n this episode of Just A Cup, host Bryan Fetzer talks with Volleybird co-founders Cassandra Toroian and Tracy Thomas about launching a sports-lifestyle brand that actually serves players: curated boxes of premium gear, wellness, and recovery picks—delivered on a simple cadence—across tennis, pickleball, padel, and golf. We dig into product curation, unboxing delight vs. utility, and how community feedback shapes the next drop. The duo also shares how Ruley, the E-Referee uses AI to translate ref-speak into plain English so games keep moving (and friendships stay intact). We hit startup lessons, supply chain sanity, female-founder realities, and why coffee-shop brainstorms with athletes are an unfair advantage.

00:00 – Welcome + why lifestyle brands win when they solve real on-court problems

03:00 – Volleybird origin story: from player frustrations to curated surprise boxes (sports covered + cadence)

09:30 – What’s in the box? Balancing premium, practical, and “fun” (and how feedback loops work)

16:45 – Ruley, the E-Referee: clearing up rules instantly so games don’t stall (tennis/pickleball/padel/golf)

24:15 – Community building and content: why short how-tos and unboxings convert casuals into fans instagram.com+1

31:00 – Startup realities: supply chain, seasonality, and pricing a bi-monthly experience that lasts

38:20 – Female-founder insights: momentum, mentorship, and measuring traction

44:10 – Rapid-fire: favorite court/course essentials, apps they love, and the best product feedback they ever got

47:30 – Where to find Volleybird & Ruley + how to collaborate

Volleybird (official): https://volleybird.shop/ VolleyBird

How Volleybird Works (cadence, sports, subscription): https://volleybird.shop/pages/how-it-works VolleyBird

Volleybird Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volleybird_shop/ instagram.com

Ruley, the E-Referee (AI rules assistant overview): founder/brand posts & updates LinkedIn

Cassandra Toroian bio/overview (background + ventures): https://dontbuythebull.io/about-cassandra-toroian/Cassandra Toroian

Tracy Thomas (profile): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-thomas71 LinkedIn

Bleav – Just A Cup (show home): https://bleav.com/shows/just-a-cup/

YouTube – @coachfetzjustacup: https://www.youtube.com/@coachfetzjustacup

Host: Bryan Fetzer • Guests: Cassandra Toroian & Tracy Thomas (Co-Founders, Volleybird; Co-Founders, Ruley)

Like the episode? Rate & review on Apple/Spotify—that’s how other players and coaches find us. Apple Podcasts

Guest suggestions or partnerships: DM Bryan on Instagram @coachfetz or connect on LinkedIn. instagram.com+1

Volleybird, sports subscription box, pickleball box, tennis subscription box, golf gift box, padel gear box, Ruley E-Referee, AI sports rules, women founders in sports tech, Bryan Fetzer, Bleav podcast

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