Basketball Meets Business: Jordan Meinster’s Multi-Million Dollar Play in the Fitness Industry
By The Influential Today Magazine
When passion meets purpose and precise execution, an industry transforms. Jordan Meinster built PickUp USA from a single gym solving his own frustration with unstructured pickup basketball into a national franchise redefining the fitness experience for players of every age. In this exclusive cover story for The Influential Today Magazine, we explore Jordan’s journey from corporate finance to fitness entrepreneur his core leadership principles the lessons learned from early missteps and the forward–looking strategies that earned him the title of Most Influential Leader in the Fitness Industry for 2025.
From Corporate Finance to Basketball Gym Founder
Jordan Meinster’s story begins far from the weight rooms and the courts. Early in his career he worked in corporate finance but always harbored a deep love for basketball and an entrepreneurial spirit. In 2011 Jordan opened the first PickUp USA location to solve a simple yet pervasive problem: pickup basketball leagues that lacked structure reliable officiating and a sense of community. He envisioned a basketball–focused gym where players could rely on consistent high–energy games officiated by trained referees alongside full weight and cardio rooms and expert training programs.
That initial location proved the concept immediately Jordan refined the model and in 2016 launched PickUp USA’s franchise program. Since then the brand has expanded rapidly with clubs open or in development coast to coast. Each location adheres to the core promise of delivering a professional consistent environment for basketball lovers as well as fitness enthusiasts looking for a high–intensity training experience.
Core Entrepreneurial Skills
From our interview Jordan distilled the top three skills essential for entrepreneurial success:
Clarity of Vision
“If you do not know exactly where you are going no one will follow you” Jordan explains. He credits having a razor–sharp vision for PickUp USA’s rapid growth. When each team member understands the ultimate goal every decision remains aligned even when challenges arise.
Resilience
“Things will break and you will fail” Jordan continues You must learn to welcome these inevitable setbacks as learning opportunities. His resilience allowed him to confront broken systems lineup errors and financial hurdles all without losing sight of the mission.
Talent Acquisition
“No business can scale without a great team” Jordan notes. He makes recruitment a daily priority seeking out A players for every role from head coaches to front desk managers. This insistence on talent has built a culture of excellence across all PickUp USA locations.
Learning from Early Mistakes
Even the most visionary entrepreneurs stumble early on Jordan shares the top three mistakes he made starting PickUp USA and what they taught him:
- Doing Too Much Alone
In the early days Jordan found himself juggling operations training marketing and even janitorial duties. He soon recognized that sustainable growth required systems and a strong team rather than endless personal hustle. - Ignoring Data
Gut instincts can spark ideas but unchecked emotions make for risky decisions. Jordan learned to filter every major choice through key metrics and financial analysis ensuring that growth remained healthy and data driven. - Underestimating Financial Planning
Accurate forecasting and disciplined financial models were nonnegotiable. By building a lean scalable prototype Jordan reduced franchisee costs improved unit economics and offered a clear path to profitability for new clubs.
Marketing That Moves the Needle
Word of mouth remains PickUp USA’s most powerful marketing tool. Jordan explains “When members have a great experience they bring their friends” To amplify this organic growth he implemented a digital first strategy focused on content creation targeted advertising and automated email campaigns. He also adopted a platform called Digital Stack ensuring that each franchisee could localize marketing content while preserving brand consistency. This combination of community buzz and scalable digital tactics has proven a winning formula.
Standing Out in a Crowded Field
What truly sets PickUp USA apart is its singular focus on basketball within the fitness franchise sector. Jordan emphasizes that no other nationwide brand offers structured pickup games with certified referees alongside a top–tier training environment. Beyond differentiation he stresses unit level economics with multiple revenue streams that include memberships training sessions court rentals and merchandise. This balanced approach means franchisees can open profitable locations with lower buildout costs and predictable income.
Lean Startup Advice with $1,000
Given just $1,000 to launch a new concept Jordan would invest $100 in a simple landing page and dedicate $900 to targeted ads to validate demand quickly. This frugal approach encourages rapid market feedback and pivots before major capital is committed. “It has never been cheaper to test ideas before going all in” he says.
Embracing the SERR Framework
Jordan is currently immersing himself in team dynamics and talent retention and the SERR framework guides his CEO priorities:
- Strategy: Define the destination and align the team around clear objectives.
- Engineer: Build scalable systems processes and playbooks to deliver consistency.
- Recruit: Surround yourself with A players continuously upgrading the roster.
- Resources: Provide tools training time and support so each team member can excel.
“If I am not focused on each of these four levers I know I am veering off course” Jordan reflects.
Staying Driven by a Bigger Mission
What fuels Jordan’s relentless drive is his belief that PickUp USA is more than a chain of gyms. It is a platform for entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and a community hub for players to improve health forge friendships and elevate the game they love. “Our mission is bigger than any single location or quarterly result” he says. “It is about empowering franchisees to create lasting impact in their communities.”
Discipline in Daily Productivity
A cornerstone of Jordan’s personal routine is refusing to let email texts or calls hijack his day. He begins each morning by pinpointing his top strategic priorities and building his to–do list around those items. “If I allowed every new message to pull me off course nothing important would ever get done” he explains. This clarity in planning fuels disciplined execution.
Looking Ahead with Purpose
Reflecting on what he would do differently Jordan would have built stronger systems and clearer financial structures from day one. Yet he acknowledges that the early struggles taught him invaluable lessons he would not trade. As PickUp USA prepares to open its next wave of locations Jordan remains focused on refining the SERR framework and deepening the brand’s community impact.
About Jordan Meinster and PickUp USA
Jordan Meinster is the CEO and founder of PickUp USA a basketball–focused gym franchise offering officiated pickup games basketball training and comprehensive fitness facilities. Since launching in 2011 and franchising in 2016 PickUp USA has grown into a national brand dedicated to delivering professional consistent and high–energy basketball experiences. Jordan holds a background in corporate finance and leverages his expertise in vision building team development and data driven decision making to empower franchisees and delight members.
PickUp USA operates locations open or in development across the United States each embodying Jordan’s commitment to excellence and community. Whether through structured pickup games state–of–the–art training programs or innovative marketing strategies PickUp USA continues to set the standard for basketball and fitness entrepreneurship in 2025 and beyond.
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