Coco Gauff and Emma Grede team up to help small businesses

Fast Company

8 hours ago

Fresh off her French Open win, and before she gets rolling on the green grass of Wimbledon, tennis star Coco Gauff is launching a new three-part content series—along with entrepreneur Emma Grede and UPS—whose aim is giving advice to small-business owners.
Created by The Martin Agency, the campaign kicks off with an anime-inspired spot featuring the 20-year-old phenom announcing her collaboration with Grede. Gauff, who first signed on as a brand partner with UPS in 2023, says she was really excited to work with Grede, cofounder of Skims shapewear and the Good American clothing line.
'She's such a powerhouse in her world of business, so it was awesome to help give the opportunity to small-business owners to work with her,' Gauff tells Fast Company.
The campaign follows Gauff and Grede as they meet with the owners of three different small-businesses— Anima Iris, Petrova Chocolates, and Classy Casita —for one-on-one mentoring sessions with Grede. Highlights from these sessions will be part of the campaign's content, which will roll out throughout Gauff's tennis season.
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Tennis Star-preneur
Gauff herself is a big business. Last year, she reportedly made $30.4 million, including $9.4 million in prize money and an estimated $21 million from brand partnerships, appearances, and bonuses. In April, she launched Coco Gauff Enterprises with William Morris Endeavor (WME). She says she was listening closely to Grede's advice to the UPS campaign's three entrepreneurs.
'Honestly, I was just listening to what she was telling everyone else and taking notes,' Gauff says. 'I learned a lot about working in bigger organizations and marketing, which is what she's really good at, especially with Skims. I have her contact [info] for the future, and definitely want to dive more in depth with her.'
Gauff works with a long list of brand partners covering a variety of product categories, including Rolex, Bose, Head, Barilla, Carol's Daughter, and Naked Juice. Her first deal, at age 14, was with New Balance.
The two most important criteria for how she picks a brand partner are whether she has a connection to the brand as a customer or in some other way, and that the commitments can't interfere with tennis. Because tennis doesn't have a traditional offseason like football or basketball, Gauff says it can be tough to balance her time.
'It's about finding the fine line to make the most of what you're doing and your opportunity, but also making sure it's authentic to you,' she says. 'Because there have been some people who maybe got too overwhelmed with all the commitments. Trying to find that balance of keeping your career first and not wasting opportunity is very hard. I'm still trying to navigate it.'