The Picklr’s Post

I'm going to shoutout a teammate whose story highlights everything that's awesome about pickleball: Whitney Burningham, The Picklr's VP of Operations. Whitney was one of our first members at our first location. Very shortly after, she started volunteering with us, helping to organize tournaments. The love and passion she had for our community was palpable. She was so organized and had an amazing way with people. That kind of hustle wasn’t gonna go unnoticed by us. We brought her on full-time to help create the processes as we started franchising. Whitney's background was in social work, but she took to franchising so quickly. When we brought on our President, Jonathan Fornaci (extensive franchise experience), he was blown away by what she'd built. He was so impressed that he promoted her to VP of Operations. And let me tell you, she has MORE THAN earned that title. She's been instrumental in growing The Picklr to where it is today and setting us up for even bigger things in the future. Whitney, we love you! — Fun fact: Whitney actually met her husband at The Picklr! When we say we’re about building lifelong connections, we really mean it. This sport is truly bringing out the best in so many people.

Some of you are probably wondering how this Mexican-American sales guy found himself running America's fastest growing pickleball franchise. Tbh, sometimes I wonder that myself 😂 It’s been a helluva ride, full of leaps of faith and calculated risks. I’d worked in sales for years. — SaaS — Supplements — Clothing My father had been super entrepreneurial—as immigrants almost always are. I’d always imagined I’d follow in his footsteps. After years of selling other people's products, I looked in the mirror and asked: — When do I bet big on my own product? I’d had this pickleball court idea in my head for years. — Great brand — Beautiful facilities — Monthly membership When I told my co-founder Austin about it, he was down before I finished the sentence. And so we did what all entrepreneurs do: take a big, uncertain leap. I maxed out credit cards and went 8 long months without a paycheck. (Like most entrepreneurs, I couldn’t have done that without the support of my amazing partner!) I'll be honest, it was scary as hell. Those challenges were the ultimate test of my commitment to The Picklr. Even when the mortgage payment was breathing down my neck, I trusted the right doors would open. And they did. Going all-in was a wild, terrifying, exhilarating test of faith - in myself, my vision and our determination. Today, The Picklr has locked in over 300 locations across 36 states. And trust me, we're just warming up. So if you've ever felt that entrepreneurial fire in your belly, don't brush it off. With belief, grit, and the right people in your corner, you can make magic happen. — I want to hear from you - what scary but calculated leaps have you taken to go after your passion? Drop 'em in the comments!

Sales is the most important skill an entrepreneur should possess. Without sales, you have no business. I've sold everything from clothes to supplements to software. Each experience has given me a unique perspective on what it takes to build a business. Here are the three biggest lessons from selling all my life: 1. The Path to "Yes" is Paved with "No's" When I was working in software sales… We had to make 50, 60, 70 calls a day just to set up a handful of appointments. Good ol fashioned smilin’ and dialin’. I ate "No's" for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was brutal. But it taught me to keep pushing even when the odds seemed stacked against me. And that you shouldn’t be afraid of ‘No’. You should be motivated by it. 2. The Importance of Believing in What You're Selling I didn't feel that same passion selling protein supplements that I do with The Picklr. And I’m having a lot more success selling Picklrs! When you're genuinely excited about something, selling it is easy. It happens naturally when you just talk about it. Believing in what you’re tasked with selling makes a world of difference. It’s why founders are often their company’s top sales person. 3. The Power of Building Real Relationships People can tell when you're selling them vs. trying to solving a problem for them. Investing time and energy into building that relationship and hearing what the person needs is vital in sales. Really strive to hear them and let them know that you care. After all, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason…. -- At The Picklr, we're not just selling memberships - we're selling a lifestyle and a community. And that makes all the difference in how we approach our sales process. We focus on: → Getting to know our customers → Understanding their needs → THEN showing how The Picklr can help So while sales can be a grind (and it often is) it's an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and make a real impact. The lessons I've learned selling everything under the sun have been instrumental in building The Picklr into what it is today. -- What do you think? Is sales the absolute "must-have" skill in the entrepreneur's toolkit?