This week we talk to Mike Ballardie, who is the CEO of our podcast sponsor, Slinger Bag ?Mike has worked in tennis for a number of years, including stints working at Wilson & Prince. He now runs Slinger, the company who produce the well known portable ball machine, the Slinger Bag!We talk:His tennis backgroundPurchasing Prince TennisSigning new endorsement deals with top playersSeeing the Slinger Bag for the first timeFuture plans for SlingerSpeaking to Mike was super enjoyable & it was a pleasure to be able to have him on the show. Not only does he have a really interesting back story, but has committed to sponsoring this podcast for quite a while now.  A big thanks to him & his whole team ?Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes ?Episode Chapters1:50 - Mike’s Background 19:12 - Buying Prince Tennis26:03 - First hearing about the Slinger Bag34:42 - Tennis as a lifestyle brand37:50 - Slinger becoming a ‘Connected Brand’41:51 - Advantages of trading publicly Find us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficial