I’m Rubin Statham, Founder and CEO of Pro Stringer, a sports technology company focused on improving the way tennis players maintain and prepare their equipment. Before becoming an entrepreneur, I spent years as a professional tennis player, representing New Zealand on the ATP Tour and Davis Cup stage. My journey into business started from a challenge I personally experienced: the difficulty, cost, and inconsistency of racquet stringing while traveling as an athlete. That experience inspired me to create Pro Stringer, a portable stringing solution designed to give players more control and reliability. Today, I combine my experience as an athlete and founder to lead a company built around innovation, resilience, and solving real problems for the global tennis community.
Company: Pro Stringer
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Rubin Statham: I’m Rubin Statham, Founder and CEO of Pro Stringer. Before becoming an entrepreneur, I spent many years as a professional tennis player, representing New Zealand on the ATP Tour and Davis Cup stage. My experience as an athlete gave me a deep understanding of the challenges players face, especially in maintaining their equipment while traveling and competing.
Pro Stringer was born from one of those challenges. During my time on tour, I saw how expensive, inconvenient, and inconsistent racquet stringing could be. I wanted to create a solution that gave players more control and reliability, which led to the development of our portable racquet stringing technology.
Today, Pro Stringer helps players, coaches, clubs, and tennis professionals around the world string their own racquets with professional-level precision wherever they are. Our mission is simple: to make high-quality racquet preparation more accessible while continuing to innovate within the tennis industry. My journey from professional athlete to founder has shaped how I lead the company: staying close to the customer, solving real problems, and building products that genuinely improve the player experience.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
Rubin Statham: One of the biggest challenges we faced was changing the mindset around racquet stringing. Tennis players had relied on traditional stringing methods for generations, so introducing a portable solution required us to overcome a natural hesitation toward doing things differently.
We navigated that challenge by focusing on education, feedback, and trust. We spent time listening to players, understanding their concerns, and continuously improving the product based on real-world experiences. Instead of trying to convince people through marketing alone, we let the product experience speak for itself.
That challenge taught me an important leadership lesson: innovation is not just about creating something new; it is about bringing people along on the journey. When customers feel heard and supported, they become your strongest advocates. Building those relationships helped us grow Pro Stringer from an idea born on the tennis tour into a solution trusted by players worldwide.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
Rubin Statham: One of the biggest lessons I learned is that not every setback is a failure; sometimes it is feedback showing you what needs to change. In the early stages of building Pro Stringer, we underestimated how much education and support customers would need to adopt a completely new approach to racquet stringing.
Initially, we were focused heavily on creating a great product, but we learned that a successful product requires more than engineering; it requires understanding the customer journey, providing guidance, and building confidence.
That experience helped us become better listeners and better innovators. We became more focused on customer feedback, improving communication, and making the overall experience easier for players. Looking back, those early challenges helped shape the way we operate today. They taught us that resilience comes from adapting quickly, learning from mistakes, and continuously improving rather than expecting everything to be perfect from the beginning.
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
Rubin Statham: I believe a resilient team is built on shared purpose, trust, and the ability to adapt when things do not go according to plan. Building a company is full of unexpected challenges, so I look for people who are not only skilled at what they do but also willing to learn, take ownership, and find solutions.
The qualities I value most are curiosity, accountability, resilience, and a genuine passion for improvement. Skills can be developed, but the mindset someone brings to a challenge is much harder to teach.
Coming from professional tennis, I learned that success is rarely about one person. The best results come from people working together, communicating openly, and supporting each other through difficult moments. I try to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, challenging assumptions, and taking responsibility because that is where real innovation happens.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
Rubin Statham: I maintain my personal resilience by staying connected to the habits and mindset that I developed as a professional athlete. Tennis taught me that you cannot control every outcome, but you can control your preparation, effort, and response. That mindset has been just as important in business.
During challenging periods, I focus on the bigger picture and remind myself why I started Pro Stringer in the first place: to solve a real problem for players and make a positive impact in the tennis community. I also make sure to step back when needed, stay active, spend time with family, and avoid getting consumed by every short-term challenge.
Resilience is not about never feeling pressure or uncertainty. It is about developing the ability to recover, learn, and keep moving forward. I have found that the toughest moments often create the biggest opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
Rubin Statham: During a crisis, I focus on controlling what I can and avoiding getting overwhelmed by everything happening at once. My background in professional tennis taught me the importance of staying present, breaking challenges into smaller decisions, and focusing on the next point rather than the entire match. I apply the same mindset in business.
I also rely heavily on communication with my team. In difficult moments, having honest conversations, understanding the facts, and working together on solutions helps maintain clarity and momentum. I make time to step away, stay active, and reset mentally because good decisions come from a clear mind. Resilience is not about ignoring pressure; it is about managing it and continuing to move forward with purpose.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
Rubin Statham: During a crisis, I believe communication needs to be clear, honest, and consistent. The worst thing a leader can do is allow uncertainty to create confusion. I focus on sharing what we know, what we are working on, and what actions we are taking next.
I also make sure communication goes both ways. My team needs to feel comfortable raising concerns, sharing ideas, and challenging assumptions. Some of the best solutions come from the people closest to the problem. A crisis is not a time for a leader to have all the answers alone; it is a time to bring people together, create alignment, and move forward as a team.
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
Rubin Statham: My advice to other CEOs is to build resilience into the culture, not just rely on it during difficult moments. A resilient organization is created through trust, adaptability, and a team that understands the bigger purpose behind the work.
I believe leaders should encourage people to take ownership, learn from mistakes, and stay focused on solving problems rather than placing blame. Challenges are inevitable, but how a team responds to those challenges determines long-term success.
Another important lesson is to stay close to your customers. They are often the best source of feedback and can help guide you through uncertainty. At Pro Stringer, listening to players and understanding their needs has helped us continue improving. Resilient companies are not built by avoiding challenges; they are built by learning, adapting, and becoming stronger because of them.
How do you prepare your business for potential future crises?
Rubin Statham: I prepare Pro Stringer for future challenges by focusing on adaptability, strong systems, and staying close to our customers. No business can predict every challenge ahead, but a company that can adapt quickly will always have an advantage.
We focus on maintaining strong relationships with our customers, continuously improving our products, and making decisions based on real feedback from the tennis community. We also try to avoid becoming too dependent on any single opportunity by continuing to innovate and explore new ways to serve players.
My experience as an athlete taught me that preparation creates confidence. You cannot control every situation, but you can build the discipline, processes, and mindset needed to respond effectively when challenges arise. That same approach guides how we prepare Pro Stringer for the future.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
Rubin Statham: The most important lesson I have learned about leadership during a crisis is that people look to leaders for clarity and confidence, not perfection. In difficult moments, it is important to stay calm, communicate honestly, and focus the team on what can be controlled rather than on uncertainty.
I have learned that resilience comes from facing challenges together. A strong leader does not need to have every answer immediately, but they need to create an environment where the team can work together, share ideas, and find solutions. The way you respond during challenging times often defines your organization’s culture long after the crisis has passed.
