The Snip That Made It Real: Coming Full Circle on the Courts
There is something profoundly surreal about holding a pair of ridiculously oversized scissors.
Trading the Sidelines for the Big Scissors
For nearly 18 years, I have proudly served as a Forward Janesville Ambassador. I have stood on the sidelines for dozens of ribbon cuttings, clapping, cheering, and celebrating the incredible business owners in our community as they launched their dreams. But this week? I was the one standing in the center, holding those scissors, surrounded by my fellow ambassadors.
Talk about a full-circle moment.
Paddle Up Solutions officially joined Forward Janesville back in January of this year. But if you know anything about me - and if you know anything about the great state of Wisconsin - you know I wasn't about to host an outdoor event in the dead of winter. Pickleball is meant to be played outdoors, under the sun, with a slight breeze messing with your third-shot drop. So, we intentionally postponed our celebration until the weather matched the spirit of the game.
Taking It Back to Where It All Began
More importantly, I wanted this moment to happen exactly where my own pickleball story began: the Riverside Park pickleball courts.
Back in the summer of 2019, I stepped onto those courts for the very first time. Let’s be completely transparent here - my husband, Craig, definitely caught on a bit faster than I did initially. But let's just say it didn't take me too long to close that gap! From those early days of figuring out the kitchen rules to now having stepped onto hundreds of courts across the country, my love for this game has completely taken over.
A Passion Project Turned Powerhouse
Starting Paddle Up Solutions was simply about taking that obsession and turning it into an engine to help others. I want to take every single lesson, every strategy, and every ounce of joy I've found on the court and share it. Whether we are drilling player skill development through clinics and coaching, or leveraging the unique dynamics of this game to provide corporate team-building experiences that actually transform workplace culture - I am all in. If you know me, you know I don't do anything at 100%. You are getting 150%, Every. Single. Time.
The Power of the "Snip:" Validating the Hustle
But I want to get real for a second about what this ribbon cutting actually meant, especially for anyone reading this who owns a business or is dreaming of starting one.
When you launch a business, you spend months hustling in the quiet. You are filing paperwork, building websites, writing proposals, and putting out fires before anyone even knows your doors are open. In the thick of that daily grind, imposter syndrome can creep in. You wake up on a Tuesday morning and ask yourself, Is this actually real? Am I really doing this, or am I just playing business?
Let me tell you: an official ribbon cutting shatters that doubt. Hearing the literal snip of that ribbon is a psychological anchor. It is the physical manifestation of all your late nights and hard work. It validates your courage and loudly declares that you have stepped out of the "I'm thinking about it" phase and firmly into reality. For any business owners out there, do not skip your celebrations. Host the ribbon cutting, throw the anniversary party, and throw the confetti high in the air. Force yourself to pause, look around at the community supporting you, and acknowledge that you built something tangible. You absolutely earned that moment to stand in the sun and say, "I did this."
Having my fellow ambassadors standing beside me at Riverside Park was the ultimate validation this week. It wasn't just a celebration of a chamber membership; it was a celebration of community, of taking the leap, and of the incredible power of a pickleball and a paddle.
The ribbon is cut. The courts are calling. Let's paddle up!
Embracing the G&G on and off the court,
Lisa