What if the business idea that found you was better than any you could have planned?

In this episode, Brad Robins, serial entrepreneur, sports marketing veteran, and co-founder of Kitchen Blockers, shares the story of how a pickleball to the face on a drive back from Cincinnati sparked one of the most unexpected entrepreneurial adventures of his life. At 66, Brad had planned to retire. Instead he built the world's largest eye safety protection company for pickleball, now selling in 45 countries, in just 14 months.

Brad's career has taken him from the Apple Computer launch team to bringing Facebook to Canada, to advising Olympic athletes and philanthropists on personal branding. But the story that shaped all of it starts with a father who was pushed into the wrong life, and a son who watched closely and went the opposite direction.

[00:05:00] What He's Working On Now

• Co-founder of Kitchen Blockers, the world's largest eye safety protection company for pickleball

• Sells in 45 countries; became category leader in just 14 months

• Official lensless eyewear partner of USA Pickleball, the national governing body

[00:06:00] How Kitchen Blockers Was Born

• Got hit in the eye at a tournament and realized almost nobody was protecting their vision on court

• Named the product after the kitchen line, where most eye injuries happen

• Called a military engineering relative who had designed helmets and eyewear; had prototypes in motion within weeks

[00:09:20] Early Proof and Global Growth

• Ran a small test campaign in Canada; generated strong return on advertising spend

• Expanded to the US market and scaled rapidly

• Sold close to 50,000 pairs of HeadSnap with no reported eye injuries from ball impact

[00:10:00] The Brand Mission: Changing the Face of Pickleball

• Brand positioning: change the face of pickleball

• Mantra: love the product or not, please put something on your eyes

• Applauds competitors who also promote eye safety; the goal is category awareness, not just market share

• Serving players from 8 to 80; no narrow demographic, no restrictions

[00:12:20] Why the Sport Is More Dangerous Than People Think

• Most injuries are not from hard drives but from deflections and ricochets off a partner's paddle

• Coordination levels vary wildly on the same court because anyone can play with anyone

• Targeting ophthalmologists and youth programs to change safety habits from the ground up

[00:16:00] What Inspires Him: A Completely Open Runway

• Was part of the Apple Computer launch team and helped bring Facebook to Canada

• First product in his career where nobody can argue against the premise

• For the first time, he executes his own creative vision without needing anyone's approval

[00:20:20] The Vision Going Forward

• Seeking the right global partner to scale impact and reach more players faster

• Wants to make pickleball eyewear a form of artistic expression

• Believes eye protection should eventually be mandated the way it was in squash

[00:25:40] Why Pickleball Is Unlike Any Other Sport

• Anybody can play with anybody across all ages and fitness levels

• Pulls up to any community court and plays with total strangers

• Describes it as speed dating where everyone leaves happy

• The joy of pickleball is in the connection, not the outcome

[00:28:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: His Father

• His father was pushed by the family to become a lawyer; his uncle, a Supreme Court judge, ordered it

• Brad's father was deeply unhappy in law; his real joy was building things and sailing

• Brad went the opposite direction; built a life around engaged passion and creative expression

[00:32:40] The Intern Who Landed His First Client

• Volunteered at an advertising agency and did every task no one else wanted

• On his lunch hour, pitched a prospective client independently and came back with a new account

• Has lived by that principle ever since: create your own path, don't wait for permission

[00:37:00] Kill Them with Kindness

• Lives by two rules: never take a backward step and kill them with kindness

• Has been actively focused on showing appreciation to people for 12 years

• Three strangers at Costco said he was the only person who had smiled at them all day

• There is not a person on earth who gets too much appreciation

KEY QUOTES

"Relationships are the keys to everything." - Brad Robins

"Kill them with kindness. There is not a person on the face of this earth that gets too much appreciation." - Brad Robins

CONNECT WITH BRAD ROBINS

Website: https://www.kitchenblockers.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinspartnership

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kitchen-Blockers/61554179590995

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitchenblockers

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kitchenblockers

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