We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaToya Randle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

LaToya, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

All my life I have participated in ladies’ basketball somehow, someway. Whether I was starting on an undefeated All-boys team in Middle School, playing in front of a packed high school crowd, or competing in front of a sold-out arena at Wichita State University; BASKETBALL has always been a part of my life. After competing in college, I went on to coach high school basketball and in April of 2012, I was given the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level. I was ecstatic and looking forward to the challenge. However, in June 2012, I had to pivot, I became a full-time caretaker. My youngest son had become terminally ill. Our active 5-year-old now had the motor skills of a 9-month-old baby. He was wheel-chaired bound, and we had no answers. Our family was devastated. After several months of agony, on September 16, 2012, my son, Julian Randle was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). At the time Wichita, KS lacked pediatric specialists and resources, so we spent many days at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO., the struggle was real. Sleeping upright in hospital chairs, listening to beeping machines, traveling up and down the highways, and frustration mounting due to the pile of medical expenses, and a $50,000 loss of income due to my husband’s lay-off and my newfound role as my son’s caretaker. Although prayer does change things, sometimes we need a human touch to remind us to just keep pedaling. During one of the physical therapy sessions, my son had difficulty performing 2 push-ups. This led to feelings of empathy towards him and a sense of self-pity on my part. As tears stream down my face, he waddled over, (JDM had caused muscle deterioration) wiped my tears and told me “Mom I only did 2 today but I will do 5 tomorrow!” He taught me a valuable lesson–I must GRIND it out. WIN the day and REPEAT the process. Witnessing my son’s journey and watching my family rally around him inspired me to pursue my dreams–PGPTR!

If I could do it all over again I would not change a thing. Embracing every failure, hardship, and success as valuable learning experiences is what being a life-long learner is all about! Each fork in the road has been a priceless opportunity for growth, and I wouldn’t change a thing!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Pretty Girls Pound the Rock is a lifestyle brand specifically designed to uplift female athletes, ages 5-18. Through its inspiring message, product, and services, PGPTR will help young ladies discover their champion within. Pretty Girls Pound the Rock is a social enterprise created to disrupt the societal constructs of the sports industry. PGPTR is determined to see more young ladies, continue with sports through high school and possibly college. PGPTR helps create equal opportunities for girls in sports, so it will have a positive impact and success in their future lives. Research shows girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by the age of 14. Many of these young women are people of color and are not offered the same opportunities as their male counterparts. With statistics saying 94% of C-Suite executives played sports and 54% played at the University level, there is a need to have more young females continue in sports potentially leading to more women in future leadership positions.

PGPTR fosters equity and inclusion with the belief that all girls should have equal opportunities and access to sports and a supportive community to achieve their academic success alongside sports. Although PGPTR focuses on a specific age range, many PGPTR graduates remain in contact with their teammates, mentors, STEM professionals, and Coach Randle, creating an invaluable support network.

Despite the unfavorable circumstances for young ladies we, at PGPTR we want girls to understand, they too possess greatness inside. For every $100 in sales, we invest $25 in a girls’ sporting event or team. By investing in girls’ sporting events and teams PGPTR is making a bold statement: GIRLS ARE WORTH IT!

Since establishment, Pretty Girls Pound the Rock, LLC has been invited to the Super Bowl 53 GladiatHER Summit in Atlanta, Georgia as a vendor. It was an amazing experience for our brand, and it was such a privilege to be listed as a vendor on a national level. The event boasted an impressive roster of notable attendees, including Rashaun Ali, a television personality and actor, Yolanda Moore, a former WNBA champion and Division 1 coach, and Rushia Brown, a WNBA veteran and the LA Sparks’ Director of Community Relations & Youth Sports.

In addition, we have partnered with amazing non-profits like Heal America and United Way to host camps, clinics, and virtual experiences for the young ladies in our community. A huge highlight this year was powered by Heal America. Our PGPTR clients were given the opportunity to participate in an epic Nike Virtual Sneaker Lab. The Sneaker Lab was led by a panel of Nike Executives and former WNBA players.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Maintaining a high morale is crucial for team effectiveness, especially when impacting and guiding emerging leaders. Our approach includes setting weekly goals based on priority, identifying gaps, and addressing concerns. We strive to fuel our aspirations in order to set an example for our clients.

Examining our values is vital for success as it helps us identify potential obstacles and align our beliefs with our goals. By taking time to analyze our values, we can prevent setbacks and ensure progress on our journey.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building a strong social media presence is crucial as it allows investors and consumers to discover your brand. It also helps to foster authentic connections. Personal experience has shown that platforms like Linkedin and Instagram can lead to exciting opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prettygirlsptr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettygirlsptr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoya.jackson23
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-randle-b37566a3/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter..com/prettygirlsptr
• Youtube: @prettygirlspoundtherockllc5310

Image Credits
FFW & Levels Visuals