Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Mullins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I started Funky Ace at a point where I began to feel like I had a creative void to fill. I had a job in healthcare while doing pharmaceutical consulting on the side and had just begun searching for my next creative outlet. I always loved tennis growing up, so in a way, tennis, was also an escape from work. It was a way to de-stress, stay active, and maintain a positive mindset. And that’s exactly how I viewed starting my business: a way to break out of the routine and do something else that brought me joy. I also had an athlete mindset—the drive, the competition, and a little bit of stubbornness to try something challenging.

When Funky Ace was just an idea, I was seasoned enough to know that it wasn’t going to be easy, but still young enough to have energy and some fire in my belly to push through and achieve this goal of mine. I also had the time, and more importantly, the mental space to pour into it without too many personal distractions. I learned enough from my pharmacy career to know how to manage my time, mitigate risk, and work with people—skills that would carry over into my business.

Looking back, if I had started Funky Ace sooner, I probably would’ve burnt out a lot quicker. I wasn’t ready to take on the stress, the decision-making, or the risk back in my 20s. I needed those years in pharmacy to learn the ropes, understand the ins and outs of the healthcare system, and—maybe most importantly—get to the point where I wasn’t afraid to fail. If I had jumped in too early, I think I would’ve been too naïve to know what I was really getting into. Starting Funky Ace later, though, probably would have posed other challenges. By then, I might’ve had too many responsibilities or commitments that would have made it much more difficult to take the leap.

So, no, I don’t wish I had started sooner or later. I think I hit it at a time when I had the right balance of experience and energy. I think starting when I did allowed me to still have the drive to push through, but also enough wisdom to avoid making major mistakes. Would I change anything? Maybe. But, really, I don’t think I would’ve been prepared for the grind of running a business at any other point in my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Michelle Mullins and I am owner of Funky Ace, a brand for athletes who are looking to add a touch of personality and fun to racket sports. I launched this company in July 2024, but the initial work began 9 months earlier with the idea to give tennis and pickleball players a stylish and functional way to express themselves on the court. I was preparing for a USTA district tournament and badly needed a replacement overgrip. After scouring the internet for an grip in an appealing pattern, I came out empty handed and settled for my standard solid-colored grip.

I had a vision to create something more appealing and fun. Something that made tennis players like myself that much more excited to pick up their rackets and hit the courts. Whether you are a social pickleball player, or a tennis pro, I designed Funky Ace overgrips to check off all the boxes: non-slip texture, sweat wicking properties, and comfortable grip. All of these overgrip qualities are desirable regardless of the level of player. What sets Funky Ace apart from other performance based brands are the bright colors and expressive patterns that light up each racket and bring personality to each paddle.

Getting my first set of samples in the mail was a huge moment for me. To be able to see and feel what I spent 9 months developing is a feeling that is hard to express in words. I spent many long days prepping for launch day and I am so happy that I was able to see it through. Hearing and reading all the positive reviews puts a big smile on my face to know that I was able to impact these players in a fun and colorful way!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

Funky Ace grips are sold online at FunkyAce.com, Amazon, and Etsy. I wanted to reach as many people as possible, so E-comm was always my primary focus. Although I only started using platforms like Amazon and Etsy in late October 2024, I’ve had success selling on both and hope to grow more in the coming years! Amazon and Etsy have their own portals and learning curves, but once you dedicate time to learning more about each platform, how to run campaigns/ads, and market yourself well, you can cast a wider net and reach customers who would otherwise never know you exist.

Having your own E-commerce site gives you more flexibility with your store policies and creativity with how your items are displayed, but you are stuck sitting and waiting for someone to magically come knocking at your door. You need to work harder at making yourself discoverable, which is possible but difficult when you’re a new brand. With sites like Amazon and Etsy, customers are going there specifically to shop and have an idea in mind of what they are looking for. That’s why it’s important to know how to select the best keywords to maximize your visibility in search results. Although it could require some research on your end that you weren’t initially prepared for and the fees can get expensive, using those platforms can yield a greater reward.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Currently in my early stages of brand development, word of mouth, cold calling local businesses and clubs, and visiting public courts to pass out free samples has helped me immensely. The most important piece of starting a business is getting people to know that you exist! I use social media to spread awareness, but that only extends as far as my immediate network (unless I have a few friends and family who share my posts or tag their Funky Ace grip in pictures.) It’s important to reach people who would otherwise not know Funky Ace is alive.

In August 2024, soon after launching my site, I drove to a set of pickleball courts on a Saturday morning down the street from where I lived. I spent about 45 minutes passing out free grips – one to each player. Three months later, I had a small booth at a pickleball facility a few towns over during one of their weekend tournaments. One of the participating players walked up to me to let me know she recognized me from that August day when I showed up at the pickleball courts and handed her a grip she now proudly had wrapped on her paddle. She bought 3 from me that day and has since placed an online order to share with some of her pickleball friends. Word of mouth is HUGE in small business. To see that the 45 minutes I dedicated to passing out free samples in August led me to a loyal customer who is willing to share Funky Ace with her network is proof that brand awareness is a big step in starting a business.

For 2025, I’m planning to reach a wider customer base by exhibiting at trade shows for tennis, pickleball, and racket sports alike. Events like these take a lot of time and preparation, but they can improve my connections with other businesses in the industry and expose Funky Ace to more loyal customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.funkyace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkyace
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamfunkyace

Image Credits

Alysha Walsh Photography