In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about becoming the best versions of ourselves. Do you feel like you’re the best version of yourself? This does not mean perfection - we know there’s no such thing! But, in general, do you feel like you’re showing up as the person you want to be in the world? My guest this week is Evan Kuterbach, who left his full-time corporate career to co-found Canyon Pickleball. Here we talk about a wide range of topics, including: how to build connections when you’re in a new place, how to manage self-doubt when you’re navigating change and why it’s so important to be the best version of yourself.
About My Guest
Evan Kuterbach is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Canyon Pickleball, a lifestyle brand dedicated to bringing people together through sport, sustainability, and community. After over a decade in client-facing sales roles, Evan left the 9-5 world to build a new life for himself and his family. He first founded a successful copywriting agency, where he realized his knack for creating authentic, compelling messaging. Now, with Canyon Pickleball, he’s merging his love for the outdoors with his drive to make a difference. Evan is all about real talk on entrepreneurship, building community, and following your own path.
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Connect with Evan:
You can follow Canyon Pickleball's journey at https://canyonpickleball.com/ or on all social media @canyonpickleball.
If you enjoy learning more about Evan’s personal journey of leaving the corporate world behind, building a successful copywriting agency, and sharing real talk on business, entrepreneurship, and chasing new passions, follow him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evankuterbach/.
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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:
Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge.
Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group
Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals.
Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges.
Websites: https://kimmeninger.com
Transcript
Kim Meninger
Welcome, Evan. It's so exciting to have this conversation with you today, and I'd love to start by inviting you to introduce yourself.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, yeah. Kim, thanks so much for having me. So yeah, my name is Evan. I am currently living in Orlando, Florida. I'm from Dallas, Texas, and I moved here from Colorado, so I'm kind of a little bit of a transplant all over. But yeah, yeah, I'm just, I'm super excited to be here. So I am the co-founder of a brand called Canaan Pickleball. I'm also a solopreneur, so I left the kind of corporate nine-to-five grind about a year and a half ago, which we'll kind of dig into a little bit. But yeah, it's just been an absolute whirlwind. And so yeah, I'm just excited to talk about things that I've kind of gathered over the last, really, 12 years of working professionally so.
Kim Meninger
Well, and I'm excited to hear more about that transition to having made a similar transition many years ago from corporate to solopreneur. I know that there is a lot of excitement, but also, you know, intimidation that goes with that. [Totally.] And you certainly picked an area that's very popular right now too. With pickleball, I have, I have to confess that I haven't tried it yet myself, but I know it's everywhere. Everyone's talking about it. So it seems like you timed the market well.
Evan Kuterbach
For sure, for sure. Yeah, we definitely gotta get you out there at some point.
Kim Meninger
So can you tell us a little bit more about what you were doing before you started this?
Evan Kuterbach
Sure. Yeah. So for a little over 10 years, I was working in primarily, like client-facing sales roles. A lot of marketing roles. Was working at some pretty big companies. I worked at Oracle for about three and a half years. I worked at Canon, like the camera company, for about three and a half years. And then towards kind of the end of my kind of corporate career, I was more in, like the startup space. So I worked with, like, a lot of software startups, again, kind of in, like client-facing sales roles, marketing roles. And so started gravitating more towards kind of the startup space towards the end of my career. But yeah, so it was like, Yeah, about 11 years or so, but that kind of led me to a lot of different locations, like I mentioned, like, I went to college in Oklahoma, moved to Phoenix, out of college, then moved to Houston, then to Colorado, and so I've bounced a lot, right? I've been a lot of different areas so.
Kim Meninger
That’s amazing. And that probably too comes with its own level of excitement. But also, you know, it's not easy to transition to all of these different places and build a whole new community for yourself.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, yeah. It's, it's honestly, like, I always joke about it being, you know, almost like kind of commonplace because I've done it so much now, like I've gotten so used to just, like, kind of uprooting my life and making new friends. And it's funny, because now, you know, because I have, not only, you know, been with a lot of different companies in a lot of locations, but you know, I've got a lot of friend groups at a lot of different places now, which is pretty cool, but there is a lot of loneliness that comes from that. Because, you know, I had lived a little bit of a nomadic lifestyle until I met my wife, really, and then we've had, you know, a daughter now at this point. But yeah, there was a lot of, a lot of lot of scared times, and, you know, still kind of is.
Kim Meninger
Yeah, well, and I grew up moving because my dad worked for the car industry and got transferred a lot. I kind of think of myself as a born network. No choice. [Yeah.] It wasn't, you know, it wasn't always pleasant, but you do learn some really great adaptability skills and networking skills when you're moving all the time.
Evan Kuterbach
Totally, yeah, and I think that's, it's, it's something that I didn't even realize was kind of, like prepping me for, like, this entrepreneurial solopreneurship journey. Was all the networking. Because, again, it was almost kind of out of habit, like I had to do it. There was, there was no other choice but to, like, either sit in your home and be by yourself, or go out and start building connections with people and strike up conversations at a random coffee shop and, you know, try to try them, just make your way. So.
Kim Meninger
No, you're absolutely right. And I wonder if you have any advice for people who maybe are in transition right now, or thinking about it, for, you know, any kind of practical tips that you can give to people around getting started with networking or building those kinds of connections?
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, you know, it's one of those things that I say it's kind of a blessing and a curse, like my, my, my wife knows more about this now, like knowing me for eight years, but people have always just been like, oh, Evans, an outgoing person. Evans, you know, very, you know, easy to make friends with people, but at the same time like that has come with, like, a lot of practice and a lot of time just like learning, not just like the skills of networking, but the skills of, like, people management and people relationship and so what I always tell people is, you know, I'm 33 now, and it's taken me a little while to get here, but it's just like really trying to be true to yourself and just trying to be yourself. Because I think I spent a lot of time in my early years, in not just the corporate life, but in my personal life, like really trying to form not just who I was, but like, who I wanted to be centered around, and like, who was really lifting me up in my life. And so from a networking side, I think when you are just authentically you, when you're, when you're vulnerable and you are yourself, you attract that type of people as well, right? Like you, like the universe, kind of figures out a way to bring more of those people into your life. So I think the biggest piece of advice, I can always say is just learn more about being vulnerable and learn more about just who you are as a person because that authenticity really comes out.
Kim Meninger
I think that's such a great point, because especially when we talk about confidence, if you feel like you're playing a role when you're trying to connect with people, it feels inauthentic to you and other [totally,] that's that too, right? And [totally] it's just so awkward and uncomfortable to do it that way, but to your point, too, if you are putting on a persona that's not real for you, then you're not going to be attracting the right people.
Evan Kuterbach
Right. Well, because you're also, if you're playing that role, right, if you're playing a role, then you're probably going to attract someone else that's also playing a role. And so then if you're both playing like roles that aren't you, eventually someone's going to crumble and become their actual self, and likely you may not like that actual self, whether it's you or that other person. So I think that you know that really is just, is just super important.
Kim Meninger
Yes, you're absolutely right and, and I think this might be a good segue into the pickleball conversation too, because I think sometimes too we put pressure on ourselves to network in a more traditionally professional way. But when you talk about vulnerability and you talk about being yourself, I think you can meet a lot of people through your personal interests too that could end up being professional connections. I mean, everybody has a job, everybody does something, but as a as an avenue into a new community to find something that you're already interested in, that you know either you want to learn or that you already do well, seems like a great way to get started too, as opposed to trying to go working the room and some awkward professional networking setting, which may or may not work for you, right? I know I'm, you know, I'm more extroverted than a lot of other people, but even that isn't my necessarily cup of tea.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, yeah. It's so funny too. Because, like, I feel like, in the first probably, like, you know, let's say, if I was professionally working in the corporate world for about 11 years, probably, like, the first six or seven years, like, most of my networking was, it was so much of that, like, classic, you know, slap on a name tag and like, try to, like, meet people, and you're going to all these meetups. And again, if it works for you, great. That's, again, not really my cup of tea either. I would much rather just, like, be at Starbucks and then sitting next to, you know, random person who's also on a laptop and who looks my age, and then just being like, hey. Like, you know, I saw you're working here. I've seen you a couple times now and then struck striking up a conversation, but to your point, I think again, it's like knowing yourself, knowing what's interesting to you, and then starting to gravitate towards those types of communities. Because what I've learned, and maybe your listeners who have played pickleball have learned too, but the pickleball community is really similar to some other communities, like I attribute it to like, you know, the running community, or if you're like, in like, a CrossFit or something like, that's like, really, like, you're just very like-minded individuals, right? Like, you're very like-minded and so when you're there again, it's very natural, like, I've actually picked up. So my background when I left the corporate world is as a freelance marketer. I picked up a marketing client from just playing pickleball. We were just playing on the same court, and he was like, what do you do for work? And I was like, Oh, I do blah, blah. And then he was like, Oh, I actually am looking for a marketer. And so same kind of thing, right? It's like those networking opportunities happen again because you are going towards things that are just of interest to you. So it doesn't have to be pickleball, but it's just knowing yourself and knowing what, what you find interesting and starting to get plugged in there.
Kim Meninger
Yeah, and I just feel like you are a for lack of a better way of saying this a better version of yourself when you're in your natural habitat.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just like, more authentically, like, who you would be outside of, because, and I saw this really funny Tiktok that was talking about, like, basically this persona that we put on right when we're, you know, work mode, right? And it's like, you know, you're like, 70 or 80% who you would normally be in the real world when you're in your, you know, co-working space with all your colleagues. And so for people to see who you authentically are is just like, refreshing. And again, you're attracting the same, you know, the people that should be in your life. So, yeah.
Kim Meninger
Exactly, exactly. So tell us more about your interest in pickleball. Is this something that has got deep roots or relatively?
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah to that, it's, it's, it's fairly recent. So I actually got into pickleball when I first moved to Florida. So as I kind of mentioned, I'm in Orlando. I moved here from Colorado. My wife was six months pregnant when we moved here. We her family is from Florida. So we were like, Let's move to Florida. Let's get some help with, you know, having a baby, and it's our first kid. And so when we were moving here, like, a month before we moved, a buddy of mine told me about pickleball and. And to be quite honest, I avoided it because I was like, This feels like, you know, an older person sport, or it's something that, you know, I played tennis growing up. And I was like, this is just gonna, you know, make me a worse tennis player or a worse athlete. And I begrudgingly went out there and played with him. This is, like, a month before I moved. And then when we moved, we had our daughter, and I was, like, quickly feeling, like, very alone, very trapped, and really just trying to, like, you know, come to grips with a whole new life I had now, right? You know, we had a new daughter, and we were limited in a new state where I didn't know many people. And so it felt very lonely, right? It felt very isolating. And so I kind of went back to the idea of, okay, well, I just learned this new sport called pickleball. I had this, like, free paddle that my buddy gave me, and I know, Florida is a big pickleball state. What if I just, like, go to a court and just, I don't know, just see what it's like, and if it's terrible, then I'm never gonna see these people again. And so I showed up and I and I kind of was learning how to play a little bit with some people. And then I, you know, came home and I told my wife, and I was like, yeah, it was, like, yeah, it was, it was pretty fun. It was pretty cool. And I went again the next week, and I started, and I just kept going, and I started to make more connections, and I started to just meet more people. And so honestly, at that point, I didn't really think about building a pickleball brand. It was just kind of like this community. It was bringing me out. It was getting my body moving. It made me feel kind of more competitive again. I was playing sports a lot growing up, and so I was just enjoying, just playing pickleball, and just kind of, you know, kept becoming this addiction. And then it wasn't until, really, like January, about this time last year, which is crazy to say that we're in 2025 about this time last year, I met my co-founder through, like, a marketing community, and we just were talking about business ideas, and I was like, Have you heard about pickleball? Have you heard about this thing called pickleball? And he was like, No, not really. So I explained it to him, and he quickly started understanding a little more about it. And so from there, it just started to build and build and build. And it was kind of a natural occurrence, but, yeah, it's kind of about a two-and-a-half-year idea in the making I guess.
Kim Meninger
That’s amazing. And I love that neither one of you are were like, really expert pickle ballers who've been doing this for many, many years, right? I think sometimes we have this vision in our mindset, in order to start a business, or in order to change to a certain type of career, that we have to be experts in it, or, you know, that we have to agree in it or whatever, as opposed to just a passion for it.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, and it's funny too, because, you know, we are primarily e-commerce. And I tell people all the time, like, you know, they're like, oh, did you have a background in e-commerce? And I was like, I mean, I've purchased from e-commerce sites, but, like, I have no background in e-commerce, like, I'm a marketer. Like, I understand marketing in that sense, but, you know, I never dealt with shipping and logistics and, like, you know, packaging, like, all of those types of conversations that had never happened. So, like you said, right? I mean, I think, and I talk about this a lot in on, on my LinkedIn, this is an area where I tell people, you know, action is always going to be inaction every, every step of the way. And that sounds really cliche, but it's true, right? Like, just doing the first step, and a lot of times the first step is just Googling, like, we just googled things like, we're on YouTube. We're just like, you know, these are the not shiny moments of being an entrepreneur, solopreneur, that, like, people don't talk about, right? Like, a lot of times, like, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm just Googling things to figure it out. So that's a really intimidating process. And I say that like it's easier said than done, but, yeah, that's, that's, that's a big piece of it.
Kim Meninger
Just, I’m just writing down, you just say, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just Googling it because I think that is so helpful for people to hear. And I appreciate your honesty in saying that because it's funny. When I transitioned from corporate to entrepreneurship, I was. So I don't know if relief is the best way to describe it, but I just remember if I felt like the curtain was pulled back, and you realize that everyone's just making it up as they go along.
Evan Kuterbach
Literally, I posted this on my LinkedIn, probably, like, a month ago, and I was like, this is the My eyes were wide open when I became an exact same thing was, like, you're talking to people even like, you know, CEOs of companies, right? You, you just grew up thinking that they knew more than you or were experts. But a lot of times they're just figuring it out too. And so the more you're around that, the more you it like demystifies this idea of building something. You're just like, no one knows they're doing. We're all, we're all we're all figuring it out, every single person.
Kim Meninger
Exactly. And I just think that's so powerful for people to hear, because, again, we have this view that we that there's some, like, magical blueprint out there that we don't have access to. But definitely, you know, there are definitely, were probably moments when you questioned yourself, or when you did feel a little bit of self-doubt, like, what did that look like, and how did you navigate that?
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, and, I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't say I still feel self-doubt. I mean, even right now as we're having this podcast, I'm like, thinking about what I'm saying. I'm like, Really, I'm like, having a little bit of imposter syndrome, just like having this conversation right now. Like, even though I can kind of hide that mask, you know, and put on that mask a little more, so I still feel that all the time. But the way that I try to navigate it is knowing that at the end of the day and I forget who is like, I think a lot of people have talked about this idea, but at the end of the day, most people are not really going to like, really remember every interaction in their life, right? And so at the end of the day, like, when I am doing a podcast, or if I'm like, you know, posting on LinkedIn, like, if it flops, if it isn't great, like, that's okay. Like, I tried, I tried something new. I did something different. I tried a different tactic. So like, at the end of the day, like the interactions, like most interactions that we have in a day, most things that people see, they're going to forget. They're not going to remember what's happening. And you're likely probably, you know, a lot of times, not even going to see some of these people again. So you know, if I'm doing a farmer's market, which I just did yesterday, if I'm on a podcast or whatever, right, like just putting yourself out there and just trying something, and again, it's easier said than done. It comes with practice. It comes with, you know, more experience of just trying different things, but the more and more I start thinking about that, about the idea that like, so what like, you know, if it flops, it flops. If it doesn't do well, it doesn't do well, like it, you know, just you have to just try. So again, I think that just comes from practice.
Kim Meninger
I totally appreciate that sentiment because that's been a big one for me, too, as somebody who's grown up with a lot of anxiety and social pressure and wanting to, you know, put the perfect image out into the world. And I have spent years internalizing the idea that nobody's thinking about you [literally,] no. And you wake up at two in the morning and you're thinking, I can't believe I said that, or I can't believe I did that. No one else is out there going, I can't believe Evan's podcast was such a…
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, literally, I know, yeah, well, and it's and it's funny too, because, like, as an like, dubbed extrovert. And I say like in quotes for people listening, because I always, like, tell people, like, people see me as an extrovert, but like, internally, there's a lot of introvertedness of me. And I think when I grew up with this label, like, people told me that I was extroverted, I always felt the need that I needed to be extroverted. Or like, oh, because I was in sales. Like, oh, Evan’s really good at that. So like, let me just throw Evan into the mix here because he's good at that. But like, sometimes I don't want to be good at that. Sometimes I just want to, you know, be in a ball and not talk to someone. So I think that's a big piece too. Is like, you know, when you're labeled a certain thing as you're kind of growing up or, or you're in your impressional career, you're being labeled as this thing, then it feels like that's what you need to conform to every time. But like we're we all evolve, we all change. We all have different aspects of us, and we're not just one thing. So, yeah.
Kim Meninger
Exactly, exactly. And I think you know the going back to the earlier points of attracting the right people, the right people will follow you through that evolution, and you're not going to keep all the same people in your world from start to finish. It's just not the way we operate. And so right, over the course of that evolution, some people start to fall off. That's not a bad thing, either.
Evan Kuterbach
No, not at all. Not at all. And I forget who said it. I want to say it was either like Brene Brown or I forget who it was. But they were talking about like, again, stages of life, right? Like, it's like friendships and stages of life and, and who you are, stages of life, like, you don't have to just again be the same person you were, because you were that person when you were 20 or when you were 30 or when you were 40. And same thing with your friends, right? Like we, you know, we have this idea that, like, you know, and it's funny because even to this day, I still do right, like, you know that you have the high school friend who you just assume is probably the same friend they were when they were 17, even though you haven't talked to them in 20 years. They're probably different and hopefully different, right? And it's the same thing, right? So yeah, as stages of life happen, right? Like you have friends for certain stages of life, and I think, you know, at 33 now, I'm still, you know, learning that process too, of like friends that you're still holding on to, that you think maybe will be coming into this next stage of life, but there's kind of not, and that's hard too to come to grips with. And you know, you're changing yourself. And so, yeah, it's, it's all really complicated stuff that, honestly, just enough people, not enough people, talk about.
Kim Meninger
Yeah, you're absolutely right. And I think that's, that's part of the reason why I do this podcast too. Is like, let's get let's get to the messy stuff. Because, yeah, our professional or an entrepreneur, whatever it is that we're doing in the world, we have this pressure to put on a brave face, to show up as, as confidently as possible. And what ends up happening is that those of us who are watching other people do this. Think that it's all smooth sailing, that that's something that they could do, but I could never do, right because I'm so aware of my own insecurities and my own perceived flaws. This person has done this perfectly and miraculously and so to just really create more transparency around the rockiness. Of our transitions through life, of the choices that we make. And I actually think that is a good segue into a question I wanted to ask you, too about just the actual decision to leave a corporate career, which, even though there is no guarantee of job security in the corporate world, it feels a little bit more secure, right than it does being an entrepreneur. Like, how did you find that process? And did you, you know, did you struggle with making that shift?
Evan Kuterbach
I struggled a ton, and it was funny because, and I'll get more into in a second, but there was this period. It was probably, like, two months after I left the corporate world, and, you know, like, put in my two weeks notice and officially left. And I literally had, like, job applications open for other sales jobs, like, on a window on my computer, and I was just like, looking at them, and I was just like, maybe I'll just apply and just see if I and I was like, no, no, stop, stop, stop. And so it was so hard to get into that mindset. But yeah, I struggled with it a ton, honestly. And this is a funny story, but when my, my daughter was about to be born, so she was born in November of 21 and I was going on paternity leave, I started just kind of having this like mental shift. And you know, some people have had it again with your moving or if you get married, or anything like that, but I started having this mental shift, and I was basically kind of like, reevaluating my life. And I was thinking, like, do I want to keep going down this path? Right? I've been working kind of a normal eight-to-five, nine-to-five job for 10 years. That's what my dad did. It's what you know, all my friends are doing. Do I keep doing that? And so when I was on paternity leave, I basically told my wife, I was like, I kind of think I might want to try something different. And she's like, What do you want to try? And so we were just like, chatting through different things. And so while I was on paternity leave, I was like, exploring ideas of things. I was thinking about, could I go freelance and do marketing? Can I do freelance sales? Like, are there things I could do? And so I was just exploring things. Like, while on paternity leave, while I'm just like, you know, with my, with my daughter, like, napping on my chest, and I'm just like, on my phone, looking at different stuff. Different stuff. And when I came back from paternity leave, I like, told my wife, I was like, Okay, I'm really gonna try to, like, stay within this job, like we've got good health benefits, like we've, you know, got good pay, but I really don't know, like, if I'm gonna be able to and she's like, No, I totally understand. And she's been just absolutely supportive with all of this, which has been huge. And I made it about three weeks at the at my job, I came back from paternity leave, made it about three weeks, and then I was like, I can't do it. And I put in my two week notice. And so for me, it was really, really hard, because being like sales and marketing, and specifically sales like, I had a skill set that was needed. So I knew I could get another job. I knew if I wanted to apply, I could get another job. And so to kind of be sitting on this, like, quote-unquote, I hate saying the word, like, golden ticket, that's kind of what it was like. I could get another job if I wanted to. And I was really, really fortunate in that aspect. And so it was really hard to like de program my brain to say no, I was not happy when I was in eight-to-five. I was not a great partner. I hadn't been a dad yet, but now I was like thinking about, what am I going to show my daughter for this like, you know, next 10 years of working my eight-to-five, is that what I want to put forth for her? So honestly, having again the support of my wife, and then having my daughter and seeing her every day and being like I want to be more present for her. I want her to see a different like, way to earn an income, a different way to be a present parent. So that was like the driving force. So that kind of kept snapping me out of this idea of, like, go back to the corporate world, go back to a job, right? Apply for that job. So honestly, like, it's still a struggle, but that was probably the biggest piece that that helped me get through it.
Kim Meninger
I love that, because I talk a lot about really connecting with your values, right and, and it's easier said than done, but there, I really like to think about it through the lens of what will I regret more in the future? And if you because right now, we're so in the thick of it, and it's hard to remove ourselves from the situation. But if you fast forward 10-20, years, and you ask yourself, like, what will I regret more? Will I regret that I stayed in this, you know, position that was not, you know, this was soul-crushing. Maybe it's too strong a word, but or will I regret that it took a risk, and like you said, you had a skill set that you knew you could go back to if you needed to, too. And so, you know, I think at the end of our lives, we tend to regret so much more the risks that we didn't take, or those decisions that we didn't make, as opposed to, you know, sort of trying that new thing. And…
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, yeah. And it was like, it was that idea too, of, how can I, can I stop the cycle, right? The cycle of and again, for me and my family, this is what we decided, right? Every family is different. And if it works for you, it works for you, that's great. But for our family, we've always known my wife and I'd always known that we didn't fit in this, like normal eight to five. I bubble like we just didn't fit that. We didn't fit that mold. We tried for years. We just didn't fit that. So we knew, and we know that our life is going to be different, right? Like, it's going to be a little different in how we make income and how we provide for our, for our family, and so because our parents had done the normal way, you know, like, you get into that cycle. And so it was like, okay, like, why not us to stop and try something different, right? And to your point, right? Like, I literally on my computer right now, I have this sticky note that I've had on my computer since I started my entrepreneur, entrepreneurial journey, and it says, why not you? And I literally look at that every day, and I it's always been this idea of like, why not us? Like, why not us to build something new? Why not us to show that, like, we can just, you know, pick up our daughter at 1pm because, you know, we had the, the time freedom of not being tied down to, like a normal eight-to-five. Why not us to, like, build this life that we want? So again, this has all come from a lot of legwork and a lot of tough conversations and really, really, really hard months, right? Really, really tough months in this last year and a half. But again, when I look back to what my life was like at the 8-5, I was not the best version of myself. I was not someone I was really happy to be. And if I wasn't the best version of myself, why would I want to share that with my daughter? Right? Like, I want my daughter to see a great version of myself. So I had to change something.
Kim Meninger
That's so powerful. And I think, you know, we're talking about this at the start of a new year, when a lot of people are making decisions around, do I stay? Do I go? What do I want to do when I grow up? Write all those kinds of bigger questions that we don't usually ask ourselves. And I think that's such an important one is, does the situation that I'm in or the path that I'm on, allow me to be the best version of myself? And it's not going to be you're not going to be the best version of yourself every day and every minute. Right? Obviously, work is work, but if it's harder than it needs to be, if you're feeling like it's negative more often than it's positive, then it's, it's a good opportunity to think maybe a little bit more expansively about what you're doing.
Evan Kuterbach
Totally and I tell people all the time, like, a lot of times like that first, that first step is usually the hardest, right of you know, one acknowledging that, okay, maybe I'm not super pleased with, like, how things are going, and I want to make a change. I'm not really sure how to do that. And honestly, what I tell people is start to either, whether it's posted on LinkedIn, post on Instagram, just like, put it into the world, write it down, like, put it into the world. Because when it's in the world again, that starts the process. It starts the world, kind of knowing, I like to think of it as a terrible analogy, probably, but I have to think of it kind of like an algorithm. Like when you think about Tiktok or Instagram or whatever, right, when you put something into the algorithm, it feeds you similar things back. And it's the same thing I like to think about when you're like journaling, or you're like posting, when you put things into the, into the world, it's going to give you that back. So if you start writing things down, maybe you have a friend that reached out to you and says, Hey, like, you know, can I pick your brain about something? Like, I've been thinking about starting this thing, or I'm, you know, whatever, whatever, right? So it's like, you be surprised how that kind of happens and how the universe starts to work around you to kind of help you on that mission.
Kim Meninger
I love that analogy I might because I yeah, of course, talk these days about manifesting, right? And I think that makes it sound very mystical and magical, when, in actuality, it's exactly what you're saying is when you know what you want, and you sort of put your energy behind it, and you're putting that out into the world, then you're getting that in return. And I love the idea of it being like an algorithm.
Evan Kuterbach
It's so true.
Kim Meninger
Especially for analytical people to relate because, you know that woo-woo stuff feels a little bit out of reach.
Evan Kuterbach
But 100% I mean, it's like, the idea of, like, getting, like, you know, an ad that you're, like, I was just talking about that vacuum cleaner, right? It's the same thing, right? And it's, it's, honestly, it feels like how the universe works, right? Like it's gonna feed you, it's just, and it can work in the wrong side too, right? Like, if you're, if you're not the best version of yourself, you might attract people that are also not the best version of themselves. If you're, you know, whatever, right? So it can work on the flip side. So I think it's, it's a really powerful tool, and it's a really powerful, like, mindset to, to start to take on, but you have to, like, be careful, because it can, it can show a dark side.
Kim Meninger
Exactly. Yeah. This has been such an amazing conversation. Evan, I'm so grateful to you for, for sharing your insights and your story with us, for people who are listening, who want to learn more about you, especially about your new venture, and maybe pickleball more broadly, where can people find you?
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, sure, yeah. This has been, this has been great. So you can find me at Evan Kuterbach on LinkedIn. I actually post a lot on LinkedIn about being a solopreneur, building things out. I also just launched a weekly newsletter called The Honest Hustle, which is just about kind of what it's like to build something as a solopreneur, doing things with intention. So I really break things down in that newsletter. But then for Canyon Pickleball, you can find us at canyon, canyon pickleball dot com on Instagram. I'm always also posting behind the scenes stuff there. So yeah, I'm, I'm really vulnerable about what it's like to build a business, and how scary it is and how great it is. So yeah, I would love for anyone that wants to join that journey. So.
Kim Meninger
Well, thank you for being such an inspiration, too. I think it's, it's really great to have people who have with more honest voices about the, the harder side of entrepreneurship. And whether you're, you know, in pickleball in particular, or just exploring entrepreneurship more broadly, this is something that we can all relate to. And so I really appreciate your being here, and also everything that you're doing out in the world to share your message.
Evan Kuterbach
Yeah, no, Kim, thank you so much. And honestly, like, as soon as I saw your podcast, I was super excited, because, again, like, I just, I want to demystify this whole idea of, again, no one really knows what they're doing, right? We're all just figuring it out. So yeah, thank you what you're doing, too.