Podcast Summary

Podcast: From the Ground Up
Episode: From Pandemic Pivot to National Expansion: How Toss & Spin Is Making Racket Sports More Accessible
Host: Ben Baer (Inc. Magazine)
Guests: Chris Clark (Founder & CEO, Toss & Spin), Alejandro Fajardo (Senior Business Consultant, Chase)
Date: November 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the entrepreneurial journey of Chris Clark, founder of Toss & Spin—a company born during the pandemic with a mission to make racket sports (tennis, pickleball, and padel) accessible and fun for all. Joined by senior business consultant Alejandro Fajardo of Chase, the discussion dives into scaling a passion-driven business, overcoming financial hurdles, and the practical realities of growth. The focus is on resilience, building community, learning financial discipline, and leveraging partnerships for sustainable expansion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin Story & Mission of Toss & Spin

• Pandemic Pivot: Chris describes how being furloughed during the pandemic led to the inception of Toss & Spin.
  • “We set out to create the most fun entry point to racket sports worldwide...In its simplest form, we do tennis, pickleball and padel lessons, classes and events.” — Chris Clark [00:38]
• Business Model: The company leverages partnerships with city park districts and offers both stationary and mobile experiences, currently active in 40+ cities:
  • “We also have a mobile pickleball events business. We call it Courts and Creation. So we bring the courts anywhere and curate the experience.” — Chris Clark [00:53]

2. Identifying Opportunities During Crisis

• Market Gap: The pandemic forced people outside, away from indoor gyms; Toss & Spin capitalized on the demand for outdoor activities.
  • “We kind of fell into this marketplace where like, hey, we can create fun through tennis and pickleball and we can make a really big business out of it.” — Chris Clark [01:35]
• Organic Growth: The shift to outdoor sports felt like a “basketball layup,” a natural gap that needed filling. [01:35]

3. Financial Management: Lessons & Challenges

• Prepare & Plan: Alejandro stresses the importance of a business plan, knowing your industry, and working with accountants—even if you're not a financial expert.
  • “They have to be prepared...They don't need to be financially experts, but they need to have a good conversations with their business accountants.” — Alejandro Fajardo [03:23]
• Real-World Cash Flow Issues: Chris reflects on the learning curve with large clients who pay on long cycles, and the need to project cash flow and utilize external funding.
  • “Doesn’t matter how much revenue you’re driving, if your cash flow is not good, you’re going to be in trouble.” — Chris Clark [05:50]
  • “You start learning about net 60s and net 90s...our company is net 60. So you end up having to front a lot of cash.” — Chris Clark [06:16]

4. Smart Growth vs. Overextension

• Hands-on P&L Management: Experience taught Chris to live in the P&L, not just chase revenue.
  • “Year one, year two, I just saw a lot of revenue...I didn’t realize, like, revenue’s coming in just to pay it out. Now, again, I live in the P&L.” — Chris Clark [07:42]
• Team Trust & Delegation: Growth is about empowering team members and learning not to micro-manage every detail.
  • “I have a lot of trust in the people who work for Toss and Spin...just really making sure their voices are heard on how we can grow.” — Chris Clark [13:09]
• Alejandro’s Guidance: Be prepared, ask questions, invest time into planning, and view your business plan as a living document that adapts as the company evolves.
  • “A business plan is a live document, because it’s changing all the time...next year is going to be different.” — Alejandro Fajardo [10:32]

5. Building a Support Network & Leveraging Resources

• Mentors and Coaches: Chris highlights the value of business coaches and the advice from his parents about sustainable growth.
  • “Don’t scale too quickly. Like, you want to scale. You want growth, but make sure the growth is right for you.” — Chris Clark [12:41]
  • “Having someone to bounce ideas off of...or just a shoulder to lean on...that’s what entrepreneurship is like.” — Chris Clark [13:03]
• Relationship-Based Deals: The biggest breaks come from building genuine relationships, not cold calls.
  • “The biggest deals we’ve done are from relationships…it isn’t from me cold calling.” — Chris Clark [15:12]

6. Equity, Certification & Open-mindedness

• Business Certifications: Alejandro urges founders to explore minority, woman-owned, and other certifications to open new doors.
  • “Be open to get information...when you get the certification, you open doors to do business with the public sector, with the private sector.” — Alejandro Fajardo [15:59]
• Strategic Use of Loans/Credit: Many entrepreneurs fear debt, but, when prepared, strategic borrowing can fuel growth without risk of overextension.
  • “When you get prepared...you’re not afraid...and don’t be afraid to ask.” — Alejandro Fajardo [11:20]

7. Touring the Future: Smart Expansion

• Growth Plans: Focused on market density, removing seasonality, and strategic partnerships.
  • "Putting more boots on the ground in key markets that resemble Chicago...with a partner...to launch a new indoor venue that will house both tennis pickleball and more.” — Chris Clark [19:40]
• Learning the Unseen Costs: Facility management brings new challenges (e.g., cleaning bills), reminding founders to anticipate hidden costs.
  • “While you can do [cleaning], should you do them, is your time value to other places?” — Chris Clark [20:41]

8. Culture & Collaboration—Uniting Sports Communities

• Bridging Divides: Chris advocates for unity between tennis, pickleball, and padel communities, highlighting new tech for quieter paddles and the unique social strengths of each sport.
  • “I love pickleball because it’s the master connector...we can all play pickleball...I think there’s a place for them all, and I think they should coexist.” — Chris Clark [21:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Entrepreneurship’s Realities:
  "If you bite off more than you can chew, you'll end up on the sideline."
  — Chris Clark [02:15]

• On Grit:
  “It's tough out there. It's tough for me, it's tough for everybody else. But those tough times make us that much better.”
  — Chris Clark [08:52]

• On Relationships:
  "The biggest deals we've done are from relationships...it isn't from me cold calling."
  — Chris Clark [15:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:38] – Chris Clark shares Toss & Spin’s founding story and vision.
• [01:35] – Recognizing the pandemic-created market gap.
• [03:23] – Alejandro Fajardo on financial preparation and business planning.
• [05:50] – Chris Clark’s practical cash flow lessons.
• [07:42] – The realities of scaling and learning to read the P&L.
• [10:32] – The evolving nature of business plans.
• [12:41] – The critical role of mentors, coaches, and support networks.
• [15:59] – Alejandro on certifications and being open to new opportunities.
• [19:40] – Chris’s future growth strategy: indoor venues and partnerships.
• [21:29] – Advice on unifying tennis and pickleball communities.

Practical Takeaways for Aspiring Founders

• Start with a clear but flexible business plan and revisit it often.
• Build a strong support network: mentors, industry peers, accountants, and bankers.
• Understand your industry and financials, even if it’s not your forte.
• Don’t fear debt—manage it strategically with preparation.
• Focus on meaningful, sustainable growth—not just speed.
• Prioritize relationships and community-building.
• Embrace the unglamorous but essential back-end of running a business.
• Stay open to learning, change, and unexpected opportunities.

This episode offers an honest and motivating look at the realities behind entrepreneurial success, highlighting that success comes brick by brick, with both passion and meticulous planning.