When Katy Luxem moved to Utah in 2018, she joined a roller derby team to meet people. She loved the community but decided to hang up her skates after breaking both ankles in separate instances. She picked up pickleball, a sport she had grown up playing in Seattle, to remain active but avoid getting hurt. She quickly became obsessed with the sport.
Luxem wanted to purchase pickleball equipment but couldn’t find what she wanted. She had a strong background in e-commerce and saw an opportunity in the marketplace, so she decided to launch her brand. “I was confident I could create paddles and gear that felt fun while also being high-quality and like nothing else out there,” said Luxem.
In 2020, she founded Big Dill Pickleball Co.
The company sells pickleball paddles, balls, and accessories with fresh, fun designs without sacrificing quality. The paddles are tailored to the sport’s inclusiveness and engineered to be worthy of high-level play.
As pickleball is gaining in popularity, the company is growing. For Luxem, one of the most rewarding things about owning her business is getting to ship products all over the country. “It’s neat to see where everything is going and knowing that people are out there using our products and being part of the pickleball community,” she said.
Success has a fluid definition for Luxem. “For me, it is all about reaching milestones. Whether it’s reaching a goal for a certain number of sales or reaching all 50 states, success is about understanding where your business is going and reaching those benchmarks.”
Luxem plans to grow Big Dill Pickleball Co.’s online presence and eventually sell internationally. She also has the goal of making her way into brick-and-mortar stores.
Luxem has the following advice for women who want to start a business: “Assess your core skills and experience because chances are you are more than qualified to pursue your dreams. I also encourage female business owners to take advantage of the available resources in our state.”
Big Dill Pickleball Co. products can be purchased online or on Amazon.