A CEO by age 13, Rachel Zietz ’18 turned her passion for lacrosse and inability to find high-quality equipment into a successful business. As a Pine Crest “lifer,” Rachel balanced being a student-athlete, graduating cum laude, an entrepreneur, and a speaker, most recently addressing students at Harvard University.
“I have been playing lacrosse since I was in the fourth grade,” said Rachel. “When I was in Middle School, I entered a program called The Young Entrepreneur's Academy. I learned about marketing and developing a business plan, and worked with mentors in the area. At the end of the program, I pitched my idea, Gladiator Lacrosse, to investors who gave me the initial capital to launch my business.”
“Developing Gladiator Lacrosse was a combination of two things: lacrosse and business,” said Rachel. “I was passionate about lacrosse and practicing every day. I noticed that my rebounders and other equipment would rust and tear quickly. That is when I realized there was a problem in the market that I wanted to solve. It would have been daunting for me to try and make a business of something I did not know well, but lacrosse I know inside and out.”
Balancing and Paying it Forward
Balancing life as a CEO and a student-athlete was a challenge for Rachel.
“It was a large workload,” said Rachel, “but it taught me how to manage my time. I make lists so I know what needs to get done, the most urgent tasks are at the top and then I work down the list until it’s done. I would say time management was my biggest issue as I was developing Gladiator Lacrosse. Now, it’s time management and keeping up with the growth of the company. I could never have imagined when I was creating my initial business plan how much this company would grow. When we got our first container in the warehouse, I was excited to sell one unit, but then it kept going and going. There has been exponential growth for us, and for lacrosse in general. Ten years ago, lacrosse wasn't very popular in Florida, and now more schools are adding it to their athletic offerings. We are riding that wave.”
Rachel enjoys speaking with young entrepreneurs.
“The most rewarding experience is when I speak with other young entrepreneurs,” said Rachel. “I go back to the program I went to as a seventh grade student and speak to young children about following their dreams and their passions; not just business. It is possible to start a business at a young age. If you are passionate, you can push through the long hours. When you love what you do, it does not feel like work.”
Looking Ahead
What is next for Rachel and Gladiator Lacrosse?
“To continue expanding!”, she said. “We would love to expand our line to include sticks and goggles. We just started manufacturing lacrosse balls; that was what I worked on throughout my last semester at Pine Crest. It was difficult to work for because the manufacturing has a standard policy to follow. It was really fun, and I learned a lot. I also would like for Gladiator Lacrosse to have more distributors, online retailers, and specialty lacrosse stores.”
“This July was the world lacrosse cup, and we were the official goal,” said Rachel. “There are 46 countries that participate, and every game played was played on our goals. We filmed our first commercial for ESPN, and that was the first time we have had global exposure at this level.”
Rachel will be a freshman at Princeton University this fall, where she will continue to grow her business, and play lacrosse on a club team.