Episode Transcript

Julia Landauer 0:04 Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of if I'm honest with Julia Landauer. Today I'm sitting down with Jaime Schmidt who is the founder of the brand Schmidt's naturals and is known for modernizing natural personal care products and bringing them to the mainstream market. Under her leadership, Schmidt grew into a household name and after seven years was acquired by CPG giant Unilever. She is the author of Supermaker, crafting business on your own terms, a personalized guide on how to put your business on the map, turning your passion into profit. Jaime is also an investor and co owner of color capital, a fund that invests in consumer products and emerging technologies. Most recently, Jaime co founded BFF, a brand and community that provides access and education in web3 for underrepresented groups, which has since been acquired by boss beauties, a media and entertainment brand that inspires the next generation of women and girls. And they were also my primary sponsor, and my debut Nascar xfinity race in July of 2022. So lots of cool ties between myself and Jaime. But this is the first time we've really sat down and have a conversation. And it's really fun, we just jump into some of her background with web3 and how she got into that more tech space. We talk about consumer packaged goods, we talk about her learning experiences as an entrepreneur, we dive into pickleball, a sport that she's very passionate about. And then the conversation kind of turns and we talk about mt and racing and explaining what racing is and how it's how it's very physical and the team dynamic. So it's a really engaging back and forth conversation really hitting the ethos of if I'm honest, and I'm so excited to be able to share this conversation with Jaime Schmidt with you. And as a quick episode, note, I realized while editing that we use the term web3 a lot, but then don't define it until a little bit later into the episode. So I want to define it for you that web3 is a term that's used to describe the next iteration of the internet. And it's one that's built on the blockchain technology, and it's controlled by users. So it changes the ownership structure. And it's an idea that incorporates decentralization and token based economies if you heard about NFT's, especially in 2021 and 2022. And earlier this year, that was all based in web3. So just wanted to take a minute to roughly define web3 for you as we get into this conversation, Jaime, welcome to if I'm honest. Hi, Julia. Jaime Schmidt 2:22 Thank you for having me. Well, it has been Julia Landauer 2:25 so fun to read more about you and learn more about you. And for our listeners, I was introduced to you back in, I want to say February of 2022, when you had launched BFF, with your co founders and BFF is a community and brand that's focused on web3. And it was this launch event and I was listening to you and to your co founder Brit. And I was just really, really enthralled by everything you were talking about. But then also your presence in particular, I found quite striking. And I was intrigued. And I was like, oh my goodness, I need to learn more about this woman and did a deep dive, which we'll get into. But BFF is how we know each other. And so it's really cool to get to sit down and chat with you. Jaime Schmidt 3:08 Thank you. Yeah, I love that you're a part of that event, and that we get to know each other a little bit since then just through some DMs and things. So super excited to talk Julia Landauer 3:16 to you. Yeah, and social media is so powerful in that regard. So it's really cool. So I do want to start off actually with BFF, because a bunch of my followers are also in web3, web3 enthusiasts. And with BFF, it was really an attempt to help bring more women and non binary people into web3, correct? Like that was the ethos of what we're doing. So What compelled you to jump from consumer packaged goods? Which we'll get into in a little bit, into the web3 world? Jaime Schmidt 3:45 Yeah, that's a great question. Um, you know, I haven't abandoned CPG by any means. So it's still very much of interest, and you know, when at the heart of a lot of what I do, but I was really intrigued by web3, and what it offered to the consumer space. That's when I really first got into it, I realized, you know, in terms of consumer rewards, and tokenization, you know, all the opportunities there for brands, but there was a really huge potential. And so that was kind of kick started my interest, and then just recognizing, you know, but like any other industry or any other kind of, you know, moments in history, you know, women tend to get left behind, right, if we aren't, you know, being mindful of making sure we're learning, you know, at the same pace as men and taking advantage of the opportunities available. And so, I saw that opportunity to create BFF with my co founder, Brit, she historically has done a lot of work with women and entrepreneurs, and we just really clicked and had a lot in common in that regard. So we knew that together, we could create something huge and you know, had a skill set that complemented one another and yeah, we I think we succeeded. You know, we started with the kickoff event that you mentioned, that was in early 2022. Our goal was just to It really just gives, you know, the basics of what what three really even means, you know, why should people care? You know, what, what is crypto? And you know why? Why should people be interested in it? What does it mean for different industries that we work in. And so, with that event, we, you know, we covered those basics and gave away free NF Ts to everybody that attended. So that was the first for so many women, which was really cool. And then help them set up their first crypto wallet. You know, many were so so new to it. And I to write like, I was not a self proclaimed expert in, you know, web3 and crypto, but I was learning alongside my community. And that's what made it really cool and Julia Landauer 5:35 fun. Yeah, I mean, like most industries, but then also tech industries, being male dominated such a big thing. And what I really loved what you just said about BFF was that everyone who attended got an NFT. And so much of the barrier to entry, I think, is having the confidence that what you're investing either your time or money in, is, is that worthwhile, right? And so you guys clearly established that it was and it was really feel like gave everyone a really solid ground to build and learn with you guys, which I thought was really, really cool. Jaime Schmidt 6:09 Yeah, thanks. You know, what our biggest goal was just to make sure that people understood it, you know, not, we're not our goal was never to, like, encourage people not to invest your money in Bitcoin, or crypto or whatever. It's more like, these are the opportunities, these are the things you should know like, if you're at a dinner party, for example, and the topic comes up like what what are the basics and just like a, you know, a level of understanding that you feel comfortable enough to get by and to keep an open mind or opportunities that do come up? Julia Landauer 6:35 Yeah. And something that I found personally, is that I consider myself a competent person, I consider myself smart. But I was pretty nervous getting into web3, and learning from the ground up and learning how a crypto wallet works, how you transfer things, how you have a hard wallet, and like safety around web three, and crypto and everything. And so one thing that I found, you know, months into learning months, way before I met you guys and BFF was how proud I felt after I felt like I had not mastered but gotten quite comfortable and literate in web three. And so I think that that's a nice thing that I heard other people and so on X other people talking about is like, being nervous about it, but then working through it and gaining that confidence. Yeah, that's true, like everything Jaime Schmidt 7:24 in life, right? Like even I think back to like, my early days as my entrepreneur, my first business and just like taking the leap and like trusting that you can figure it out, you know, like I there's no like, script to what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. And so you just kind of have to jump in and have the patience and like determination to figure it out. Julia Landauer 7:44 Yeah, and I think I have to assume that something around currency and finances can make things a little more stressful. So I mean, that was something that I was just, I was really proud of the community as a whole for jumping into that and tackling it and clearly building such a cool community that that you know, is thriving today. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. And so piggybacking off of that big news, and we're we're definitely connected is that BFF was acquired by boss beauties recently. And first, congratulations. That is so exciting. And for listeners, boss beauties is another web3 and women's empowerment community. And they were my primary sponsor in my debut Nascar xfinity race. So we put a boss beauty PFP on the hood of the car. We had another NFT community garageXYZ on there. And it was just so cool, because it really was the first time that you know, a web3 group had sponsored a NASCAR driver, which was I was so cool. It was so so cool to do that was so Jaime Schmidt 8:45 amazing. I love that it was like a woman driver and a woman organization, right? Because it could have it could have gone the other way. Julia Landauer 8:51 Totally. And later that year, we saw that so I was like we are the trailblazers. We are the pioneers. Jaime Schmidt 8:56 I'm curious how that came up, like, Did you initiate it or they come to you? Yeah. So Julia Landauer 9:00 I had met Lisa years ago through my social canvas, which is another, you know, social, socially focused startup and helping to mentor girls. So I had known her for a little while. And then she had told me that they were launching I think, in September of 2021, is what it was, and it didn't quite work out to get involved then. But as I got into the web3 space, and we stayed in touch and you know, I really admire Lisa and Anthony and the whole team they have and yeah, I went to them in the early spring. And I pitched them because we had had enough sponsorship from the car focused NFT group to go racing. And so we were trying to get that primary sponsor to really get us over the edge. So I was nervous, but I pitched them and they said yes, and I remember I was actually on vacation in Hawaii when we were finalizing everything and finalizing what the suit would look like and what the car would look like and keeping everyone happy and it was working with my age. And so yeah, I pitched them and they came on board. And it was really incredible. It was cool because my suit was designed to look like the suits for the racecar driver BBs or boss beauties. And there are 106 racecar driver boss beauties, which I thought was super cool, because yeah, that wasn't that representation wasn't there when I was growing up. So yeah, so that's the long story short of how it came came together. So I'm big fan of them. And they've obviously grown a lot. So yeah. Jaime Schmidt 10:29 I love it. I remember being like, slightly, like jealous that, you know, yeah. How did they get her. And that's, that's so fun. Yeah, and it was, I just thought it makes sense for the brand. Like, it was just the perfect, perfect match. So Julia Landauer 10:39 it was really cool. And they got to come out to the track and you know, going to a racetrack, especially NASCAR when they're on an oval because everything is you know, so tightly packed together on the infield. One to be able to share my passion for the sport that I love, which, you know, I've always loved that it's a technology centric sport. And you know, that's, that's a big part of my brand. I like human machine interaction. So to be able to share that world with with the boss beauties team, and they got to see the little girls who were excited to see a girl racing like it was just, it was a very special race for a number of reasons. And the car was beautiful. It was a bright blue and pink. And even people like in the racing community who were not familiar with any like with what three or with with Boss Beauties, like, they everyone was like, Damn, that's a good looking car. Yeah, so Jaime Schmidt 11:30 good. If I had a podcast, I would interview you about your racing career. So I think it's fascinating, but Oh, thank you. Julia Landauer 11:35 Yeah, I mean, I mean, there's so many similarities. I think across industries, as you mentioned, like, you know, whether it's entrepreneurship or web3, finance, racing, there are a lot of similarities. And you know, something going back to that fear discussion was like, something I realized only recently is that my entire racing career has been kind of a repeating cycle of leveling up, being terrified, the cars are fast, you know, you have to be on the limit. So being scared, and then pragmatically working away at it, pushing the braking zone a little bit, getting on the gas a little quicker, and then mastering it, and then having to level up again. So I feel quite lucky that my entire life since I was 10, I've been proving that I know how to get through scary things. And that's what I tried to share in my keynotes in the podcast. You need a book, I would love to read about just like, like who compete against and how you got into it. And like, what makes for a good race day? Yeah. Jaime Schmidt 12:37 All that good stuff. Julia Landauer 12:38 I will let you know, as soon as that book comes to life. And if you ever get a podcast, you let me know, we'll sit down and chat about it. Getting back to Boss Beauties, I think what are you most excited about with this acquisition? Moving forward. Jaime Schmidt 12:52 I mean, the team itself is just so inspiring and so motivated. And I knew that from the first time I had talked specifically with Lisa, just the things I have in the pipeline, like big, big dreams and big goals. And you know, they might not all come true you know but, But some of them will, and I know it. And I think you know, BFF, we've done amazing things that education has been at the forefront of our plans. And we were at a turning point where we thought, okay, you know, what's next for us? Obviously, the industry has just shifted, you know, cash flow starts to get tight. We didn't have any funding ever, you know, and we had given away basically the whole first collection of entities. So we didn't make any money off of that we had some funds from the new sales. So it was a secondary question we had. But you know, we knew we needed money. And we thought, okay, do we want to raise capital? Do we want to try to partner up with somebody I didn't want to go through, you know, the thing, we're getting partners for some initiative, but we have really wanted to figure out what that meant. And realize, we could do more, you know, in partnership with somebody that had similar mission, right. And so, Brit and I, my co founder, were very strategic and intentional around like, who we wanted to approach for this. So it was as a person that was opposite, right? Like, usually, the acquirer will come after the company they want to acquire, but we had a plan. And we said, you know, I think that we should be together and we proposed it. And then we were at, we talked for a good six months, which is a long time, especially considering, you know, web3 things happen fast, right? And so six months of conversation and negotiation and brainstorming and and came to an agreement everybody was happy with and super stoked about, you know, reaching more people really together. Julia Landauer 14:32 So cool. If you're comfortable answering this with those kinds of negotiations at that stage with the two companies, is that something that you're doing in person? Or is it your team that's doing it or like, because knowing now knowing most of the players involved? I'm so interested into that dynamic. Yeah. Well, Jaime Schmidt 14:48 it was me and Brit were the cofounders of BFF our team was small, you know, we didn't have a really anybody that seems you know, appropriate to be making those negotiations on our behalf but We have a team of attorneys and accountants and things, of course had a hand in it. But it's funny, I never met Lisa in person until just a week ago. Oh, okay, zoom and phone. I had seen her on other zoom calls, you know, before we even began these discussions and very much knew, you know, of her in the team from being in the space but hadn't even run into her at any like at a tea events over the years, which was interesting. Yeah, yeah. But we spent some time together last weekend fine line. So that was really cool. But yeah, it's amazing what you can do, you know, over phone and over email and over zoom. Julia Landauer 15:33 Yeah, no, definitely. And what I find really cool in the beginning of what you just said, is that you asked, and you made that first move. And that's another thing that I think is really important, especially for young people starting their careers. And women in particular, like, always ask for what you want, I think, like, waiting to have other people make the move, whether it's an introduction or partnership opportunity, like I'm all about pitching yourself, I think that's so important and doing the research and lose, Jaime Schmidt 16:03 you got nothing to lose. I mean, literally, like you were out. We're used to hearing no all the time anyway. So that's a win, even if it's unknown. Wow. It's like it's something that's in their head. And even if they say, No, no, they might be thinking about it and come around again. Julia Landauer 16:17 So have that. Well, guys, we're gonna take a quick break, and then we'll come back with Jamie Schmidt on if I'm honest with Julia Landauer. We are back with Jaime Schmidt on if I'm honest with Julia Landauer. So in researching you and learning more about you, I came across your book supermaker, which I read. And I enjoyed a lot, I learned more about kind of the nitty gritty of entrepreneurship, but then I also really, really related to a lot of what you talked about, because of just how vulnerable and honest and straightforward you were with a lot of the stories you told. And so my question is, did that kind of real talk and honesty and vulnerability? Has that always been something that has come naturally to you? Because it feels very natural in your writing? Or is it something that the written format, like allows for a little better? Or like, how did that Jaime Schmidt 17:14 Well, I don't love first of all, I don't love talking about myself, like if you have if I'm in a social situation, I tend to like, push the conversation, somebody else asked questions about that I just like I don't always love being on the spot. So it's interesting to think about it that way. I think it was, you know, just being in the zone, and like telling my story, and realizing how much I can help other people. It was just the most natural way for me to tell it was, you know, in the most honest way, because I started literally from nothing, right. And I you know, I had never been raised, I wasn't raised in a you know, an entrepreneur household, I, you know, didn't have tons of money, you know, for my parents helping me out or anything like that. And so I I realized that, like, I really like went through a lot and worked really hard to make it. And so I think just in reflecting on that story, I was compelled to just be honest, and to let other people know, like, Hey, you can do this too. And my goal in writing the book was really just to inspire other people and to let them know that, you know, if you're gonna you'll learn as you go, you'll you'll acquire the skills that you need. And, yeah, there are a lot of vulnerable moments of being an entrepreneur. I think it was also like, I was at a point where I thought, you know, I got nothing to lose. I felt the brand, you know, I sold it. And you know, fortunately now I'm in a comfortable position, you know, financially and there was a lot more security than I've ever had in my life. And so I think, you know, part of that was is a comfort, right? Like, what could I lose by being honest, and you know, upfront about things and, you know, in the, in the process of that, hopefully help some people. Julia Landauer 18:50 Can you remind me what year you started? Jaime Schmidt 18:53 Yeah, it was 2010 When I first started making products and selling at the farmers markets, Julia Landauer 19:00 looking back, so in 2010, I had just graduated high school. And so I think the whole cultural landscape, especially for women, women in business was quite different. And like now, I think that there there's a lot of transparency, vulnerability, people showing like the behind the scenes of different businesses and different support groups and everything. Did you not that like you need this. But did you feel that that there were those bigger social groups of support back then that at least I'm seeing today? Jaime Schmidt 19:32 Yeah, I think at the time I didn't realize how special and important that group was. But I did have a community of other people who were makers and entrepreneurs. So I started the business in Portland, Oregon. And it's there's a huge community of artists and creators across all different types and older mediums and I made a lot of friends that way. You know, at the farmers markets. I went to a lot of like craft shows and art shows and things even saw my products there. And so it started to make friends that way. And so, you know, I always had some people to bounce ideas off of and talk about our challenges and things. But again, not really realizing how special that really was, I think now, it's harder people are it especially like during COVID years really less connected in person leaning more online relationships, which of course, are incredibly valuable, too. But I do truly appreciate having those like IRL real true relationships. Julia Landauer 20:28 It seems like especially in the learning process, that's where that can be really valuable for experimentation, which obviously, you did quite well. And like it all worked out. But I think of, you know, young people nowadays, like, I feel like there's a lot of information out there some of the things you have to think about, and yeah, even on a like really level of how to set up a company and like all that technical stuff, to all to building it out. Can you go into a little bit? What is like from because what I remember from the book is that, you know, your husband was pretty involved in this process as well. And so what that was like, working with your partner in a business, Jaime Schmidt 21:04 I get that question a lot. I so my husband and I met at a job, right. So we've always had like, work as part of our history and Julia Landauer 21:12 part of our position. Good point, I thought about it when I was reading, I was always I think, built into Jaime Schmidt 21:17 who we are. Which brings challenges in its own right. But so yeah, I started the business basically, on my own, he was more of a hobby at the time he was he had his own things going on, but a couple of years in, then I realized that I'd be good to get a little help. And he was, you know, naturally very curious and interested and had some skills that I didn't tell you how to build a website. And he was, he's a marketer, and you know, was really good with figuring out how to set up our online sales strategy and things like that. And so he came at the right time, you know, but we also had to make the hard decision of like him giving up his job to fully commit full time. And that took took a few years before we did that. But once he did commit, and we were like, all right, as a family and really dependent on the business success. And so it was, it's a great, you know, it's amazing to have your partner with you to, you know, be very again vulnerable with, and to not have to put up fronts, you know, to be real, but also at the same time, it's amazing to work together, because we could talk about business, whenever we want it right at the dinner table when we first wake up and things like that, but same time, you know, that that brings its own challenges and stressors. So I think it was all about just having boundaries. You know, recognizing that as much as the business was a huge part of our lives, it wasn't the only part of our lives. We were also new parents, you know, so we had our child who's the same age as the business because they started it when I was pregnant. So that's great. If you can make it work. You know, I think it's wonderful and beautiful. It's not for everybody. Yeah. But it's you know, knowing your strengths and your weaknesses and being willing, you know, to lean into one another and admitting what you don't know. Right? Julia Landauer 22:58 Yeah, totally. And I think I think that's important. Like whether it's professionally oriented, or personally oriented with your partner, and like, you know, being just being transparent with like, what you got and what you need help with? Yeah, yeah, no, it's such an interesting dynamic. And I see like, with with my husband, I think it'd be so cool to work together. And we're not at that stage yet. But I think it's something that could be really cool. Question When you mentioned boundaries, do you, Are you the type of people are you both the type of people where you need to set okay, like, now, we're not going to talk about this? Or do you like meeting work? Or were you always like more fluid and just kind of like, you talk about what you need to talk about when you need to talk about it? Or? Jaime Schmidt 23:37 Yeah, if something, you know, big was happening at work, it just naturally consumed us. But if it's a little more low key, we would take advantage of that. But there were times when I think we would just have to like say let's stop laying in bed at night and trying to like talk through something and realizing, okay, this is like, this isn't healthy. Right? Right. Like relax and go to sleep and then try again tomorrow. Julia Landauer 24:00 Right and cut your losses. Get some sleep, right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, kind of kind of tangentially related. I had been interviewed a few months ago by a high schooler, and she had asked me in these written questions, if if I was entrepreneurial as a teenager, and I had never thought about it from that specific lens. And like for racing, I realized I had been, you know, I was aware that racing would always be expensive, and my parents wouldn't stop paying for it eventually. Right. And so I'd have to get sponsorship, I'd have to market myself. So I realized that it was kind of embedded in what I was doing. But I wouldn't say that I would have voluntarily become entrepreneurial, but rather the sport that I loved and the passion that I had for racing kind of forced it. Do you do you think that you were entrepreneurial as a teenager and like, Jaime Schmidt 24:52 I never like would have described myself that way back then. But looking back on it, I see little trends in science that I hadn't in Me, I started babysitting at a really young age, I think around 13 and took it very seriously, you know, I would save half of my money and the other half I, you know, in my pocket to spend and reward myself, a lot of that comes from my parents encouragement, but, but I was always very organized with, with things like I was I had a lemonade stand at a very young age, and I had created these beautiful marketing materials and would take them around the neighborhood and pass them out and was just like, just very, yeah, very, kinda like type A, I guess, in the way I was like, planning on my entrepreneurial things at a young age. And even at like my, my grandparents, who always had garage sales up in northern Michigan, and I'd have my little table and the only bank account and sell my toys, you know, and kept it separate from my parents things. And so it's definitely how to me but I also like when I started college, and I chose business as a degree, I just chose because I didn't know what else to do. But I, I literally would describe it as like the most boring thing I was like, it's entrepreneurship Goonies, and once that's the, I want to do something more creative and interesting. And then later in life, you know, realize that that is like, the coolest thing you can do is start your own business and be an entrepreneur and like, that is like a form of art in itself. And so, yeah, it takes a while to figure it out. Like if you have it in you. And again, I didn't have any entrepreneurs in my family. So I didn't have that sort of inspiration or encouragement and very kind of, you know, kind of family structure. Julia Landauer 26:23 Yeah, yeah. Well, and it's, it's, it's tough, too, because, like, I feel like there are some things that like, any person can, like be entrepreneurial bout, right, and you just like you, it's part of what you have to do to be successful at what you're working on, and other things that might not require the same, the same efforts and skills. And so that didn't quite make sense. I might. Jaime Schmidt 26:47 And I think that like, we're all like entrepreneurs of our lives. You don't have to, like, you know, own a business, being entrepreneur, just like the fact that we'd like manage, like schedules on his obligations, and like, some of us are way better at it than others. And I think like when you look at the way you can manage your day to day life, like how that sort of those skills transfer over to like running a business. And yeah, so we're all we're all entrepreneurs, in some sense. Julia Landauer 27:10 Amazing. Well, thank you for saving me there. And I'll keep that in the in the episode. Yeah. Makes sense to me. Well, and also like, kind of off of that, you know, a lot of our friends here have had babies in the last year or two. And so we've got like, four or five, one and a half and under. And because these people are more or less my age, I'm like, and I'm in my early 30s. I'm like, What do you mean, you are responsible for another human life like that, in and of itself is entrepreneurship, learning how to develop this, I want to say product, but this baby this life, and like, the structure, I had never thought of it like things Jaime Schmidt 27:48 you, you know, you have calendars that you have to manage. You have different people in their lives, that you have to keep happy. And it's like, yeah, you're an entrepreneur of your household. And just yeah, all of it. Julia Landauer 27:59 And like, I think, I think the idea that like no one from what I've heard from friends, like no one knows what they're doing. And they're, you know, you're having to learn along the way is entrepreneurial as well, yeah. And then Jaime Schmidt 28:09 there's books you can read, but there's like all these different opinions on the best way to do it. And you kind of have to just like trust your gut and so many things, right? And follow your intuition. And like, that's why when I wrote my book, I was so mindful of like, not giving off the like, sense that like, this is the way right, like, I was, like, I clearly was no expert in what I was doing. But I was my goal with the book is to share learnings I had along the way. And then hopefully people could apply those to their own businesses and their own approach. So keeping that like loose enough, where there's some flexibility there, but also some guidance around Yeah. Julia Landauer 28:46 Yeah, well, I'm like, I think, you know, even if someone didn't want to go into developing a product that then they sell and try it, or, you know, develop and try to sell later on. Like, I think, again, it goes back to the the honesty and transparency in your writing and storytelling, that it's relatable in terms of like, what you're thinking about how you're thinking about solving problems, like how you're balancing different things. And I think so much of having a boost of confidence is knowing that you're not alone in whatever journey you're going through. And so that was something that I really, again, just really liked in the book, because although I don't want to attempt what you were doing, it's like, this is relatable, I can learn that. No, it's like, Jaime Schmidt 29:26 I'm glad that's how it's how it's resonated with you. That was my goal. And I also, I didn't want people to think you'll you have to be a CPG entrepreneur to really relate to this. It's like anybody really and even not, you know, we're gonna have an entrepreneur, if you're just a hobbyist or just anybody going through like a career change, you know, that was hopeful that they would take something away to Julia Landauer 29:44 a career change, unexpected life events. Yeah, balancing things that are more challenging than you were expecting. I mean, I think it's all it's all very relatable. So I think you did a great job with that. Thank you. Very welcome. We're gonna take one more break and then we're gonna come back with Jamie We are back on if I'm honest with Julia Landauer and with Jaime Schmidt. So Jaime, talk to me about pickleball because I'm personally a tennis girl, I became a tennis girl over the summer and I have yet to try. Pickleball is on my list. We have courts, but talk to me. That's clearly a big part of your life at this. Jaime Schmidt 30:25 For me, yeah, thanks for asking. Yeah. What's a tennis girl too, at one point, my life, I played varsity tennis all four years in high school. So like, I took it very seriously and was good at it. But then I sort of gave up sports, you know, for a big chunk of my life. I was never, I never considered myself much of an athlete. You know, I was healthy in the sense. I tried to get enough exercise and things. But as an entrepreneur, I was busy, it wasn't a priority. And I also never thought I would really pick up a new sport. And then I was introduced to pickleball. In my community, I moved down to California from Portland about three years ago, and I live in a community that has tennis courts and pickleball courts and decided to take class and fall in love really quickly. My husband and I both together, took an interest, a strong interest, and then just start playing all the time. We've been playing for about a year after still really new. Oh, yeah, like, definitely feel like, you know, at a turning point have mastered a lot of things that are difficult to master. But there's so much more to learn. And it's just, it's just amazing. And I know, it's like such a trend right now, which is fun. I think I jump on bandwagons of trends, I'm realizing and like, but this one, like just feels so right. You know, to me, um, and a lot of ways and this changed my life. You know, not to be cliche and cheesy, but like, really? Julia Landauer 31:38 Can you dive into a little more about what what about it has changed your life? Jaime Schmidt 31:43 Yeah, for sure. I mean, physically, like, it's an incredible workout, you burn a ton of calories. And I've been, you know, I think I'm one of the best physical shapes I've been in my life. And then the friendships you create, you know, you connect with people you would never otherwise have met out on the court. And I think it's cool that, you know, doesn't matter your background, or you know, even your like religious or political affiliation or what what have you it's like, when you're on the pickleball court, you know, you're creating something fun together and powering through, like, you know, some challenges, and it's, it's cool, and it's bonding. And I also just like, being outside, I've spent 15 years in Portland, and you know, it's beautiful, beautiful city, but but very rainy, you know, the year also was indoors a lot. I grew up in the Midwest, and that's, you know, somewhat limiting at different times in here, too. So being in SoCal, and being able to pick all year round is such a treat. I'm very thankful for that. Julia Landauer 32:40 Oh, that's so great. Or any of the again, I see people playing pickleball, so I know it's different. And we have friends. So it is on our to do list. Yeah, to do that. We're just also trying to get better at tennis, do some of the skills from tennis transfer over? Are you really like learning a completely new? Yeah, Jaime Schmidt 32:58 so someone will transfer it, you'll know, you'll know a tennis player on the pickleball court, when you see one like it's very obvious with their strokes and their court positioning, which is beneficial in some ways. But it hurts in some ways, too. Because the court positioning and strategy around where you should be standing is very different in pickleball, you're supposed to come up to the kitchen line, which is that line right up better than that. But as tennis players were inclined to stay back and just hit strokes. So the pickleball really ends up like at the kitchen. It's called the non volley zone, where you are either in a dink battle, or you're hitting very short shots, or you're in a hands battle, where you're volleying back and forth quickly. The groundstrokes are more at the beginning of the point. So the tennis player, you know, it's all it's mostly groundstrokes. There's some that, but it's it's very different in that sense. But I think I've heard that in more advanced pickleball players tend to mostly habitasse background. So I think like getting past some of the challenges of having the habits from a test will eventually once you get through that, and then it also comes together and yeah, Julia Landauer 34:04 has pickleball been around long enough that there's like set techniques for different types, or I'm assuming it has been like, it's only picked Jaime Schmidt 34:12 up in popularity over the last like five years. So it started really during cold like the onset of starting to play. But it's changed the game has certainly developed a lot I watch pro pickleball too, I'm very into that scene. And so I know kind of what's trending or and like what style of play is most popular. It's becoming a more aggressive and faster where before, there was a lot of, you know, slower shots, which is still a very important component of the game. But there's a lot of things like like the technology around the paddles has advanced and so there's the ability to really slam the ball. But still so much, you know, skill in knowing when to slam the ball and stuff. So it's, yeah, it's interesting, too. I've heard other people say that, like, if you look forward, maybe two years from now, it'll probably have changed again and so I think that's what's really cool is like being involved, you know, sort of the beginning years and and then hopefully growing with it. Julia Landauer 35:06 Yeah. Are there specific pickleball shoes like there are tennis shoes. Jaime Schmidt 35:11 Yeah, there are actually and I went through multiple brands and I found the brand that works for me needs recommendation is the Wilson Wilson women's pickleball shoe. And it's like it has a lot of hit the big toe cage it's going to move because you you're there's so much lateral movement, and it does a serious damage like their toes and your nails and you get all cramped. And so I've tried a lot of different brands and that one has really been good for me. Julia Landauer 35:35 Okay, cool. I think I have to get new tennis shoes. I think mine are just a little tight. Because I noticed that like if I try to like run towards the net and like slide, Jaime Schmidt 35:44 if you're feeling your feet or your toes like I feel like something's not right. Julia Landauer 35:48 It's too small. Jaime Schmidt 35:48 I don't even notice it. Julia Landauer 35:50 Yeah, yeah, that's fair. I don't know this. Do they only play pickleball on hard top? Or is it also like a clay in a grass that Jaime Schmidt 35:57 it's only hard right now. But there's also indoor? Which is also hard, of course. But yeah, there's no like Julia Landauer 36:04 clay. Yeah. I haven't yet to play tennis on clay. But I'm getting old enough now that I'm feeling the effects of tennis on hard top? Knees. Jaime Schmidt 36:14 Yeah, no, I'm not surprised. I tried to play tennis recently, and my son plays. And it's like Pickleball has kind of ruined my tennis. Because the ball the paddle so much shorter than the racket. And so like, that messes with your head a little bit. There's this the swing form, and just like the ball is so different. What I've heard is that it's easier to like if you're playing both sports, it's easier to go like from tennis to pickleball versus pickleball. Back to tennis. So, I mean, I have friends that play both all the time, like one woman play tennis in the morning, and then that night she'll come play pickleball at night. Like that's crazy to me. When you realize how huge the court is. Yeah, it's huge. I can't wait around play singles. Julia Landauer 37:02 Yeah, well, we see that because they're in here in Charlotte, at least they're starting to add a lot of the pickleball lines to tennis court. Yeah. And Jaime Schmidt 37:10 you're just like, Julia Landauer 37:12 No, your words not mine. But yes. What's this cute little court doing? Jaime Schmidt 37:15 Yeah, no, it is. It's wild. Because I did. I played tennis doubles and singles, but a lot of singles in high school. And I couldn't believe it. I can't believe now that I was able to take over that whole court. Julia Landauer 37:26 Yeah, it is. There is something very empowering to me as I, you know, I've always been good at racing. But I wouldn't call myself really inclined in other sports, at least, like in middle school, especially like I wasn't particularly good at a bunch of other ones. With tennis. Now in my more recent life, like, it is really satisfying when you like hit the ball in the right part of the racket, and it has that force and like, especially playing with my husband now, but he clearly has got more heft to swing. And so like when I hit it, well, it's like low to the net. And then it gets all the way Oh, I don't even know the technical words, but into the back part of the corner. Oh my gosh, I am a rock star. Jaime Schmidt 38:09 I think that's my racquet sports are so satisfying. Because yes, it's very much like you hit you hit the perfect shot feels good. And you can see, you know, incremental improvements in your game. And that's one thing people say about pickleball is like, it's not hard to learn, which is cool is that means a lot more people can can join. But it's hard to master so you can get to a certain level and play well. But if you really don't want to answer game, there's so much there's so much strategy that is just unseen, you know, until you really get into the game. Yeah, that's my like, that's because it's a challenge to constantly keep upping my my level. Julia Landauer 38:46 Oh, totally. But I get what you're saying about like, you know, you can constantly see that improvement, and that's beneficial. And like, even with tennis like that will, he will watch more videos than I do and get the technique and then we go to the court like, oh, shit, you're you're significantly better than you were last Jaime Schmidt 39:01 two and then But then he'll try to coach me, I'm like, wait, we started this at the same time, we are at the same level. But no, like, that's just, you know, me being competitive and like, but then it's so fun that we're learning together that we can play as doubles partners. And I also like to mix it up and do all women's pickleball he'll do. And then we'll come together and do the mix. So we make a really good team that's mix partner. So that's fun. Julia Landauer 39:24 That's really cool. Yeah, we have we have some of our female friends who play tennis but I haven't played against so I've primarily been playing against our guy friends. Yeah. And there's sometimes they luckily, they're a little nice to me on their serves, because those can be so intimidating to see like, especially those who have taken lessons but it's so cool. I think it's a really fun group sport and even though racing, it's an individual sport in the sense that I'm maneuvering the machine across in the competition, but it really is a team sport in terms of everyone else's working on the car, you know, we all need to communicate like you Have your crew of like, depending on the series, 6, 12, 20 people, whatever it is, and everyone has a part and you need to communicate with the crew chief and everything. But in terms of the camaraderie of a team sport, that's not something I ever got. And I can see like, just how cool it is to, even though again, tennis has we played a lot of doubles. But yeah, the social element, I think is really cool. Yeah, so fun. Yeah, especially because I feel like Ben and I are very good at being homebodies. And especially like, when I was really pursuing racing really hard and constantly pitching sponsors and trying to make it there. We were at home a lot. And we liked each other. So we can spend a lot of time together, but getting out and being more. So yeah, there's been a more concerted effort. But I think we also feel the effects of, you know, kind of how COVID normalized kind of being isolated a little bit. And then we need to see Jaime Schmidt 40:51 if you like your partner, yeah, right. Would you like it was good. We want that. We're glad that we get along. But yeah, I'm curious. Because you I love that, like you're referring to racing, as like a sport. And I, you know, just hadn't thought of it in terms of like, the athleticism behind him. Do you like train? Like, what kind? Well, yeah, like physical preparation to sit and like? Julia Landauer 41:13 Yeah, well, first, I'm curious. How would you have classified it? If not a sport? Jaime Schmidt 41:18 More of like, like a pastime? I guess? Is that the right word? Yeah. When I think of like a sport and free spend, I would, you know, think of Yeah, like the physical activity of moving your body. But you're. So I am genuinely curious. Yeah, what that Julia Landauer 41:32 Ok amazing storytime. So there is this barrier to entry, because everyone has played most of the traditional sports in school, like have a sense of what it's like, but most people can, unless they've done go karts or something like you equated to driving on the road. And it's super different, super different. So I think the best way to kind of describe it is it's a mix of endurance and some strength. But in that, like you're muscling around a machine, you're having to have strong upper body strength, because you're having to maneuver the steering wheel. And there, the G forces have not only going through the corners, but then if you have banking, you're fighting the G forces. And, you know, if you crash, you're having to deal with G forces, they're in stock cars, I mean, in most most racing gets quite hot, but in stock cars, in particular, the motors up front, and there's no air conditioning, and there's no anything like that. So it can be 150 degrees in the car. So then you have to incorporate heat training into that. And then on top of that, especially at the higher levels, you know, races are 2, 3, 4 hours long. So you're focusing on maximum, One Race, NASCAR is like four hours long. Yeah, Formula One's an hour and a half. But so think you think about it as you're having to make these incredibly precise split second decisions in terms of your where your your entry point is, when you turn in how you're using the break, whether that's a road course left and right or an oval. And so you're making all these incredibly fast pace decisions against other cars that are trying to pass you and you're trying to keep them behind you. And the heat. And so there's a lot of that and like neck strength is a big thing. And so I mean, next string, neck strength. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And one of the things I imagined your body just being like so tight the whole time, just like yeah, well, and it's so interesting, because, you know, when you're in the car, you are strapped so tightly, right? Like you don't want you want it to be so tight that you feel like you can't really breathe properly. But then you also have to have really good breathing so that you're not like holding your breath as you're going 150 miles an hour, right, because that's not good. But you're you're kind of cramped down, and so you're so compressed, and the body does not like being compressed. So so much of the training we do is how to be in that compressed seating position, but still maximize your breathing. And so we're talking about like, I I've always worked with a specific motorsports trainer. And so it's stuff like lying on your back and putting a medicine ball on your chest and having to like extend your legs so that you're working your core and it's contracted. And then you're also having this pressure on your chest and then having to breathe in. So there's stuff like that. And then there's all the neurological visual training that you have to do again, either you have to listen, you're in the sport and you have to listen to people like your spotter is talking to you making sure you're not hitting things and you know your crew chief, you need to be able to articulate what you need the crew chief to change on the car when you come in for a pitstop while you're still racing with other people. Oh my goodness, I could go on forever. But yeah, Jaime Schmidt 44:33 I really was like, I totally make sense. Now if I'm putting myself in that position of like, yeah, how it's a sport. Is that harm so smart? Julia Landauer 44:40 Yeah, if you think about I think the only way to equate it to road driving I would say is like if you're thinking about in a high traffic area or high stress when you're driving, although that's probably a lot more negative feeling emotionally. The physical effect on your body I think is what drivers go through. A lot. Do you think of the tension you feel when you've gone through stop and go traffic or if someone pisses you off or something? It's like that the whole time, but with more positive emotion. Jaime Schmidt 45:09 So exhilarating. And the mental side of is so huge. Julia Landauer 45:13 So, again, especially like, like, in oval racing and NASCAR racing, you know, there are some times where there's a long green flag run, no one's crashed or spun, but you're kind of strung out. And so you're just accelerating, hitting the perfect Mark turning in turning out and like just doing that it's kind of monotonous for a very long time. So staying focused so that you don't lose that. It's it's exhausting. I don't get off topic. Sorry. No, that's Jaime Schmidt 45:40 okay. No, this is a conversation I love. Julia Landauer 45:43 So I've had one, we've all crashed, I'd like to say that if a racecar driver says they haven't crashed, and they are not going fast enough. But there are different kinds of crashes, there are crashes where, you know, you hit up against the wall. And it's enough to break something in the suspension so that you can't keep driving. But it's like not spectacular. There are other ones that are spectacular If a wheel falls off, like because people will either get flat tires, or sometimes the nuts aren't strong enough, and so or they're damaged or whatever, and they come off, and then you just have a snap kind of crash. And that I think is typically a lot scarier, because it's less predictable. I've had two really scary crashes in my life. So far. One was, I was racing in these cars called Ford Focus midgets, which are very funky like high center of gravity exposed wheels that kind of looks like a triangle, but like on wheels, like kids toys, cars, kind of what they look like. And my axle snapped coming out of the corner. And so I just lost all that lateral grip. And I just went straight into a wall and something in the front, I wouldn't hit on into the wall, something in the front of the car broke and hit my knee. And so I still have the scar on my knee from like something just went through. It hurt right around my kneecap. I couldn't get out of the car. And so we have to get out of the car by climbing up the top. And so when I did not get out, I think my family was a little afraid because just because my knee hurt. But then the other one was I was racing something called legends cars, which they look like 1930s cars that like a quarter scale or like three, eight scale. And we were racing in Roseville, California, so just outside of Sacramento, and all of a sudden the front lights on fire. And let me tell you, you don't know your fight or flight response as much as like when you're around fire. And it turns out that a seal on the oil reservoir had broken or cracked or something. And so oil is just getting onto the motor. But that was very scary. That's probably the most scared I've ever been in a car because then you have to like buckle and get out. And you're it's a live track. Like hopefully no one's gonna hit you. But like there are other cars on track. So Jaime Schmidt 47:45 Wow. Yeah. And yeah, like you said, the whole crew was like, Is your team like? Yeah, like there? Yeah. Julia Landauer 47:53 Yeah. And it's, again, it's an individual sport in the sense that the driver is driving the car. But in races that have pitstops, you can lose a lot of positions if your crew doesn't do their part, or you can gain a lot of positions if they do an amazing job. And we couldn't go racing if the team wasn't working on the car all week. And something I was talking about, because I give corporate keynotes a lot. And I was talking with a corporation and tech Corporation. And they asked if we could talk about leadership because the the leaders who are at that conference, they aren't the bosses necessarily of the people who are working for them, like they don't hire them, but they still have to motivate them to do well. And it's kind of similar to the driver and that the team owner hires all the people, all the crew guys work for the team owner. But as a driver. No, I basically I'm an independent contractor that goes to the team. But I still have to motivate the whole team and inspire and be a good team player. So there are a lot of those dynamics that I think aren't obvious right away when thinking of motorsports but it's an incredibly dynamic Jaime Schmidt 48:57 sport. Yeah. That's so cool. And so like, is it gendered or is there a mix Julia Landauer 49:03 so it's it's historically mixed. And one of the things that I think is really cool is that it is CO-ed i really love that you know, you can you can race together because it's not sheer strength. It's not you know, we're biologically men may be bigger or stronger. It doesn't. It's not as much of a, as much of a necessity. But they are starting to do more women's series. And I've spoken about this before that when I first heard of all women's series, I wasn't a fan of them because I again, just love that it's coed I love that we can prove that we're as good as someone and I can't for the life of me remember who this was. But someone had said, Well, yeah, but if you haven't all women series, you're normalizing seeing 15, 20, 25 Women racing all together. And so in terms of representation in terms of showing that they can do it. It's really powerful. So long answer that is that there's going to be some all women series. One that's back By the Formula One group and so hoping that it's more successful, because funding is a big issue, like any, any startup, any company, so, yeah, it's a nice thing. Of course, of course, we took it away from you, but Jaime Schmidt 50:16 I really invest in it. Yeah. Okay. Julia Landauer 50:18 Well, well, I've taken a lot of your time. So I'm want to I want to go into our, our last bit of this podcast, which is the rapid fire if you're honest. So, Jamie, what is the your favorite country that you've visited? Jaime Schmidt 50:32 Oh, oh, Italy. . Yeah. Julia Landauer 50:36 Do you have a daily non negotiable? Jaime Schmidt 50:40 Ah, good sleep. Like I'm willing, I'll flex occasionally for like the right for the right situation. Like, if it's a fly at night out with friends, I'm okay. I'll prepare for like, maybe getting seven instead of nine. Right? You prepare a week in advance? Yeah, no, I need my sleep. And I love it. And that's one thing. I'm just not willing to compromise. Julia Landauer 51:02 You have a favorite mantra. Jaime Schmidt 51:05 It's changes all the time. When I was building my business, it was I say yes. Now then figure out how and I became attached to my name. And now it's kind of like you be be here now sort of in the moment be present? Yeah, it's, I think it depends on kind of what I'm going through in my life, and what sort of mindset and then Julia Landauer 51:29 I like those, though. Like those. All right, last, if you're honest, what is something that you're grateful for right now? Jaime Schmidt 51:35 Oh, gosh, my, my health and my family. My son, poor son broke his elbow just two days ago. And I know, it's like, small, you know, but still, like a broken bone. And like, seeing your kid heard and just putting things in perspective and realize, you know, and just like realizing how much worse it could have been and how much he matters to me and how much how important my health is and how vulnerable we are. Julia Landauer 51:58 Yeah, life is precious. When we get reminders of that, it's like a real, yeah, punch in the gut. Because I don't mean it that negative with like a kick in the, you know, Jaime Schmidt 52:08 though, it's good to have those and I told him that this is actually good for you. Like, you know, he lived a semi comfortable life and you know, things are gonna come up as you age and it's good for you to experience Julia Landauer 52:18 discomfort. There we go. I'm all about experiencing discomfort. So Jaime, I will be linking your book. Is there anything else you'd like to highlight? Or for listeners, if they can follow you somewhere? If they can? Jaime Schmidt 52:31 Yeah, I'm most active, probably on Instagram, then a little more. So lately, I'm trying to share a little bit more about like my pickleball journey and hoping to inspire other people who are new to the sport. And so that's interesting. Reach out to me. But yeah, it's just Jaime Schmidt. J A I M E Schmidt. Julia Landauer 52:47 perfect. I will put that in the notes. Jaime, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Oh, you're so welcome everyone. That is our show. Thank you for letting me and Jaime be honest with you. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone else who might review the podcast and I look forward to seeing you next week.