28 March - Friday Fuel

🔥 Raising Game Changers in Sport and Life.🔥

👋 Welcome to Our New Subscribers!
We’re stoked to have you here! Whether you’re a parent, coach, teacher, or just someone who cares deeply about youth development—you’re in the right place. Friday Fuel is your weekly hit of insight, inspiration, and a peek behind the curtain as we build something from the ground up.

This week, we’re doing things a bit differently. Instead of our usual mix of tips, tools, and recommendations, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the journey so far—where we’ve come from, what we’ve learned, and where we’re headed next.

🚀 The Origin Story: Why We Started The Game Changer
Over the years, Ben and I have both chased down our own ideas—separately. We’ve each had our own projects, experiments, and “let’s give it a go” moments. Some we followed through with, others barely made it past the brainstorm stage. But every one of those experiences taught us something. They helped shape our thinking, build resilience, and refine what really matters to us.

Throughout 2024, we found ourselves having these quick-fire chats—usually in between training drop-offs or passing each other by at work—about what it might look like to create something together. We were both already deep in the world of youth sport and parenting, living it day in and day out. We knew there was a gap. We knew families needed more support. And we knew we had the drive to do something about it.

It wasn’t until December that we stopped talking and started building. That’s when The Game Changer was born.

We had ideas. Big ones. And naturally, we gave ourselves a neat little timeline. We thought: We’ll have this part done by Jan, that part by Feb… piece of cake.

Spoiler alert: it hasn’t gone to plan.

The truth is, we’ve spent hours upon hours buried in research. Deep dives into everything from product design to youth nutrition science. We’ve gone down rabbit holes on packaging sustainability, portable blender mechanics, adolescent brain development, and how sugar impacts cognitive performance. We’ve read studies, listened to experts, tested assumptions, and asked hard questions.

We’ve also listened. To parents. To coaches. To kids. To people like you. We’ve taken feedback on board—sometimes it’s affirmed our path, and sometimes it’s made us pause and pivot. But every decision we make has to pass one simple test: Does this align with who we are and what we believe in?

If it doesn’t—it’s out. Even if it’s trendy. Even if it’s easier.

We’re not building this to fit into a market. We’re building this to stand for something.

And like anything worth doing, it hasn’t followed the neat, tidy path we first imagined. We’ve hit speed bumps. We’ve had to rethink and rework. But we’ve also grown clearer, more determined, and more committed to the mission with every step.

Because you know what they say: good things take time. And this thing? It’s more than good. It’s grounded in purpose. It’s built with love, sweat, and intention. And we truly believe—it’s going to make a difference.

🥤 Smoothie Science: What We’ve Learned So Far
One of the products we’re looking at developing is a smoothie designed to fuel energy, focus, and recovery. Sounds simple, right? But we quickly realised—great ingredients are only half the equation.

We had to ask: How will our athletes actually consume this on the go?

That question led us deep into the world of portable blenders—and wow, it’s a world of its own.

We’re exploring manufacturing options and looking closely at minimum order quantities, which means we may need to commit to hundreds, even thousands of units just to get production rolling. It’s a big leap.

We’re also starting to have conversations with angel investors—people who believe in our vision and can help us bring it to life without compromising on quality or mission.

Here’s what we’re focusing on in our blender design:

✅ Durability – It has to survive the chaos of teenage sports bags
✅ Perfect size & shape – Big enough to fuel, small enough to carry
✅ Simplicity – Easy to use, clean, charge, and stash
✅ Values-aligned – Safe, high-quality, and built with real athletes in mind

We’re not just designing a cool gadget—we’re building a reliable tool that fits into real, busy lives.

👩‍🍳 Nutrition Formulation in Progress
While we explore the best way to deliver fuel, we’re also experimenting with what that fuel actually is.

We’ve been working with our nutritionist to explore a variety of product ideas—everything from frozen smoothie cubes, pancakes, lamingtons, gels, gummies, to even a high-protein cool whip.

Each idea is being measured against our values: it has to be clean, functional, youth-friendly, and most of all, purposeful. Every ingredient must earn its place.

Here’s what we’re aiming for in every formula:

• ⚡ Sustained energy for long training sessions

• 🎯 Enhanced focus to stay sharp under pressure

• 💪 Fast recovery for growing, hardworking bodies

This isn’t a shortcut to performance—it’s a long-term investment in health and potential.

🎨 Branding: It’s More Than Just Colours
From logo tweaks to colour palettes, font choices to packaging—we’ve been diving deep into how branding can feel just as much as it looks.

Who knew that different colours and fonts could communicate so much?

• Blues and greens signal trust, health, and calm

• Yellows and oranges convey energy, fun, and motivation

• Bold fonts give off strength and clarity

• Rounded typefaces feel warm, safe, and approachable

• Even the spacing of letters can affect how a brand is perceived!

We’re making sure everything we design aligns with who we are and who we serve: , trustworthy, supportive, and built with intention.

Because The Game Changer isn’t just a product. It’s a movement—a community on a mission to empower young athletes and the people raising them.

Every detail is a signal. And we’re making sure our signal is loud, clear, and full of purpose.

🚗 Building While Living It
Here’s the honest truth: we’re not building The Game Changer from a beachside office with a latte in hand and endless hours in the day. There’s no whiteboard strategy sessions in a Zen co-working space or quiet time blocked out on a calendar.

We’re building it while living it—in the thick of it, with muddy boots by the door, half-eaten bananas in the car, and sports bags that somehow always smell questionable.

We’re raising our own Game Changers—kids who train, play, recover, and repeat. Mornings start early and weekends are booked out with games, travel, and tournaments. We’re balancing work meetings, team chats, school drop-offs and late-night uniform washes. We’re in the stands, on the sidelines, and behind the scenes—cheering, supporting, and doing our best.

Some nights, after a full-on day of juggling everything, I’m completely wiped. The couch is calling. Netflix is calling. Sleep is calling. But instead, that’s often when we open the laptop. That’s when the work begins—not because it’s easy, but because it matters.

That’s when The Game Changer comes to life—between loads of washing, after dinner clean-ups, while packing lunchboxes, or waiting in the car at training. It’s built in the margins, in the real moments, in the gaps between being everything to everyone else.

And maybe you’re doing the same. Maybe you’re also chasing big dreams for your kids—or for yourself—while managing the non-stop rhythm of everyday life. Maybe you feel stretched, tired, and unsure how it’s all going to come together.

We get it. We really do.

Because we’re right there with you. We see your effort. We feel your fatigue. And we want you to know—we’re building this for you. For your family. For your athlete. For the dreamers, the doers, the supporters, and the ones showing up, day in and day out, even when it’s hard.

You’re not alone.

We’re in this together.

🎙️ Podcast Series Incoming!

In case you missed in on one of our social media pages, we’re beyond excited to announce our upcoming Game Changer Podcast guest, where we sit down with some of the best minds in youth sports, performance, and wellbeing. These aren’t just interviews - they’re conversations with people helping shape how our kids grow and thrive in sport and life.

Our guests include:

• Todd Beane – Founder of TOVO Academy, visionary educator and global advisor on talent activation. Creator of the Cruyff Institute for the legendary Johan Cruyff, his father-in-law.

• Wayne Goldsmith – Advisor to Olympic athletes and elite sporting organisations. High performance coach shaking up how we parent and compete.

• Dr. Katie Schofield – High-performance nutritionist to elite and youth athletes. Former World Championship representative and NZ record holder cyclist.

• Dr. David Galbraith – Globally recognised performance psychologist in sport, business and life. Has worked with athletes and teams at the very top of the sporting pyramid from Lisa Carrington to The All Blacks and so many more!

• Professor Camilla Knight – Global expert in enhancing the psychosocial experiences of children in sport with a particular focus upon the influence of parents.

• Dave Wright – Creator of the Player Development Project platform, Premier League academy coach at Brentford and Fulham. NZ Football, OFC and HPSNZ high-performance development consultant. Director of coaching at Birkenhead FC.

💬 Got a question for one of our guests? Keep your eyes peeled—we’ll be reaching out before each episode drops so you can have your say.

📢 We Need Your Help! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Your feedback means the world to us! If you’ve enjoyed any episode of The Game Changer Podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review.

💬 Why does this matter? Your reviews help us grow and attract even more incredible guests to share their insights with you. The more ratings and reviews we receive, the easier it is to bring top athletes, coaches, and experts onto the show!

👉 Leave a review or send us an email and help us make an even bigger impact! Thank you for being part of The Game Changer community! 🎙️💙

🚀 Join the Game Changer Community!
We’re building something special – a supportive space for parents and youth athletes to connect, ask questions, and learn from one another. 🌍💬

Here, you’ll find expert insights, practical tips, and tailored solutions to help your athlete reach their full potential. Whether it’s nutrition, training, the mental game, or tackling everyday challenges, this is your go-to hub for guidance and growth.

🏆🔥 Join us on Facebook – The Game Changer Community:

Thanks for being on this ride with us!