I’ve been feeling burned out for a while now, and I think it’s finally time to say that out loud.
I’m sorry I haven’t been more transparent about this sooner.
Especially because so many of you have been with me for 16 years now.
You’re a huge part of what makes this whole thing work, and I mean that.
The word that best describes where I’ve been lately is lonely.
I’ve been in a rut. I’ve felt stuck. And I think it’s time to actually talk about why.
Let me zoom out for a second.
Essential Tennis started back in 2009, when it was just me, a camera, and a microphone.
I quit my club coaching job in 2011 once I figured out how to make it sustainable.
By 2014, I had the itch to grow something bigger. To build a real team.
And by 2019, we were cranking. A team of coaches. Editors. Business consultants. Web developers.
It felt like we were taking on the world together.
Trying to transform tennis coaching. Trying to make it more helpful, more insightful, for players everywhere.
Since that peak in 2019, things have slowly declined.
And now, in 2025, I’m right back where I started.
Just me. Alone. In my home studio, talking to a camera.
That slow shift back to being alone has been really hard on me.
I miss the collaboration. I miss the office. I miss the team.
We even had our own private court, forklift noise and all.
Watching that all fade away, piece by piece, has been genuinely tough.
I had big plans. Big pictures of building something far larger than myself.
Watching that slowly disappear is a hard thing to sit with.
And I think that quiet, creeping loneliness is exactly what pulled me into this rut with my uploads.
There are over 2,000 videos on this channel.
I didn’t want to make the 3,000th version of “three steps to more forehand power.”
So instead, I leaned on student transformation stories. Before and afters. Real students, real results.
Those were the easiest for me to make. The lowest friction.
I’m genuinely proud of them.
But they became a one-way street.
I stopped really connecting with you.
It became lowest-hanging-fruit content, just to keep something moving.
My head’s been down. I’ve been trying to survive it, if I’m honest.
Some clear signs of feeling burned out. Feeling stuck. Feeling like I was talking into the void.
I want to be really clear about something.
I’m not complaining, and I’m not blaming anyone but myself for where I ended up.
Because looking back at this entire 16-year journey, all the highs, all the lows, all the relationships with students and coaches and team members.
Learning how to lead. Learning how to build something. Then watching it slowly shrink again.
All of it is still so much more than I ever imagined possible back in 2008.
Even sitting here alone right now, making this video for you, in a space I built myself.
None of it would exist without you watching.
So if you’re here right now, I owe you real thanks for every bit of this.
I’ll never take that for granted.
I’ve always loved coaching. I’ve always loved creating.
Even in these low months, I’ve still had the drive to figure out what’s next.
That’s exactly why I’m making this video today.
If you’ve ever clicked like, left a comment, joined a course, booked coaching, or come on one of our trips, know that it mattered.
It’s made all of this possible, for me and for everyone who’s worked alongside me.
Thank you for being part of that.
But I don’t want to keep going through the motions.
I don’t want to feel stagnant, and I don’t want you to feel that on your end either.
I know that’s happened over the last six months or so, and I’m sorry for that.
So here’s what’s changing.
I want these videos to feel more conversational, more like a real back-and-forth.
I don’t want this to feel like a lecture, or like I’m some know-it-all just telling you what to do.
I want a real two-way street here, not a one-way broadcast.
And more than anything, I want to make sure what I create actually helps you.
Not content for the sake of content.
So here’s the bottom line today.
I’m sorry if you’ve felt that rut alongside me.
I’m sorry if the last few months felt stagnant, or like the insights weren’t landing the way they used to.
What I really want to know is this: what do you need right now to move your tennis journey forward?
Tell me your story. Tell me where you’re stuck. Tell me what’s frustrating you the most at this exact moment.
If anything I said here resonated with you, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts below.
Thank you for sticking with me through all of this.
Thank you for the support over the years.
It’s allowed me to chase this passion, and it’s allowed my team to chase theirs too.
It means everything to me, and it means everything to my family as well.
I’m excited about whatever comes next.
Thank you.
Your Coach,
-Ian
