Via JN Campbell
Chase Chamberlin scrutinized the numbers. It was a Dickensian moment for sure. The bank account doesn’t lie, in fact he has a balance of $120. With no other choice, he went bankrupt. Yes, almost broke.
However, just a few years ago, he received an attractive marriage proposal and it is not something he can ignore. So all-out, as they say, is the plan. Don’t take it too seriously, when opportunity knocks or in this case comes through Instagram, you have to be ready to bet.
“It was at the Dubai 2022 World Cup and we had everything in the business and we needed a win,” Chamberlin said. “There are times when you have to be disciplined and just attack the basics, but there are also times when you have to be bold.”
A series of conversations stemmed from that Instagram message sent by Brian Doxtator, his West Michigan alumnus, regarding the seed of a new company – Commonwealth, also known as CMNWLTH – that the couple agreed very early on would be about one thing, and one thing only, members. Yes, the thrill of victory is involved and all that, but it will be about bringing together a series of experiences around microsharing and sports. The motive behind it all and the driving force is a sense of belonging.
“Our model is about the journey,” explains Chamberlin. “This is about sharing trust because we recognize that sports like horse racing are based on trust and if you don’t build that trust through trust it is very difficult to attract new customers.”
As co-founders, Chamberlin, the company’s head of racing, and Doxtator, as CEO from a diverse tech background, envisioned a divided world. micro-sharing where investors can own a Purebred car at an affordable price. They made some well-documented wisecracks, like in the aforementioned Dickensian moment in 2022 when national grammar (tone artist) won the G1 Dubai World Cup. Other hinge points have followed with We who (Structure) was a favorite in GI Belmont S., and of course, when 382 members bought shares in magician (good magic) watched that chestnut pony roll around late to catch the GI Kentucky Derby.
Mage during training in Pimlico | Jim McCue
“We have no plans to win [Kentucky] This happened early on, but we knew that our program and our partnerships would make it possible for us to compete at the highest level because we have a great team and they know how to choose great horses.
For Chamberlin, taking the opportunity to join Doxtator to start the Commonwealth was fraught with risks, but he was confident it was a step in the right direction. His competitive nature in business honed in college came directly from the equestrian world. When he was four years old growing up near Kalamazoo, Michigan, his mother working in a hair salon and his father working in a paper mill, rekindled his budding love of horses by posting Sign him up for riding shows. It took him down the road from hunter and jumper to multi-country champion, in which he has traveled the world with horses ranging from half-Arab to Precious Horse.
“They didn’t have any connection to anything related to horses, but they made sacrifices and that ignited my passion,” he said. “Over time, I meet all these different breeds, people connect with them with their amazing stories and that creates this obsession.”
Then he started thinking about Purebred.
“I remember I always heard that performing was a hobby that wanted to be a business, while racing was a business that wanted to be a hobby,” says Chamberlin. “I could be without horses for six months and then I would find a way to get right back to them.”
Incorporating a love for all things equates to the Commonwealth’s mission linked by Chamberlin’s last position as head of development at Epipheo, a company based in Epipheo. The Cincinnati-based company has supported companies like Walmart, Google, SAP and even the US Air Force with brand awareness campaigns through what is known as a video-first strategy. In other words, they explain everything in a concise and easy to understand manner.
“Strategies through these explainer videos are built on a foundation of education, and we know through research that if you confuse people, you lose them,” he says. “So you want the members to absorb these complex ideas because if they don’t care, the moment will pass. It is the old curse of knowledge. What we are doing with horse racing and the Commonwealth is similar.”
Chase Chamberlin and Brian Doxtator at Pimlico during Preakness Week | Sara Gordon
Working with dealers like Marette Farrell, Elliott Walden, and David Hanley of WinStar Farm brought Chamberlin into the immersive waters of the sales round, and he learned the language of the Purebred. From breeding to racing, it continues to be a constant bend for him. There’s quite a bit of torque he’s experienced, but the “dialect” as he calls it, isn’t far from the one he’s used to.
“David [Hanley] I’m an Olympic diver, so when we talk about horse meat, there’s a certain understanding between us and it just helps with my studies, it’s all just to become a sponge,” Chamberlin said. “This complex and dizzying world has brought us into contact with some amazing partners who value integrity and then talent, and not the other way around.”
No matter what happens this weekend at GI Preakness S., the Commonwealth will be smooth sailing. But Chamberlin is quick to remind anyone who listens that this isn’t just about winning. You can’t win again and again in a business like this, no matter how lucky or brilliant you are.
“Our focus here is on spreading the word and not getting burned out by these moments of euphoria because we know they don’t last the way our minds think they should,” he said. “. “So what you do as a company is be grateful to them, enjoy it, put it away, but you can soften the downfall you’re sure to feel, if you enjoy it. that journey.”
Finding the next Mage won’t be easy, but remember Chamberlin’s origin story as a horseman, his sponge-like approach to knowledge, and his ability to explain complexities are all assets are built. As horse racing continues to try to solve their own Rubik’s Cube bringing in new, younger faces, in just four years Chase Chamberlin and Team Commonwealth have found the answer?
With the sports betting revolution attracting more diverse customers, in the same way, Commonwealth is poised to expand their digital platform space into golf. The future looks bright for this unique business model. Reasonable investment through a range of experiences combined with other sports? That sounds like a bet combined with a strong sense of belonging. Now, that might be an explainer video worth watching.
