Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Mason.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
If we want to start all the way from the beginning, I grew up in Plano – went to the University of Arkansas – moved back to Dallas in 2017 (I know, such a totally unique story.) Then it gets even more unique; I went to work for a marketing agency. She’s just like every other girl in Dallas.
Where I can say that I had a unique experience as a young adult is working as a full-time, salaried employee while I was still a full-time student in college. After moving back to Dallas and working at the marketing firm, I was quickly put in a leadership position where I had the opportunity and challenge of running the company. That’s a story for another time, but the 5 years of experience there has single-handedly taught me more about myself and my strengths/weaknesses than most people learn in a lifetime.
When I left in Fall 2021, I spent the next year or so hopping around, trying to find my next big career move. I was super insecure, feeling like I was starting over and leaving a career I thought I would be in for the rest of my life. For years, my friends, clients, and colleagues had encouraged me to start my own thing. While I never had a true entrepreneurial idea, I believed I had it in me to run things on my own. So, I started doing some marketing and sales consulting for small businesses in Dallas, then I started doing more events and was honestly just throwing things at the wall until I felt like something would stick.
A little over a year ago, some friends introduced me to pickleball. And if you’ve played, you know it can become addicting quickly. It became a weekly staple in our social lives, and it was something I looked forward to getting out and doing almost every single day. After a few months, my friends and I set out to join a recreational league. As I did some research, I learned there was not a single recreational league for pickleball in Dallas. There were a few round-robin leagues or groups that would get together, but the problems were they were either 1) outside of Dallas, 2) catered to or limited to people 50+, or 3) you had to be a member of their country club or facility to play.
So, I started my own! With my group of friends and my friends’ friends, we had a league of about 60 people right off the bat. As the league grew, I officially launched “Dallas Pickleball Club.” We played our first 10-week league in the Fall with 10 teams every Wednesday at Samuell Grand Tennis Center, and it was a blast.
Since then, we have now grown to two leagues at two separate facilities with almost 300 members. We have exclusive merch drops, a community of people that love to play recreationally, and we have tournaments, events, and other exciting things in the works.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
You know, I’m a big believer in that if it’s too difficult, it could just not be meant to be. I’m not saying that things won’t be hard. But there should be a level of “flow” to what you’re doing if it’s working. I spent many years of my life forcing things to happen – whether that was career moves and business decisions, or even relationships. I really believe God has opened this door, and things have really been working out quite smoothly.
That being said, I didn’t start this league and community with the intention of it being a business. So now that I devote so much of my time to it and with so many opportunities coming our way, it has been an interesting road to see if this is a profitable business so that I can really devote myself to it full-time.
Another hurdle has definitely been the technology in the pickleball world. While the sport has been around for a while, and people tend to compare it to tennis, ping pong, or other sports, there really isn’t one solution out there for software yet. Tons of companies are working on it, but believe it or not, I currently use spreadsheets to run my leagues.- yikes. While I know this won’t last forever, it has definitely been a struggle in the beginning.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dallas Pickleball Club started as a recreational, social league for pickleball in Dallas, Texas. As we expand, we will continue to grow our community through different leagues, tournaments, and events… and maybe even other cities 😉
Our league format sets us apart. Our teams consist of 6 people (3 male, 3 female), and our matches consist of 3 games (1 coed doubles, 1 men’s doubles, 1 women’s doubles). This creates more of a team feel and also gives people wiggle room if they all want to play or someone can’t make it to a game. We also have “regular season play” and then a playoffs bracket at the end of the season. We don’t do round-robin or ladder leagues.
Currently, I’m most proud of the brand recognition we are establishing in Dallas. Everything from people coming up to us at courts and wanting more information to having a conversation with Mark Cuban about sharing the same company name 🙂
I’m also super proud of our community. Everyone that’s part of Dallas Pickleball Club has been so inclusive. We do not cater to one specific age demographic or skill level. While we want the leagues and events to be competitive, it’s more important that everyone has a place to play. I’ve heard so many fun stories already of how the league has helped peoples’ relationships and marriages; people are meeting their new best friends, finding an outlet from stress, getting back into physical exercise – all from our league. I can’t take credit for any of that. That’s really all our community of amazing people.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Hmmm… I don’t know if this is surprising or not, but – I am not athletic. And I’m not that great at pickleball myself. I love the sport, and I get competitive, but honestly, since running the leagues, I haven’t been able to actually play as much as I used to. But that’s also a reason I love pickleball – you don’t have to be an amazing athlete to be good or to have a good time.
Contact Info:
- Website: dallaspickleball.club
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallaspickleball/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087675857987
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dallas-pickleball-club/
- Other: Because every good pickleball game needs a great playlist
- to find out more about upcoming leagues and events, you can follow Dallas Pickleball on Instagram or subscribe to their email list!
