E110: Mae Romero: Inventing a Better Way to Carry the Game

E110: Mae Romero: Inventing a Better Way to Carry the Game

What happens when a lifelong inventor falls in love with pickleball and decides the sport deserves something better? In this episode, we talk with Mae Romero, an inventor, entrepreneur, lifelong problem solver, and founder of Okto Pickleball. Mae shares how growing up on a farm and learning to weld at just seven years old helped shape her confidence, creativity, and ability to figure things out for herself. She has spent her life building things, both literally and creatively, and over the years has taken multiple products from concept to national retail. When pickleball entered her life, it sparked a whole new chapter. For Mae, invention and pickleball have a lot in common — both require resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to keep solving problems in front of you. Mae talks about how her love for the game led her to create Okto, a brand focused on gear that is not only functional, but intentional and empowering for pickleball players. She shares what it looks like to move from seeing a need to designing a solution, and how her life as an inventor has shaped the way she approaches the game. Along the way, we explore creativity, entrepreneurship, confidence, and what it means to trust your own ideas enough to bring them into the world. This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, invention, entrepreneurship, women in business, creativity, resilience, product design, Okto Pickleball, innovation, confidence, and the life lessons that remind us to trust ourselves, stay curious, and keep building what we wish existed. https://oktogear.com/ [https://oktogear.com/] 📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve [https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve] A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball. A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world. Contact us:  www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com Follow and watch: https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com [https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316] https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/] https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod [https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod] Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen  Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E109: Kyle Case: Don’t Stop — The Power of Active Aging Through Pickleball

What if aging was not about slowing down, but about discovering new strength, new community, and new reasons to keep playing? In this episode, we talk with Kyle Case, CEO of the Huntsman World Senior Games, the largest annual multi-sport event in the world for athletes age 50 and older. Kyle shares how he first fell in love with the idea of amateur sports and event management as a college student, and how that passion grew into a career devoted to active aging, meaningful competition, and creating opportunities for people to keep doing what they love well into later life. Under his leadership, the Huntsman World Senior Games now welcomes more than 12,000 athletes to St. George, Utah each year to compete in over 40 sports, including pickleball.  Kyle talks about why pickleball has been such a powerful part of that growth, from its low barrier to entry to its ability to welcome players across generations and skill levels. He reflects on the inspiring athletes he has watched over the years, including competitors in their 80s, 90s, and even over 100 years old, and shares why the Games are about so much more than medals. They are about purpose, connection, joy, and proving that it is never too late to begin something new. Along the way, he also shares his own experience competing in the senior games and the life lessons he has learned from decades of watching people redefine what aging can look like.  This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, the Huntsman World Senior Games, active aging, senior athletes, longevity, community, resilience, fitness, purpose, lifelong sports, and the life lessons that remind us not to stop, not to count ourselves out, and never to believe it is too late to start.  https://seniorgames.net/ [https://seniorgames.net/] 📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve [https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve] A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball. A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world. Contact us:  www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com Follow and watch: https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com [https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316] https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/] https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod [https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod] Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen  Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E108: Dotti Berry: Training the Mental Edge in Pickleball and Life

What if the biggest thing holding pickleball players back is not their mechanics, but the way they think, react, and talk to themselves under pressure? In this episode, we talk with Dotti Berry, better known as Coach B, a mental and peak performance coach, the creator of Mental Edge: The X Factor, and the recipient of the 2026 PPR Humanitarian Award. Dotti shares how she first discovered pickleball after hearing about it again and again from friends and clients, and how that curiosity eventually led her to a sport that combined movement, community, challenge, and joy. From her early days walking nervously into a local gym to becoming a trusted voice in the mental game of pickleball, Dotti has built a powerful body of work around helping players retrain their brains so they can perform with more steadiness on and off the court.  Dotti explains why she believes the traditional idea of “mindset” is too static, and why what players really need are daily MindShift habits that help them regulate nerves, build emotional resilience, and stop spiraling after mistakes. She talks about the difference between insight and real change, the importance of daily mental training, and why players do not rise to the occasion under pressure, but instead fall to the level of their training. Along the way, she shares practical tools like breathing, touch anchors, noticing and naming emotions, and building routines that can help players recover faster and stay present.  This is a deeply insightful conversation about pickleball, the mental game, peak performance, emotional regulation, self-talk, confidence, pressure, habits, resilience, Coach B, Mental Edge: The X Factor, the PPR Humanitarian Award, and the life lessons that remind us our identity is bigger than our results, our joy matters just as much as our progress, and we can learn to train our minds in ways that change everything. https://flow.page/pickleballforumforwomen [https://flow.page/pickleballforumforwomen] 📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve [https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve] A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball. A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world. Contact us:  www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com Follow and watch: https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com [https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316] https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/] https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod [https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod] Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen  Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E107: A Note to Our Listeners: Our Summer Schedule Update

Hi friends, we wanted to share a quick update with our Life Lessons from Pickleball™ community. We’ll still have a brand new episode for you on May 19, and after that we’ll be moving to an every-other-week summer schedule, with our next new episode on June 2. We’re looking forward to a lighter summer rhythm, and we hope you are too. And with more than 100 episodes already in our library, this is a wonderful time to catch up on any conversations you may have missed and revisit some of your favorites. And if you’d like another way to enjoy these stories, our paperback book and eBook, Life Lessons from Pickleball™, are available now on Amazon, and a portion of every sale is donated to Operation PaddleLift, helping bring paddles, nets, and resources to underserved communities around the world. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this beautiful pickleball community. We’re so grateful you’re here. 📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve [https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve] A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball. A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world. Contact us:  www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com Follow and watch: https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com [https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316] https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/] https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod [https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod] Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen  Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E106: Lydia Hirt: Building Community, Style, and Opportunity Through Pickleball

How can pickleball open the door to new friendships, a whole new career path, and a fresh way to bring style, community, and opportunity into everyday life? In this episode, we talk with Lydia Hirt, a New York-based pickleball community builder, marketer, and creative voice who has helped grow the sport in exciting and meaningful ways. Lydia shares how she first discovered pickleball during the pandemic in Florida, playing with her family as their small pod, and how that one experience sparked an obsession she carried back to New York City. At the time, pickleball in New York was still underground, with no official courts and very little infrastructure, but Lydia saw not just a fun new sport, but a real opportunity to help build community and grow the game.  Lydia talks about how her background in publishing and marketing eventually led her into major roles with CityPickle and Life Time Pickleball, and how pickleball completely changed the direction of her life and career. She also shares why she is so passionate about women in pickleball, supporting female founders, creators, and players, and helping make sure women are seen, celebrated, and valued in every corner of the sport. Along the way, she reflects on urban pickleball, grassroots community building, pickleball fashion, safety on the court, and the unique way pickleball creates connection between people of all ages and backgrounds.  This is a fun, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, New York City pickleball, Lydia Hirt, women in pickleball, pickleball fashion, urban pickleball, community building, Life Time Pickleball, CityPickle, safety, friendship, marketing, and the life lessons that remind us not to judge a player by appearances, to stay open to new chapters, and to let pickleball surprise us in the very best ways. https://loveatfirstdink.substack.com/ [https://loveatfirstdink.substack.com/] 📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve [https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve] A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball. A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world. Contact us:  www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com Follow and watch: https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com [https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316] https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/] https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod [https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod] Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen  Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.