Today we’d like to introduce you to Jax Diener.
Hi Jax, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story goes back decades, when women’s sports weren’t on TV. Every Sunday I’d leave the traditional sports bar where I had just spent hours and money, and tell my friends, “I’m going to open my own sports bar one day!” I wanted a place where we could feel comfortable enjoying the game and not be judged for it. Women are just as strategic and just as athletic and passionate in their love for sports. At that time, I was not at all prepared for such an undertaking and my career took me many directions, all in search for what would feed my soul. In 2023, I learned about The Sports Bra in Portland, OR and I quickly developed a friendship with the owner. Her concept of a 100% women’s sports bar was the trigger I needed to realize my dream. I had an interest in franchising her concept here in Long Beach, CA, but she was so new and not quite ready to have those conversations. After many months of eying the growth of women’s sports, my wife and I made the decision Sept 2023 to go out on our own and open our concept of predominantly women’s sports. We became the first in CA, the first in Los Angeles County, and the 5th in the world at the time. Watch Me! Sports Bar opened, by design, the same day as the Paris Olympics, July 26, 2024.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our journey has been a rollercoaster, which I’m guessing most new businesses would agree with. We’ve had the highest of highs with sporty celebrities dropping in, ie Billie Jean King, as well as challenges surrounding staffing and the unpredictability of the hospitality business, especially in these times.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My career has taken me through several industries, from childcare to entertainment to advertising, marketing and production. The through line is the project management skills I learned with my Recreation Administration degree. No matter the industry, no matter the task, if I have an end goal, I can figure out how to get there. A good example is opening Watch Me! Sports Bar with having zero bar/restaurant experience. And, I’m most proud of proving our name time and time again during the process. We were told too many times to count that we’d never be able to open under a year. Watch Me! refers to proving otherwise….using other’s doubt as fuel for my fire. And, we managed to screech in and open in about 10 months.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
There are several factors that have led me to here. As previously mentioned, project management skills, in addition, being nimble and agile to pivot and not be stagnant. I’d also add humility. My eyes are open, I’m reading the room, I’m taking in feedback and I’m making changes where it makes business sense to do so. A good example of this: we’re also building a podcast studio to further expand our space as THE place to go for inclusivity, women’s sports in particular, and community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://watchmesportsbar.com/
- Instagram: watchme_sportsbar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchMeSportsBarLongBeach?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiediener/
Image Credits
Kaitlyn Laabs
