Episode Details

Most people think entrepreneurship starts with an idea.

Dips Patel would probably challenge that.

Sometimes the biggest opportunities already exist. They just need someone willing to see the potential, take the risk, and build something better.

Dips is the CEO of KitKing, one of the UK's leading teamwear partners, working with grassroots clubs, professional teams, and some of the biggest sports brands in the world. Before acquiring KitKing, Dips spent much of his career inside the sports industry with brands including Canterbury, Speedo, and Pentland.

What stood out to me in this conversation wasn't just the acquisition story. It was the way Dips thinks about leadership, opportunity, and building businesses.

He shares why he believes acquiring a company can sometimes be a better path than starting from scratch, how he saw potential in a business that had previously failed to sell, and what it took to transform KitKing from what he describes as a "backstreet operator" into a growing partner for major sports brands.

We also talk about the leaders who shaped his career, including the impact of working with Charlotte Cox at Pentland, and why great leadership often comes down to trust, communication, and giving people the freedom to execute.

Dips also reflects on taking over KitKing just before COVID changed everything, the importance of building a strong culture during difficult periods, and why the best teams in business operate a lot like successful sports teams.

There are plenty of lessons here for anyone leading a team, considering entrepreneurship, or thinking about the future of the sports and outdoor industry.

If you're building a business, leading people, or simply curious about what it takes to turn opportunity into reality, there's a lot in this one.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

[00:00] Introduction
  [00:12:00] From sports industry executive to KitKing CEO
  [00:13:30] Why sport became Dips Patel’s career path
  [00:16:00] The unexpected opportunity that launched his sports career
  [00:21:00] Choosing great leadership over the biggest brand name
  [00:24:00] What world-class leaders do differently
  [00:27:00] Why understanding product creates better business leaders
  [00:33:30] The moment entrepreneurship became the goal
  [00:38:00] Leaving corporate life and taking the risk
  [00:40:30] Turning around a struggling family business
  [00:46:00] Finding KitKing and seeing the opportunity
  [00:48:30] Why everyone else walked away from the acquisition
  [00:52:00] Taking the risk and buying KitKing
  [00:56:30] Acquiring a business 100 days before COVID changed everything
  [01:05:00] The biggest lesson from COVID: culture
  [01:10:00] Transforming KitKing from a "backstreet operator"
  [01:17:00] Building a business with your spouse
  [01:24:00] Why Dips wrote Grassroots to Greatness
  [01:31:00] Advice for future entrepreneurs
  [01:35:00] Why Dips believes you should buy, not build

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Great leaders create environments where people can execute, not environments where people need constant approval.
• Career growth often comes from choosing opportunities where you can learn, not just opportunities with the biggest title.
• Understanding the product, customer, and wider business creates stronger leaders than staying inside one function.
• Entrepreneurship does not always mean starting from zero. Acquiring an existing business can create opportunities that already have foundations in place.
• The best opportunities are sometimes hidden behind problems that others are unwilling to solve.
• Culture becomes most import