We were lucky to catch up with Mary-Elizabeth Pacio recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary-Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

At the beginning of a season, I unexpectedly felt burnt out. I was answering emails, phone calls, and messages from the moment I woke up to the moment before I closed my eyes to sleep. I didn’t experience this in the past seasons and was flattered in the amount of interest and questions my players and their families had.

After a few days of continuously doing this, I began feeling a bit fatigued. I moved forward thinking that “it just had to be done.” After a week of this, I began feeling extremely tired.

Two weeks later, I felt burnt out. For a whole two weeks, I did not go an hour in my day without answering someone’s question, comment, or inquiry.

I had a mix of emotions. I knew it was my job to provide answers, but I also felt like I didn’t have a break. I thought there was no excuse I shouldn’t be able to take 5 minutes to answer someone’s questions. However, 5 minutes amounts to hours and I began trying to pour from an empty cup. On top of this, the lines that used to separate work and my personal life had blurred. I couldn’t sit down and relax without my phone going off. I didn’t know if there was a time I could recharge. Most importantly, I struggled to be present in my personal life.

After talking to family, friends, and my mentor from Mission Edge, I was able to devise a plan…setting up office hours! Instead of worrying about responding to players and their families 24/7, I’ve set up a specific time to speak with my players and their families. This allows me to provide answers and solutions to my players and families, while also allowing me to be present in my personal life.

Mary-Elizabeth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As it felt like the world was ending in 2020, I decided to open a business. I had just been laid off and the place where I was interning couldn’t hire me for a paid position. I couldn’t imagine a life without coaching basketball and I needed to pay for school somehow, so I decided to teach basketball classes…on Zoom.

At 12 years old, I fell in love with basketball after participating in Monte Valle Recreation Center’s Basketball Camp. I began playing organized basketball with the City of Chula Vista Youth Sports League, then I transitioned to competitive club and travel teams. In middle school, I began my coaching career. I assisted Coach Mike Perri and Coach Ramon Vasquez in basketball camps and classes. I absolutely fell in love with coaching. I found a passion for breaking down drills, cheering players on, and seeing them succeed!

After high school, I became a basketball coach and referee for the City of Chula Vista Recreation Department. I was coaching the very classes and camps I participated in as a player! I coached 6-14 year olds in Basketball 101/102 classes, camps, and recreation teams.

Like many others who lost their jobs, I was laid off from my coaching job in 2020.

To make matters worse, the job I was interning at couldn’t hire me for a paid position. I couldn’t coach.

Plus, I didn’t have a way to pay for school.

I found myself sitting in my room, attending a college lecture over Zoom and missing what life was like before 2020. Then, I realized my lecturing professor didn’t stop teaching me just because it was over zoom. I had an epiphany! I could teach basketball on Zoom!

In April 2020, I began coaching basketball classes online. To my surprise, many players missed basketball as much as I did. For an hour, players would open their computers and take a break from the stresses of the world. They were able to have fun, compete with others, and improve their craft.

Later, I was also given a chance to coach internationally. In a virtual basketball camp led by Elite Basketball Chile, I coached over 120+ players from all over the world – including Brazil, Chile, and Japan. Even though I do not teach basketball classes online anymore, I’m grateful for the lessons learned and the relationships I’ve made.

As time went on, I transitioned to in person basketball classes. It was great to be back coaching on a basketball court!

In 2021, I founded Court Vision Academy, a program that teaches youth athletes basketball fundamentals in a positive, enjoyable, and competitive environment.

Less than a week later, I was accepted into San Diego State University’s Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad (ZIP Launchpad). The ZIP Launchpad helped me launch my start up from my early stage idea. They’ve helped me understand what problem my business was going to solve and how to solve it, as well as providing me with advice from domain experts.

After graduating from SDSU and the ZIP Launchpad, I was accepted into Mission Edge’s Compass program. To help small business owners understand their numbers and pay themselves sustainably, the Compass program pairs experienced CFO’s with San Diego business owners, creates a financial model, and creates a plan to help grow your business.

When I began my small business journey in 2020, I had at most 10-15 players registered. Court Vision Academy started with twenty-five players in 2021. Currently, we have 50 players registered, two coaches, and one photographer/videographer.

What sets us apart from our competition is our culture. I want every player who steps on the court with us to leave feeling like they had the most fun they’ve ever had. One day, my Dad told me he goes to work with the same mindset as going to Disneyland, the “happiest place on earth”. While getting work done, he creates a fun and exciting environment that people look forward to. My goal is to replicate this setting every practice and game.

What I am most proud of is the Court Vision Academy culture. Players not only work hard, but work together. On the court, you can see them high-fiving, saying “good-shot”, or motivating each other. Our coaches maintain a healthy and competitive environment, which allows players to feel comfortable asking questions and trying new moves. The Court Vision Academy culture is continuously improving, but I am absolutely loving what has been created.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve learned being resilient means to always believe there is great work to be done.

In the beginning of 2020. I was coaching at the local recreation center, working at an unpaid internship, and at my first semester at SDSU. Then, March 2020 comes and you know what happens.

As I’m worrying about the world actually ending, I receive a letter from my boss at the recreation center. It said I was being laid off. My heart broke and I had to turn in my badge. This recreation center was my home. It was where I fell in love with basketball, where I grew up, and where I worked with amazing people.

I needed to pay for school and asked my internship if I could apply for a paid position. There were no positions available.

In an effort to continue spreading joy through coaching and paying for school, I decided to do the unthinkable – coach basketball through Zoom. Don’t get me wrong, it was EXTREMELY hard – but at the same time…it was really meaningful and I could tell it meant a lot for players.

The players who joined in were able to escape the stresses of the world and focus on one thing and one thing only – basketball.

I believed in what I was doing. I knew it made a truly positive impact on the community and I knew it was up to me to do it. I knew I could do it. I knew I could bring the energy needed to help improve a player’s day, while also improving their skills.

The Zoom basketball classes started with 1 or 2 players, then up to 15 players. After doing this for a few months, I was invited to coach in an online Zoom basketball event called Coaches Without Borders. During this event, I found myself going through dribbling drills with 120+ players.

As time passed by, I decided to start moving to in person practices. I met around 7 players for private sessions a week. A few months later, I had enough players to have classes. Fast forward to today, Court Vision Academy has 50 players registered, practices or games literally every single day, and I’m loving the impact we’ve made on the community.

Life is hard…but even in hard times, I believe there is great work to be done.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I’ve unlearned is “Make decisions to not lose.”

Carolynn Duncan, my wonderful CFO mentor in Mission Edge, recommended a book to me. The book was “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker.

In the book, Eker says “The first thing I did was commit to my success and playing to win.” He decided to consciously focus on having the mindset of winning. Eker chose to not entertain thoughts that didn’t empower him.

I realized all my business decisions were being made with the focus of not losing. The fear of losing controlled me too much. Instead of moving forward with big and exciting ideas I had, I was in the habit of just trying to “get by”.

I’ve learned to stop focusing on not losing. I’ve chosen to live life and run my business with the focus on how to win.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.courtvisionacademy.com/#/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmarypacio/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-pacio-7301ba149/

Image Credits
Isaiah Paguio – Photographer