With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1501233
M AKE Vancouver CEO Stacy Hall had an unusual start to her squash "career." She used to play tennis with a friend who was a proud member of the Jericho Tennis Club. Back in 2001, when the club was offering a special deal, Hall's friend started pestering her to join. The Alberta native gave in, thinking that she'd be- come a good player. ("I didn't," Hall says with a laugh.) Hall was looking for a good workout, but she wasn't get- ting that as a beginner tennis player. "You're hitting the ball out, you're hitting it in the net; whereas with squash, even when you first start, you can spend 45 minutes in that square box and get a really great workout," she contends. Hall fell in love with squash at the first bounce, just like her company's COO, Duncan Max- well, did when he was 12. At a friend's squash-themed birthday party in his home- town of Victoria, a young Max- well was handed a racket, given instructions and told to go play. "I remember just loving it as a kid," he says. He started competing at 15, attended New York's St. Law- rence University on a squash scholarship and now plays in both amateur and pro tourna- ments as an adult. Maxwell par- ticipated in the Squash Doubles W E E K E N D WA R R IOR WARRIOR SPOTLIGHT Under parent company Justin Stitches, CEO Stacy Hall launched Promosapien in 2002 and MAKE in 2011. She involves the business- es in squash tournaments by sponsoring prizes, gear and more. Last year, Promosapien sponsored the national champion- ships in Vancouver, where both Hall and COO Duncan Maxwell competed in the women's 55+ and men's 30+ categories, respec- tively. Maxwell placed fourth and is planning to balance business and play when he joins the U.S. pro doubles tour next year. DOUBLE HIT Stacy Hall and Duncan Maxwell often preface business meetings with a game of squash Super Smash Pros Squash serves creativity for MAKE Vancouver CEO Stacy Hall and COO Duncan Maxwell By Rushmila Rahman O FF T H E C LO C K ( quality time ) ADAM BLASBERG JULY/AUGUST 2023 BCBUSINESS.CA 105 Association's Pro Tour between 2018 and 2021, reaching a world ranking of 38 out of some 130 players in that last year. Four years ago, while coach- ing, playing and teaching at the Vancouver Racquets Club, he met Hall. At the time, Maxwell was also trying to get his man- agement consulting business off the ground. After he gave Hall a few lessons, their conversations started turning to business. "Stacy hit the ball great," he recalls confidently. "She took feedback really, really well, which is awesome." ("I did?!" Hall interjects on the Zoom call.) Maxwell joined MAKE and Promosapien first as a consul- tant in 2020, and then as COO in 2021. Both businesses are owned by parent company Justin Stitches, which Hall co-founded with her sister 36