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Pickleball Studio: Upcoming Projects, Why He Won’t Release His Own Paddle
566 Plays1 year ago
Pickleball paddle reviewer, Pickleball Studio, talks about his start in paddle reviewing, his goals for playing, how his business has evolved, hiring his brother, new content/projects, new equipment and tools, authenticity, and future content plans.
https://pickleballstudio.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@PickleballStudio
#pickleballpaddle #pickleballhighlights #pickleball
Chapters: 00:00 intro 03:20 the start of paddle reviewing 05:27 is pickleballstudio 5.0? 09:03 turning content creation into a business 09:46 how has business has evolved 11:12 working with his brother Aizec 14:11 whole chris (back in frame) 15:43 new content/projects 18:44 new equipment and tools 22:40 using his past and learning new skills 23:36 pickleball studio paddle 29:57 authenticity 32:04 pickleball content creators 33:30 when Chris's fans meet him 36:40 fan question 38:28 from solo to business with employees 41:19 creator code 43:40 content creator battle 44:34 pickleballstudio products 45:02 future content plans 48:16 future plans for playing - 5.0 52:09 supportive community 56:03 closing
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Transcript
Introduction of Guests and Setting
00:00:00
Speaker
are in person. We finally made it. You finally got it, dude. I know. It only took like eight other people in front of me. but Who did we have? We had Will, Kyle, um Dale, Jack, Zane, Raphael, ah You've technically done DJ before me. Yep. That one's just not out yet, at least at the time of this. um Why do I feel like there's like someone else I'm missing that was like maybe it was done in your house or something?
00:00:39
Speaker
but it's just a lot of people. He was in there. Nice. You were just trying to make sure you had it right with everyone else before you brought me back. And the funny thing is we're not even using that setup. yeah like tube like we're in the We're in the nice hotel room. yeah Shout out to the the Eliza Jane for blasting music in the lobby. That would have been perfect. This is a dope hotel. It is a really sweet hotel. This is like so different from the like chain hotels that I'm used to staying in. Dude, if they put us in a Best Western, I would have kind of walked out. He's too good for Best Western, huh? Put me in a Marriott. Yeah, I'll take a Marriott. Yeah, those
Yolo Media Event and Meeting Chris
00:01:21
Speaker
are fine. We're here in New Orleans for the Yolo Media event, which is also, if you go back last year, the first time I met Chris in person. True, yeah. yeah I forgot about that. Very interesting.
00:01:35
Speaker
oh son of And the first time I met him, it was the same thing. Mike was just falling off the shed. Didn't even have a mic. Yeah, didn't even have a mic. Amateur. um damn that's Damn, that's crazy. Because if you've watched the first episode, you already know how I recapped how Chris and I met. But yeah, this is when Chris was just sitting in the lobby. Still the same thing, though. Like, Chris is in the lobby he's sitting here, and everyone else is around him. I don't i't know. this Now there's like John, my brother, Braden, Will. There's like so many of them. Yeah. It's been, it's cool. This one's been, been great just with everyone being here. Like last year didn't really know anyone at the event. yeah Now I feel like I know a bunch of people and there's like a whole table of us to like just hang out and talk
Pickleball Terminology Evolution
00:02:27
Speaker
to. It's pretty fun. like pickleball clinic was there last year to pickleball central guy and then all the Yola employees. Yep. But it's cool. Yeah. There's like, they pickleball parts. I would see his content, but I wouldn't watch it that much. He's a cool ass dude. Keith games with him were fun. yeah Um, but it's cool. Like Braden and I were kind of having the conversation of like,
00:02:48
Speaker
When he started, it was like 2019 to 2020. When did you start? I would have been, I think it was near the end of 2021. So it would have been like October or November was my first video I ever posted on my channel, I think. Yeah. Braden and I were just talking about how like he had mentioned he had like brought some terms into the space. Like, I don't know. Don't quote me on which ones, but it's like all the terms of like swing weight, like twist weight, all, all court paddle. Someone, yeah one yeah one of the three of you guys brought all of these. Yeah. He did like all court paddle. I think I was the first to do swing weight. Then he adopted twist weight before I did. Hang on one second. Give me one second. Let me answer this just in case it's important. Hello. That'd be awesome if that was Dale that call. That would be really funny. Not much less exciting. Just my mom.
00:03:43
Speaker
yeah For anyone that doesn't know, Chris called when I filmed the in-person with Dale. Oh, I didn't even think about that. I forgot that happened. That's right. ah That would have been legendary. Yeah. It worked out perfect because I was like, is there anything you have to say about the number 45 paddle? And I clipped it. That was great. That was awesome. Yeah, yeah, that's just like the term not only terminology, but you guys have brought a lot to the like the community and the scene and like, especially if like for reviewers, like I don't consider myself a reviewer, but for the reviewers that are following y'all's footsteps, y'all have like paving the way
Standardizing Pickleball Metrics
00:04:17
Speaker
to a degree. I think especially in the style and the way that people film reviews. Yeah. Yeah. I definitely think it's been, I mean, since I started, there was like, it felt like there was,
00:04:31
Speaker
No, there was no uniformity in anything in terms of like paddle metrics. There was nothing that's kind of why like I started the Or tried to make the spin test or whatever and then someone had mentioned swing weight and was like, oh you should look into this and I feel like now things are a lot more streamlined where like terminology is kind of like the all the reviewers have introduced terms into the industry that makes it easier for everyone to understand because when I came in And Braden would probably know this too. It was just like total Wild West where like companies could say anything and they could probably get away with it because no one could fact check anything or no one even maybe even cared to fact check. yeah Now I feel like the companies are held much more honestly. Like people are cutting the paddles open. They're play testing them harder. There's more eyeballs on it. Like you can't get away with just like making something up because you'll probably get found out.
Journey to 5.0 Skill Level in Pickleball
00:05:20
Speaker
Yeah, so it makes up like such a large part of it now like companies are being held to higher standards Yeah, I said for sure last time we spoke I asked you about your goals and you said like one of them was getting as good as I can possibly be Like within reason to be like a 5-0 plus and you said like would love to win some 5-0 tournaments How has that been since then haven't won a 5-0 tournament, but I did just play my first 5-0 tournament I feel like I'm right on the cusp now of Being able to say I'm a 5.0, I don't feel confident in it yet. Like, I will probably play...
00:05:53
Speaker
only 5-0 moving forward, but it's still a like it's still so new. but You know how whenever you're you're getting better at the game, and you're like just about to break that barrier, but you're not confident saying it to people yet? Because like when you say that, you're held to a certain standard, and if you miss it, people are like, oh, you're just lying. So that's kind of where I feel, where I'm like right on that tipping point. Now that makes sense, because if like I got bagged by me today, then I also wouldn't feel comfortable calling myself a 5-0. Yes, Brian did hit me hit me today, but that's that's a whole different discussion on paddles right there Someone something like Brian shouldn't be able to hit me. It's all the paddle right there That video will be released It'll be great. But yeah, no, I I feel like I'm I'm just about there and I'm starting to train
00:06:42
Speaker
I'm prioritizing training a lot more than I did last year. Last year was purely just like grinded work as hard as I could and I realized that was great. It got me to places a lot faster than I thought I would get, but the work-life balance was not good and I was not happy with how I didn't progress as fast as I wanted at the game. So now I'm like, I need that to balance workout and like feel happy about still just playing pickleball. So that's more of a like priority this year. That's awesome. The priority
Training Priorities and Work-Life Balance
00:07:13
Speaker
this year is sport playing? Yeah. I mean, probably it'll still be more work, but definitely more playing than I did last year. okay Last year it was like 90% work, 10% trying to get better at the game. This year I'd like it to be like 60% work and like 40% getting better at the game. Damn, that's awesome.
00:07:28
Speaker
um even Braden who is like a 5-0 like a 5-0 plus he's even talked about how like both you guys like when we're talking earlier today he's talking about like oh what were you last year you're like oh it's like a 4-0 like to go one whole point within a year yeah it's like solid and it's not just like a testament to you and your brother just like the way you guys Approach I guess sports hobbies interests with like intention Yeah, and there's got to be so something to be said about whatever programming and training you guys used to I think you you also started working ah With Connor Derrickson, right? Mm-hmm. Yep. That was good Connor. Yeah, shout out to Connor. He's great I love working with him that was it wasn't even so much for my actual game What's funny about that is like it was purely that was actually more of a work thing because I realized it's like if I get hurt and Let's say I rolled my ankle or I tore an ACL or something. I'm like, if I'm out for months, I'm so screwed work wise. I'm sure I would find something to do. Like I could write blog posts about reviews that I haven't written and probably prioritize some other stuff. But I was like, that would severely mess up my work. So now I was like, I need to get stronger so that I don't get injured.
00:08:40
Speaker
and then I can stay on the court longer. So going to the gym is like almost part of my work hours where I'm like, you know, after I finished my main work, I'm like, okay, you have to go to the gym as just like part of your job. I mean, that's just like another benefit to like working out and exercise. Like there's like mental benefits, there's physical, there's like preventative health and there's like just preventative like injury and like mobility. There's so many benefits to it. Totally. That is really cool that to hear that it's like Braden was also like proof in the pudding that you can pursue this as a content creator full time. He's been doing it like for a month and a half, but then like for you to talk about in the past year, like last year you were very focused on the content, like 90% content. yep And to see that like anyone who was want curious or wondering what that outcome would look like, kind of what you bring in and you have, you're making enough to be able to hire your brother, like you hired help and
00:09:33
Speaker
Yeah, you're able to like travel more, like kind of decide which projects to take on, which in the end benefits whoever's watching the channel, right? Yep. But I'm like, how has your business changed since we last spoke?
Business Evolution and Content Streamlining
00:09:47
Speaker
Oh, man. Yeah, it's probably changed a lot. um I mean, I think my brother was just starting to work for me when we last talked. I'm pretty sure. So we've definitely streamlined that a little bit more now. He shoots a lot in his apartment. That's kind of where we shoot all of the product B-roll. So like his basement is just like decked out from head to toe in camera gear and like where his computer is laid up so he can get get stuff done quicker. So him working there is big. I don't shoot very much in my apartment anymore. I shoot my talking head.
00:10:22
Speaker
And that's about it, which is freed up space in my office, which also frees up a lot of mental space in my head when I'm not having to clean and rearrange the office every day. um But otherwise, I think ah the next biggest thing is probably more structure. i'm Last year was so all over the place, especially with my brother not being full time for me. My biggest problem was always getting people on court to hit with. And like in the middle of the day, I would really want to go hit so that I could write. But everyone's at work. Now that my brother works full time for me, I'm like, OK, I'm going to steal you. We're going to go hit so that I can come back home and write. like He can take a break from editing or whatever. We'll go hit, and then I can write. So that has been really helpful. like My main goal is to try and hit almost every day, Monday through Friday.
00:11:07
Speaker
Sometimes, depending on what we're working on, that doesn't happen. We have like a lot of editing. and We don't do that. But now, I'm hoping we'll get through reviews a little bit quicker just because I can hit more. Dude, that's so awesome that you could just pull your brother and be like, I don't know what the fuck you're doing. Whatever you're doing right now, it has to stop because I need you to go play with me. And it is work-related, obviously. But dude, that's awesome that like And being around you guys, you guys are like close, but I can also tell you guys are like you have a brotherly like connection because there's times where he's like babbling on about some hilarious stories to me that I haven't heard and you've already heard him. You're just like this guy. Yes, that is for sure a real thing. Yeah, but you guys don't there. It doesn't seem like
00:11:57
Speaker
you're directing him in any way.
Navigating Family and Business Dynamics
00:12:00
Speaker
Uh, maybe it's just because you guys have developed it at this point, but there's just like this nonverbal sink that you guys have. They'll just like super cool. And your brother's just, he's stoked to do the work too. It's not like he didn't have anything else to pursue. So then he's like helping you out. yeah like He gets to do what he loves. yeah You get to do what you love and you're just bringing the two together. Yeah. It works it works really well that way. like I think he's at a point now where he generally knows what I want. And we also do a lot of pre-planings. A lot of times, you know before something like this event we're at right now, I'll give him a general idea of like where things need to go. And then I might occasionally be like, hey, can you just grab this quick like if I think he may have missed it? But otherwise, it's very little direction I usually have to give. and also
00:12:48
Speaker
I'm still learning how to be a boss, which is a very new thing to me. And I just think of all the like, I've never had a regular job, but I've been around people who were like in a senior position over me and like what I liked and didn't like. So I'm still figuring out like, how does that work? And also with your brother, it's just a whole different dynamic, right? Like it's, but my goal is to just try not to be a bad boss. It's either over demanding or like, and to be honest, in some cases I'm probably, I lean too much on the like relaxed side. I mean, he gets everything I need done plenty, but sometimes I am like, hmm,
00:13:21
Speaker
Think in a normal like work environment, a boss would probably like feed a little bit more like, hey, can you go do this? But I don't ever want to be like overbearing, especially as the brother, where it's like, oh, she's always telling me to work on something new. You know what I mean? Yeah. So that's that's also been a last big thing this last year. How do you be someone's boss and be a family member? So that's like been new. What has been tough about separating the two? Hmm. For me, I don't think it's been too tough, but there is like, I think probably one of the most interesting dynamics has been like, okay, setting an appropriate amount of pay for the level of skill that is brought, but then also knowing like, this is your family member, talking out of frame for that first half of the pod.
00:14:17
Speaker
I'll move it even closer just to be safe. Oh, yeah, how do you separate the two? Yeah, I mean, it's I haven't had too hard of time, but the hardest thing is definitely with the pay, I think, because you don't want to overpay for the level of skill that is currently being offered. But also then you realize, like, if there is any financial struggle or a thing where it's like, oh, I don't have enough. money for X, Y, or Z, it's like, now you're like, well, I'm responsible for that. So it's like finding that balance of like, okay, pay enough so that you can like clearly live a fine life and not have to stress, but also make sure that that's not more than what is appropriate for the current skill level. So I think right now it is in a good spot, but I was like stressed about that for a while where it was like, okay, how do I do this? And it makes sense for the business and makes sense for him.
00:15:10
Speaker
yeah If someone was ever going to work for me, they need to be paid where they can still live their life. You don't want them being like, well, I'm working for you, but I can't do half the things I need to do. You don't want someone to be stressed out about the financial part. If you want them to strive at least, you want them to be able to direct all their resources and energy towards the craft and not yeah figuring out how to pay their bills. Yeah, exactly. Especially if they're doing a good job with your brother. yeah like The latest videos have been great. yeah like Hey, what's going on? Hope you're enjoying the episode so far. So if you've been watching the past few episodes and videos, you've known that I've been able to put in these ads for bread and butter. doug gave me a discount code for 25% off for the first 10 people that use the code. They make their power paddle, the filth, and they have their control paddle, the loco, and they have, of course, like a bunch of paddles dropping every year. More recently, they dropped two really, really popular paddles, the Shogun, which has already been reviewed and is getting very positive reviews.
00:16:17
Speaker
and then they also released the fat boy. But if you're interested in either of them, you can use this code BP25F. That's BP25F and that will get you 25% off your entire order. And that's a very exclusive like first come first serve discount. So the first 10 people that use it get the code. Speaking of the latest videos, you started doing like a little bit of different content like started doing
Content Experimentation and Perfectionism
00:16:42
Speaker
the vlog. I don't know if you've ever done it. Have you had you done it in the past? No, very new for me and actually fun fact about that I have shot at before the first one that went out like as of recently I had shot at minimum three other vlogs and canned them while I was editing it because I was like I just
00:17:01
Speaker
don't like this but I spent like a good amount of time on them and I finally got to a point where I was like I want to experiment with this because I think the content could do well and I it's just like I have a problem with perfectionism and I was like well if it's like not good for me then no one's gonna like it so I'd scrap them and I was finally like we're just gonna shoot one and post it I don't even care how good it does because I just want to know if people even Care about this. They might all even if I made a perfect video. They might still hate it Yeah, so I was like just posted and find out if people hate it and thankfully people don't seem to hate it so far. That's cool, man Vlogs in general. I'm also kind of biased or is it cuz I I didn't come up on Casey and I set but it did come up like later once my brother showed me Casey and I like finally started watching but like Casey I
00:17:43
Speaker
Vlogs are awesome. It's like you get the behind the scenes, you get someone who's, they don't really get your talking head persona, yes right? They get someone like a little more relaxed and also see a different type of camera work. Yeah. Yeah. Instead of a product, you're more like a tan, like something like a non-living. piece of material is now like, oh, ah they're feeling like a person. Yes. Totally. Totally. No, it's definitely, definitely very different. But yeah, it's, it's been fun to experiment and try different things. Cause I mean, I'm always, I think I'm always going to be like paddle reviews, other focus, but I think there's other types of content and pickleball that people aren't experimenting with that I think.
00:18:24
Speaker
has potential, if done right. So I'm like, well, I might as well like try it now while it's not a big thing, yeah
Enhancing Production and Staying Trendy
00:18:31
Speaker
right? you know like The barrier of entry is low. Yeah. Inanimate object. That's the f***ing word I was learning. There you go. There it is. It's been a long day. It has been a really long day. Dinner was good, though. It was really good. Dude, new equipment, new like recording equipment. that your I talked to with it about Isaac. Sorry, his f***ing brother's name is Isaac. It's not his hit his your brother, his brother. Famous Isaac. ah
00:18:55
Speaker
and yeah I was talking to Isaac about it and he was just like yeah well you know if we want to separate ourselves like for a while there that's another thing like as kind of like a trailblazer and someone who like started the reviewing side was like or was very early on it you guys started kind of paved the way for the way paddle reviews can be filmed and the kind of like equipment that's used and then Isaac was saying like oh yeah well We noticed people started to copy us and now we like bought some equipment that would make it very difficult or expensive for them to copy. Yeah, I started seeing, and it's not a bad thing at all. like Some of the things we were doing were just natural progressions of like what people would probably
00:19:39
Speaker
do but like for example the the one big thing we started seeing everywhere was the turntable shot where like paddles on like a thing and it just like rotates and i literally started seeing that in every single review and i was like okay we were one of the only people doing this and now that everyone's doing this I was like I don't really want to do it because we kind of just look the same and so we you know there's like different types of equipment like one thing we bought that I don't think anyone will go through the hassle of even if money was not an issue I don't think people would want to use this because even for us like as filmmakers who like doing this stuff this tool is such a pain to work with it's basically like
00:20:20
Speaker
a robot slider that you can program all sorts of movements into but it's like kind of finicky and you need to know a decent amount about like camera stuff to make it work but i was like you can do some really really cool stuff with it that effectively no one else will really be able to do so I was like I always try and think about like what can we do if you come watch my video why are you choosing to watch it over someone else and of course like the but the bottom line most important thing is always like the information
00:20:50
Speaker
But then the filmmaker background is me. is like oh well I want to make this as like aesthetically pleasing to watch or like fun in some kind of way. So we've been using that robot for our opening intro. And like the first one we shot with it was, like I think, one of the coolest things in terms of paddle reviews done for a review. And I was like, this is cool. like I'm proud of this. And like the best compliment I got was someone was like, oh, this is like an MKBHD intro. And I'm like, I love him. I was like, this is what I wanted to hear. like That is like my guy. Yeah. Damn, I love that you guys are like pushing it. um Like Braden had talked about it a little bit, pick a ball effect about how he's like, now he wants to up his like production game because he said he was always focused on like the quality of the content, which not to take anything away from like what you do. yeah You guys just have different approaches for it. Hard to say like why someone wouldn't watch your reviews because like the content itself is good. Think you're not afraid to
00:21:50
Speaker
say whether or not you dislike a paddle. I think something else you can offer is he's probably like the best player as far as the reviewers, which is always always like a different take too. But now like the production quality, man, like the production quality was there before, of course, and now it's like even better you're talking head, like you talked about that, you have like seven different lights coming on at once, which is like crazy. I can do a whole vlog about just like setting up my office for a video because I'm sure people think I just like turn on one light and like set up the camera, but it's like a whole thing. yeah ah Yeah, the talking head and like yeah the the intro to the hirachi where it goes from like a like a
00:22:25
Speaker
just a straight angle and then it goes like 90 degrees. And like, I think they even spins like a full 360 at some point. And they're like, damn, it like so elevated. The music got better. Like the sound effects, the timing of everything, it's felt like it was always cohesive. My question to that, this elevation in production, is this something you're learning or is this something that you're taking away from your past as a DP? for For sure, i mean always learning, but I would say largely it's from my past experience. like I would actually say I've slowed down my learning and development in terms of camera skills or like editing knowledge since then, because now it's so focused on like having to do the work of pickleball paddles and learning like materials.
00:23:11
Speaker
to do these reviews better. So it definitely carries from that. But always, you're like trying to pick up a new thing here and there that's like, oh, like maybe that trick would like work well in here, and like we'll try it out. And that's also where it comes in handy, like having Isaac. like He keeps up with like a lot of trends in camera stuff, and he's like, oh, this would be cool. And I'm like, oh, well, like let's just try it. Sometimes it's cool, and sometimes it's like, oh, maybe we save that for another video or something. Yeah. Yeah. Damn, that's awesome. Oh, that's a ton of fun. When can we expect a Pickleball Studio paddle?
Starting a Paddle Company and Role Impact
00:23:40
Speaker
I actually get asked this question. I've definitely considered it, but ultimately, every time I have ever considered this, I think it would take away everything that I actually like that I do in Pickleball and turn it into the things that I don't like doing. Like, okay, now you have to deal with USAP approval, you have to deal with customer service, you have to deal with like,
00:24:03
Speaker
people ripping on you even more because they're like, oh, this paddle's not as good as I thought it would be. And then like, you're probably not reviewing other paddles as much anymore because now also every company views you as a competitor, right? Like the thing we're at right now, I would not be invited to because I am now a competing company. So like, why would they invite me early to like steal ideas, right? So there's that. I mean, I think, I think there would be potential there, and it could probably build a brand that like monetarily does well. But I think what I've really learned in the few years I've been doing Pickleball is, OK, monetary is great. Obviously, you want to make enough money to live and like ideally like thrive. And I think a paddle company could probably, if I did that, could do even more. But ultimately, I need to be having fun and like getting some fulfillment out of it. And I don't think I would get that from having a Pickleball brand. Yeah.
00:24:59
Speaker
And even if you wanted to find a way to, like, mitigate customer service, the USAP, by collaborating with another brand, then that would definitely take you out of, like, you would definitely be seen as competitor and yeah take you out of, like, these opportunities to review other paddles. Yeah. i It's funny. I really wish. There's not really, like, in, like, on my podcast or in videos, there's, like, not any way to express this. Hang on one second. Just kidding. Yeah. But yeah, no, I completely agree. like it would It would change the dynamics a lot. And i what I wish people like understood is like I think the worst, probably most frustrating comment I will get from people on the internet is when they're like, you know I give some
Honesty in Reviews vs. Perceived Bias
00:25:44
Speaker
paddle a good review. And they're like, oh, he's a shill for this company now, or he's a sellout, or whatever it is. you know like Oh, like maybe he's not like as honest as people think. And the amount that I like think about these things, OK,
00:25:58
Speaker
How would people view it if I did a one-off paddle collab with a company that but I just really liked? it like Let's say it was the Double Black Diamond. and Like, hey, a Pickleball Studio Collaborative, because I loved that paddle. And I'm always like, OK, I think that would be really cool. But then there's going to be that group of people that's like, yep, he sold out. Now he's making money. Of course, he's going to promote that paddle more. And like I think about all these small things, like how would people perceive this thing and like my whole goal is always to like be as neutral as humanly possible and it's like I don't know I wish people understood how much I think about that because like I will like it's like that's the type of stuff that will like keep me up at night is like okay did you do this well or like you know a deal gets proposed and it's like yeah that would be great financially but like that is a that is a bad idea to do that
00:26:50
Speaker
Yeah, that's a great stress to have, man. Because there's always going to be this temptation to kind of sell out in a way ah that couldn't be seen as selling out. and Yeah, it'll just push you to find like other, if it's financially, like if there's better financial opportunities, then this will push you into like figuring out how can I make like more money than if you know if you want to continue doing things like growing your business to where like you can hire your brother, you might be able to hire more people, buy more equipment. yeah um
00:27:22
Speaker
But yeah, that's what I loved about like the first time we had our conversation, the first podcast together was just like understanding like how much authenticity embodies who you are as a brand. And at the end of the day, based on like what I've read and heard about and learned about from like creators outside of even Big Wall, like just big creators, like authenticity is what people want. yeah even if you're If you have a sponsored podcast and you're like going to promote a product in the podcast, then like my sponsor, viewer like I would want to tell people this person, this brand is a sponsor. They're paying me for it. I'm going to be a hundred percent transparent. yep It's great because you're also someone at the top too. And like people will always be like kind of like other creators will be looking up to you guys for the decisions that you make. yeah And if you guys keep making the right maybe not the right decision but the most effective and like fair decisions then the industry will continue to be guided in that direction rather than if people were making like really bad choices and decisions that were very selfish then
00:28:30
Speaker
The direction in industry can be swayed towards that direction, so it can really go like either way. and It's awesome that youre you take that to heart. Yeah, i think i mean I think it's really the only way to do reviews effectively is like you just have to say it how it is. Because like I've talked about this with other people before. it's like one it's the ah The only thing you have in this type of industry if you're a paddle reviewer is your word. Even what I try and tell people, like they're like, oh man, like these companies, like if you trash them, they probably just like won't send you anything anymore.
Supportive Pickleball Creator Community
00:29:02
Speaker
And like when I first started, that is,
00:29:05
Speaker
what I thought would happen. But what I feel has happened is even if I have given a company a negative review, they'll usually the follow up release or at some point they will still send me something. And I think what has happened is the companies are even aware that like, okay, if we actually make a good product and it gets a good review, it is beneficial for us. Like of course getting a bad review, no company wants that, right? yeah But the potential for the good review and they have seen like what that can look like, I feel like makes them go like, okay, well, we'll still send this guy. So it's like, I think it's better for everyone when you're as transparent as humanly possible. Like if you try and sugar coat it, it's not really good for anyone. And I also, my personality is just so, I can't like lie and I'm like, I don't know how to explain. Like if I'm not jazzed about something, if I had to do an ad read for like some random shoe company, I didn't care. I couldn't do it. You wouldn't know I'm lying through my teeth. yeah yeah Because it just, I can't make it work. yeah So I don't know. I just feel like, and to any reviewer out there that's like once it started, you should just be transparent. If something sucks, you should just say that. You might have a company or two that blacklists you, maybe, but like in the long run, that's how you gain trust. And I feel like that's,
00:30:24
Speaker
Largely why I've been successful as people like this guy will tell me the truth. I know he won't lie to me about it. Yeah It's something looks off if you look up a restaurant and all the reviews are like out of a thousand reviews They're all five stars. Yeah. Yeah, it's just you mean it thought is there like no way it's that good. Yeah Yeah, you're like either the restaurant really isn't that good. It's fake or like all these reviews are just run, written by idiots. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. And I feel like people latch onto that more, right? Like when they meet you and they realize like, oh, he's the same person. And like, I don't know, I feel like people just like attach that versus like a guy that you're like, this is like a persona that this like person puts on online. I don't know. I feel like people just like want authenticity. No one wants like a fake friend. I don't know.
00:31:12
Speaker
Yeah, I mean me being someone new and coming into this space around like you guys like especially like last year meeting like you and Quill and then like being around like John and Braden. I keep telling people that like if there's any like area within the content creation community of Pickwall that I could have like, made friends with or got myself into. I always say like the paddle reviewers, you guys are like, just the coolest group. I'll take it. I will absolutely take it. It's like authentic. It's authentic, right? Like, damn, like you guys are just and real and you guys are just like cool to hang out and no one lives like
00:31:54
Speaker
Tries to be like bigger than they are. Yeah, ah I think i've I've said this before there's no gatekeeping of information It sounds cliche and you hear it all the time but like rising tide lifts all ships and you guys like see it actually does happen You'll text me and be like hey your production here like looked a little bit off Can I help you with it? Yeah, and then like Braden he's trying to like bring his production up and like now it's but come a joke that you should have an FX30 if you want to be a content creator and pickleball. And like, yeah, John Q's, I don't know who's been guiding his production. His shit is insane. yeah yeah His editing, I'm like, who did he hire for this editing? And you find out that he does all of it. Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah. It's worth killing it. Yeah. um And I think what's
00:32:37
Speaker
ah what i love about this and i feel so extremely fortunate because i know other like content creators spaces like outside of pickleball are not like what we have like oh really it feels so much better to be able to be friends with people and like try and help them and not see them as like ah competitor or anything but like just mental health wise it's so much better like me as a person who's very competitive I know that if I saw like will John Braden or like any of these people as like competitors it would like ruin me like I would probably burn out so fast but because I don't have to view them as like oh like they might beat me to this review I'm just like I'm just like good for you like this is I'm happy if a video does well for you or you or whoever like
00:33:22
Speaker
It's just everyone is happier that way, and it's not fun to view someone who's like, I want to beat them. I need to be better than them, you know? Yeah. That's just a hard way to live. Yeah. yeah but but
00:33:38
Speaker
Of course, I have to talk about my favorite sponsor, Viori, which you can see in the video. Chris is wearing Viori. I'm wearing Viori wearing this actually exact hat in the video. Yeah, I've been working with Viori for the past like year and a half. Pretty much like every time I go out to the courts, I see someone wearing Viori. I see someone wearing Viori at the local courts. I saw a ton of people wearing Viori at the APP Newport Beach event that I just got back from. Yeah, so it depends on what you're looking for, right? If you want shorts with or without liner, they got you. The core shorts have liner. The Banks shorts don't have liner. They also have some super cool looking board shorts. They also just have regular t-shirts too. Like they have performance t-shirts. They have super soft t-shirts as well.
00:34:23
Speaker
I like a lot of their clothes because it has a very like minimal look. Quality is great too. When you want to order, just go to viori.com slash building pickleball and you'll get 20% off your first purchase. And again, free shipping on any orders of $75 or more and free returns. Enjoy the rest of the show. It doesn't even make sense to me for, like, anyone when that happens. Like, I totally get it. There are people, like, in other content. Like, if I ever met MKBHD, I would be, like, over the moon. So, like, I understand how this happens, but, like, as a person, I talk about this, like, in our group all the time. I'm just like, I feel like the most regular guy that, like, when people are pumped to meet me, I'm like,
00:35:04
Speaker
I don't know why like I'm just a dude like I you know what I mean like I don't even feel like I am I don't think of myself as famous at all and like I I bet I'm sure even some famous people feel the same way you know like when you're just like around your family you're like du I'm just a dude right like That's the people you want to meet. Yeah. Yeah. That's the people you want to meet. You're like, oh, they just don't think like they're anyone special. They're going to act like like completely normal. Yeah. And yeah, you do. Like when even the p two people who won the giveaway to be sent on this trip, when they walked through the room, they immediately just recognized you. I don't even know if Will was in the room. Yeah. I think he was like still ah like on his way from the airport and they just immediately recognized you. They're like, oh my God.
00:35:50
Speaker
like chris also said and edge just every time Everyone around Chris just disappears. They're like not even in the room, but that's the people who like spot you I Don't know why that is dude. It was like they saw Ben I know, but I know, I know. It feels so, in my mind, it feels so like unwarranted. But also, like it is really cool. like I think what's, for me, what feels cool about it is like I could go to anywhere for, no, I don't wanna say anywhere. I'm obviously not that big. But like it's cool to be able to go somewhere and like people recognize you to talk. like It feels easier to meet people. like I'm extroverted and it's still like,
00:36:33
Speaker
you know forcing yourself into a group feels kind of weird. And so people are like, oh, hey, it's Chris. It feels easier to you know like meet people or something. Yeah. That's dope, man. Super cool. I have a question for my buddy, JT. You bet JT. I have met JT. I played with him several times in my Minnesota league. Yeah. How are you doing that league? I did pretty good. I am. How did JT do? JT has only been on my court once and he's always lower. But to to his credit, it's not because he's a bad player. Always he's lower. it's it's To his credit, it's because he isn't there frequently. it's like He might move up, but then he gets bumped down because he hasn't been there in a bit. But he he's a good player. He's actually probably better than I am.
00:37:12
Speaker
Damn. Yeah. JT, if you're listening, you got that Pickleball Studio stamp of approval. He's a Selkirk Emerging Pro now. Congrats, JT. It's cool. But question from JT. He said, like how do you deal with everyone trying to interact? And how do you like filter out the people and brands that just want something from you? Oh, yeah. i My tolerance level for this has gotten extremely small. like I try to not ignore emails or anything. like i I might be slow to respond, but I try and make sure everyone gets a response. But if I get an email where I can tell someone has clearly put no thought into this email, like, OK.
00:37:52
Speaker
You're a catalog brand and you email me and you say, like how much do we have to pay to get a review? I'm just not gonna respond. Because I'm like, if you have not watched my channel enough to know that you can't like buy a review, then like I definitely don't wanna work with you at all. And also it probably just means like you didn't put that much thought into making a good paddle, which doesn't make a good video to review, blah, blah, blah. But yeah, like those ones are the only ones that, like I just like flat out ignore now, but the interactions in terms of everything else is like fine, just like busy sometimes. yeah But yeah, it's usually usually not bad at all. Oh, this question. Let's hear it.
00:38:34
Speaker
Now that ah you've gone, I don't know the different terms that this is called, but like you're still considered a YouTuber, yeah but now you've gone from like being a, I guess you could say like a self-employed individual YouTuber to now like you're building a business.
Evolving Role in Channel Management
00:38:52
Speaker
It was always a business, but now you have your brother who's hired um all on as an employee. like What is it like not touching the camera and changing from being the creator to managing the channel? Yeah. ah it I mean, it's always been managing the channel. It was just you had to juggle so many things. You're like, I have to be a content creator, a business manager, and then like, you know, what a million other things that get encompassed into doing this.
00:39:20
Speaker
I still have to touch a camera, but I will say for events like this, it's so nice having Isaac here where I can like just hang out and talk and hit the paddles and focus on what I need to focus on. And he worries about the cameras. Where in the past I was like, is my mic working? Is the camera charged? Is the camera in the right spot? Is blah, blah, blah, blah, all these things. And then it's like hard to even focus on the paddle. So like it has made life way easier when he can do that. And even just in my day to day work, I'm realizing there are things that are more or less important for me to do. For example, like me shooting B roll of the paddle is not a good use of my time. Like I don't want to say anyone can shoot the B roll, but like Isaac can shoot the B roll probably as good as I'm going to shoot it. yeah And he can't write the review, but that's like the highest value activity I can do is go write the review. So in that sense, it has been like
00:40:14
Speaker
Huge nice shift not having to worry about the camera as much. Do you miss the creative aspect? No, because I still have quite a bit of control in terms of that. like Isaac will shoot. And if there's something I really want to try, I'll usually come over and just like help or just do the thing. And then editing, right now he's doing a lot of the preliminary editing, um like you know chopping everything up, getting the general B-roll placed. And then I'll still usually come in to do some of the more creative work. like When we did the hirache intro,
00:40:45
Speaker
i Did that whole intro cuz I really just I knew what I wanted to do I had a vision and I was like, okay I'm just gonna do this cuz I know what I want but I think eventually eyes will get to the point where like He can do most of that and I won't have to worry about as much but it is important for me to Still have part of the creative control because that's just fun to me. So I don't want all of it gone I just want the stuff that's like eats up brain space that I don't necessarily need to do. Yeah. Yeah i sense It's good. yeah We want you to grow as much as possible because when you grow, then we start to see more stuff and it honestly just grows the entire community. Totally. Back in last year's episode, which was filmed on October, I guess it was just released on October 26th, one of the things you said was, is this good for trust or is this bad for trust?
00:41:33
Speaker
hmm that was a like principle value ethic or like a code that you lived by is this still run true and have you picked up maybe a new value or code no I would say it's still largely that and it kind of goes back to what I was talking about earlier where I'm constantly thinking about like Okay, cool, I got offered this like cool opportunity, but like how does that impact
Ethical Sponsorships and Trust Dilemmas
00:41:56
Speaker
things? like For example, I'll tell i' explain how deep this goes. like This probably goes well beyond what people think I should even think about, but it's like, okay, let's say a brand has an event, and they're like, hey, we want you to come try these paddles, and like you can do all this content stuff, and they're like, we'll cover the flights.
00:42:14
Speaker
I think about like okay should I cover the flight because will people think that if they bought the flight for me that I now gave them a more favorable review just because they like made it a little cheaper it's stuff like that where I I go like that deep into it and I'm sure like viewers probably don't really care but I'm like they might and like I know internally where my ethics lie but I know that not everyone knows that and it might not always appear that way to people so I I think about those a lot but this is very similar to that like
00:42:48
Speaker
For example, if they cover my flight, is that good for trust? Is that bad for trust? I think ultimately it's somewhere like neutral. I wouldn't say it's bad for trust. I don't think it helps trust. yeah But it's like, well, maybe the content wouldn't have happened if they didn't cover the travel expenses. So then you have to think about it that way. like Would people rather see the content? Or they'd rather not see the content. I'm like, oh, they'd probably rather see it. So definitely that is probably, that like kind of code of ethics is still like huge for me. yeah
00:43:19
Speaker
I should just write down every little thought I ever have about like, is this good for trust or bad for trust? Because I could write a whole little book about some of the thoughts I go through. Like, I wish I could think of another one right now, but it's really stupid stuff I'll think about. I'm like, huh, would people be upset about this? And I'm like, they probably would never even think that. So I don't know, just stupid stuff all the time. Tell me about when Will and Braden pickled. And you and John keep 15-0. Well, by the time people see this, the content creator battle is probably live. Yeah, it'll definitely be live by that point. But yeah, that's a low light of my career for sure. I have no idea how John and I got pickled because I didn't even think we were playing bad. And every game after that was pretty good. But that first game, for some reason, John and I just couldn't make anything happen. Damn. And literally all I could think when we did that was I was like, dang, people are going to think I suck at Pickleball now. They're like, is this good for Truss or is this bad for Truss? This is bad for Truss. This is definitely bad for Truss. I mean, it fits the 3.5 brand, but people are like, wow, this guy sucks at Pickleball. You put out merch, like shirts. Are you guys going to put out any more products?
00:44:36
Speaker
Maybe I mean it's not a high priority thought in my head like the three five at best shirts like I Kind of just did it for fun because I was like, oh maybe maybe some people will buy this and I was like I think it's kind of fun but I haven't thought too much more about products just because Again, the main thing is the paddle review. So it's like, okay, if I go over here and focus on that, how much time does it take away from the thing that people actually care about watching on my channel? So it's like, cool, you made a product, but you took away the thing we come to you for. So it's like always a balancing act. Yeah. What can people look forward to for like this year as far as like content? Oh, that's a good question. I mean, there's always like really small things we want to dabble with. I have,
00:45:18
Speaker
I'm not going to say this i idea because I don't want someone else to steal it, but I have like just some idea of something that I think could be kind of cool, but vlogs I do want to dabble with a little bit more. um The one we did in Vegas like seemed pretty well received. So I was like, okay, like maybe maybe we will dabble with these a little bit more, like maybe big events or something, do some of that. But otherwise I think the paddle reviews will continue to
Comprehensive Paddle Review Process
00:45:41
Speaker
elevate. Like I'm cutting open paddles now to like, another Another way just to build more trust with the audience is like, look, I did my due diligence. like Sometimes people are worried about like companies sending me juice paddles. Now I'm checking the grit on my paddles to make sure the grit's legal. I'm cutting them open and then like I might get one from retailers to make sure that that one matches and it's not a different paddle. so like
00:46:05
Speaker
stuff like that I think the reviews you'll continue to see get more and more thorough which is also why it takes a while for these reviews to come out is because like you just keep layering these things on top and you're like geez we're at like three weeks for this review damn yeah some of them are crazy they don't always need to take that long but I just like I think a big thing that's happened to me is as it's continued to build and the channel's got more popularity and there is a lot of trust on the line, you want to make sure you've like done as much of your homework as like within reason. right like When the gearbox came out and people were getting in, they were like, Chris says this is one of the hardest hitting battles and mine is like a pillow. I was like, what's going on? And like it really bothered me. I was like, I'm not lying to you guys. Like I went and I bought two of my own. I went and hit a bunch of different peoples. I talked to different people. Like I spent probably
00:47:00
Speaker
Let's see, that would have been like almost three months, like talking to people and like hitting different paddles and like talking to Raphael to just make a 23 minute video. Obviously it wasn't like constant three months. I wasn't doing it every day of the week, but it was a lot of due diligence dish just to do that updated video. And so like now I become paranoid, like, about, I don't ever want to mislead the consumer and make them, these pedals are a lot of money. $300 is not like throwaway money. yeah So it's like, you don't want someone to ever feel like they trusted you and they made a bad decision that you put faith in whatever you recommended. ah i We talked about this before, but I really like the follow-up reviews. Yeah, like that that gearbox one did well. I think i'd think I should just do more of those. What were the comments like?
00:47:46
Speaker
Good. Yeah. I mean, it was funny seeing the comments of like, oh, yeah, mine's super powerful. Or people are like, oh, mine doesn't hit that hard. But overall, I think people appreciated having the update. And I think it's good in the industry, right? like I use my paddles usually for about two weeks of pretty heavy play when I review them, but like it's different when you have like, I use that gearbox for like three months solid and like beat the crap out of it. So that's a different story than two weeks, right? Like, did it break? Did it have any issues? So I think paddles that I make my primary, I'll probably do follow up sometimes because I think that's good. So we talked about like what people can expect from the business side of the channel. What about as a player?
00:48:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, i and this year, I would like to medal in a 5-0 tournament. I mean, the year is still super early, so I think it's pretty well within reason, but we'll see. Who knows? I mean, i i again, it's similar to the first time I was on this pod. I just want to get as good of a pickleball player as I can, and that goalpost always keeps moving, like, at some point. Like two years ago, I probably would have thought 5.0 is like, oh yeah, that's all I want. And now that I'm like close to that, I'm like, that's not enough. But it's also a weird gap where you're like, 5.0 is not enough, but I'm also like, I don't really want to be a pro. So I'm like, what is the, there's no, it's like 5.0 then pro. So I don't know what it is after that, but definitely if I could medal in a 5.0 tournament, that'd be sweet.
00:49:08
Speaker
I wonder if they will add like a five five or something because you're starting to see all these dupers. They're like a not even a top 10 player is a six point five. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Right. Or even you know six two or whatever. And it's like it is kind of a weird middle. I almost feel like there will be. ah I think in tennis it's called like the future tournaments or whatever where it's like not high level pros, but it's like up and coming I almost feel like that could be it something pickleball is not big enough for that yet But there's definitely a big skill discrepancy between like the top 20 guys and then like qualifier guys a lot of times
00:49:42
Speaker
It would be cool to see you playing pro like you and Will. Do you know how funny that would be if it went from this 3-5 at best joke to me? Like if I just made it to a quarterfinal, that would be like peak. I would just accept that I will never get better than that. And if like, dude, i that would be so funny to me. You definitely play a turn with like Kyle too. Kyle's like a... Kyle's really good. Like up there as far as... Kyle's like a 5-0 with his left hand now. I know, it's insane. He had to play a lot of lefty. And yeah, he's like gotten quite good. Why? He had like an injury. Oh, really? So he couldn't really, he couldn't use his, um ah he could use his right arm, but it would cause him pain. So he was just like, oh, I'll just do stuff lefty. And he actually asked me, he was like, do you want to play your PPA Minnesota, but I'll play lefty? And I was already playing with my brother, but I was like, dude, if I wasn't playing with my brother, I would totally do this. What? I know. Damn. would have been hilarious that would have been awesome i know that would have been some fun content damn dude good for him that he's
00:50:42
Speaker
That is another guy who's very determined. Aw, dude, he is so, like, I love Kyle. That is another, like, content group. Like, we'll have phone calls and just go over, like, business stuff or content ideas. Kyle is, like, such a real deal. Just, like, great guy, like, super dedicated, like, even just the amount of thought he puts into Pickleball. Just, like, dude. but Like, this is like, the level of thought he puts into, like, Pickleball as a game is, like, the level of effort that I put into, like, the video side of things. I'm like, dang, you know so much about this game. This is ridiculous. like He's great. I love Kyle. You can't not like Kyle.
00:51:16
Speaker
when he jokes with you, it's hilarious. Just like jokes anyone, like his humor's hilarious. It hits every time. He'll, oftentimes he will like open phone calls with me with like one-liners all the time and he'll be like, I'd be like, hey, what's up? And he'll say like, you know, I was just doing nothing and I just thought I would call like one of my favorite people and see what they're doing. So I called five other people and they didn't answer it and now I got to you and I'm like, oh, nice Kyle. But like every time there's always like someone one liner and he's just he's so funny I'm gonna steal that line. It is so funny. It's so good Like I don't know how he's so witty but he just comes out of stuff all the time That's that's the perfect way to describe his humor. Very witty. Yep. Very witty. Yeah, he's on top of it Is there anything else that i you wanted to talk about that haven't asked you about?
00:52:08
Speaker
Hmm, I don't think so. I think that covers a lot of it. It's kind of fun to see where, I mean, I think there's a lot of things that are still the same from the last time we talked, but it's interesting to kind of see how the like businesses progressed and also even just seeing how much you've progressed since then. Like I remember trying to think what's what your first in-person one was but from that first one like the ones you're doing now with like Zane and stuff at like your place I'm like jeez Louise these have like leveled up a lot oh thanks does it feel like that to you too kind of yeah I guess when I watch it now like the past ones like Jack and Zane the lighting has gotten better yeah it's really good buying like different video equipment um
00:52:56
Speaker
I'm getting a little bit better at the conversations, which always a prepared guy, like someone asked me, it was like, hey, can we collab on some content while you're here? I'm like, dude. I didn't get to prepare anything. Yeah, like I can't. I can't guarantee anything because I need to be able to prepare for it. Yeah, yeah that's similar to me. I can't. When people are like, hey, let's just like make up a video on the spot right now, I'm like, I can't. it's like My brain just doesn't operate that way. The video is going to come out like shit. I'm going to look like shit. You're going to look like shit. I'm not going to work out well for anybody. yeah
00:53:28
Speaker
ah So, yeah, like I think just being a better like conversationalist, um I think like being able to go like a little bit more with the flow has been good. Yeah, just venturing out a little bit more. like As a content creator, when you were talking about, like man, should I like take this video and scrap it, or should I just put it out there? And a lot of times I'm just like, just put it out there. It's for sure the best best answer. And I have to remind myself of this all the time because I'm yeah the worst at it. Like I don't like doing reviews, which is probably why the last video I did on the reviews was like top three beginner paddles and like that video, the sole purpose of that video was to work on like it.
Experimenting with Video Styles
00:54:09
Speaker
like creators that I was inspired by like, like Gox, like Casey and I said, Kolt, Kerwin. It's just like, what are they doing in these videos? And how can I make a review, not feel like a review? sure And then that's like kind of where I came up with like some really so silly ideas was like the paddle that looked enlarged. Just because I put it closer to the camera and I stood really far back. sure So like I looked like a smoker. I was like, this paddle is like a 6.5 inch width and like it's like 16 inches tall. See, stuff like that is good though. Yeah, like i I really do think you know the first iteration might not work like you keep building on it and eventually it becomes your own style right and like That's I feel like how people come to appreciate you and I'm sure like I'm willing to bet you Give it like three five years maybe even less in pickleball like I'm sure there will be other like really top tier reviewers that like
00:55:01
Speaker
I don't think we all use like the same formula. I think we are all, we all do things in a different way, but you're going to find someone who's like super off the cuff, but like probably just as trusted and like just as good, but with like a completely different style. It's like doing stuff like that I think is good. Yeah. It's kind of like social contracts and like just putting your work out there. It's like, when you put that stuff out there, you will have to get better. There's like, you're putting your like heart and soul out there and you're putting like your time and your resources, but like it's also your image. Like if you, people say, you don't give a shit about what other people think, but we all do deep down. that We all care about what other people think. And if we do, that's a good thing. Like it makes us want to be better. yeah So if I put out a video where I'm like, this is like the first time I'm doing it, it's like the first run, but.
00:55:47
Speaker
I worked hard at it and I know that this is just the beginning. This is just a first attempt. It's just like my first try. um It's not failure. It's just your first attempt. It's like Goggins would say. So you just put it out there and then like when you do, you're like, okay.
00:56:04
Speaker
The people received it, terrible. but Or it might not even and be like, I've had videos that I put out. like Actually, even my three-month gearbox review, I almost didn't put that one out. like i thought I really thought it needed more work because it's largely just me talking for like 23 minutes of the camera with like no footage almost. and I was just like, dude, you just got to put it out. like You've spent so much research time on this. like Just make the video. like Again, it goes back to like people would rather have the info than you found the perfect representation of the info or something. And like I think always just putting the work out is like the best way to go. Because you you always learn something, right? like Maybe people like people liked that gearbox review. In fact, it was one of my best performing videos in recent times. And so what that told me was, hmm,
00:56:52
Speaker
maybe you don't always have to put not as much effort, but it's like, it's okay to not go a thousand percent on every video. Like it can still be a good video when you do 90% or whatever. So it was like, okay, that's good to know. Like maybe my audience doesn't put the same pressure on me as I put on myself. Yeah. Yeah. So I feel like stuff like that is is always good. So it's good to experiment. But yeah, you've like, your stuff is like, it's been fun to to watch it grow. Dude, appreciate it. Appreciate that you were a part of it like early on, and being like willing to be a guest and just like helping out to the split screen. Oh, when I was doing remote ones and just like always helping with production. So yeah, I appreciate it, man. And see, it's fun even like that. Like when I think about it, I'm like,
00:57:40
Speaker
ah like I've now gotten to watch you grow too. like it's funny like So it's fun with all of them. like John and Brayden getting into more camera stuff. like You as well. like All of us are like learning about these different things. It's fun. like You get to watch your friends grow and get better and I feel like that's why I'm like really happy with the space we're all in. is it's like It's just we're all having fun.
Integrity in Business Growth
00:58:00
Speaker
like We're all building something for ourselves that like we're all proud of and like hopefully turns into a business that sustains us. like I just think that's a cool thing. It's so weird how friendly people are. How friend how like positive and friendly people can be in an environment where there is like competition. But competition isn't isn't like the same definition in the traditional sense of like yeah this
00:58:26
Speaker
like killer be killed mindset. yeah It's like, no, we can all help each other grow. We can all support each other. And I'm not always, I'm still kind of trying to get familiar with it. It still feels very interesting. But I think I'm also just surrounded by the right people. yeah like There are people who do have that mindset of like killer be killed and they're like, really don't want to share. They don want to gatekeep. They want to charge ridiculous amounts or they want stuff for free from you. yeah And you're like, okay, well, I'm not going to hang out with you. yeah I'm not going to associate myself with you. And it's very clear who, for the most part, who the like good people are. Yeah. And I think what I see it too is like if you try and take like big shortcuts in life like that, we're like, oh, hey, I'm going to gatekeep stuff. like I get ahead. i'm like I always just think that catches up to you eventually. right like There's a lot of like ways, I feel, like with the pickleball studio stuff, like maybe we do it slower, or maybe like finances didn't grow as quick. but like
00:59:25
Speaker
I think in the long run, if you zoom out, we were able to do this for like 10 years. And you had a guy that was like taking the shortcuts and like doing dishonest reviews and like getting money from it, which I don't really think that happens in our industry right now, which maybe one day it will. But like, I think those shortcuts will bite you eventually. It just might not happen immediately. yeah But like, can you do it for 10 years? I don't know. Like, I hope I can do it for 10 years. Yeah. So I don't have anything else, man. No, that was fun. I appreciate it. Yeah. this is Great. you I will link all your stuff, all your contact information, your social links. If if you don't know how to find this guy, shame on YouTube. Yeah, shout out to my sponsor, Viori. Hey, just ah I'm wearing Viori. I love it. Hey, Viori, hit me up if you want to work with me too, because I love your stuff. Torso down. and always like I would say head to toe, but a Viori's always melon. It's always melon up top. I can't do the Viori hat. It's all melon. No, hell yeah. Oh, that was fun. Yeah. Damn. Finally got the in-person. Let's go.