‘Forbes’ delves into Brees’ entrepreneurial spirit

In addition to being one of the highest paid and most sought after football players in the NFL, New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees has enough endorsement deals to support his family for the long term and is also the owner of two Jimmy John’s franchise locations. And with the launch of his new lifestyle apparel line just last month, Forbes magazine began wondering why a seemingly financially stable football player is turning to entrepreneurship now. Brees tells the magazine he and his wife, Brittany, founded Nine Brand based on the idea that it would be an investment for the community, not just another way to earn a buck. “We were inspired just from living in New Orleans,” Brees says. “We wanted to capture the charm, culture, way of life—elements that make New Orleans so unique—in the brand. The fact that we are New Orleans based, and constantly inspired by it, made us want to find more ways to help the city grow.” Even with access to capital, celebrity status, and a social focus, Nine Brand was not created overnight; and even Brees himself was not immune to the emotions and experiences that come with building a startup. In fact, the project began almost three years ago with a simple idea that has evolved organically since then, with help from his community. Read the full story here.