TRANSKRIP 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:06.959
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together.
00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:10.480
Here's your host, Deborah Coviello.
00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:17.199
Hello and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast Live.
00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:21.839
Are you in need of Racket Sports selling and repair business?
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.079
One might be closer than you think.
00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:32.079
So today I have the pleasure of introducing to you your good neighbor, Drew Violet, with Next Level Stringing.
00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:33.600
How are you doing today, Drew?
00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:34.799
I'm doing great.
00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:35.280
Thank you.
00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:37.520
All right, and I'm excited to have you on the show.
00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:39.920
And this is a completely new industry for me.
00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:46.000
I've never met anybody, so I'm very excited to learn about you and your business.
00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:51.359
Yeah, it's a pretty small niche that I have carved out for myself, I guess.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:57.280
Uh well, tell us a little bit more about the work that you do, uh, the types of sports that you cover.
00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:01.520
How do you help people uh in the racket uh sports industry?
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.000
Uh so I'm in the ProShop business.
00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:10.959
Uh basically I have uh one location with all my equipment to sell rackets, strings, grips, accessories.
00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:23.519
Um and with all that, I have I have four other locations that I drop off and pick up customer equipment, whether they're purchasing something or just a racket restring uh or grip or anything like that.
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:28.959
Um sports-wise, I do anything that's basically a racket and a ball.
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:34.000
Um or or like uh in Badman, they've got what's called a shuttlecock.
00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:37.280
Um, so they have strings in the rackets, I restring them.
00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:48.079
If they don't have strings in the paddles, like pickleball or platform tennis or padell, uh, I could do customization for the rackets, weights, uh, regrips, things like that.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.159
That's absolutely fascinating.
00:01:50.239 --> 00:02:00.719
There's gotta be a guy or a gal that does that when somebody just can't move forward with their sport because ah I hit it on somebody's head, I threw it on the ground or what have you.
00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:06.480
I mean, a quick question: what's the worst condition you have seen something come to you that you have to fix?
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.199
Uh well, cracked butt caps.
00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:21.680
So, like for instance, on this racket here, it's got a butt cap, just like any other tennis racket, and they'll uh they're basically secured with um they're secured with like uh either glue of some sort, some adhesive.
00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:23.439
Most of the time it's staples.
00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:27.759
Uh so those will just come loose and you'll have to rip the whole entire butt cap off and redo that.
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:29.840
But that or I would say the bumper guard.
00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:39.280
So the top of the racket has a plastic protection on it, and it just over time of scraping the ground over and over again, the plastic wears off and it starts getting into the metal of the racket.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:43.439
So I've seen some pretty bad bumper guard situations going on.
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:48.080
So everybody has to have a guy to fix their rackets.
00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:54.240
But but what's really fascinating about this is I just didn't know that there was, you know, this kind of uh of industry or business.
00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:57.520
So just tell us a little bit, how did you even get into this line of work?
00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:12.479
Uh so I got into it because when I first started playing tennis as a freshman, uh, my high school coach had a machine at his house and he was a school teacher, so he just didn't have any time basically to continue to string all of our rackets.
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:14.879
Um, and just asked anybody in the team.
00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:18.240
I raised my hand, of course, and I would love to learn how to string.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:29.680
Um, he showed me one racket one time how to do it, and then I just would go over there whenever my teammates or myself would break a string and I'd string the rackets for them, having no idea what I was doing.
00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:31.439
So that was kind of the start of it.
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:37.120
But where I really took off was at uh Shadow Valley Tennis Club in Toledo, Ohio when I was in college.
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:40.639
Um, I had already been stringing for maybe six or seven years.
00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:44.479
Um, and then I went to a pro shop there called First Serve Tennis Shop.
00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:48.719
Um, and I met my the guy who taught me everything I know.
00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.680
His name is Jeff Turner, uh really, really great guy.
00:03:52.000 --> 00:04:00.879
And I showed him what I knew how to do, and then he showed me what he knew how to do with the rackets, and I said, Oh, I guess I don't know what I'm doing uh at all.
00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:15.919
So he took me under his wing for about eight or nine years, um, and just taught me basically everything there is to know about re purposing tennis rackets and just re um, you know, just just getting anything back to to playing shape.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.079
What a niche industry.
00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:18.480
Yeah.
00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:26.720
So um so so one this is a this is a great opportunity to maybe educate um our listeners and our viewers.
00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:33.839
Um, are there any myths, misconceptions, misunderstandings uh about your industry, your business, or what you do?
Load full transcript
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:35.839
Uh sure.
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:49.680
I mean the the biggest one is gonna be on well, I would say the biggest two things would be one is in in if you're in the tennis world, you know that it's appropriate to restring your rackets X amount of times per year.
00:04:49.839 --> 00:05:00.800
Uh so the biggest one I hear of is always however many times you play per week is how many times you should string your racket per year, which is not accurate for 90% of the community.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:06.240
So you'll hear that from the big box um tennis stores around in Cincinnati and all over the country.
00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:08.879
You'll hear it from anybody who just doesn't really know what they're doing.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:17.040
Because I always say if you're a beginner tennis player and you get a tennis bug and you're playing seven days a week, you really don't need to string your racket seven times a year.
00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:27.920
And then if you're an expert and you're a really high-level college player, pro player, and you're playing seven days a week, you'll need to string your racket a heck of a lot more than seven times a week or seven times a year.
00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:32.399
Um, so it's really not accurate for basically anybody.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:40.000
And I would say the other one is when you people will ask, How do I get more power in a racket from a string job?
00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:41.360
There's not a whole lot you can do.
00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:47.120
The the common misconception is the higher you go in tension, the more control, which is actually true.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:51.360
Um, when I think of control, I think of being able to not hit the ball so far.
00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:58.800
Uh, when you go looser in tension, it's told to every person on the planet like the lower you go in tension, the more power you get.
00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.879
Well, that's quite in fact, you know, it's not that's not correct at all.
00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:05.600
Uh, the looser you go, you'll get more depth on the ball.
00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.199
So it gives you the illusion of power.
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.399
So you won't get anything more in miles per hour.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:12.319
So I don't think you get more power.
00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:16.800
So if I string a racket at 40 and another one at 60, my miles per hour will be very similar.
00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.519
So those are two big things that I think get told to the general public that aren't really true.
00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:30.079
Absolutely fascinating from the guy who's responsible for the performance or uh contributing to the performance of that athlete.
00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:31.680
Uh, very, very interesting.
00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:36.639
So uh again, a very niche industry that you're in, but um, you know, how do you market?
00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:38.000
How do you find your clients?
00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.600
Again, uh, marketing and getting the word out there is the heart of your business.
00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:47.279
So, what do you currently do to get that business or connect with those people that could use your services?
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.879
Uh, I would say that I do a pretty poor job on that front.
00:06:51.040 --> 00:07:04.560
Uh, most of what I do, if it's online, Instagram, Facebook kind of thing, uh, that's gonna be mostly my wife doing that because I'm so bad on the you know, internet type of stuff where I'm getting the word out via social media.
00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:06.879
Um, I could definitely utilize that a lot better.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.639
But mostly what I do to promote my business is just word of mouth.
00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:12.560
So it's just old school.
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:18.079
You know, I tell people, hey, I'll give you a discount of ten dollars per customer that you send my way.
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.360
If they buy something for my shop, I'll give you ten dollars off your next purchase.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:27.279
And they could do that endlessly, so they can get a lot of free equipment from me or free services from me by doing that.
00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:32.959
So I've gone from zero back in 20, I want to say I moved to Cincinnati in 2015.
00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:41.120
And over the last 11 or 12 years, I've gone from zero customers to over 4,000 rackets I string per year.
00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:50.000
So, and that's all word of mouth, just people said you know, saying, Hey, I know a guy, Drew, you stripped, go ahead and go ahead and send your business his way.
00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:51.199
So that's what I've done.
00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:58.560
I mean, that's the beauty of being a good neighbor and just doing great work for people so they can continue to pursue their sport or their interests.
00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:02.639
Um, I mean, uh have you like done more podcast interviews?
00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:04.399
I mean, you're showing up today, you're doing just fine.
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:05.759
Have you done other interviews?
00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:07.199
Yeah, I have actually.
00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:19.839
So um I had a really good interviewer, Steven, I can't recall his last name, is a really, really nice uh news journalist, um channel eight news, I believe, uh here locally, uh Butler County.
00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:21.360
And he does a really good job.
00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:29.279
So he interviewed me for probably, I don't know, two hours, and then Windows down to his, you know, his little segment about me, which is maybe three or four minutes.
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:30.399
So that was really good.
00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:34.159
And then um I've done other I've done others as well.
00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:40.399
Okay, because I I know myself back in the day when I uh was doing the same thing, starting my own business.
00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:48.240
I would love to be on other people's shows,
and then all of a sudden one day I said, I am tired of chasing to get on other people's shows.
00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.399
I would love to invite people onto my show.
00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:56.639
Uh, just curious, have you ever thought of having your own um what do we call it, uh, next level stringing podcast?
00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:58.399
I have not.
00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.879
That's uh first I've I've even heard anybody ask.
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:04.960
You know, I'm just I'm just one of those people.
00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:05.919
I ask a lot of questions.
00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:07.039
That's my job as the host.
00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:08.480
I get to ask the questions.
00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:10.879
Um, but let's let's move on in another direction.
00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:11.759
I'm just curious.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:16.799
I mean, obviously, um, we like to know the people that we want potentially do business with.
00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:22.240
So tell us a little bit about what Drew does outside of War Profond or your hobbies when you're not stringing.
00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:25.440
Uh well, I have two daughters and a great wife.
00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.799
Um, so we like to hang out a lot at the house.
00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:32.320
We've got a really nice backyard and we just do a lot of stuff outside.
00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.720
We're we're not inside people watching TV.
00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:36.320
We're always outside doing something.
00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:38.000
We live in a nice uh little community.
00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.399
So I built in our cul-de-sac where we live.
00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:45.519
My neighbors I checked with, of course, before I did it, but they were all okay with me putting down two pickleball courts.
00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:53.840
So I spray painted two pickleball courts in the cul-de-sac, and we'll all get to the community together and play right there in the right in front of our houses.
00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:55.919
Um, that's a big thing we like to do.
00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:02.159
Uh, my wife and I met, and the first six or so dates, I think, were all hiking.
00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:10.240
So we went out to the woods and just went and did a bunch of hikes, Mount Erie, um, California, nature preserve.
00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.519
Uh, we did a couple of those, and then so we'd like to take the family.
00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:19.279
Um, we just did Mohegan last week, so you know, we do a lot of hiking and outdoors kind of thing.
00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.720
And the weather has been lovely lately, so enjoy it while you can.
00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:24.720
Well, it's supposed to rain tomorrow, I think.
00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:26.639
Um, so that's amazing.
00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.120
So, um, Drew, we're gonna start bringing this in.
00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:30.799
You've been a wealth of knowledge information.
00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:34.480
Again, I had no idea about your industry, so it's been great.
00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:45.679
But as we think about everybody remembers kind of last messages when they're done listening to a podcast, what would be like one thing that you want uh folks to remember uh about next level stringing?
00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.720
Uh for me and my company, the biggest thing I've always stressed is quality of work.
00:10:50.960 --> 00:11:04.080
So anywhere you go throughout the country and really throughout the world, I've been trained by the best, um, not only here locally and like when I was in Toledo, but I also traveled to Spain to train with Richard Parnell, who's with the GRSA.
00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:09.919
I'll be going to Germany this year in October and then back to Spain again in November to train with those guys.
00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:12.559
So those guys string for the pros, I string for the pros.
00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:17.840
So, really, with my business, if you're looking to get some high quality work, that's what I give.
00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:19.600
I give the best quality work around.
00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:23.679
So don't go to just Joe Schmoe like a friend because they're cheaper.
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:33.919
Uh, but if you're looking to get a high quality job, and and the second part to that I would say is if it can be done on a racket or uh any kind of racket sport, I can do it.
00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:41.279
So any repairs that are possible, I can I perform all everything that's can be done on a racket minus a complete break.
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:49.120
Of course, you can't fix that, but and if people wanted to learn more or connect or get a quote or just meet you, uh, how can they connect with you?
00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:54.639
Uh the two easiest ways, if you want to just watch some video footage, um, I've done a little bit on my Instagram page.
00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:56.240
It's just next level string.
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.440
Some guy took the string ing uh for lacrosse, I guess.
00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:03.519
So my Instagram is just next level string, my Facebook is next level stringing.
00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:08.879
Um, and then the easiest way for my customers to get a hold of me um is just by my cell phone.
00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.120
So my cell phone, is that okay to put out?
00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.000
It is calling or texting me anytime.
00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:18.240
Um, I'll respond within a day at the very most, but generally within an hour.
00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.320
My cell phone is 567-224-8751.
00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:24.399
And again, you can call or text anytime.
00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:27.360
All right, well, Drew, I really appreciate you being on the show.
00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:34.480
It's been a great conversation, very enlightening, and I just want to wish you, all your customers, and your business the best moving forward.
00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:35.200
Thank you.
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:36.559
I appreciate it.
00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.159
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.679
Nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show.
00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:47.039
Go to gnpsincennati.com.
00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:55.519
That's gnpsincennati.com or call 513 878 0987.