Matt Joyce has made his mark both on the baseball diamond and in business. Over 12 years in professional baseball, Joyce played outfielder for teams such as Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves before signing with Miami Marlins as an outfielder before signing as a free agent for opportunities beyond baseball’s diamond.
What Inspired Joyce to Enter Entrepreneurship
In 2018, in addition to an impressive athletic career, Joyce, his wife Brittany and business partner Blair Johnson took a major leap into entrepreneurship when they purchased franchise rights for F45 Training in Tampa Bay area. F45 stands for Functional 45 Minutes which provides challenging 45-minute interval workouts – thus inspiring him to venture into this business venture which offered both challenging workout formats as well as potential for recurring revenue opportunities – an experience which immediately captured Joyce. “This is right up my alley!” he exclaimed upon first trying an F45 class that immediately captured his imagination as well.
How Did Joyce Overcome the Timing Challenge of His First F45 Training Location?
Joyce faced several obstacles when opening her group fitness training business in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While originally planned for March, its opening was postponed until May, due to lockdowns and social distancing measures. Nonetheless, Joyce persevered – offering virtual classes instead as proof of her resilience and flexibility in adapting in spite of this difficulty.
Joyce has ventured beyond fitness into real estate investments with Tampa-based Sight Real Estate and Development. This journey started during his time in the minor leagues after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Beginning as single-family homes he has since taken on larger projects with Mike Mintzberg who has become an important ally during this process.
What Is the Empire League, and How is Joyce Involved?
Joyce has taken part in numerous ventures over his lifetime. One such initiative was creating the Empire League, an independent professional baseball league. This project seeks to give undrafted or unsigned players opportunities, reflecting his commitment to give back to baseball community. Currently, Joyce’s league is raising capital for an Adirondack multiuse stadium which Joyce envisions serving not only baseball games but year-round entertainment needs as well.
How Does Joyce Manage Multiple Ventures While Being an Athlete?
Balancing professional sports career with multiple business ventures is no small task, but Joyce credits his ability to juggle these responsibilities on prioritization and delegation as his approach to managing these responsibilities. Baseball remains his top priority with designated time set aside for training and games while leaving his other businesses in capable managers’ hands to ensure smooth operations while he devotes enough attention to his athletic career while simultaneously furthering entrepreneurial endeavors.
What’s Next for Matt Joyce?
With Matt Joyce currently being a free agent, his future in baseball remains of keen interest. Yet despite this uncertainty in his sports career, Joyce’s entrepreneurial endeavors continue to thrive – be they on or off the field – showing his drive and determination; with ventures in fitness, real estate, beverage manufacturing among many other fields; Joyce stands as an exemplary representative of what can come out of merging sports and entrepreneurship together.
Matt Joyce’s journey from professional athlete to entrepreneur is an inspiring one of adaptation, resilience, and diversification. His ventures range from fitness franchises to real estate investments; all showing his entrepreneurial flair. While continuing to navigate both sports and business worlds successfully, Joyce serves as an inspirational figure, showing that through hard work and strategic planning anyone can succeed both on and off the field.
