We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian Simmons. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.

Brian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

At TIP Goalkeeping, we’re very focused on adding as much value to our goalkeepers and their parents as possible. Playing this position requires a higher degree of dedication than others in the world of soccer, so we want to make the possibility for success and excellence as achievable as possible.

So in addition to in-person training, I’ve recently released an online education program called Keeper College – The Fundamentals. This program was built to help goalkeepers, their parents, and their coaches learn more about goalkeeping so they know the when, how, and why of goalkeeper fundamentals.

I started sensing the need for a course like this when talking to multiple parents at training sessions. I usually ask parents what they see in games that they think their keeper could work on. The normal answer is “I don’t know anything about soccer” or “I know a little about soccer, but have no clue about goalies”. Being a goalkeeper myself back in the day, I know the feeling of being alone, with no one else understanding the pressure and specific requirements of the position. So I set off to find a solution!

I decided the best way to reach the most people and keep costs for families manageable would be to create an online course. I’d never created an online course before, so there was a very steep learning curve. But I knew it would help my keepers, so I dove in to the process and found a way. I used a platform called Samcart to host my course. I purchased a GoPro and DJI microphone set up to help me record, and used Screen-cast-o-matic to record presentations. I also used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit videos…it was a lot to figure out!

I focused on building a robust script and recording plan, so that when I was figuring out all the new tech I didn’t have to worry about content. In the end, I was able to create an online course that is robust and easy to follow along with. I’m really proud of the end product!

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?

Growing up as a youth soccer player in Utah, USA, I never had the opportunity to get consistent keeper training. Even if it was available, the cost associated with it would have made it impossible for me to participate.

This left me to sort things out mostly by myself, resulting in a lot of trial and error, allowing silly goals, and taking unnecessary injuries throughout my playing career.

Over time I was able to find my own solutions and make it work, and had some success as a player. Once I began coaching, I made it my mission to increase opportunities for young athletes to have affordable, quality keeper training. From the very beginning, I wanted to change the landscape of goalkeeper training in terms of quality and availability in the area where I grew up and still live today.

TIP Goalkeeping is one of the biggest goalkeeping organizations in Utah. We have trained hundreds of goalkeepers, and work with multiple clubs, with the goal to elevate the level of goalkeeper training in Utah. Now we’re expanding to reach as many goalkeepers, parents, and coaches as possible by utilizing online courses. Our flagship course is called Keeper College – The Fundamentals, and walks through the main four areas a goalkeeper must start mastering in order to be successful in the position.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

At TIP we focus on slow, organic growth. Because we work primarily with children and youth, trust is paramount to our success. So we post a small amount on social media, but the vast majority of our clients find us because another parent we already work with recommends us. I take a lot of pride from this, because it indicates that our strategy of adding as much value as possible and focusing on individual athletes is bearing fruit.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I have had about a dozen trainers work in my organization, and I’ve found a couple principles that keep them happy and eager to work with me:

1. Make employee development a key to the overall business model. I love to find ways to support my trainers and get them as many opportunities as possible, even when their interests might limit their ability to work in the business. My trainers know I care about them as people, whether they contribute to TIP’s growth or not.

2. Pay trainers when they train, not when I get paid. Whenever my trainers train, they get paid immediately, even though I have to sometimes wait up to two months to get my invoice processed. It’s very important to me that my trainers know they can count on me to get paid as soon as possible.

3. Prioritize trainer income over company income. Of course, it’s a business and has to function and survive, and I’d never intentionally do something to jeopardize the business. But, I’ve found that when my trainers know that I go out of my way to maximize their earnings, that increases trust and buy-in to the company. In the short term I may lose out on some money, but in the long term I trust that my trainers will work hard to build the business with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: tipgoalkeeping.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipgoalkeeping/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.simmons.566790/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-simmons-55971666/

Image Credits
Weston Salisbury