People and Companies That Inspired Us in 2020
Starting this year, and each December to follow, I’d love to take some time to highlight a few amazing people and local companies that have inspired me and our business throughout the year. These people and organizations not only make awesome products or offer fantastic services but they have always put others first, during a global pandemic or otherwise. These individuals have lived out one of our mottos - the more you give, the more you grow - and have been an inspiration for myself and Pro Athlete!
1. ) Medical Professionals
Every entry on this list could (and probably should) be dedicated to our local, national, and international medical professionals and first responders. This year has been difficult for everyone, and these brave individuals woke up every day and faced a global pandemic with the simple goal of keeping us safe. Absolutely amazing!
One of my favorite stories locally is about Kansas City Direct Primary Care owner Allison Edwards and local entrepreneur Jay Austin. Last spring, in the midst of complete uncertainty, they partnered up to bring testing to under-served Kansas City neighborhoods and made sure residents had access to COVID care. That’s amazing!!
To all the medical professionals out there sacrificing everything, I want to say a sincere thank you and tell you how honored we are to have you all fighting for us. You are our heroes during these crazy times. Thank you for protecting us and for inspiring the world!
2.) J. Rieger & Co. #osogood
If you haven’t heard of J. Rieger & Co., they’re proudly distilling in KC’s historic Electric Park neighborhood. Personally, it’s one of my fav local spots and our company even had our holiday party there in 2019. From amazing drinks and food to the Hey! Hey! Club and how can we not mention the slide! Everything they do is done to perfection, but this year, my love for them extended beyond their Kansas City Whiskey.
During the pandemic, in an effort to combat COVID-19, they redirected ALL of their efforts into producing Rieger’s Remedy - a hand sanitizer that is FDA approved and available in 2-liter and 6.6oz bottles. Pro Athlete was proud to team up and help them ship their sanitizer during the pandemic. They also donated masks to the city early on and found a way to continue to get their awesome products into our homes through cocktail kits and premade drinks.
To use a baseball pun, because that’s what we do here, Andy Rieger and his team knocked it out of the park in 2020!
You can learn more and support the cause by placing a pre-order for pickup via their partner Blade & Timber.
3.) Made In KC and Sandlot Goods
Made in KC is Kansas City’s premier destination for local goods, gifts, apparel, and more. This year, I’m particularly thankful for them and it’s not just because they have all my favorite things in KC.
Back in May, in a collaborative effort with Sandlot Goods, the Made in KC team helped create kcppe.com. If you’re looking for locally-made masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer then this is your one-stop-shop. Pro Athlete got the honor of helping them fundraise through our Safe At Home campaign with our Routine brand. Influencers from the baseball world came out in a big way to support the mask initiative and we couldn't be more thankful.
In addition to helping with the pandemic, they were also heavily involved with fighting for equality for the black community. Tyler Enders and his team stepped up to the plate for KC in a big way and inspired so many to get involved.
4.) Bob Kendrick and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Over the past few years, we have had the opportunity to work with Bob Kendrick and the team at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on various projects. We always knew Bob was amazing, but working closely this year on a few impactful projects took that admiration to another level. Not to mention he is the best storyteller and best-dressed person in KC!!!!!
The NLBM had big plans to celebrate the Negro Leagues’ centennial anniversary in 2020 but when things started to shut down, they pivoted and inspired the world to follow!
We're proud to have partnered with the NLBM to produce a series called STORIED. It features 22 stories of the Negro Leagues told by Bob Kendrick. The interest has been amazing locally and nationally! Stay tuned for big things from the NLBM x Pro Athlete partnership in 2021!
I'm proud of all the work we did together, but the thing I am most thankful for is that Bob inspired Pro Athlete to be more proactive in our Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality efforts.
In closing, I just want to say congrats to Bob and the NLBM on the big news that the Negro Leagues will now be viewed in the records books with Major League Baseball.
That's a STORIED ending to this year if you ask me!
5.) Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs
He’s the most popular athlete in the nation, one of Sports Illustrated’s 2020 Sportspeople of the Year and we get to call him a neighbor...not bad to share a city with Patrick Mahomes!
Mahomes and the entire Chiefs organization have done so much for Kansas City in 2020 and make me proud to wear red. From giving us one of the last non-socially distant celebrations with the Super Bowl parade to bringing voting booths to Arrowhead Stadium, I’m inspired by what this team has done on and off the field.
It's pretty amazing to think of how impactful Mahomes has been so early in his career. Think about the number of things he is being asked to do off the field. Not to mention the expectations we all have for him on the field. He's in so many commercials and is getting into different business ventures (Royals Owner) as well, and now he has a baby on the way! This dude is on a trajectory few have been on! Given all that and a whole city on his back, he's still found a way to do it with a big smile on his face. It's super impressive!
The pic below is of our employees and their families at the parade. One of the best moments in my 11 years at Pro Athlete!
Kansas City Chiefs Parade Party | Pro Athlete, Inc.
6.) Charlie Hustle #KCHeart
Who doesn't love them some Charlie Hustle here in KC?! Not only do they support the community through their cause-worthy collections and KC inspired clothing, but they also stepped up in a HUGE way during the pandemic.
The team at Charlie Hustle, including Chase McAnulty and former Pro Athlete employee Greg Moore, have used their Heart of KC Foundation in order to create the 1K for KC initiative to help families in need pay housing expenses during these difficult times. From November to January, they continue to provide relief to select families in the form of mortgage/rent assistance. When we saw the chance to help with this, we jumped right in to be one of the donors. Such a great cause!
So, thank you Charlie Hustle Clothing Co. for lending a helping heart and for providing hope to families during the holiday season.
7.) Allison Berey and M:Calibrate
Another individual whom I’d like to recognize for some major help during 2020 is Allison Berey. At the start of the year, we were ready to hit the ground running with our first acquisition, Routine, but as COVID put up roadblocks, we needed a pinch hitter. Enter Allison Berey.
Amidst a global pandemic, Allison took over the role of fractional CMO, provided me with CEO counseling sessions, and advised our team on the next steps for the growing apparel company.
With her help, we’re excited to reintroduce the world to Routine in 2021. I can’t thank her enough for being there during the rough days early on and for putting up with me! We know that couldn't have been easy!
If you or your company can use an experienced marketing mind to help take your business to the next level, be sure to check out Allison's company, M:CALIBRATE.
Oh and one more thing about Allison that inspired me. She did all this amazing work for our company and was always available to me at the drop of a hat, all while never having met each other in person. That's pretty remarkable! I still have only seen Allison virtually, but can't wait to thank her in person for all the help she gave us in 2020!
8.) The Pro Athlete Family
To finish this off, I’d like to highlight the Pro Athlete employees and their families. The number of ways this crew has inspired me this year won't fit in one post, but here goes!
It’s been an uphill battle but I couldn’t thank this group enough for working so hard to keep the Pro Athlete culture alive during a truly unprecedented year. Lively discussions in the lunchroom have become virtual lunch meetings, company-wide pickleball tournaments have become virtual fitness challenges and shipping bats and gloves expanded to include masks and hand sanitizer.
How about the family members of the employees?! We couldn't do what we do without their support. Just like the employees, they have been outstanding this year!
I’m so proud to be a member of the Pro Athlete team and am beyond thankful that amidst a global pandemic, this group was able to shift, reevaluate, adapt and grow. They stayed true to the Core Values that have got us to this point in our journey. To be able to do that in a year like this is a true testament to them.
In a year where giving to others might seem like less of a priority than other years, this group put giving back at the top of the list. For that, I'm the most proud!
Happy Holidays from the Pro Athlete Family! We’re wishing you a happy and healthy Holiday Season and safe 2021.
- Andrew