January 30, 2017

Meet Jordan Meinster of PickUp USA Fitness in Irwindale

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Meinster.

Jordan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in college, I first thought of the idea of improving the basketball experience for all of the people that love to play ball. I steadily developed a plan for a basketball-focused business throughout the years, when I was working in corporate finance jobs. In 2011 I quit my job at Citibank and launched PickUp USA Fitness.

When we opened in 2012, we were an empty warehouse with a basketball court and a few referees. The concept of pickup basketball with referees really caught on and allowed us to grow our business into what it is today.

We are now a full-service fitness club, with full weight and cardio rooms, lounges, locker rooms, and retail shops. We are still basketball-focused, and offer group and private basketball training, court rental services, and our main attraction – pickup basketball with referees.

As of the end of 2016, we have clubs in California, Arizona, Texas, and Virginia. We are focused on the development of our franchise program and are aiming to add 12 additional clubs across the country in 2017.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. Like any new business, we faced challenges. We have had tremendous success overall, but the path to get here has presented hurdles along the way.

We made mistakes with our staffing structure, and our pricing, and the vendors we have had. In the end, it makes your business better, but in the moment, it can be very discouraging. We have always kept our focus on taking care of the customers, and that has allowed us to grow into what we are today.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about PickUp USA Fitness – what should we know?
PickUp USA is a basketball-focused fitness club. We have amenities that you will find at other gyms, like weight rooms, cardio rooms, retail goods, etc. What sets us apart is our focus on basketball. All of our services are basketball related. We run hour-long basketball boot camps 7 days a week. We offer one-on-one basketball training. Our original service offering is still our most popular – pickup basketball with referees. We take normal pickup basketball, and improve it exponentially by adding referees and timing all of the games at 10 minutes. Our customers love it!

I am most proud of the community that develops within our gyms. This is the type of place where the members get to know each other and become friends. It’s an amazing atmosphere. We’re not for everyone, but for the basketball enthusiast, there is nothing like PickUp USA.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife, Casey, deserves all the credit in the world. She has sacrificed more than anyone for this business. In the early years, as we put this together, she was working front desk shifts at the gym, and putting in serious hours to help us get through the first year – all on top of her full-time job that helped pay our bills when we were building PickUp USA.

When I told her I was quitting my job in banking to start a basketball business, she didn’t hesitate to give me 100% support. There have been good times and bad on this entrepreneurial journey, but her support has never wavered. No way PickUp USA is here without her!

We’re both incredibly excited to see our clubs pop-up across the country and are looking forward to enjoying the results of all of our hard work.

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