Pickleball in the Sun Promotes Pickleball as a Luxurious
Lifestyle Brand
Website focuses on defining pickleball as a destination travel‐worthy game .
By Jennifer Brozak
As the saying goes , when opportunity knocks , open the door . Over the past few years , Laura Gainor has heeded this ageless wisdom by transforming an unexpected opportunity into a flourishing career promoting the sport of pickleball .
Gainor is the founder of Vossberg Gainor , an agency focused squarely on pickleball marketing . She is also the creator of Pickleball in the Sun , a website that promotes pickleball as a luxury lifestyle and destination sport .
After a successful 15-year career in corporate and sports marketing — including a period of time that required weekly commutes between Milwaukee and Chicago — Gainor decided to launch her own agency so that she could spend more time with her young children .
“ In 2019 , as we were living in Chicago and I was commuting a few days a week back and forth between Milwaukee and Chicago , I decided it was time for me to venture off on my own and start my own business with the goal of getting a client or two — not knowing what was about to come and change my life ,” she recalled .
Shortly after launching her agency , Gainor ’ s husband Brian , a sports marketing executive , introduced her to George Bauernfeind , a marketing director with USA Pickleball . Bauernfeind had been searching for someone to assist with the organization ’ s rebranding efforts .
“ I always say I wish I had that first call with George recorded , because I had no idea what pickleball was ,” said Gainor . “ I was royally confused when he was talking about the sport ,