Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Reid Meyer, Co-Founder and CEO of Athletes to Athletes, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the Co-Founder and CEO of Athletes to Athletes. We are the best college counseling solution for high school student-athletes that want to compete at the college level. Through our platform, we provide personalized advising services to families that want to understand better the college landscape and how their child can maximize their opportunities at the next level. We work directly with high school student-athletes and their family.
Tell us about yourself
My personal experience is what spurred my passion for creating Athletes to Athletes. I attended four schools in four years after signing a scholarship with an NCAA DI baseball program out of high school. I was convinced that only athletics mattered, and it hindered my ability to grow as a person in the most important maturing stage of my life. After learning this was more than just a personal problem but a student-athlete problem, I felt compelled to find a solution that prepares the next generation of student-athletes for success both on and off the field. Knowing the impact we've made on our current clients and the impact we will make on our future clients is what keeps me motivated every single day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have now had kids in our program matriculate into college, and watching them thrive both on and off the field has been the biggest accomplishment in my professional career. Not only are they competing in their sport at the college level, but they are excited about the major they are pursuing and the city they live in.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
At the end of the day, you're the one that has to make a decision and live with it. My first job out of college was a "cog in the wheel" type role at a larger company, and I never felt like my daily tasks made a noticeable difference in the company. Now, I feel an incredible amount of efficacy, but when things go wrong, I can only point the blame at myself.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You have to love what you start because it becomes a staple of your existence.
- Always be willing to adjust your business for your customers, and never be willing to adjust your mission for anyone but yourself.
- The ability to "stick with it" is underrated. Some days the most important thing is to just keep swimming.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
A word of advice for anyone out there who knows a student-athlete. Tell them to be unapologetically themselves during the recruiting process. It may feel like they want to change who they are to appease a coach or a specific school, but college is about discovering who YOU are as an individual, and that self-discovery is impossible if they're too busy trying to be someone else.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://athletestoathletes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athletestoathletes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athletestoathletes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/A2Aadvising
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesreidmeyer/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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