March 26, 2026
There is a new player in the crowded field of pickleball podcasters. This guy believes he can stand out from the young reviewers who seem to love every paddle and other pickleball gear they are given for free. He says he won’t hesitate to criticize a paddle that he thinks stinks. Based on his track record, he may have a good chance of being successful.
Thirty years ago, Jimmie Ward started a business from nothing in a spare bedroom of his home in Ipswich, Massachusetts. A few years later his company surpassed $10 million in annual revenue.
Ward is 66 and a pickleball junkie. He loves everything about America’s fastest-growing sport. Ward says when he first played pickleball in May 2025, “It hit me like a freight train.”
Ward started a YouTube podcast last December primarily for pickleball players 50 years-old and older. He wants it to be one-stop shopping for court strategy, finding the best paddle for your play style, court shoes and gear, training techniques and injury recovery. Ward named his channel, “Not Dead Yet Pickleball.”
“It was a whim,” Ward says of the terrific title. “As we age, we all have to remember we're not dead yet and we need to live with gusto. Play pickleball, or whatever gets you up, but stay away from the couch.”
Ward is no couch potato. He plays pickleball five days a week (he says he’s a 3.5 player) and hits the gym on pickleball off days.
Ward grew up in the small Boston suburb of Wenham. “I was competitive from a young age, not just in sports, but in anything measurable,” he says. “I loved goals, progress, and improvement. That mindset never left me.”
In high school Ward worked in the family business, which was paint and coatings manufacturing. “That experience shaped my early business thinking,” he says. He graduated from Bentley University with honors in Business Management and a minor in Business Law.
He left the family business because, “I felt pulled toward software. I’ve always loved systems, especially CRM (customer relationship management). I realized I could become a value-added reseller and help companies implement business software the right way.”
He started a business from his home and named it, “Brainsell.” It began as a software reseller, helping companies buy and implement CRM systems. It eventually expanded into enterprise resource planning, data analytics and AI capabilities. “We grew organically through strong sales and marketing execution, and inorganically through the acquisition of 34 companies,” Ward says.
It was in 2021 that Brainsell surpassed $10 million in annual revenue. “It was a defining moment,” he says.
He says his work ethic comes from “an obsessive willingness to grind. I set ambitious goals and then pursue them relentlessly. Business became my arena for competition, a way to measure progress, test myself, and mark wins. I’ve always been driven by growth.”
Ward sold Brainsell in February 2025. “When the deal closed, I felt both pride and a sense of loss,” he says. “You would think it would be pure celebration, and there was celebration. But there was also a real grieving process. I missed the grind, the competition, the constant push to improve. It felt a bit like losing something deeply personal.”
Ward’s depression led to a weight gain. At 5-feet, 8 inches tall, he ballooned to 238 pounds.
Pickleball revived the competitive juices that stopped flowing when Ward sold his company. “It gave me competition, strategy, measurable improvement and community,” Ward says. It also got him back in shape. He dropped more than 50 pounds and now weighs 185.
“In business, I was constantly learning. Books, conferences, seminars. Then executing what I learned. I approach pickleball the same way. I study paddles, watch pro instruction, attend clinics, and now I’m beginning structured weekly drilling.”
Ward is a paddle junkie. “Testing paddles is part of the fun,” he says. “I enjoy discovering enthusiast paddles, brands that aren’t always mainstream but produce exceptional performance. I love uncovering hidden gems and seeing smaller companies succeed. It’s like early-stage investing, but with gear.”
Ward says if he thinks a paddle stinks, he will say so. He has created a “Super DUPR” award for excellent paddles and a “PUPR” award for weak ones.
“Seniors shouldn’t buy on hype,” he says. “They need to understand their playing style, injury history and budget. Not every great paddle costs $300. And players on fixed incomes deserve clear guidance. Authenticity builds trust.”
He started “Not Dead Yet Pickleball” because “I didn’t see anyone truly focused on the senior and 50+ market from a performance and injury-aware perspective. I felt people needed a Sherpa, someone navigating injuries, paddle selection, braces, training and mindset in real time.”
Ward wants to become a trusted influencer and acknowledges that, “Credibility comes first.” He recently became a USA and USSP Ambassador and a PPR certified recreation coach and is teaching beginners. “Teaching has always been something I love,” Ward says.
Ward knows the pickleball space is crowded but hopes to find his audience in the 50 and over group. He is unlike many younger reviewers who need to sell products and get commissions because their livelihoods depend on it.
You believe Jimmie Ward, who started a business from nothing and surpassed $10 million in annual revenue, when he says, “I’m not doing this for the money.”
He is not dead yet. Far from it.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· St. John’s basketball coach Rick Pitino is among the many college coaches who don’t pull their starters when they have a big lead until there is under a minute to play. Pitino left his star big man Zuby Ejiofor in until there was 37 seconds left in the Red Storm’s 20-point rout of UCONN in the Big East Tournament final. Are these coaches so insecure that they can’t give their subs two or three minutes of playing time when they have a huge lead? Do they really believe the subs will blow a 20-point lead in two minutes? UCONN’S women’s head coach, Gino Auriemma, has been doing the same thing for years.
· Since starting pickleball six years ago I’ve been in constant search of the perfect court shoe for my size 14 2E feet. I found them recently. They are from a fairly new company called Montis Pickleball that was started by two brothers who are passionate about the sport. The Montis Drop 1.0 Pickleball shoe is excellent in every way for me. Comfortable, great lateral support and durable. I like the feeling of the sock-like lining over my forefoot. Also, I think the shoes look great. I own the white with blue trim and white with forest green. Only after buying a pair and telling the owners my tale was I asked to become an ambassador, and I agreed. Use my discount code, MS10, to get a pair of Montis 1.0 Drop Pickleball shoes for $98.00.
· Although football has surpassed baseball as America’s favorite sport, baseball is nowhere near dead. The final of the World Baseball Classic pitting the USA vs. Venezuela drew an average of 10.8 million viewers. Its network competition that night, High Potential on ABC, drew 5.28 million, and NCIS on CBS had 3.3 million viewers.
· Speaking of the WBC, USA Manager Mark DeRosa did a brutal job. In the 3-2 loss to Venezuela in the final, it is preposterous to me that DeRosa could not find a spot to give an at-bat to Cal Raleigh, MLB’s home run leader last season. And as I wrote last week, it is unforgivable that before the USA played Italy, DeRosa mistakenly thought that the USA had clinched advancing to the next round. In reality, the USA needed to beat Italy to clinch advancing without any help. When the USA lost to Italy, it needed Italy to beat Mexico (which Italy did) to move on. How can you be the manager of a team and not know if you need to win a game? I know the WBC tiebreakers are complicated, but the manager has to know all the rules.
· One of the many things I like about pickleball is virtually everyone is smart enough to not discuss politics. And in six years of playing I have been asked what I did for a living maybe twice. It’s nice to just talk about pickleball.
· Since retiring in 2020 I often wake up in the morning not knowing what day of the week it is. When I worked I knew immediately. Now, every day seems like a Saturday. That’s a great thing.
Hudef’s new paddle has been USAP approved. I have been playing with it and it is my new main. The Mage SCF1 (Supercritical foam) is a hybrid paddle that usually retails for $169.99 but is on sale for $119.99 and with my discount code, MS10, the price is $107.00. The Mage SCF1 has tremendous power but also buttery control and is very gritty so the spin is top tier.
