Before you build a website. Before you design a logo. Before you post on social media. There’s one thing you must get clear on first. Clarity. You should be able to answer this without hesitation: 1. What problem are you solving? 2. Who are you solving it for? 3. How are you solving it differently or clearly? If you can’t answer those three things, everything else is just noise. Logos don’t create clarity. Websites don’t create clarity. Posting doesn’t create clarity. Clarity creates direction. Direction creates momentum. Start there. Coach Jay

Big mistakes I made starting my youth basketball academy I’m sharing this for anyone thinking about starting (or already starting) a basketball training business. None of this is theory — these are real mistakes I made early on. 1. Analysis paralysis at the beginning I thought everything had to be perfect before I could start — logo, systems, pricing, schedule, vision, all of it. That mindset delayed my start more than anything else. Looking back, I didn’t need clarity — I needed motion. Most things became clear after I started, not before. Lesson: Start imperfect. Momentum fixes things faster than planning ever will. 2. Thinking I needed a gym before I could begin I was afraid to train at an outside park. I thought it would look “unprofessional” or that parents wouldn’t take it seriously. That was completely wrong. Once I finally used the park, it actually worked better than I expected. Parents cared about: - The coaching - The structure - The way I interacted with their kids Not the floor. Lesson: Environment matters less than execution. Don’t let facilities stop your progress. 3. Not posting on social media sooner I didn’t post early because I thought: “Why would anyone care if I don’t have clients yet?” But once I started posting — even before I was “established” — it built trust. People followed the journey. They saw consistency. They saw intent. By the time people reached out, they already felt like they knew me. Lesson: Social media isn’t about showing success — it’s about showing seriousness. 4. Not having a simple payment system in place Early on, payments were awkward: - Manual - Inconsistent - Harder than they needed to be It created friction for parents who wanted to pay. Once I added a clear, simple payment system, everything became smoother almost immediately. Lesson: If it’s hard to pay you, people won’t — even if they like you. I’m documenting everything I’m learning in real time — the wins and the mistakes.If this helps even one person avoid slowing themselves down, it’s worth sharing.