In this episode of the Fail First Podcast, we sit down with Travis, the Director of Pickleball at Pickleball X, a private equity group investing heavily in the future of the sport. Pickleball X owns and manages Pickleball Kingdom facilities, with plans for aggressive expansion across the US.

Travis provides an incredible deep dive into the business of pickleball and what it takes for a facility to thrive, not just survive.

🎙️ In This Episode, We Discuss:The Business of Pickleball: Why private equity groups like Pickleball X see pickleball facilities as a massive investment opportunity, and how they plan to have seven clubs by the first quarter of 2026 [03:09].

The "Soul of a Facility": Travis warns against the "Kevin Costner effect" (if you build it, they will come) and stresses that the true key to success is building culture, community, and consistent programming, not just beautiful courts [08:40].

A Roadmap for Growth: The importance of a 10+ court minimum for profitability and the strategic focus on the "top line" (community development) over the "bottom line" [09:46].

Bridging the Gap with "NextStep": Learn about Pickleball Kingdom's structured program designed to take new players from 101 classes to confident open play participants, utilizing coaching, fundamentals, and kitchen classes [15:13].

The Future of the Game: Analyzing the generational shift in pickleball, the vital role of Gen Z and Millennials in the sport's long-term growth, and the potential for a Junior MLP team format [17:21].

New Investment Hotbeds: Why seasonal areas and cold-weather markets like Connecticut are booming for indoor pickleball due to high demand and the need for wind-controlled environments [26:04].

Reality TV & Exposure: Discussing the marketing play behind the newly announced "Pickleball Paddle Battle" reality TV concept [28:10].

The Fear of Failure: Travis shares his greatest fear in the industry: failing the community and the expectations set for long-term growth [31:54].

Limited capital, getting punched in the mouth, keep building anyway.

Ron Shell and Australia’s National Pickleball League (NPL) launched just as MLP and PPA announced they were moving into the same market. Instead of folding, he doubled down—building venues as content engines, designing a true team format with singles at the core, and experimenting with Green Zone, a broadcast model that might finally bridge the gap between rec players and real viewership.

In this conversation, Ron and I go deep into what it takes to build a league from scratch, how branding choices like color psychology matter, and why betting, broadcast innovation, and brand-first thinking will decide who survives in the next era of pickleball.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 Intro

0:45 Starting at PointsBet → Fanatics

3:15 Living in New York vs. Denver vs. Boston

6:05 The “this might not work” moment for NPL

8:55 PPA/MLP expansion into Australia

11:15 What the NPL actually is (3 pillars)

14:35 Why marketing + content is their core advantage

19:05 Picking a target audience (and why they chose 25–40 yr olds)

22:50 Why green + white branding? (color psychology)

25:25 Building venues as content engines

29:00 How NPL recruits players against PPA/MLP

33:10 Singles as the secret to broadcast appeal

36:15 The NPL format explained

41:10 Closing the broadcast gap (Green Zone concept)

46:00 Where betting fits in pickleball’s future

50:15 Growth of pickleball in Australia vs. Asia

54:00 Ron’s biggest failure building NPL

57:25 His greatest fear moving forward

1:01:00 What Ron wants the final chapter to say

🔑 Takeaways

Why singles might be the key to making pickleball actually watchable on broadcast

How NPL built a true team format that forces balance—no one player can carry

The reason they chose green + white branding (color psychology + country club feel)

Why venues are content engines (not just places to play)

What the “Green Zone” broadcast experiment could mean for the sport

How sports betting + data could become the billion-dollar unlock

The biggest failure Ron admits to when raising money for NPL

His biggest fear moving forward as a founder

🔗 Follow Ron & the NPL

Instagram: @nplpickleball

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-shell-3177bb27/

Website: https://www.nplpickleball.com.au/

🎙️ Listen to the Fail First Podcast

Youtube: @FailFirstPodcast

Instagram: @failfirstpodcast

Spotify: Fail First Podcast

Apple Podcasts: Fail First Podcast

Pro Pickleball Player, Susannah Barr admits her greatest failure was focusing only on playing — while ignoring the bigger picture of sponsorships, brand-building, and long-term career planning. That lesson shaped her journey: from grinding to pay her way into tournaments, to co-owning Boise’s premier indoor facility, @the.flyingpickle .In this episode of the Fail First Podcast, Susannah shares her unfiltered story of why winning isn't enough, so many missed opportunities, mentorship, mental resilience, and the future of pickleball as both a sport and a business.⏰ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Podcast intro01:07 – Susanna Barr’s greatest failure06:30 – Missing opportunities & lack of mentorship14:20 – Learning the business side of pickleball20:15 – Advice for up-and-coming pros27:50 – Building a career vs. paying for tournaments36:05 – Mental game: distractions, resets, and mantras44:10 – Playing with family & navigating pressure dynamics53:25 – Opening The Flying Pickle indoor facility1:02:40 – Building community & surprising lessons in entrepreneurship1:11:10 – Footwork: the overlooked foundation of pickleball1:18:00 – Fears of aging, losing, and life after competition1:26:00 – Legacy: Susanna Barr’s final chapter1:28:20 – Closing remarks✨ Key TakeawaysWinning isn’t enough — athletes must build brands.Mentorship can save years of struggle.Community is the real secret behind successful clubs.The toughest opponent is often time and change.Legacy is about impact, not just medals.📌 Connect with Susanna BarrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/susannahbarr.pbSubstack Blog: https://susannahbarrpickleball.substack.com/The Flying Pickle Academy YouTube: @theflyingpickleacademy #failfirstpodcast #pickleballpodcast #pickleball #pickleballtips #mindset #entrepreneurship #susannahbarr #theflyingpickleacademy