Interview: Doug Sapusek Founder Bread & Butter

 

Finding Purpose, Passion and Profit in Pickleball: An Interview with Doug Sapusek How an unconventional founder is shaping the future of the world's fastest growing sport

Introduction Pickleball's explosive growth is forcing industry leaders to rethink branding, community building and broadening access. Few face this challenge quite like Doug Sapusek, founder of the provocatively named Bread & Butter Pickleball. In this October 2023 interview, Sapusek chronicles his unorthodox path from the military to launching a multi-million dollar apparel business to finding his unexpected calling in pickleball. He also offers insights on topics ranging from the importance of brand storytelling and the need to make the sport more welcoming for beginners. For an entrepreneur guided so much by instinct and passion, perhaps Sapusek's parting advice is most profound: "Enjoy the process. Have fun with the grind and make sure that you appreciate every win along the way.” Q&A Interview

1) You served in the Marines and also worked as a graphic designer. How did your background lead you into becoming an entrepreneur? (01:50) I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit, even as a kid. I was drawn to cool product designs and willing to work to buy the things I wanted. After the military, I taught myself web design and started my own web development company in my small Florida hometown in the late 90s, despite never building a website before. I just studied it religiously and figured it out. 2) Can you explain how you started and grew the company Hur Rag? It became quite successful. (07:33) In 2012 I was introduced to an entrepreneur named Dave who pitched me on starting a company together selling multifunctional neck gaiters under the brand Hur Rag. We started off small but demand grew exponentially. At our peak we occupied over 10,000 square feet of warehouse space and sold to major clients like Google, Land Rover and the Miami Dolphins. It went from Dave's small office to moving into my house to eventually having 35 employees. The growth was really fast. 3) What pivotal moment made you realize circumstances were about to change for Hur Rag? (10:32) On New Year's Eve 2019, I received a message from our manufacturing contact in China about a strange new sickness spreading in the region. My instincts told me it could disrupt our supply chain, so I immediately ordered almost a million neck gaiters. My hunch proved right - when COVID hit in early 2020, demand for our products spiked dramatically. We did 9 months of crazy sales until I decided it was time to move on. 4) After selling your previous company, how did you get the idea to start a pickleball paddle business? What appealed to you about entering this industry? (14:28) A former employee named Richard Blanco actually came to me with the idea for a paddle company called Bread & Butter. I've always loved building ecommerce brands and delivering great products and service. I had played some pickleball growing up and saw the huge potential as the sport was booming. The creative marketing opportunities also really appealed to me. 5) What marketing approaches did you consciously avoid that you see as common in the pickleball industry? (36:40) Most brands follow the same playbook - black paddles with basic logos targeting experienced players only. But I knew that kind of boring branding would drain my passion. We take a radically different approach with flashy graphics and tailored branding campaigns for every new paddle. I have no interest in following conventions if it means compromising on creativity and fun. There's no way I'll market something boring and still stay excited. 6) You also talked about the importance of building community among both customers and team members. Can you expand on that? (20:06) This passion project has allowed me to bring my son and daughter onto the team to help grow the business. It's the first time in my life I'm working with them while not being under intense financial pressure. So it's becoming a family business in a thoughtful way where we're learning a lot together. I also want customers to feel part of something bigger. There should be a real relationship with our ambassadors, not just a transactional deal. 7) How have the lessons you learned in the military influenced your approach to business? (24:06) My service really instilled valuable skills like attention to detail, personal accountability, and camaraderie. I'm still learning how to keep family relationships strong despite the pressures of running a business together. The military taught me how to work as a cohesive team but also handle stress in a professional environment. Those experiences have been invaluable. 8) As the founder of an unconventional brand, do you ever feel pressure to adapt a more serious performance-focused identity? Why or why not? (43:44) My co-hosts asked if our flashy branding limits our potential as a performance paddle company. But I don't believe creativity and quality engineering are mutually exclusive. Brands like Vans and others prove you can produce high-performance gear while still having fun with branding and style. Most companies just play it safe because it's easier, not because they have to. I think we can do both. 9) What is the biggest challenge you are focused on solving right now as Bread & Butter continues to grow? (54:36) We have tons of interest in our ambassador program and I've been slow rolling it to make sure we get the administrative processes right before scaling it up. I don't want the standard transactional program where ambassadors just care about their commission. I want to build real relationships and give them products they're proud to use themselves. So we're taking our time to do it thoughtfully but the interest has been overwhelming. 10) If you could give one piece of advice to entrepreneurs, what would it be? (1:05:40) Enjoy the process. Have fun with the grind and make sure that you appreciate every win along the way, no matter how small. Summary In this revealing interview, Bread & Butter founder Doug Sapusek chronicled his unique path from the military to building a multi-million dollar apparel business to finding his purpose in pickleball. Sapusek explained pivotal choices like selling his company Hur Rag after sensing disruption in China early in the pandemic, then seizing the opportunity to apply his branding expertise to the booming pickleball industry. He also outlined his intentional approaches to creativity, community and expanding access to the sport. Sapusek believes unconventional branding and quality engineering can co-exist, contrary to industry norms. Overall, Sapusek delivered an insightful perspective on pickleball's identity crisis as it evolves from niche to mainstream. His advice to entrepreneurs underscores the importance of appreciating the journey itself, not just the destination.

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How a Marine-Turned-Entrepreneur Became an Unconventional Leader in Pickleball’s Identity Crisis

Doug Sapusek Found Purpose and Profit in America’s Fastest Growing Sport

As pickleball's explosive growth turns niche origins into a billion-dollar industry, companies and leaders face an inflection point - either embrace or reject calls to expand access and reshape the sport's future.

Few entrepreneurs face this crucible quite like Doug Sapusek, trailblazing founder of the provocatively-named Bread & Butter Pickleball. His signature flashy paddle graphics and appetite for disrupting norms reflect one founder's quest to define Pickleball's still unwritten story.

Over a nearly 90 minute October 2023 podcast interview on Building Pickleball, Sapusek chronicled his unexpected journey from launching a multimillion dollar apparel company to finding profit and purpose in pickleball. He also outlined his vision for growing the sport while staying true to core values of creativity, inclusion and fun.

For a founder guided so much by instinct and passion, Sapusek's parting advice seemed to capture his essence: “Enjoy the process. Have fun with the grind and make sure that you appreciate every win along the way.”

From Small Town Kid to Young Entrepreneur

1. Sapusek described himself as an entrepreneur from an early age, recalling how as a child he would admire the latest shoe styles and be willing to work to afford them himself. "I was always into things. I’ve always been a consumer." (01:50)

After a stint in the Marines and learning web design through self-study, Sapusek started his own web development company in his small Florida hometown in the late 1990s, despite having never actually built a website himself.

"I just studied it like religiously all the time,” he explained. “Literally when I started, I started a web design company...I had never built a website but it was WordPress was out and I knew that I could hire it out and have sites cut up.”

Launching the Hur Rag Phenomenon

2. In 2012, Sapusek was introduced to an entrepreneur named Dave who pitched him on starting a company together selling multifunctional neck gaiters under the brand Hur Rag. Sapusek agreed, and they exponentially grew the direct-to-consumer business over the next few years. (07:33)

"It was going really really fast,” recalled Sapusek. “It started off in [Dave’s] office in Jupiter Florida and then it ended up moving into my house...and then ultimately I think we were occupying like 10 or 12,000 square ft.” At their peak, they sold to major clients like Google, Land Rover and the Miami Dolphins while managing dozens of employees.

A Fateful New Year’s Eve Sets the Stage for a New Venture

3. Sapusek shared the pivotal moment when he realized circumstances were about to change dramatically for Hur Rag’s booming business. On New Year’s Eve 2019, he received an ominous message from his manufacturing contact in China about a strange new sickness spreading through the region. (10:32)

"It was New Year’s Eve December 31st...I get this message from from our girl [in China] and she basically says like ‘hey there's like this weird sickness going around China right now and our Factory is being told we may have to close.’”

Sensing a major disruption was imminent, Sapusek immediately ordered almost a million neck gaiters, betting that demand would spike. “We went hard and ordered a ton of bandanas,” he said. His premonition proved correct, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused sales to explode over the next year.

But the relentless grind soon took a toll. With the business stabilized in 2021, Sapusek sold Hur Rag and began searching for his next venture.

From Apparel to Paddles: An Unexpected Opportunity Emerges

4. That’s when a former employee named Richard Blanco approached Sapusek about starting a pickleball paddle company called Bread & Butter. Intrigued by the potential in the booming sport, and attracted to the creative marketing opportunities, he dove in headfirst. (14:28)

“I'm an ecommerce business person,” he explained. “I like to sell products to individuals and I like to deliver amazing customer service with a really good product and build a brand that people are loyal to...I had played some pickleball [but] I didn't quite understand...the community and for me that's what's been kind of the surprise.”

Rethinking Pickleball’s Brand Playbook

5. Sapusek’s outsider perspective allowed him to view industry norms with a critical eye. He saw most paddle brands following a similar playbook – selling indistinguishable black paddles with monochromatic logos targeting only experienced players. (36:40)

Bread & Butter would take a radically different approach, applying Sapusek’s marketing acumen to differentiate itself through flashy graphics and tailored branding campaigns for each paddle release. He had no interest in following conventions if it meant compromising creativity and fun.

“There is no way that I'm going to wake up every single day and want to put my shoes on and be excited about what I'm doing that week if I've got to market something freaking boring,” Sapusek declared. “No way.”

Prioritizing Community and Accessibility

6. Another priority for Sapusek is building an appreciative community among both customers and team members. His passion project has provided an opportunity to bring on his son and daughter to help grow the business. (20:06)

“This is the first time in my life where I still need to make a living and pay bills but financially the pressure is not on me like it was and so this is a new chapter where I’m getting to work with them and teach them,” he said.

He also wants to help expand pickleball participation by making sure new players feel welcomed.

“We need to bring some people that care about pro pickleball and inject some of that into our marketing stuff so it resonates with players that may not know about us,” Sapusek noted.

Lessons from the Marines: Teamwork, Discipline and Managing Stress

7. Sapusek credited his military experience for instilling invaluable skills that he’s carried into business, like attention to detail, personal accountability and camaraderie. (24:06)

“I think working together and making sure you still do family things together is important because if you can navigate those things and not let personal stuff get involved with work, those are skills I’m still learning,” he noted.

“The military taught me how to work as a cohesive team but also handle stress in a professional environment. Those experiences have been invaluable.”

Solving Pickleball's Rec Play Conundrum

8. However, Sapusek remains concerned about issues driving away new players. He frequently sees beginners discouraged by getting dominated in recreational play against more experienced opponents. (40:28)

"You play you and I played a match together and like I just embarrassed you...when you're playing two high level guys and you know who I'm talking about...they're just like hitting winners at you right and you're like well this isn't cool like well we know who the better player is so why not just like move the ball around lightly to him and move it you can move it as aggressively as you want to me but like when they're like going ahead and pickling us I'm like okay I I guess in some instances I've no I've never really done that to complete beginners."

Sapusek believes the community must address this issue for long-term growth: "Better systems have to be put in place. There's no way to check egos at the door on a pickleball court."

Managing Explosive Ambassador Program Growth

9. When asked about his biggest current challenge, Sapusek pointed to managing Bread & Butter’s burgeoning ambassador program. He shared that they’ve been “slow rolling” the program while establishing the right processes before scaling it up. (54:36)

"We've got an inbox full of applicants and like Instagram messages for days okay and of people wanting to get involved and um I don't know that I really want to get into why I've slow rolled it but it has to do with some administrative Logistics and a little bit of tax stuff that I want to make sure is done correctly and above board."

Final Takeaways: Enjoy the Grind

10. For an entrepreneur guided so much by instinct and passion, Sapusek's parting advice seemed to capture his essence:

“Enjoy the process. Have fun with the grind and make sure that you appreciate every win along the way, no matter how small.” (1:05:40)

It's a philosophy that has clearly fueled his success across many fields. And as pickleball searches for its identity amid record growth, Sapusek has emerged as an unlikely leader willing to challenge norms to shape the sport's future.

Summary

In an October 2023 interview on the Building Pickleball podcast, entrepreneur Doug Sapusek chronicled his unexpected journey from the military to launching a multimillion dollar apparel business to finding his purpose in pickleball.

Sapusek explained key decisions like selling his previous company due to supply chain disruption in China, then capitalizing on pickleball's explosive growth by rejecting conventional branding.

He wants to make the sport more creative, inclusive and fun. Sapusek also discussed lessons from his Marine service, solving “rec play” issues for beginners, and managing runaway ambassador program demand.

Overall, Sapusek delivered an insightful perspective on pickleball's identity crisis as it evolves from niche to mainstream. His advice underscores staying true to passion over profit alone.

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NOTE: The list below is posted in the YouTube comments

The Unconventional Journey of Pickleball Disruptor Doug Sapusek 01:50 Beginning - Doug describes his lifelong entrepreneurial spirit starting from admiring the latest shoe styles as a child. 03:40 Courts in Austin - Doug provides insights on the poor court conditions and availability he observed during a recent trip to Austin. 07:33 Doug's previous business, Hoorag - Doug outlines the meteoric growth but eventual challenges faced by his previous neck gaiter company Hur Rag. 10:32 Reacting to covid, why he sold Hoorag - Doug shares how an ominous message on New Year's Eve 2019 about a sickness in China prompted him to order 1 million neck gaiters right before COVID demand spiked. 14:28 Inception of BNB - Doug discusses how the idea for his pickleball company Bread & Butter originated with an employee pitch and the potential he saw in the booming sport. 17:10 Pivoting the business - Doug explains how bringing his son and daughter into Bread & Butter has transformed his perspective from quickly selling to building a multi-generational company. 20:06 Employing family - Doug values the opportunity to work with his kids daily, teach them business skills, and bring back family dinners together. 24:06 How capital affects decisions - Doug notes he has more financial wiggle room now but still maintains disciplined spending and a fixed budget he'll burn through before moving on. 29:24 Doug's idea process - Doug shares how he vocalizes problems through "bitching" then solves them once he determines the degree of personal frustration. 31:42 The pro journey - Doug believes the pro journey stories are repetitive and don't understand social media's importance in building engagement and a brand. 36:40 BNB marketing - Doug wants to produce more content with pros to make Bread & Butter resonate with serious players unfamiliar with their irreverent marketing. 40:28 The rec play problem - Doug is concerned about beginners getting discouraged by much better players dominating them in recreational play. 43:44 How BNB is different from other brands - Doug consciously rejected boring branding templates to build an e-commerce brand with fun designs and compelling stories. 54:36 Most difficult experience right now - Doug is slow rolling their ambassador program to ensure proper administrative processes are in place before aggressively scaling it. 01:02:42 BNB back story - Doug explains Bread & Butter's origins starting with silly sandwich paddle graphics before pivoting to polished performance paddles like the Filth that proved their capabilities.