Avsnitt
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What happens when a touring PPA pro pickleball player falls completely in love with padel? You get high-speed adrenaline, deep mental resets, and some beautifully chaotic contrarian strategies that leave traditional coaches shaking their heads.
In this episode, Bryant sits down with Camila Zilveti, an elite racket athlete and professional pickleball player. Camila opens up about her sudden transition into the padel world over the last four months, the thrill of playing competitive tournaments with her 64-year-old father, and why she completely rejects the standard advice to slow the game down.
We go deep on:
Why a pro pickleball player is having vivid dreams about running at the glass instead of tracking the ball
The radical hot take on overcoming tournament jitters by blasting the first few balls as hard as you can
What padel must learn from the mistakes of pickleball including tour bidding wars and the corruption of financial inflation
Why the international flavor of padel culture offers a refreshing escape from the mainstream American sports scene
The raw psychology of professional sports where everyone goes home a loser except for one team every single week
Main Topics Covered
Pro pickleball is transitioning completely away from drops to high-speed drives and that heavy-hitting mindset carries over to padel.
Learning squash style court awareness and finding the courage to run toward smashing opponents instead of backing away helps conquer the fear of the walls.
Comparing padel court fees to golf shows why the barrier to entry must drop for the game to conquer rural America.
The mental tightrope professional athletes walk requires a balance between believing they are the best in the world and protecting their mental health from public criticism.
You do not need cash on the line to lock into a flow state because social accountability or a simple bet can transform your practice matches.
Key Takeaways
Finesse falls apart under pressure. When your heart is racing and your arms are shaking during a big match, forget perfect placement. Swing big, hit hard, and use raw power to clear the jitters out of your system.
Financial inflation in emerging sports can breed toxic parent dynamics, unsustainable player contracts, and integrity issues like line cheating. Keeping sports accessible keeps the love of the game alive.
Your performance is directly tied to your environment. Choose partners based on personality and energy because rolling your eyes at a teammate never made anyone play a better shot.
The ultimate competitive advantage is joy. If you look like you are winning even when you lose, you protect your peace and naturally trigger your highest level of flow state.
Free Training & Community
Padelbryant Academy Community is 100% Free. Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: https://www.skool.com/padelbryant
Connect with the Guest
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/camilazilveti/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/camila-zilveti/
X https://x.com/CamilaZilveti
Website https://elevenzerosports.com/
Connect with the Host
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/padelbryant/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_FEGKumhlb9qkxGV6c2w
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/033r50PpI0j57hS1uuB93P
If this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these raw, unfiltered padel conversations to you every single week.
What topics or guests do you want to see on the show next? Drop a comment below or send us a message!
And until next week, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
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Most people look at padel as a fun weekend hobby. Jen and Lucas looked at it and saw a lifestyle that would completely rewrite their career trajectories.
From a life-changing tech layoff to stepping up as the grassroots engine behind Austin’s newest premier facility, this dynamic duo is proving that authentic community isn't built on a spreadsheet. Instead, it’s built face-to-face on the courts.
In this episode, Bryant sits down with Jen and Lucas, the powerhouse couple, community builders, and ambassadors behind the highly anticipated Austin Padel Center (APC). This is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to launch a club from the ground floor, manage a business as a married couple, and lead with a genuine love for people.
We go deep on:
• How a tech layoff and a single Instagram account unlocked a massive career opportunity
• The unglamorous, day-to-day reality of running a padel club including SOPs, front desk grinding, and managing player feedback
• Lucas’s roots in Argentina and how the historic evolution of the game shapes how they build today
• Navigating the unique business dynamics of being a couple together for over a decade
• Why the US padel scene needs "a lot of love" and radical patience for beginners and transitioning pickleball players
• A powerful reflection on legacy and how to be remembered as a friend first, and a player secondMain Topics Covered
• Global Padel Memories: Finding community across the world, from open matches in London to the booming padel scene in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The Seed Planted in Sweden: Whiffing balls on freezing indoor courts and instantly catching the padel bug before Austin even had a single court.
• Intentional Consistency: How putting yourself out there online creates indirect, life-changing opportunities.
• Building Austin Padel Center: Blending different cultures, handling agreements and disagreements with international operators, and breaking ground on Austin's first permanent indoor club.
• Going the Extra Mile: The exhaustion and beauty of grassroots community building and why true hospitality means putting your own bad days aside for the players.Key Takeaways
• Intentional consistency leads to indirect opportunity: You lose nothing by putting your passions out into the world, but you stand to gain opportunities you can't even quantify.
• Community requires radical hospitality: Real community building means staying for that extra 20-minute conversation at 9:00 PM when you’re completely exhausted, because someone just needs to be heard.
• Check your ego at the court door: Welcoming transitioning tennis players, heavy-hitting pickleballers, and absolute beginners is the only way the US scene will hit its projected growth by 2030.
• Separate the person from the critique: When players give feedback about the facility or operations, don't take it personally. Anticipate the emotions, stay organic, and use it to improve.Free Training & Community
• Padelbryant Academy Community (100% Free): Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: Join Free CommunityConnect with the Guests
• Jen's Instagram: @jenleigh.orellana
• Jen's LinkedIn: Jen Orellana
• Lucas's Instagram: @thelucasorellana
• Lucas's LinkedIn: Lucas Orellana
• Austin Padel Center: @austinpadelcenterConnect with the Host
• Instagram: @padelbryant
• YouTube: Padelbryant YouTube
• Spotify: Listen on SpotifyIf this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these raw, unfiltered padel conversations to you every single week.
What topics or guests do you want to see on the show next? Drop a comment below or send us a message!
And until next week, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Most people hear "no" and stop.
Jay Lerner heard "we'll evict you" and started Googling garage rooftops.
He built one of the most talked-about pickleball communities in the US, right in the heart of downtown Austin. Now he's watching padel grow in real time, and he has more ideas about what it needs than most people in the game.
In Episode 6, Bryant sits down with Jay Lerner, founder of Urban Pickleball, for a conversation that goes everywhere, from playing padel with Woody Harrelson to why the sport needs a $10 court option to survive.
We go deep on:
Why padel burns 50% more calories than doubles pickleball (and why that matters in Austin)What pickleball figured out about open play that padel hasn't caught up to yetThe naming problem quietly slowing padel's growth in the USWhy affordability is the biggest barrier between padel and a pickleball-level explosionThe shot Jay invented and why he's dead serious about its legacyWhat padel needs to crack college athletics and reach the OlympicsMain Topics Covered
From duct tape on a rooftop to one of the most recognized pickleball brands in the USWhy pickleball and padel can and should coexistWhat padel can learn from pickleball's open play cultureThe economics of padel and why $30 a session is a real friction pointPlaying paddle with Woody Harrelson and Ben JohnsHow to get English-speaking Americans to actually adopt the gameEl Muerto, the shot, the legacy, the merchKey Takeaways
Padel rewards patience, just like pickleball, but the learning curve is steeper and the payoff is deeperOpen play and easier matchmaking are the missing keys to padel's growthAffordability and college programs are what will take padel mainstream in the USCulture and community are what make people stay, not just the courtsWhen everyone tells you it's a bad idea, that's usually the best time to do itConnect with the Guest
Urban Pickleball Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanpickleballatx/
Connect with the Host
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/padelbryant/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_FEGKumhlb9qkxGV6c2w
Spotify: Padel with Bryant https://open.spotify.com/show/033r50PpI0j57hS1uuB93P
Free Training & CommunityJoin the Padelbryant Academy Community (100% Free): Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: https://www.skool.com/padelbryant
If this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these conversations to you every week.
What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.
And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
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Overcoming Anxiety, Mastering the Inner Game, and the FOCUS Framework
In this solo episode, Bryant breaks down the single biggest misconception in padel sports psychology: the belief that playing under pressure requires more hype, intensity, or forced aggression. Instead, he reveals why peak performance actually requires deep internal peace, a quiet mind, and a total surrender of the outcome.
Drawing from his elite athletic background, combined with the profound off-court adversity of losing his mother and becoming a single father in the exact same season, Bryant maps out a raw, honest look at what pressure truly is. He introduces a practical, step-by-step sports psychology framework you can implement between points to instantly calm your nervous system and regain absolute clarity on the court.
Main Topics Covered
Hype vs. Inner Peace: What players get fundamentally wrong about confidence
Anxiety dressed up as aggression: How padel ruthlessly punishes forced play
Anatomy of a choke: What happens to your body and mind when serving for the match at 5-4
The domino effect: How your internal negative energy silently tightens up your partner, Lessons from competitive athletics to real life: Shifting your relationship to pressure and adversity
Unhooking your identity from the scoreboard: The liberating power of mental surrender
The FOCUS Framework: A practical, 5-step routine to reset between points
Key Takeaways
Most players lose mental clarity long before they lose the actual point
Real confidence is quiet, it trusts the training block instead of forcing a heroic, low-percentage shot
Internal panic is contagious; your partner subconsciously mirrors your tension and slows down their feet
On-court breakthroughs happen on the inside first, starting when your self-worth is separated from the match result
Master the mid-match reset: Find the present moment, take one deep breath, calm the body, unhook from the outcome, and simply see the ball
Free Training & Community
Join the Padelbryant Academy Community (100% Free): Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: https://www.skool.com/padelbryant
Connect with the Host
Instagram: @padelbryant
YouTube: @SalcedoBryant
Spotify: Padel with Bryant
Where are you tuning in from? Drop a comment below or send a message on Instagram to share your story and connect. Let me know what mental blocks you are currently working through on the court.
And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it, because it does.
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Most tennis players walk onto a padel court thinking power wins.
Mauricio Rivera walked on and had to rethink everything.Years of professional tennis. A year training in Spain. A college degree and a master's. And the moment he discovered padel, it flipped everything he thought he knew about racket sports.
In Episode 4, Bryant sits down with Mauricio Rivera, professional tennis player turned Head Coach at Padel 39, for one of the most honest, layered conversations on the show.
We go deep on:
Why 70% of US players are playing padel the wrong wayWhat Mexico understands about the game that America is still learningThe mental rituals that separate competitive players from everyone elseWhy your walls are your best friend, not your enemyWhat it actually takes to build a real padel community, not just fill courtsThe future of padel in college athletics and the OlympicsMain Topics Covered
From pro tennis in Spain to padel coach in AustinWhat Mexico is doing in padel development that the US hasn't caught up to yetWhy power is the biggest mistake tennis players bring into padelUsing the walls as a weapon, not just a defensive toolBuilding mental rituals and staying locked in under pressureCommunication and partnership as a competitive edgeThe case for padel in college athletics and the OlympicsKey Takeaways
Your walls are your best friends: Use them to flip defense into offensePadel rewards patience and consistency over power and aggressionCommunity building is just as important as on-court coachingMental rituals are what elite players lean on under pressureThe future of US padel runs through college programs and grassroots cultureConnect with the Guest
📸 Instagram: @mauricio_rivera1
Connect with the Host
📸 Instagram: @padelbryant
🎥 YouTube: @SalcedoBryantIf this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these conversations to you every week.
What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.
And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
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Building with Intention, Warehouse Hunting, and the Padel Lifestyle Shift with Andres, Thanh, and Evan of Padel Society
In Episode 3, Bryant sits down with Andres, Thanh, and Evan, the founding team behind Padel Society, for an inside look at what it takes to build a premier indoor padel club with true intention, taste, and a deep sense of community.
They share the unbelievable story of how a minor car collision led them to discover a hidden warehouse with 40-foot ceilings, the operational nightmares of city permitting, what current operators get wrong about beginner onboarding, and how design-forward wellness spaces are rapidly replacing traditional nightlife culture in Austin.
Main Topics Covered
• The competitor-to-co-founder pipeline and how the team formed
• The clear height dilemma and the real estate hurdles of warehouse hunting
• The incredible car wreck story that led to finding their 40-foot ceiling facility
• Redefining racket hospitality by focusing on the first 30 seconds
• Global padel pilgrimages and bringing international club insights to Texas
• Evan’s hilarious 12-month grip mistake and the impact of proper coaching
• Building a premium "third space" for remote workers and professionalsKey Takeaways
• Premium branding goes beyond court turf, it requires curating a non-transactional atmosphere
• A strong founding team relies on highly complementary skill sets
• Standardized beginner onboarding and structured clinics are vital for player retention
• Racket sports are anchoring a massive cultural shift toward an active wellness lifestyle
• Long-term business growth relies entirely on investing heavily in your local community hubConnect with the Guests
• Instagram: @padelsocietyConnect with the Host
• Instagram: @padelbryant• YouTube: @SalcedoBryant
• Spotify: Padel with Bryant
Call to Action
What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it, because it does.
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In Episode 2, Bryant sits down with entrepreneur, operator, and pickleball industry builder Alex Nerney for a thoughtful conversation about where padel is headed in the U.S. and what it will take for the sport to grow the right way.
They talk about the realities of scaling padel in America, why infrastructure remains the biggest bottleneck, what current operators still misunderstand about onboarding and community, and why simply copying luxury club models from abroad may not work in many U.S. markets. The conversation also explores the deeper side of sport, identity, humility, and the role of padel as a real place for connection and community.
Main Topics Covered
• Why padel feels poised for growth in the U.S.
• The biggest infrastructure challenges holding the sport back
• Why padel cannot scale like pickleball did
• What operators still misunderstand about beginner onboarding
• Why community and connection matter so much
• Why some luxury focused club models may struggle in the American market
• What padel offers former athletes that other sports may not
• The deeper lessons sport can teach through risk, humility, and growthKey Takeaways
• Infrastructure is the biggest bottleneck to padel’s growth in the U.S.
• Long term success will depend on clubs creating real community, not just premium facilities
• Operators need a better beginner experience if they want retention
• The American market may reward more flexible, socially driven club models
• Padel has the potential to become a meaningful outlet for competitive adults seeking movement, challenge, and connectionConnect with the Guest
• Instagram: @alexnerneyConnect with the Host
• Instagram: @padelbryant
• YouTube: @SalcedoBryant
• Spotify: Padel with BryantCall to Action
What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it, because it does.
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Why are people falling in love with padel almost instantly, and what does the game reveal about us when the pressure is on? In this inaugural solo episode, host Bryant Salcedo introduces a premium, grounded conversation that cuts through the standard hype, highlights, and internet noise of the racquet sports world. Drawing from his background as a former Vanderbilt collegiate and professional tennis player, Bryant shares how a profound personal tragedy five years ago reframed his entire perspective on life, legacy, and intentionality. This episode is a must-listen for players, club builders, and creators who want to look beneath the surface of the sport's explosive growth and explore what it truly means to play, and live, with inner peace.
Main Topics Covered
• The Manifesto of Padel with Bryant: Launching a premium, grounded alternative to the "hot-take" media landscape to foster deep, thoughtful dialogue around the sport.
• The Two Races of a Exploding Sport: Analyzing the simultaneous races occurring in the padel world today—one to physically build the infrastructure and one to define what the sport's culture means.
• The Vantage Point of a Lifelong Competitor: Bryant reflects on his journey from starting tennis at age five to playing at the D1 collegiate and professional levels, and how it shapes his perspective on an entirely new sport.
• Order Out of Chaos: Sharing a raw, personal look into how losing his mother to cancer and becoming a single father five years ago flipped his life upside down and deepened his faith.
• The Eulogy Exercise: Unpacking Bryant’s quarterly habit of rewriting his own eulogy as a practical tool for keeping his daily actions aligned with his long-term impact.
• What to Expect Moving Forward: Laying out the roadmap for future episodes, including intimate "living room style" conversations with the players, coaches, founders, and builders shaping global padel culture.Key Takeaways
• Padel is a Mirror for Character: Beyond the court lines, padel inherently reveals a player's capacity for handling pressure, maintaining patience, and honoring a partnership.
• True Breakthroughs Begin in Quiet Spaces: The physical breakthroughs players and builders want to see on the outside almost always stem from a quieter, internal mindset shift.
• We Can Shape Our Own Stories: Having "breath in our lungs" is a daily privilege that grants us the active agency to change our habits and intentionally design how we will be remembered.
• The Sport Craves Better Conversation, Not More Hype: As the fastest-growing sport in the world, padel does not need more manufactured outrage or loud content; it needs meaningful, reflective narratives that stay with the audience long after the scroll ends.Connect with the Host
• Instagram: @padelbryant
• YouTube: @SalcedoBryant
• Spotify: Padel With BryantWe are building this show with depth from the very beginning, and we want to build it with you. Drop a comment or message us to share the one conversation in padel you’ve been waiting to hear—not the obvious one, but the real one. Tell us who belongs on the other side of the microphone! If this introductory episode resonated with you, please follow, like, and share it with someone in your circle. Until next week, maintain your inner peace like your life depends on it, because it does.
