Denise Richards’ Entrepreneurial Journey: Denise Richards, co-founder and COO of Dill Dinkers Pickleball, launched the business after falling in love with the sport in 2021. She opened the first location, created operations standards, and built a franchise model with her partner William Richards to make indoor pickleball accessible for all players.
Starting a New Chapter
Denise Richards was inspired to start Dill Dinkers after struggling to find indoor courts during inclement weather.
I started playing pickleball in 2021, and I quickly fell in love with the game. But finding indoor courts, especially during bad weather, was nearly impossible. That challenge sparked the idea for Dill Dinkers, and we’ve been building spaces for people to enjoy the sport ever since.” – (Richards)
Richards had more than 20 years of sales experience, nine years of training experience, and eight years of managing multiple units before founding the company. She believes her background gave her the tools needed to open and run successful clubs. The best advice she received was to create a social space where players felt welcome and connected.
“The best advice I received was to create social spaces where players could connect and feel part of a community and to establish strong programming to bring people through the doors. As for bad advice, I haven’t encountered much. Pickleball is such a new industry that we’ve had to carve our own path and figure out solutions as we go.” – (Richards)
This was her first time working in franchising. After the first club succeeded, franchising became the natural path to expand quickly and stay ahead of others. Richards co-founded the business with William Richards.
“William Richards co-founded Dill Dinkers with me. It’s been a great partnership: Will brings a visionary mindset and franchise expertise while I focus on operations, sales, and management. Together, we balance each other out: He lays the groundwork, and I make sure everything runs smoothly.” – (Richards)
Funding came from early supporters in the pickleball community. As the business grew, profits from the clubs and franchise royalties helped fund further expansion.
Building the Brand
For Richards, the best part of being an entrepreneur is sharing the excitement of owning a pickleball club. The hardest part was building systems from scratch.
“Coming from a corporate background, I took those frameworks for granted, but starting in such a new industry meant we had to develop everything from the ground up.” – (Richards)
Running a franchise brought new surprises.
“The diversity of personalities and approaches among franchisees was surprising.” – (Richards)
When they first started, marketing was handled by Richards and her partner. Later, a PR agency, a marketing team, and a digital marketing company joined to support brand growth. Richards transitioned from running the first club to her leadership role by learning from hands-on experience.
“I spent 14 months running our first club, learning what worked and what didn’t. As we opened more corporate clubs, I stepped into the COO role. From there, that hands-on experience prepared us to lead the growth phase through franchising.” – (Richards)
She describes her leadership style as methodical, detail-oriented, and relationship-driven.
“I’d say I’m methodical, detail oriented, and relationship driven. I lead from the middle rather than the top, fostering open communication and collaboration.” – (Richards)
Success, according to Richards, came from offering indoor pickleball for all skill levels, creating a scalable franchise model, and hiring a strong executive team.
Experience as a Female Founder
Richards does not see her gender as a disadvantage.
“I don’t think too much about gender in business, but I’d say it’s been an advantage. My strengths in communication, creativity, and relationship building have served me well as an entrepreneur.” – (Richards)
She acknowledged that egos and proving oneself can sometimes be challenges for women, but she has not faced major obstacles at Dill Dinkers. Richards believes women may sometimes take fewer risks, possibly leading to fewer female-founded startups.
Since Dill Dinkers launched, she has seen a positive change, with more women stepping into leadership roles. “It’s almost a 50/50 split now,” she said about regional developers. Mentorship played an important role in her career.
“I learned a lot from a mentor at a previous company. I was inspired by his management style and how he put himself on an equal level with everyone. I always felt comfortable opening up to him, and I try to emulate that as we continue to grow Dill Dinkers.” – (Richards)
Future Goals
Looking ahead, Richards hopes Dill Dinkers will grow to over 200 locations in the next five years. Helping new clubs open remains her biggest excitement.
“There’s nothing like working with people passionate about running their clubs and seeing the excitement pickleball brings to their communities.” – (Richards)
News in Brief: Denise Richards’ Entrepreneurial Journey
Denise Richards, co-founder of Dill Dinkers Pickleball, launched the business in 2021 to create welcoming indoor pickleball spaces. With a strong background in sales and management, she built a thriving franchise model and plans to expand to 200 locations in five years.
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