Back in 2000, Jenni Peters rounded up some $100,000 from investors in two weeks after convincing them to help her open a running apparel store near the Perkins Road overpass. Today, that store—called Varsity Sports—is a multimillion-dollar business with locations in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Mandeville, Business Report details in its latest Executive Spotlight feature.
Peters, 60, pulled it all off with determination, a strong marketing acumen and, as she puts it, “a lot of friends who believed in me.” Varsity Sports stands out in what is becoming a growing and crowded market, particularly with the rise of online retailers. The key, Peters says, is all about client relationships. “We understand that we are building a relationship, not just selling a shoe,” she says.
Peters says her career started at LSU, where she held a graduate teaching assistantship while pursuing a master’s degree. Once she left LSU Peters decided she’d try to run professionally for the Nike National team.
“I soon found it’s tough to try to travel and run as much as it takes to actually make a good living in road racing,” she says. “But it was fun, so I was able to go back to LSU and teach part-time as an instructor while competing.”
The part-time teaching job evolved into a full-time job at LSU for 25 years in the marketing department, where Peters taught and studied trends in marketing.
During her tenure at the university, Peters also served as director of marketing for LSU Athletics, where former LSU baseball coach and athletic director Skip Bertman put her in charge of increasing the awareness and attendance for women’s sporting events. The department didn’t have the budget it has today.
“I had to do a lot with a little,” she says. “Developing relationships and grassroots marketing were the foundation of making a difference with the lesser-known LSU sports. And that parallels every day for Varsity Sports.”
Read the full Executive Spotlight. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
What are your goals for your company?
The specialty running industry and channel are going through some big changes ahead. The specialty store channel is shrinking at the expense of “one click, two-day ship to my door” mentalities. We have to stay relevant to our customers.
