same texture on the top of it.
00:32:19
Speaker
So the material isn't going to fail you per se, like on your grittiness test. um Now if you use a super soft material, I guess technically you might, you could be concerned with deflection, but really that comes down to the core. um But yeah, the materials themselves are just kind of, it gives you a slightly different feel than other materials. So Yeah. So even if there's fiberglass, carbon fiber or Kevlar on the paddle, there's always a peel ply on top.
00:32:54
Speaker
ah with With, you know, what we know as raw carbon fiber, because what we kind of know is raw carbon fibers, people thought that like the whole raw carbon fiber thing was truly raw carbon fiber. But the majority of paddles like, you know, yolas or our six euros that we all have a peel ply texture um on the top of you know the carbon fiber carbon Kevlar or whatever material it is and that's what's kind of getting the grittiness which is just it's an epoxy resin which is kind of pressed onto the face of the through heat of the face of the paddle whereas you look at like a lot of Selkirk's paddle Selkirk's paddles like all the power airs
00:33:33
Speaker
none of those have a peel ply texture it's um you know what whatever the layup they're using whether it's carbon fiber or fiberglass you have the complete molded paddle they'll paint it and then they use like a spray on grit and that's where you know like back in the day franklin was known for their spray on grit so so yeah that john's paddle yeah yeah that thing was crazy that was the paddle back in the last about two weeks Yeah, yeah, so yeah, so not not every paddle has the peel ply resin um But I mean it's it seems like it's 90% nowadays Yeah So you releasing these paddles next week the ambassador program, yeah any other what what's next for Mavericks and
00:34:23
Speaker
Um, yeah, I mean, you know, so right now and really what's next, I just really making sure this ambassador program is built out.
Community Building with Ambassadors
00:34:31
Speaker
Um, and this was like, you you know, like I said, it was something that I wanted to put a lot of focus into, um, but I wanted it done right. And I needed the resources. So now I have, um, Bodhi and then a guy named Rick, who are both helping me, Rick's kind of running the program. Yeah. And we've taken probably a month and a half to build it out because I really wanted this real community feel where you the the question I kept turning to Rick was like, how do we make this beneficial for an ambassador and for us? Because it can't just go one way where I don't want salesmen. I want somebody, you know if we bring you on as an ambassador, we want you to really feel connected to the brand. And so
00:35:11
Speaker
We've been working on that still working on that we're just rolling it out now, kind of starting with tier one we're going to kind of keep building that out and that's kind of a ah big focus right now. um At the same time we are trying some different paddle shapes, um kind of which would be launched next year.
00:35:30
Speaker
Um, but as far as the R and D on paddles, some of that is, I don't want to say it hasn't come to a halt, but we're, I'm dragging my feet a little bit because with the whole UPA, USA PA don't really know what direction we're going and don't want to dive headfirst into a foam core paddle. And then all of a sudden it's not legal. So, um, Yeah, really right now and probably the next six months is really focusing on a bastard program, the core of the business and really trying to just bring a brand awareness and then kind of continue to build out from there. So you're an active brand. You have sponsored players, you have your paddles out in the recreational areas as well in significant territories. What is the relationship with USAP and UPA like?
00:36:20
Speaker
Do you have an understanding of what the testing is going to be like? Do you have any like foresight into that? I don't. um all All I know with UPA was there was something leaked, I don't know what that was, three weeks ago or something, right? where and And I guess let me back up um after the whole YOLA debacle, um yeah UPA coming forward, I can kind of read between the lines of where this is going. And it seems to me that the direction that the big paddle manufacturers want to go is bringing in something like UPA. um And I mean, I have my own personal reasons, but we don't have to, you know, that that I believe that that's happening. um
00:37:04
Speaker
And again, reading between the lines, I think that that is the direction that will end up going. Not necessarily that's the way that I would like to see it go, but at the end of the day, it's kind of... This is just speculation. Yeah. Yeah. It's not opinions. Yeah. So yeah I think that it is going to go that direction. I have no idea what the testing is going to to be. um I think that they want to, whatever it is, want to try and make it more consistent. um And it seems like they want to try and do the right thing with testing and everything.
00:37:33
Speaker
um But yeah, I don't know. i mean i It's hard for me to believe that usap USAPA will go away. And I think they've been doing a great job of what they're doing and I've enjoyed working with them. So I hope that they do stick around as the governing body. um But yeah, we're we're in an interesting time, especially as a paddle manufacturer when you see do the amount of money that YOLA and Vatic and these other companies have put into R and&D and rolling out product to then be you know delisted or banned or whatever it is and then have to refund all that, man. That's a that's a huge hit for any company, let alone a small company.
Financial Challenges in Business
00:38:14
Speaker
So definitely it definitely has made me drag my feet a little bit um as far as where we go you know in the near future with innovation.
00:38:25
Speaker
Yeah, not everyone has a luxury of yeah, I wouldn't even really call it a luxury. I'm not saying Yola has disposable income, but not everyone has a luxury to be able to just turn around. Yeah, a different product, which congrats, like hats off to them that they were able to do that. They already have a new model coming out. i I can't remember who showed me, but someone already talked about it, leaked it so okay supposedly, yeah allegedly. right But yeah, they already have a new model coming out as a replacement for the Gen 3, which is also very interesting. Like, are we going to move forward or are we going to turn back? And ah I can't think of the word starts with an R, but
00:39:09
Speaker
um What is that word? Like, uh, like retro, retroactive. Yeah. Yeah. There we go. Damn. It's because of that peak life. Nandika I had this morning. Um, yeah, that's, that's interesting that you say that. Um, because like whenever, whenever I hear about people talking about paddles being too powerful or whatever, I like to, I just like to sit back and listen and watch. Um,
00:39:35
Speaker
because I don't know what the right answer is for that. um And part of me... Part of me, like with the progression of the sport and and you know having pros, like I do like seeing paddles that are powerful because from a consumer standpoint, it it becomes more attractive when you see these pros that are you know smashing balls. And like I think it makes it more attractive for for the view for the viewer. But from the consumer side, I think that so many people have been attracted to buying into these really powerful paddles and quickly realizing that, man, maybe it's too much.
00:40:13
Speaker
And, you know, when you look at the core of pickleball, I think that really what separates really good players are people that can reset and control the ball and drop the ball. And really, it comes down to control and, you know, powers. Yeah, it's important, but the control. And so I do part of me believes that we're going to hit this threshold of trying to get as powerful as possible. And then it's going to kind of dial back and Find some sort of happy medium. So other option is they change the ball Which could be interesting softening up the ball. Yeah Which that would be interesting if I just like you talked about your say, I hope they don't go back to the Franklin x40. Ah Dude, I can't stand a marshmallow. Yes. Yes um
00:41:01
Speaker
Yeah, you know, I i don't know. I you know read all that stuff about people talking about changing the ball, too. And I don't know what the answer is. um I think that really it's, you know, we're so hyper focused on all these little minutia details right now that everything will pan out the way it's supposed to. But, um you know, that's why I think kind of part of my mindset of philosophy is like just kind of sit down and enjoy the ride right now and Wherever, whatever, wherever the big brands and UPA want to take me, that's where we're going. That's such a California response. Yeah. just chilling I mean, cruise control, but when you realize like, you just don't have control over it. Yeah. That's been something I've realized over the past five years. It's like stuff that you don't have control of. Like you can sit there and think about it all day long, or just, you know, focus on what we can focus on.
00:41:56
Speaker
And that's kind of my mindset. And I know it's not like, yeah, you should be like hitting R and&D hard, but at the end of the day, let's be honest. So we really don't have a lot of say in the testing and everything right now. And when you have less resources, you have to be way more calculated about risk. And I think I would not be putting money into R and&D in in that direction of the Gen 3 direction. right If you're going to put any R and&D, go more towards the Gen 2 for an now. and right um Just just's too much uncertainty. Yeah.
00:42:35
Speaker
Yeah. No, I mean, dude, the polypropylene core has been obviously great. Everybody loves it. Um, but my mindset, like, cause I have these other ideas and I've been talking to one of my ambassadors is a aerospace engineer or was, and kind of talking to him about some different core ideas because do it, dode do it. So I have some really cool ideas right now. I haven't started acting on them and that's kind of also, you know, where my mind is, it's like,
00:43:02
Speaker
I don't think foam's the answer. um Foam's only the answer right now because Gearbox did foam. So then everybody wants to follow suit. And where my mind goes is like, well, forget the foam. That doesn't mean that's the best core. There's something else out there and it's just up to me or up to us to find it. And so, and that's, you know, kind of going back to like, I enjoy that part of like thinking like, Hey, what if we do this or do that? You know, will that work? So.
00:43:31
Speaker
Um, yeah, enjoy that. Something I don't think a lot of people understand, especially paddle aspiring paddle founders is the capital that it could take to start a paddle brand. Yeah. How did you make that decision to invest it? And if you feel comfortable, how did you get the funding to launch a paddle brand? So, um,
00:44:00
Speaker
And and i don't I don't really get too much of this backstory, but this is kind of a fundamental part of like my mindset now. um i I went through a divorce and people that have been through a divorce can you know relate that when attorneys get involved, it is just… It's not good. Um, anyway, so I was always somebody that was very conservative with money. Um, and I think that naturally we all are, but the amount of money that was going out every month to attorney fees, which is mind boggling. And I sat back and went, dude, I'm still surviving. Like I'm still alive. Like nothing's changed. And that's where I realized that my mindset with money or my relationship to money was kind of skewed.
00:44:46
Speaker
So when it came into Mavericks and kind of looking into building the brand, and this is kind of, you know, going back to where I started, I kind of said, fuck it. um I go, dude, like the number that I initially started, I'm like, I'm going to throw 20 grand at this because like the attorney fees have well exceeded that. And it's i'm like, dude, if I lose 20 grand, I would rather lose it trying and failing and learning and then taking what I learned from that moving forward. And so that's literally how I got started was kind of, I don't want to say it was a gamble in a way, but it was more of like I said, I've had all these different ideas in my life and I wanted to act on it and not let the ideas die. So I finally said, fuck it. So that's how, that's how that kind of started. um I, you know, kind of going back to rental property, my ex and I, we owned a rental ah ah building and so we've kind of sold that. So I had some money
00:45:41
Speaker
from that and not a good time to buy a house right now anyways and so you know I had a number in my mind and I'm like I'm gonna allocate this much money to the brand and I knew I know enough about finance and investing that it was always like, hey, if i if I invest X amount in product, I have something tangible at the bare minimum, even if I sold at my cost, my money's going to be recouped. So when I started thinking about that, I go, yeah, the money's tied up, but there's no like true risk because I go, dude, as long as we have a good product that looks good, like
00:46:15
Speaker
My worst case scenario starting was, well, if it doesn't work out, I sell it for cost and I get all my money back, but I just learned some great life lessons and I'm going to take that and move forward. So that's really how I got going. And then it's just me kind of been self funding it from here.
00:46:32
Speaker
Yeah. So, and sorry, just to elaborate a little bit, because you and I talked about this yesterday, but I, andit I invested that initial amount. And what I underestimated was the amount of capital that was needed moving forward. Cause you have your first order, but as you grow, the second order needs to be even larger, but you still haven't completely sold out of your first order. So you you have this huge, it's very, very capital intensive.
00:46:57
Speaker
Um, but you know, we're getting there and I think that that's also been a blessing in disguise because it doesn't allow you to move too quickly. And I believe that if you move too quickly and in a game that like you really don't know, then that's where your mistakes become. And once you make those mistakes, like you start tarnishing your brand reputation. So I don't know. It's, uh, yeah, it's just kind of been dude just flying by the seat of my pants and just one step at a time. Damn.
00:47:26
Speaker
Yeah. That's all. but Yeah. Very relative or that all could be applied to any person who's looking to start a business. Yeah. Don't count your eggs. Don't count your chickens before they hatch is what they say.
00:47:45
Speaker
Yeah, well that and like, dude, I and I tell people every day because I was there, I was there where, you know, we we all have these just different ideas. And you never want to act on it because out of fear. And that's where again, like, I hate to talk about the divorce, but it was one of You know, for my mindset, it did wonders because again, it just, it made me, you know, like, Hey, I'm just going to do this and figure out on the backside what happens. Um, and yeah, I just, I think that not not enough people really act on, you know, these ideas that they have and you just let all these ideas die. So.
Overcoming Doubts and Mindset
00:48:25
Speaker
Doubt kills more dreams than fear. Yes. Doubt kills more dreams than fear. Yeah. Something like that. I know there's a quote out there.
00:48:36
Speaker
Doubt kills more dreams than, yeah, failure. yeah Doubt kills more dreams than failure. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I mean, people don't get started because you sit there and just overanalyze things like. Just got to take a baby step. Yeah. Just got to move. So ladies go in the comment section, this man's divorce, but I have zero time.
00:48:59
Speaker
Zero time. Zero time. No time. Yeah. But we could be texting buddies. Yeah. That's about all the time I have. You're getting the crowd going. You got the firefighter crew. Anyone who's a firefighter is like, yeah, let's go. Let's go. Yeah. And then all the divorces. Yeah, go divorces. Yeah. Hey, what is it? One out of three marriages ends in divorce now?
00:49:22
Speaker
I think it's one out of two. I think it's 50%. It's not good. um And I hate to be a statistic, but you know we all we all can look back and and learn from anything. So you got to find the positive. I'm a product of divorced parents. That's why I'm all fucked up.
00:49:42
Speaker
yeah i mean du Yeah. It's because I have Asian parents, not because I'm their divorce. You know what, man? And this was like, we talked about Alex from Jose. Um, and you say that you're fucked up, but again, this is like the mindset that I've had is like, you look at anybody that's good or successful, dude, they've all come from situations and you don't really become good at anything unless like you've come from something.
00:50:07
Speaker
Yeah, you have to have been through some shit. Yeah. Or I forget what that exact quote is, but he's talking about him and Chris Williamson. We're talking about what makes a like a hyper hyper focused individual, someone like Elon, not obviously not saying that we're anything like those guys, but guys like Elon, Steve Jobs, and he's like, what is a thing that they have?
00:50:30
Speaker
And then they talk about, Oh, it's a thing that they don't have actually. And that thing that they don't have as an off switch. And that is also, you know, that's definitely, I think that rings true in many ways. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, man. You gotta. ah There's a lot of stuff in life that sucks, but you got to really embrace it as like personal growth and like, look at what it really does bring to you. Yeah. It's tough. Life's tough. Yeah. Yeah. I forgot the one that he said, but they said there's three things that those guys don't have, but they do have. It's like, one is like, they're very self-conscious. It's a, I was trying to prove themselves. They have a, um, something complex. Um, uh, it's like a superiority. Superiority complex. complex, they have some sort of insecurity. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, uh, and I started looking at that cause I've seen, you know, a lot of your successful people. I'm like, yeah, I mean, it makes sense. So yeah, yeah speaking of hormones, you though, you, there's a quote. Sometimes you have to let other people's dreams for your life die. So you, yours can live. Yeah. What does that quote mean to you?
00:51:43
Speaker
Um, dude, that's huge. Um, you know, and I think that it kind of goes back to the message of all of this is, um, you know, going back to when I started, it was, it was just complete, like something flipped and there was just this mindset shift. And, uh, what I realized, especially getting into this is like,
00:52:03
Speaker
Dude, you always have people telling you, hey, you should do things this you know this way or this way. And especially with family or friends, like you tend to listen, but then when you step back and think, you're like, you've never done it. you know And so we all have opinions. And that's kind of what I started realizing is that.
00:52:22
Speaker
to really get started like you just got to start and and turn off the noise like don't listen to anybody um and and that that rings true like even in Mavericks today is like hey we should do a 16 millimeter core or a 14 millimeter core why can't we do a 15 millimeter core Um, and yeah, so I, dude, it's that that quote really resonates with me because again, you know, I used to listen to a appeal and not that I don't listen to people, but there's a part of you that has to go, dude, I'm just going to take a step and just get out in this journey and figure it out. Um, it's one of the most difficult things in life is filtering out.
00:53:05
Speaker
advice tips or just in general the words that people say to you it's like right does this ring true in general as a whole or is it only ringing true to the person who's saying it and they're just They're trying to be helpful, right but in within that, it's, it it doesn't really, it doesn't end up helping you. Just like, just let that person figure it out for themselves. Let them learn the lesson, and let them go through the experience, let them make the mistake. And then in doing so they can, um, they can go through that experience and navigate it on their own so that they're able to go through it.
00:53:44
Speaker
It kind of and speaks to people who have been fed with like a silver spoon, right? It's like just shelled up and they've they just haven't been able to see the world with their own eyes. They see it through someone else's eyes. Dude. Amen. Couldn't have said it better. And yeah, you're, you're right. Um, and that's kinda like part of my parenting approach now is like,
00:54:11
Speaker
And any ideas or anything, you know, my daughter wants to do is trial and error. Like that's the only way to learn and grow is to encourage somebody essentially to fail. Yeah. Um, and I say that now, but three years ago, I did not have that mindset, but I see it now. Like again, every successful person, it's dude, it all comes from failures. And so you got to let her fall. You got to let her get her heartbroken. Yeah. And have to, it sucks. And yeah, it I can't, I'm not a parent, but I have nieces and even watching them like,
00:54:40
Speaker
Having to go through stuff and like maybe get go through bowling or yeah Like the oldest one always wants to hang out with this one friend, but that one friend doesn't like her but she they're just too young to understand that concept and you just feel heartbroken for them and You're like, it's okay. Like you're going to grow up. You're going to make plenty of other friends. don't Don't be so hung up on this. And she's just very, you know, down about it. yes That's the last thing any kid wants at that age is to not make friends.
00:55:13
Speaker
It's tough. It's tough. It's a, it's a fear. Um, and, and I say it's a fear cause like, dude, it's 2024, man. We're in a nasty world. We're in a nasty world, dude, especially like as a young girl, man, you had the bullying and just social media bullying. It's like, I mean, I hate to say it, but there's almost no escaping it. It's more of how do you navigate it? And.
00:55:35
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, how do you build up self-confidence as a female in orders as you as a young girl these days? It it just the answer is not social media. Yeah dancers like outside and Outside of that and the social media is gonna eat up eats up me and I'm a grown-ass man It messes me up anytime someone that leaves a nasty comment. I like damn don't don't let it I I got to stop. I stopped looking at them. Stop. I just, just let them go. It's funny. I would get comments on our social media about, fact you know, every now and then what whatever it is. Um, and I can't even remember off the top of my head, but dude, I've always taken this and I hate to say passive aggression approach, but I'm always like, Hey, thank you so much for reaching out and thank you for the, you know, great feedback. We really appreciate it.
00:56:25
Speaker
That's always in my approach. It's like kill him with kindness yeah or kill him in like a way where you, it doesn't linger with you. Yeah. Like whatever's the best way for you to end it there. yeah So you don't have to think about it ever again is the best way. Amen. You don't want to, you don't want to throw gasoline on the fire. Yeah. No, no, I'm just easier said than done. I don't do that at all. I kind of wish I did.
00:56:50
Speaker
No, dude, it's, it's tough. And I mean, obviously I don't, I don't have the following that that you guys have, but, uh, you know, I think as let's change that people, yeah go follow Mavericks pickleball. Um, yeah, man, as you grow, you gotta, I guess, gotta take the kid with the bad, but that's the tough part. Yeah. Yeah. And we're in, we're in a business for, yeah, you're gonna, you're gonna be shade cast on you. What's the most significant accomplishment of your company so far?
00:57:21
Speaker
You know, i there's a couple things that come to mind. I mean, A, I think it would be the paddle shape. The handbook? Yeah. And not that it's something revolutionary. um But again, starting at step one, wanted something different. And it was a funny story how that all came to be. But um just having that shape here today, I think that it's gaining more and more traction.
00:57:45
Speaker
And I'd say that that was one of the greatest accomplishments just in the sense that I think we have something that's different that stands out. That's kind of in our flagship paddle um that we can build off of. And like I said, you know, you could hate it, hate it or love it. Like we had, I believe that we have a niche and I think that that's been ah for me an accomplishment. Um, actually don't mean to cut you off, but this was something that came up earlier in my bite and mention it.
00:58:13
Speaker
Yeah. Have you patented the shape? Has anyone come in and tried to use the shape? Yeah. Um, yeah. So I had initially started with a design patent and then now I have a utility patent pending on that as well. Um, I got, we talked about the network, just how things have happened. I got networked with this, um, patent attorney and, uh, dude, it's weird. Just kind of went gun ho patenting, all sorts of stuff and getting trademarks and all sorts of stuff. And, and um actually kind of something funny is that we have a patent pending on i'll just say some sort of technology that's out there okay that's um another company had uh launched i'll just say last year sometime
00:58:59
Speaker
And I hope someone figures this out. If it rings true, there's a possibility that our patent was submitted prior to. Not sure. So that that could be fun. Then what would happen?
00:59:15
Speaker
I don't know. um I don't know. um But it was just like on a whim I had this ah idea because we were kind of working with something at the beginning of last year. And we started like last January. And then come, I'll just say.
00:59:31
Speaker
Into the year I talked to you know, my guy Sam the patent attorney. I'm like, hey, dude Can we you know get this rolling and absolutely so we filed filed a patent and then like two weeks later my buddy sends me a picture Hey, dude, check out this paddle that this company's testing. I'm like interesting and And then it had launched um probably three or four months later. So I I don't know how that aligns, but we'll see. Somebody please do the math and figure it out and then put it in the comments section. Don't do the math. They want communities. And that's a hard corner. Just so we're clear, that's not my, my m MO has, is not trying to get a patent and try to like undercut somebody. It was just.
01:00:20
Speaker
It just so happened that we filed it. It just so happened they came out with it and it was just, it was just funny timing. So yeah. Um, but yeah, you were talking about the paddle design was one of your most significant accomplishments. What about, what about personally? Yeah.
01:00:35
Speaker
Um, dude, I mean, i I think on honestly being here today is is huge. Stop. No, no, no, no, no. So and I'm going to tell you a funny story and I'm being serious because so again, looking back on Mavericks and what it took to get here and just like the brand image that we have today and starting with the vision in 2022.
01:00:57
Speaker
and like seeing where this came to and like really wanting to bring in an emotional connection and a story and like what it meant to me and like just watching this build process.
Branding as Storytelling
01:01:07
Speaker
like I'm very happy with where we are today. um and Mavericks itself, kind of going back to branding, I believe, you know I've always tried to take an approach from like a storied side because that's kind of what branding is. um like Branding really is a story that draws emotional connection.
01:01:25
Speaker
There's a guy named Josh Kearns who I just randomly connected with. Um, gosh, right after I launched and Josh and I talked, we're good friends now. I talked a bunch and he kept on hammering to me. He's like, dude, you got to get your story out there. Got to get the story out there. I'm like, Josh, like that's just not me, dude. Like I'm not going to sit there and tell my story.
01:01:43
Speaker
Um, and so we kept talking about it and he, he can, he can attest to this. This is probably a year ago. I got dude, the one person that I want to like sit down with and get the story out would be Brian. So, yeah. And I, I know I haven't told you that, um, but just watching like how you bring everything together, like in a story, like it just really resonated with me.
01:02:04
Speaker
And that's, yeah, Josh, Josh can attest to that. That dude, I said that I'm like, one day, you know, I want to get there. And so then when Bodhi made the connection, like, yeah, dude, I'll definitely fly out to Austin. Yeah, dude. Well, thank you for making the time. and Awesome. All the viewers know that I haven't had a sit down in this studio. And in since I think that episode, the Braden, there's been plenty of other interviews. People i think miss the setup and hopefully they're pleased with this new lighting yeah as much as I am. I really like it. Yeah. It looks good. but Yeah, like thank you for making the time. I know that you could be spending this time, not only working on your company, but also precious time with your daughter too. So, uh, thank you for coming out. Yeah, dude. It's, I mean, honestly, it's a vacation for me in the sense that I can break away from the norm. And dude, we got to go out and play pickleball last night, get to play again tonight. Oh yeah. I'm going to put those clips up. Oh yeah. Yeah. That was, that was fun. Um, but yeah, dude, no, man, it's, uh, it's been a fun trip.
01:03:04
Speaker
Yeah. Love it. Yeah. I remember Josh was doing a giveaway at the pickleball for all event in Seattle. oh That's right. Last year. And he mentioned your paddle and it was around the time that you sent the paddles to me. You just reached out to me and I just want to send you these pals. yeah I didn't think much of it. Yeah. And then I remember I reached out to you like, dude, they got your paddles up here. Oh yeah. yeah They did a giveaway. That's right. You did. Yeah. Yeah. They did a giveaway. I was like, that's awesome.
01:03:26
Speaker
Dude, Josh has been, you know, just go we were talking, you know, this morning or last night, you know, about network and just like through our journeys, how we organically have connected to people. And Josh is one of those people. um He's just randomly came to me. We started talking. I'm like, man, I like what this guy's about. Seemed really genuine. And we formed a friendship. But dude, he's been a great advocate for us. And then it is funny because Um, at the beginning when he and I started talking, he was like, Hey dude, you need to send paddles to my buddy Rob Lowe. Like Rob, like Rob Lowe, Rob Lowe. And, uh, he's like, yeah. And, um, I've never told Josh this, but this was when I first got to know him. I'm like, man, is this guy, is he for real? Like,
01:04:15
Speaker
Like it was funny because I was at the fire station and he told me this and I was talking to the guys and like, you know, he sent me this address and we looked it up and it was, dude, ah you know, it was a legit home. I'm like, and maybe, or maybe he's just trying to get me to send the paddles to some random person's house. I'm at the fire station, gives me the address. We'd look it up online. I'm like, dude, the house is like, it's like a $50 million dollars home. Like it's like, I think this really is his house.
01:04:42
Speaker
But then I'm like, well, maybe he's just like, sent like having me send paddles to some random guy, you know, to try to like, cause at the beginning of Mavericks and still today, dude, everybody and their brother reaching out, Hey, I'm this person I want, you know, can I have free paddles? Can this dude, it was overwhelming. And so again, trying to filter and like, I have some skepticism. Um, so anyways, I ended up sending the paddles to Rob Lowe. Cool.
01:05:08
Speaker
that, you know, this this guy, and and he didn't use, like he uses an alias when when you're shipping. um And so like, you know what? And that was kind of, I learned that with all this, it's like, you got to give away off a lot of free product and a lot of it doesn't work out, some of it does. And so that happened. And then like six months later, Justin, the guy you see on our Instagram with tattoos, he sends me this clip from, I don't know if it was Beverly Hills or something, they had this big celebrity event.
01:05:35
Speaker
There's Rob Lowe talking on camera with my paddle and I went, no shit. Like, all right. Literally. Yeah. jo ah Josh is for real. Literally. Damn. So, yeah, dude. Funny, funny story. That might be the first time anyone's talked about who's like the biggest person they've sent a product to. And Rob Lowe, I mean, Parks and Rec is the best. Yeah. Yeah.
01:06:01
Speaker
Yeah, dude is super super true. What's the best advice you've ever received?
01:06:08
Speaker
um Well, I I don't know if it's and advice per se but There's a couple things that stick out of my mind and I had an engineer um I worked at I The first fire department that I got hired with I didn't had an engineer named Matt Perry and Matt and I became super good friends and when, I don't know, probably a year or two ago, when I had gone through a bunch of shit, um he had recommended two books to me. One was Unfuck Yourself, and then the other was The Code of the Extraordinary Mind.
01:06:44
Speaker
And they're both just mindset books. And I've read a ton of different books. Some of them were good, some were bad. And those two books have been so pivotal in my mindset. Like the stuff that I took away from it was due to this day. I reflect on all that. And so, yeah, I mean, dude, that was some of the best advice that he ever gave me was read those books.
01:07:08
Speaker
And then the other was from from my dad. um And yeah, it was kind of a corny phrase that he always says, but it's nothing to it but to do it. Like he always like anytime that you're in any shit, he's like, dude, there's nothing to it but to do it. And it's kind of like Nike slogan, just do it.
01:07:26
Speaker
And that resonates with me because it's literally, dude, like anything that you're doing or going through, it's like we get so hung up on these minutia details and just kind of looking at the micro stuff. And really, my dad's message is always like, just got to get to work, just start working. And that's to this day, whatever it is, paddle designs like you look at the end product, man, how do I get there? It's like, well, you got to start by researching carbon fiber.
01:07:55
Speaker
so So yeah, those those are two pieces of advice that have been huge. What does your dad do now? He's, well, I mean, he calls himself semi-retired, but um yeah, I mean, he kind of buys real estate, kind of, I don't know, he just, he has a ton of friends and connections and randomly finds pieces of dirt out in the desert that had an old rundown gas station on and thought that he could put a billboard, I don't know, he just, my dad's crazy like that and just kind of comes up with all these different ideas, but he's he's essentially retired, my dad's older.
01:08:28
Speaker
So you play pickleball? No, no, no, no, my parents don't. um But yeah, I mean, dude, he's just super, super, super good guy. And just and is there anything I haven't asked you that you want to talk about?
01:08:42
Speaker
No, I mean, and I think that you and I kind of talked about it, but um really, the you know, the the message that I just kind of want to get through to people is just that Mavericks, we're trying to do something different. And that's kind of with our tagline, swing different. um Whether it's Paddles, whether it's the company, you know, the story, I really wanted to resonate with people that were not only trying to build something different, but Really trying to bring in like a really intimate community feel to the brand and it's not gonna happen overnight it's five to ten year vision and Yeah, that's I mean, that's really the message that I wanted to kind of leave people with was that you know So we're trying to really focus on being different Yeah
01:09:27
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's a good spot to end it at. Um, where can more people find more information about Mavericks and any other announcements you want to make? Um, you already mentioned the paddle, but yeah, uh, floor is yours. Yeah. So Mavericks pickleball.com. Um, we have a lot, we just got the site redone, so we have a lot of information on there still improving that. Um, but there's a lot of good stuff like paddle buying guide, comparing paddles. So a lot of good stuff on the website now.
01:09:54
Speaker
um Our social media try and stay active kind of goes into ebbs and flows but ah Instagram is just Mavericks pickleball um And then all of our other social media handles are just Mavericks pickleball as well um But yeah, ah the clash launch will be July 26 here coming up and then Ambassador program and we're trying that we're seeking, you know um people that are involved in their community that really kind of share our vision and want to be in the brand and while the message, you know, we haven't really got it out there big yet, but we're really trying to focus on doing something big, different with the Ambassador Program and making it really feel like a tight community. um And so, yeah, I would encourage anybody to, you know, apply for our Ambassador Program and be happy to um bring any new people on.
01:10:44
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Uh, yeah, I don't have anything else, man. Right. That was pretty smooth. Thank you. It's like I said, it's been, it's been an honor. I appreciate your time and it's been awesome to be out here. Yeah. No. Um, yeah. Thanks again for your time and thank you for, thank you to my sponsors, Viore and people. That's it. Hell yeah, dude.