Meet rally’s founders
Rally was founded in 2021 by business and life partners Meg Charity and Barrett Worthington. As active millennials whose social lives often revolved around sports and activities, Barrett and Meg were craving a communal space that combined their passion for elevated hospitality with feel-good recreation. Following several years of exploration and energized by their successful launch of Picklefest (a socially-driven pickleball tournament that drew folks from all over the country), Barrett and Meg began to dream up the concept of Rally.
They navigated several years of challenges and micro-victories (let's raise a toast to all entrepreneurs in the tumultuous year of 2020), and finally brought Rally into fruition with the launch of the Charlotte flagship in 2023.
With Rally, Barrett and Meg wanted to create a social club for activity enthusiasts and unexpected athletes alike – a place that built community around sport, but offered so much more than the sport itself. With eight pickleball courts, two cocktail bars, a globally inspired menu, specialty coffee program, and a whole lot of room to lounge, Rally is reshaping recreation and democratizing the country club experience for the next generation of activity-seekers.
Get to know Meg & Barrett with these snappy six questions.
In one sentence, describe your idea of the Rally lifestyle:
The Rally lifestyle is all about the seamless merging of activity, leisure, and social connection.
It’s based on the belief that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your social life to lead an active life!.
What would your doubles team name be?
The Jazzy Armadillos. Little known fact: we almost chose an armadillo to be Rally’s mascot. Why? Because we always said that Rally was designed for the unexpected athlete – people who step onto a court and surprise themselves by how competitive they get. Armadillos are the ultimate unexpected athlete: they can move very fast despite their short legs, they can swim, and they can jump 4 ft in the air! Bet you didn’t know that.
You’re getting in the car to go grocery shopping; who’s driving?
“Meg. 100% of the time. I might as well turn in my license. ”
When you enter Barnes & Noble, which section do you head to first?
Barrett: These days, I’m audiobooks only! Usually business / entrepreneurship. I love historical fiction, too.
Meg: Business. I can also get pretty into self-help/personal growth books.
What words of wisdom would you give to anyone launching a business with their significant other?
The cop-out answer is “boundaries”, but anyone starting a business knows that boundaries and balance are impossible. I think the real trick is carving out your separate lanes and focus areas within the business, and supporting each other in those lanes. That way, one of you can always provide a fresh perspective if the other one is bogged down or too close to a particular issue.
Early on, we wanted to be equally involved in every aspect of the business, which is not only inefficient/impossible, it also increases the opportunity for conflict, because you’re never going to see eye-to-eye on every tiny detail. If you’re aligned on the big picture and the big decisions, but each have different areas of ownership based on your natural strengths and interests, it becomes a much smoother process. It requires you to trust and respect each other, which is critical in any relationship, including business!
Celebrate the wins and each other – and carve out time for fun! (pickleball is good for that 😉).
Finally- you’re hungry. What are you ordering for dinner at Rally?
Meg: Spicy tuna crispy rice & Dirty Vesper.
Barrett: Blistered shishitos for a quick bite or the al pastor tacos if I’m hungrier. And a Spicy Tommy every time!
all illustrations hand-drawn by Carrie rheaume @frustrationsmear