Do you have a sport that you love-maybe even one you play? Could you imagine starting a business centered around your sport? Think of how fun that could be. Well, Rachel Zietz did not just think about it-she did it! Zietz was just fifteen years old when she started her business, Gladiator Lacrosse, “which aims to sell higher-quality, lower-cost equipment than competitors.”
Zietz has been playing lacrosse since she was in fourth grade and has noticed problems with lacrosse equipment. Some of her equipment at home would rust or tear easily, and she had a lot of broken equipment that she had to replace. Because of the issues Zietz was noticing, she launched her business when she was in middle school. She sold rebounders and goals that were built to last for multiple years. She had an online store and launched her products at some retail stores.
After earning one million dollars in revenue in one certain year, Gladiator Lacrosse earned recognition from Governor Rick Scott, who later honored her with Florida’s Young Entrepreneur Award.
Zietz has done a good job of finding a problem and seeing it as a unique opportunity. She was able to create a great value proposition and convince customers of her products’ worth. In fact, Zietz and her business far exceeded her expectations. She had set the goal of selling 500 units total, but instead got to be selling at least 500 units a month! She pivoted from her original expectations of selling a certain amount to making Gladiator Lacross “the brand everyone is using.”