Meet Leroy Lasenburg, III of Premium Spades in Southeast Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leroy Lasenburg, III.

Leroy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Born and raised in Harlem, NYC, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. From selling hip-hop mixtapes to promoting local artists, I’ve always been driven to build businesses that serve the community and culture.

After studying marketing and international business at NY Institute of Technology, I wanted to create something that was not only culturally relevant but create an industry that could impact the social economics of under-served communities.

Although my marketing experience leads me to a successful digital business consulting practice, the Saturday afternoons and nights of a house filled with excited, rambunctious, opinionated and highly-competitive Spades Players never left my mind and heart. Those nights were not only filled with soul music and fiery competition but left a young man with some of the most poignant life lessons, advice and philosophies designed to help shape a world perspective.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Success is never a smooth road. There are lessons to learn at every path. My “failures” are my greatest successes because they taught me more about my humility than my ego.

On the road to success, there are always choices you have to make. As a father of three boys, understanding that the risks you take today are the lessons you teach tomorrow. From only having $10 in your bank account and choosing between printing a promotional flyer or buying my son the toy he absolutely loves, I was able to teach myself, and my children, the struggle of making tough decisions. I always posed everything to my children as an investment. Money. Time. Energy. Words. Love. Are all investments. And you always want the best long-term return on that investment. So always choose smartly.

I recall a time when I was working for a company for a very hefty salary but wasn’t happy with the environment or the fulfillment I was expecting from such a high-exposure position. Deciding to quit was a tough, but the most liberating decision I HAD to make. The concern wasn’t taking a leap of faith on my own abilities… it was the money! The investment of their dollars into my plan was a no-brainer. And the amount of capital I needed was aligned with the income I received. But the investment of my time, patience and stress level outweighed my paycheck. So understanding the intangibles that I wanted and demanded from my career, the decision was made, my mind was set… it was game time.

Please tell us about Premium Spades. What should we know?
Premium Spades is a leisure-gaming company solely dedicated to the love and competitive nature of Spades. Since the 1930s, Spades has been played by some of the hardest working people and families in America. From blue-collar workers to teachers and community leaders, to corporate titans, Spades is, for many, a right to passage for young adults. From college campuses to army barracks, to kitchen tables and family-reunions around the world, Spades is the third-most-popular playing card game in history behind Poker and Bridge.

The cultural significance of Spades is entrenched in our society from the Great Depression, through WWII and the Jim Crow era. As young men and women entered into a new life of hardships, discrimination, injustice and poverty, Spade was a refuge for many. Besides the family gatherings and sense of community, playing spades was a time where you could be free to be angry, happy, intelligent, crafty, and competitive without any recourse (outside of losing your seat at the spades table). The long-lasting connections and lessons many family members made and shared can be attributed to a good ole game of spades.

Our mission as a company is to give the game of Spades and its players the cultural and social respect it deserves. As many people in my generation have grown, so have our likes, interests, and maturity. We thought it was time for Spades to mature as well. With luxury game box sets that include official playing cards, personalized scorebooks and drinking glasses, we not only want to promote the game of Spades but celebrate the game experience. We also sell individual playing card decks, complete with game rules, and multiple styles of play and Spades tournament packs for event promoters, party planners and venue owners.

We’re proud to have launched our PremiumSpades City Leagues where players can compete to see who are the best teams in their city. Our point system ranks teams to see who really owns the bragging rights across the city, state and country. Players that are part of the city league also qualify for our SpadeWars Competitive Spades Tournament, our national spectacular event coming to Atlanta in 2020.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
With no doubt, much credit goes to my partner, family, my close friends, my teachers and the cultural haters. What sparked my undying passion for this company was more than just the memories of my family gatherings, but all of the people that try to insult the cultural relevance of Spades to African Americans.

I once read an article in a prominent black publication, that will remain nameless, that attempted with such fervor to smear the integrity of the game and its significance in American culture with an article loosely titled “Why are Spades Players so Angry?” Understanding it was a tongue-and-cheek article, it was very insulting and disrespectful.

I chalked it up to simple ignorance and misinformation, but after more research, I realized this was part of a growing anti-cultural movement. The traditions of African Americans are being challenged, smeared and worst of all, replaced for other more “acceptable” forms of cultural and social engagement. I personally, would not stand for that any longer. I give credit to all of those that have supported my valiant efforts to keep a part of our blue-collar tradition alive.

Pricing:

• PremiumSpades Luxury Game Box Sets – $65.99
• PremiumSpades Official Playing cards – $6.99

Contact Info:

• Website: PremiumSpades.com
• Email: premiumspades@gmail.com
• Instagram: @premium_spades
• Facebook: @PremiumSpades
• Twitter: @premiumspades

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