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A Passion for Pickleball is The Kitchen’s Recipe for Success
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Jared Paul and Jason Aspes are childhood friends and former advertising and social media professionals who have taken their passion for pickleball and turned it into an incredibly successful business. In 2020, as the Covid pandemic closed businesses and kept people from going to the office, Jared was living in Austin, Texas and Jason in Atlanta. Their friendship from childhood had not sustained into adulthood as the two moved all over the world, building careers, and starting families.
It was at this time that Jared discovered the game of pickleball. Leveraging his background in community building, he identified the demand and quickly set up a small group for pickleball players in Austin. As the popularity of the sport exploded, that group evolved into a national (and now international) group called The Kitchen, a go-to destination for pickleball enthusiasts all over the world.
As it happened, back in Atlanta, where the two had grown up, Jason had also discovered and was falling in love with this new sport. The two rekindled their friendship and joined forces brainstorming ways to entertain and bring value to this amazingly passionate and growing group of players they were now hosting.
The Kitchen struck a chord with pickleball players from all corners of the globe, growing in popularity reaching over 300k active players in their community. Having first found success on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, etc.) The Kitchen is looking to capitalize on and better serve their community by migrating that user base to their new website TheKitchenPickle.com which offers a wide range of resources, including instructional videos, gear recommendations, retail sales, entertaining videos, and will serve as a hub for their active online community.
The sport of pickleball, a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, has been the fastest growing sport in America over the last three years. The popularity of pickleball is astounding, with over 36 million Americans having participated over the last 12 months.
The Kitchen’s recipe for success certainly included some hard work, long hours, and fortuitous timing, but it was their passion for the sport to which they attribute their success. Over the last two plus years, The Kitchen has quickly established itself as more than just an online community for pickleball enthusiasts, but the leading voice in all aspects of the sport.
“We are not journalists,” Jared Paul confesses, “But we find ourselves delivering lots of information to our audience about the sport because that’s what our community is asking of us. We take this responsibility seriously.”
Starting as a passion project, Jared and Jason’s risk to leave their successful careers to pursue their passion for pickleball has paid off in spades. The pair travel all over the US and beyond evangelizing, reporting on, and creating content for all things related to pickleball.
“We view ourselves as ambassadors for this sport,” says Jason. “We are trying to inject pickleball into pop culture and provide validation that pickleball is a sport that ALL people can play, regardless of your level of athleticism. It is a sport to be enjoyed by all who participate.”
They have produced videos as they play with famous athletes such as NFL players Drew Brees and Rob Gronkowski, NBA player Chandler Parsons, Tennis players like Sam Querry, and celebrities like Entourage creator Doug Ellin and actor/singer/comedian Jamie Foxx.
The Kitchen’s recipe for success is a testament that with hard work and a little bit of luck, following your passion can result in amazing success.
About The Kitchen:
Founded in 2020, The Kitchen is a free Pickleball community offering all things pickleball from the beginner to the pros. The kitchen champions the game of pickleball through content, news, and partnering with the biggest names in the sport. Created with the player and in mind, The Kitchen delivers strategies, highlights, and the best and latest products you need to know about. If you play pickleball, we will see you in The Kitchen!
SOURCE The Kitchen