Introduction
Trisha Goyal (@trishagoyal) is the Founder and CEO of Break the Love (@breakthelove) and soon-to-launch Break the Birdie (@breakthebirdie). Break the Love connects racquet sports-lovers with fellow players, court space, instruction and more. Break the Birdie is Break the Love’s golf-related sister brand, set to go live in March of this year.
Trisha founded Break the Love while studying at New York University as a way to streamline the logistics around recreational tennis. In the years since, she has expanded the brand nationwide and has created community around a variety of recreational sports. I met Trisha at Birdie x Basel, a promotional event for Break the Birdie held during Art Basel Miami at the Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables.
From childhood into law school, I played a mix of tennis, golf and squash. But like many women, I stopped playing recreational sports almost altogether after entering the workforce. My first experience with Break the Love was at an Art Basel Miami event at MOE Studio back in 2022. It was so fun having a pickleball court set up in the middle of the space. It added such a lovely interactive element. And when I saw an influencer friend promoting the upcoming launch of Break the Birdie, I immediately followed on IG.
In the wellness industry, we focus quite a lot on the importance of physical activity. However, a significant component that often goes under-examined is the value of joy and play in combination with movement. Recreational sports combine the potent benefits of physical exertion with socialization and fun. They can promote the formation and strengthening of healthy social bonds, which are an essential part of overall wellbeing. How much easier is it to meet a new friend over a common interest, especially when endorphins are running high?
I’m so excited to feature Trisha on La Vie de Zee. From the events to the branding, Trisha’s “voice” —her care and passion—shine through in every aspect of her brands. Continue reading for our interview below.
Interview
Hi Trisha! Thank you for your time. Could you please give us a sense of your background? Where are you from and where do you live now?
A: I grew up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. I currently live in New York and frequently travel to Florida.
Tell us a bit about your parents! I find that they’re usually the ones that initially encourage us to participate in sports.. What are they like and did they encourage you to start taking tennis and golf lessons?
A: As a young child I loved being outdoors, especially with my younger brother growing up. We went frrom shooting hoops on our driveway to eventually picking up and playing tennis. My dad really encouraged me to play sports, mostly because it was a way for my brother and I to hang out. From there, once we had both picked up a racquet and enjoyed playing tennis together, my parents continued to encourage us to pursue tennis more frequently. Golf is a sport I only recently started picking up as just another way to spend time with friends and family outdoors.
What inspired you to create Break the Love? What problem were you on a mission to help solve?
A: [Break the Love] initially started out of a personal pain point where I wanted to get back into tennis. It was really hard because I either had to commit to a single brick and mortar tennis club or I had to DIY it myself through Facebook Groups and Meetup.com. Then, I had to handle all of the logistics of scheduling and coordination with a stranger who I may or may not hit it off with (literally and figuratively).
I started Break the Love to serve as an in – between solution for people to discover and book recreational tennis activities based on level, geography, playing preferences, and price point, all in one place online. However, as I started creating the product, I had a ton of friends who would reach out to me, asking to learn how to play. That’s when I realized that we had to provide low cost ways for people to even get into the game. We have done this through our educational content and through partnerships that subsidize the cost for our community to learn the sport. Then, they can continue their journey by booking courts with new friends they meet in the process.
I love the name “Break the Love.” When I was playing in the Junior Tennis League, getting those first points up was often the biggest psychological hurdle to clear before gaining positive momentum. What inspired you to choose this name?
A: The intention of the platform is to encourage anyone to get into playing a sport. The biggest hurdle usually is getting started. To your point, there is something mentally that people have to overcome to even get started to try something new. Usually the mental hurdle ranges from fear of failing or embarrasing oneself to not having someone to play with or learn from to not having the time to find a place to play. So, with the name, I wanted a play on words that made playing a sport feel light but also meant just get started. In tennis love means zero – so to “Break the Love” literally means to get started.
What was your professional background like before founding Break the Love and Break the Birdie?
A: Prior to founding the Company and these brands, I came from a product & tech background. I’ve worked at AppNexus, HuffPost, ESPN, & Giphy. However, design was always something that I loved. This typically came out when I was at consumer companies leading product at the likes of HuffPost, ESPN, & Giphy where I launched re-designs or re-brands across each.
Can you provide some insight into what the fundraising process was like? As you know, there’s a funding gap for female-backed startups. Do you have any tips for female founders on navigating that process?
A: Yes, so there are a lot of articles out there around raising as a female founder. I think the big thing is, if you want to start a company that is VC backed – yes the odds are lower, but you have to believe in yourself to beat the odds if you want to do it, which will take mental perseverance. Everyone has their own style but for me – when I think about navigating the process, I really focused on the learning a bit more than the outcome. Along the way, I was open to being coached and mentored to find the style that works best for me when not just fundraising, but also when operating my business.
I think the big thing is, if you want to start a company that is VC backed – yes, the odds are lower, but you have to believe in yourself to beat the odds if you want to do it, which will take mental perseverance.”
—Trisha on fundraising as a female founder
Break the Birdie, Break the Love’s golf-related sister brand, is launching in 2024! What can we expect as part of the launch?
A: I can’t give too much away, but at a high level, we will have a range of golf experiences available for people to play. But more importantly, learn. There is a huge opportunity for us to engage novice and amateur players with the game. Especially with the growth of “off course” golf. The number of rounds played “off course” superceded the number of rounds played “on course” last year.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/business/for-the-first-time-most-golfers-play-off-course-6359917d
Break the Love and Break the Birdie serve the functional role of helping players connect with other players, secure playing time, and hire instructors. But I’d argue that the most compelling aspect is how they attract a new, more diverse group of people to sports that have traditionally been seen as stuffy and elitist. What are some of the strategies you employ to accomplish this?
A: It’s interesting you mention this. Really, I just felt like there was no recreational sports brand online that felt digestible, relatable, and friendly enough for my friends to want to get into playing a sport like tennis. I knew that we did not have our own brick and mortar location with a staff that people can talk to, feel, and see. So, I really thought about: “How can I create my own type of universe online that feels safe and inviting no matter what your experience is being active and or playing a sport?”
Really, I just felt like there was no recreational sports brand online that felt digestible, relatable, and friendly enough for my friends to want to get into playing a sport like tennis.”
—Trisha on the motivation behind Break the Love
I started by creating a voice that felt like you were talking to and learning from you friend. That voice is what attracted our first few thousand users to our platform and since then we have embedded this voice and visual identity across every single touchpoint from our social, website, and customer support to evangelizing our values to all of our court partners to create a new kind of sports club.
I started by creating a voice that felt like you were talking to and learning from you friend. That voice is what attracted our first few thousand users to our platform and since then we have embedded this voice and visual identity across every single touchpoint from our social, website, and customer support to evangelizing our values to all of our court partners to create a new kind of sports club.”
—Trisha on creating the ‘voice’ behind Break the Love
Do you feel that institutional actors in the tennis and golf world have been supportive of the new energy you’re bringing in?
A: Is it always intimidating in the beginning talking to endemic players in these spaces? For sure. However, we have seen the key players in both these spaces support our mission, our team, and our platform over time.
Give us your hot take regarding the tennis vs. pickleball vs. padel debate. Do you have a preference?
A: I think there is a place for all 3. I personally do play all 3 and it just depends on who I am with and what I am feeling. I do not have a strong preference and really just support any activity that helps people get moving and have a community outside of their work to unplug with.
Break the Love and Break the Birdie put on great events in collaboration with amazing brands. What’s been one of your favorite collaborations to date?
A: This is a tough one . . . especially with so much I am excited about that’s coming up. Come back to me at the end of 2024 and I will have one for you.
Many in the wellness community are predicting a boom in boutique fitness classes as consumers seek community alongside their workouts in a post-pandemic era. I’d go even further and say that leisure sports like tennis, padel and golf will surge as more and more people look to pair fitness with socializing and networking. Is this a trend you’re anticipating, as well?
A: Yes, it is one that we have been betting on for a while and I do think the pandemic demonstrated that. I love boutique fitness and think it’s here to stay – there is so much community many of these brands bring to people and naturally help people stay physically fit. But we have just seen many people that want more on top of their fitness. Or we are seeing people who maybe actually don’t like the gym or fitness classes and sports like tennis, pickleball, padel, or golf are their primary form of fitness because it doesn’t feel like fitness to them.
One of the reasons I had such a positive first impression of Break the Love was the emphasis on fun and education. I think many people are introduced to golf and tennis in a competitive context and later find out that they can be fun and relaxing ways to connect with friends.
Not really a question as much as a “well done” for helping people connect with these sports in a collaborative, fun way in the first instance.
A: Happy to hear we made that first impression on you!
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