Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in sports but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tonya Sims, Founder of Upper Level Sports Academy, located in Milwaukee, WI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a College Sports Consultant helping parents with kids who play sports get recruited by college coaches. I serve most with the marketing side empowering my clients with methods to contact college coaches through email, getting exposure, social media, branding, etc. Although marriage is teamwork, most of my customers are moms with kids ages 12 to 18 years old. I find that moms are the ones taking charge of their child’s recruiting journey.
Tell us about yourself
Both my parents were real estate investors, which inspired me to start my own business at the age of 13 with a neighborhood friend shoveling snow. I became obsessed with spotting problems and wanting to solve them and find solutions. I come from a sports family. Both my parents served in the US Air Force and also competed in athletics at a high level. My brother also played Division 1 basketball, as did I. What first got me started in my business was reflecting on my own recruiting journey. I started getting recruited at age 13, playing in a basketball tournament in Arizona. I played horribly, but coaches saw potential in me, possibly because I had already reached my full height, 6'2, by 13 years old, and I was very coordinated. I went on to become a First Team High School American basketball player and was ranked the 5th best girl basketball player in the country in my senior year of high school. My recruiting journey was fairly easy, and being the empathetic person I am, I wanted to remove the overwhelm and frustration for others during this process.
What motivates me is to serve and add value, to help people, but it's still a business, and I can get compensated for sharing knowledge that I already have. I'm also motivated to create and innovate. I'm very creative and also analytical. I'm motivated to build a healthy company culture where people can thrive and do their best work.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There have been lots of accomplishments in my short time in my business. I've grown a good-sized, thriving community of parents of athletes from scratch. I spend a lot of time nurturing my community and I've built long-lasting relationships, something I'm extremely proud of. With my help, I have seen lots of athletes get success in their recruiting journey, which makes for happy parents.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I'm a solopreneur for the time being, which can get lonely. I have to find ways to keep accountability and lean on my sales group, business coach, and other business owners for support. There's no boss; I'm my own boss and have to light my own fire. Lots of people don't understand what I do, but it doesn't matter as long as my customers know. I'm happy to have hired my first consultant in October 2022, which has helped tremendously.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a long-term vision. People might think you're crazy but stick with it.
- Create an action plan. Set your long-term 10-year business goals, 5-year goals, and 1-year goals, then set goals for every quarter. Now go and execute!
- Starting and growing a business can be super stressful and challenging, so make sure to take care of your mental and physical health. Make time for self-care because that's highly important.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://upperlevelsportsacademy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretsofcollegerecruiting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtonyasims/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyasims/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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