089 From Startup to NFL Partner: How Guardian Sports Reached 500,000+ Athletes

Jake Hanson, COO of ⁠Guardian Sports⁠, joins the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how the company grew from a family-run startup into one of the fastest-growing sports safety brands in the industry. Guardian Sports now provides protective equipment to more than 500,000 athletes while partnering with organizations including the NFL, CFL, NCAA programs, and the PLL.In this episode, Jake shares his entrepreneurial background, lessons learned scaling a growth-stage company, and how Guardian Sports approached one of the toughest challenges in sports: changing the culture around player safety in football. The conversation explores the evolution of Guardian Caps, why the company positioned safety as a “longevity” benefit for athletes, and how working from the professional level down helped drive adoption across football.Justin and Jake also discuss innovation in sports, product-market fit, leadership during rapid growth, and why the best organizations view athlete health as a competitive advantage. Jake closes the episode with advice for entrepreneurs and sports business leaders on staying hungry, solving meaningful problems, and continuing to improve the athlete experience.