We all have those dreams of performing on the big stage — and chances are those dreams continue to evolve over time. For some it may start out as hitting a game-winning home run or seeing a song you wrote/performed go to the top of the charts. For the here and now it may be about giving a great TED-like talk or raising the necessary capital for a big idea. But how do we know when its time to step up to the plate, to take our swings? And when we do, what do we do when we connect, when our performance exceeds even our own lofty expectations? What’s next?

Jeremy Mitchell’s story is one spent entrenched in the game of baseball — first as a starry-eyed boy collecting baseball cards and autographs, then as a youthful player, and always as a lifelong fan of the game. As an adult, he had an idea that would blend his love for baseball and its rich and colorful history into a side project that would exceed his boyhood dreams.

While watching the World Series in 2013 (Game 6, Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals), Jeremy knew it was time and he launched Mitchell Bat Company, a creative endeavor that would specialize in hand-painted baseball bats. In less time than it took to play three innings, Jeremy took his early sketches and mock-ups on his laptop and converted them into a live, online order-taking business. But as fast as it all came together, Jeremy acknowledges that his one swing on an October night in 2013 was 36 years in the making.

Jeremy’s story is one where patience meets timing, history meets creativity, and a big dream meets a down-to-earth reality.