7PILLAR
7Pillar sees a world where greatness is defined by who you become, not what you win.
From the Big Leagues to Building 7Pillar
When Nick Ahmed made his Major League debut on June 29, 2014, it was the culmination of years of steady work and resilience.
Drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Braves in 2011 and later traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Nick built a 10-season career defined by consistency, leadership, and defensive excellence, earning back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2018 and 2019. His path was not without challenge. Hip surgery in 2016 and a series of wrist and hand injuries in 2017 tested his patience and perspective, but those seasons of recovery refined his discipline and deepened his sense of purpose.
His brother, Mike Ahmed, shared that same competitive drive. After being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 20th round of the 2013 draft, Mike spent seven years in professional baseball before moving into coaching and performance development. His experience as both a player and mentor revealed how mental and emotional formation can fuel physical performance. Over time, he became a trusted health and performance coach for his brother, blending principles of nutrition, mindset, and faith.
Together, Nick and Mike began to see a pattern in the world of sports. Many athletes are taught how to win, but few are taught how to grow through the game. That realization became the foundation for 7Pillar—a platform built to help athletes and coaches strengthen identity, cultivate daily habits, and develop character that endures beyond competition. Their combined experience, forged through both triumph and adversity, led them to create something that forms athletes from the inside out.
Whiteboard partnered with 7Pillar to shape the brand from the ground up: defining its mission, visual system, digital experience, and go-to-market platform.
Rebuilding the Way Athletes Are Formed & Coaches Lead
When we met Nick and Mike, they had a powerful curriculum and a clear mission. Our job was to help manifest that into a digital platform and brand experience that could serve athletes, coaches, and teams. Through strategy workshops, we defined tiered memberships, a licensing model for leagues, and content architecture rooted in their seven-pillar framework. We also helped identify coaches as a key distribution channel, shaping messaging and tools around their needs.
The Ahmed brothers came to Whiteboard with a conviction:
“There’s a gap in how athletes are being developed. They’re trained to perform, not to become.”
The challenge was to design a brand and digital experience that bridges athletic performance and personal formation—helping athletes and coaches integrate identity, mindset, and leadership into daily training. We needed to build a platform that felt as motivating as a workout and as grounding as a reflection—balancing grit with grace. spirit of innovation, conveying the scale of their impact, and keeping the human story front and center.
"Our vision for 7Pillar existed in our minds but it was Whiteboard who made it come to life. They brought together brand, web, product, and storytelling all into one place. Their professional expertise and ability to always produce what we wanted was remarkable. The end result was a platform that looks incredible, functions beautifully, and inspires transformation."
Every Athlete's Journey is a Formation Story
Whiteboard’s strategy process uncovered a key insight: behind every great athlete is a story of becoming.
7Pillar’s brand would elevate this truth—celebrating the process of growth over the pressure of performance. We distilled the brand down to a core belief:
“Formation fuels performance. Success starts from within.”
This insight guided every creative decision—from the 7-point logo to the in-app rhythm of daily reflection, challenge, and growth.
A Symbol of the Journey
The 7Pillar mark is a map of the hero’s journey. Built by connecting seven distinct points, each representing a foundational pillar, the symbol forms a path that mirrors the athlete’s process: discipline, mindset, leadership, identity, health, purpose, and legacy. The visual identity blends athletic precision with spiritual depth: clean geometry, structured rhythm, and timeless color grounded in authenticity and grit.
The App & Go-To-Market
The go-to-market strategy positioned 7Pillar as more than a digital product—it’s a cultural shift in how athletes and coaches think about development. The launch campaign focused on storytelling through the founders’ voices, emphasizing identity, discipline, and legacy. Using a multi-channel approach and early partner teams, 7Pillar’s launch connected with high school, college, and professional programs eager to build culture from the inside out.
