Today on The Breakfast Club, Earl Cooper & Olajuwon Ajanaku Talk 'Eastside Golf;' Brand, Exposure, Black Representation. Listen For More!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Morning.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Everybody's d J n V Jess Hilarius Charlamagne the guy.
We are the Breakfast Club. He got a special guest
in the building.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, we have Elijah One.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Did I say that right? John Cole Okay and Earl Cooper,
welcome brothers.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Elija One.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
I always hear your first name as a last name.
I've never I've never met an Elijah One. Who was
Elijah One? Who was the first name.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
That's because, yeah, I was born in Houston.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
I was born in Houston, but my family was a
big rock They were both big Rockets fans, and yeah,
just one thing led to another. First name is last name?
Is my first name? Got so his name that was
that was my father. He was born in South Memphis
and he changed his name joined the Black Panthers when
he was about twenty four. Cage his name from Robert
(00:50):
Rutliche to Kwamea Johanaku and now I'm Elijah one Ja.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, they want the slave master name.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
What's your ancestry?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Yeah, Nigerian, Okay, but it's uh, it's a name, but uh,
but it's split in between the two.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
They were just big Houston Rockets.
Speaker 6 (01:10):
And then when I first met Earl, I didn't realize
I never met a young Earl before.
Speaker 7 (01:16):
Yeah, you got to grow into definitely, you ain't growing
to it yet. You still look too young for Earl.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Butright I got I got.
Speaker 8 (01:27):
A son on the way. He's gonna be Earl too.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I mean, DMNX made it a classic name.
Speaker 8 (01:36):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right about that.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So how did you guys get into golf? What what
made you say? Golf is the sport that I want
to do. I want to try. I love and talk
about that your passion for golf.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
A friend of the family introduced me to the game.
I grew up with his sons playing golf. We all
ended up getting golf scholarships to college.
Speaker 9 (01:53):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
But the thing was, we ended up playing basketball and
golf growing up, so we're really competitive.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And it was just on the east side of Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
I mean it was a way to stay out of
the streets for real, like off Bouldercrest Road, you know,
east side.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It was tough.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
But right when I leave, because right when I leave
the golf course, I mean the hood is right there.
But like when I'm at the golf course, like it
was positive influences always at the golf course. I didn't
really have that as much at home as much at home,
but why not go to the golf course and actually
get that? So judges, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, these are the
people that I'm looking up to, Like, how are these
(02:27):
people at eleven am on a Tuesday just out and
about doing their own thing? And now it was golf.
So I just wanted to be a part of that
and have that to be a part of my life.
So that's what really just pushed me to it.
Speaker 7 (02:38):
Yeah, and you're from Delaware.
Speaker 8 (02:39):
Yeah, yeah, I'm from Delaware and really yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Why don't know people really get it from there?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (02:46):
I told you two how long with two of us?
Two black people?
Speaker 7 (02:56):
But you played golf too, right?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (02:57):
I started playing golf at the age of six inner
city Youth GoF program. It was called the LPGA Urban
Youth Golf Program, and my parents just signed me up,
like nobody in my family played. And I often like
to say I'm happy that my dad didn't listen to
a six year old because left up to me, I
was like, I don't want to do this, you know
where all my friends where everybody looked like me, but
he kept me in it. And then at thirteen, I
(03:17):
ended up winning a Golf Channel drive chip and putt,
which is like a free trip to Disney World. I
was on TV and I'm like, man, if every golf
tournament like this, I'm ready to practice.
Speaker 8 (03:25):
And you know, it was fortunate enough.
Speaker 9 (03:27):
Elajauwana and I you know, had a golf scholarship the
Morese College and played on the golf team there and
that's where we met.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Break that down for you said it's called the Inner City.
Speaker 9 (03:35):
It was called the LPGA, which is a Ladies Professional
Golf Association. So they had a ladies major event in
Wilming teams called the McDonald Championship and they created like
a nonprofit off of that and it was that urban
youth GoF program. So again just trying to get young
kids involved in the game. And then for us, I'll
(03:56):
say that's what also kind of helped shape our point
of view because everyone's like, well, how did y'all get here?
And these programs are great, but you need an evolved adult,
right Like all of you all have kids, so you're
not just gonna drop call it a ten year old
off at a golf course, right, or the average age
is a fifty year old white man, right, and he
come back like what happened?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Right?
Speaker 8 (04:15):
So it takes an evolved adult.
Speaker 9 (04:18):
And that's one of the things that we're always constantly
encouraging people like go with the kid, you know what
I mean, whatever that may be.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
So a lot of our focus has.
Speaker 9 (04:25):
Been on young professionals, not necessarily just the kids because
we don't even make kids close just shit.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I wonder how much Tiger Woods made people feel like,
influence people, influence people to touch, reach out the young
black kid and try to get them involved.
Speaker 9 (04:36):
In go I mean he was yeah, everything for us
like coming up Tiger Woods was you know, he dominated it.
Speaker 8 (04:43):
He made us want to watch it. You know, you
want to be just like Tiger when.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I mean the catalyst for me when I was thirteen,
actually I was playing golf at It's across from East
Lake Country Club in Atlanta where they hold it to
a championship.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Y'all definitely got to come out for that.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
But across from there, Charlie Yates Junior Academy in two
thousand and one actually got sponsored by Nike to go
up to Chicago I got a thirty minute lesson from
Tiger Woods and Earlwoods at the time when his father
was still here. So I mean, ever since then, I
just been on it. You know, I've been hungry for
the game. I mean everything that it entitles, as far
as like gives you, you know, and just the people
(05:20):
that it surrounds you, that surrounds you because you play it.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So it's the wonders for me.
Speaker 7 (05:25):
But what made you y'all want to stick with it?
Speaker 8 (05:27):
Though?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Right?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Because I know you said if you when you were six,
you wouldn't want to do it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It's born.
Speaker 6 (05:31):
That's the first thing that you know, people arguing they
say about it.
Speaker 7 (05:35):
What made y'all want.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
To stick with it? Y'all actually have a golfing brand.
Like what people are buying is y'all got stores about
to open up and airports and everything. Y'all's still about
to have y'all peril and what North Stroum.
Speaker 8 (05:49):
Like right now right here in New York.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Yeah, what made y'all want to stick with that? You
don't really see a lot of us in golf.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Right Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
So honestly, for me, golf changed my life. I mean,
as far as temperament, resilience, you know, I mean everything
that I am as far as like just hard work
and structure. I mean, because when you look at golf
and every shot that you take in golf, it's individual.
You know what I'm saying. You can't look at the
entire thing is you get it lost. But that's just
(06:18):
like life. You got to take you one step at
a time, a day at a time, you know. And
golf just taught me to be really intricate on each
single detail.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And that's I literally just relate that.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Over to my professional career as far as corporate finance
when I was in that about to become VP of
sales over to here running a business. You know, there's
steps to it and you have to build systems to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
I use all of those things from golf to relay
it onto my business and it's been working.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
When do you take the step to be professional as
far as a golfer? Right, you know, you see all
these people, everybody's into golf, and but when is it professional?
And break it down a little bit like we all
know basketball, we know thee A draft, we all know football,
we know thee A draft, we know baseball you go
into the d League or the farm League as they
call it. So how does golf work when it comes
to that, Because you were a presonal time, So I'm.
Speaker 9 (07:07):
A PGA professional. So I mean, so PGA professionals are
the men and women. We're experts in the golf business.
So at every golf course there there's a person that
managed that and so more that's what I did. So
you get your pg certification. It's twenty eight thousand PGA
members across the country. Out of that twenty eight thousand,
(07:27):
there's roughly like three hundred African Americans, right, so the
number is you know, that's less than half a one percent, right,
So there's definitely a lot of work to be done there.
But that's what I'm considered a PGA professional versus Elijah
On you want to explain it.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
Yeah, I mean the reason that I started this brand was,
I mean back when I after I graduated from Morehouse
Majors accounting minor in finance, I turned pro and golf.
I did that for a couple of years, won a
couple of mini tour events, but got to a point
that just couldn't afford it anymore, you know, taking them
by our jobs, carboy, caddy in and like hustling. However,
I can get it to fund my golf career. Last
(08:04):
time me and my mom got in an argument. She
was like, you know, it's about that time you get
a job.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
And so had to stop that and I started my
finance career. I was in commercial finance for about ten years.
But it got to a point, Like I said, I
wanted to play professional golf, but I knew it we
already find sponsors. So to your point, the only way
to turn pro is to have sponsors in the game.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
I mean good enough where sponsors finds you.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Absolutely absolutely, and it's full circle for me. Actually, I'm
turning back pro and golf in June. That's the reason
I started the brand because I was like, I can't
find any sponsors. Why not take the entrepreneur route and
sponsor myself. So now I have a Southern company in
Georgia power being one of my one of my sponsors
for professional golf, along with a couple of other companies
(08:50):
in Atlanta. But it's I mean, the whole thing is
sponsorship is dollars. If you can raise that and that
company can see what they can really get out of you,
where it comes to like a certain type of customer,
a certain type of feel, they'll pay you for it.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And then you need to be a professional, Like how
much do they need to sponsor, like say a company
like that to put you in the league to go
against the tiger Woods or whoever the top professional is now.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Yeah, it varies from tour to tour because some tour
entry fees or I mean it ranges from a thousand
to sometimes five thousand dollars for an entry fee.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Into the tournament. So that doesn't include.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
You know, travel, your caddy, food, rent, you know, something breaks,
you know, So it would range from anywhere I would
say one seventy five one hundred and seventy five thousand
to two hundred and fifty thousand.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And that I love both of y'all.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
I love y'all stories because y'all represent I like when
people get into an industry and they show all sides
of the industry. When I hear PGA professional, I'm thinking
that's a player, right, somebody who does the business. Yeah,
and that's that's like, damn, there's so many different ways
for us to be involved in this.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
In this sport.
Speaker 9 (09:52):
Yeah, sure, no, I completely agree, And I feel like
that's one of the things that I'll say really just
excites me about our business is the fact that we're
having an impact on the sport without actually playing it, right,
And so it's kind of like a basketball analogy would
be like we're working in the front office, right, and
so we're getting everyone excited and bringing everyone along with us, right.
(10:16):
Like when you think about when the brand started, it
was right before COVID and then you know, our first
viral moment was Chris Paul wearing it had to toe
when he was a player, when he was a president
of the NBA Players Association, the night of the boycott,
the event that happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and so like
that's that's how we kind of went viral, but it
was through basketball, and then from there, you know, we
(10:37):
got hooked up with Michael Jordan and we've had like
CC Sabathia, Victor Cruz, you know, Peka's, Steve Stout, like.
Speaker 8 (10:45):
You name it.
Speaker 9 (10:46):
All of these guys are like, we see exactly what
you guys are doing, right, Like you are bringing in
people into the game culturally relevant and in a way
like Our tagline is, you know, be authentic, So.
Speaker 8 (10:57):
That's that's all we require.
Speaker 7 (10:59):
And your logo I love it, rockleball Man, rock Obama.
Speaker 8 (11:07):
It's cat You sure.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I think they know I'm looking at them, looking at.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
The radio, swinging the golf club.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Yes, it was crazy, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
The logo is actually me. I created it. I ain't
gonna lie.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I just know I never looked at it.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
But yeah, I created the logo. I wanted to turn pro.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Like I said, it was gonna go on my bag
in my polo and then I showed it to him.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
He was just like, yo, put that show a T shirt.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
So I did, went downtown Detroit and I maybe got
stopped one hundred times in two hours, just like who
are you? What's that logo? Where can I get it?
And do you play golf? That's why I know I
had something.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean, it's fly even even if you're not in
the golfers, just to fly over show.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (12:01):
Now that's one of the things we always say, like,
you know you don't play polo, but you wear Ralph Laurent, correct, right,
so you don't have to play golf in order to
wear east Side Golf And like even a jacket, like
we got a Jeff Hamilton jacket, Like that's not you
know what I mean, You're not going out on a
golf course with that.
Speaker 8 (12:16):
But we do make golf clothes for the golfer.
Speaker 9 (12:18):
But at the end of the day, like our whole
strategy was like meet people where they are right. And
that's why it's important to come up on like this
platform because this is where the people at right and
they need to know and hear like no golf is
available for you golf when you think about it, majority
of golf courses are public parks owned by municipalities, so
your tax dollars go towards that, and so again just
(12:41):
encouraging people to go out.
Speaker 8 (12:42):
There and experience that.
Speaker 9 (12:43):
As matter of fact, we actually have a community day
coming up in Wilmington this Friday this week, and again
it's a great like microcosma like what we're trying to
create where we buy out the entire golf course so
everybody comes and it's not just we like to say,
it's not just like underrepresented communities will fly in for
our events as well. We certainly bring the community out,
(13:03):
but we pay for everything, the food, the lessons, the range,
the golf course, and it's an unbelievable atmosphere that's created
when you eliminate the financial burden and people can really
discover how great the game is and just meet other people.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I was gonna ask, it's, you know, with golf being
so expensive, how do you get our community to get involved? Like,
because clubs are expensive, bringing the time at the golf
course is expensive. It's not like, you know, you grab
a basketball and get a park and you just go shoot.
So it makes it so expensive. So what do you
tell people? How could they start if they want to
get into it and don't have the finances.
Speaker 9 (13:35):
Yeah, I mean, there's plenty of ways to start first,
you gotta you know, the hard part is just kind
of finding a golf course. Once you find a golf course,
there are programs out there.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Should you start there? Should start at a range first?
Speaker 9 (13:46):
Well, just I'm saying that most golf courses have a range.
It may be small, but you can start at a
range or indoor simulator. But getting the clubs, I think
again it's a misnomer that you have to you know,
buy this whole set that's fitted. No, you know, I
think that's the worst thing to do.
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Especially problem, like what what are they doing?
Speaker 9 (14:07):
Yeah, in the beginning, I'm always we're always encouraging people
to go get starter sets, and starter sets can range
anywhere from five hundred dollars to seven hundred and fifty dollars.
You can go to a golf galaxy also pick up
Eastside Golf there and that'll give you all the equipment.
And in the beginning, you're you know, it's just changing
a lot. Even if you don't have that, you could
go to the range and just say, hey, can I
(14:28):
borrow a seven iron or just one club and typically
they have those clubs, they're available. So look, I mean
we spend money, you know what I mean, on clothes,
on all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 8 (14:37):
So what our biggest thing is, we just want.
Speaker 9 (14:40):
People to recognize the value. And when young professionals understand, like, look,
you guys work at iHeartMedia. They have golf events, so
it's an opportunity to engage whether it be artists, account execs, whoever,
like decision makers and you get a chance to spend
that quality time with them.
Speaker 8 (14:58):
And that's the like big unline.
Speaker 9 (15:00):
Like oftentimes when golf opportunities come up, we're on the sidelines.
We're like, man, I ain't going out there. I don't
want to embarrass myself. But that's where the deals are happening.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Let imagine a question.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I can think of times right like when I was younger,
you know, me and my now wife walking into you know,
restaurants in South Carolina seeing nothing but white people in there,
nothing but white people working there, and seeing ourselves.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, they're same for us.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And I remember one time in particular, you know, we
went to one and it was like, oh no, we're leaving,
and the waitresses like what the woman to do was like,
why y'all leaving?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Because too many white people?
Speaker 4 (15:30):
And I was like, yeah, the golf course probably is
ten times as intimidating as that, just because it's like,
we don't.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
See each other out there. So if a couple of
guys just pull up on the golf course, are there going,
are they going to be welcomed?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
I mean, well, so they have private country clubs, and
then they have municipalities, as he once said, public parks downtown,
what you pay your tax.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Dollars on, that's where we need to be.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Yeah, a lot of those, a lot of those golf
courses are definitely welcoming, they notice your first time coming
out there. And on top of that, you know, some
of these golf courses have bucket of balls might be
twelve bucks.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
And play it against sports and yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Play is with Y'ALLBA, what is your problem?
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, yeah, golf balls oh.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Man man continue cheap, continue downtown, bucket of golf balls
might be twelve bucks.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
But then you can go to play it again sports
and get a whole thing of clubs, fourteen clubs for
one hundred dollars, twenty five dollars. And this is an investment,
you know, like whatever, And I see this all the time.
Whatever you do with your life, I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Care what you do. If you play golf, it will.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Increase that revenue, it will increase whatever opportunities you have.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
So many different types of people play golf.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I mean, I've met guys that you know, own movie companies,
guys investors out in Colo Alto, I mean, all the
way over to being at Liberty National, Ironman family that
sold Rebok. You know, all of these different types of
people play golf. Doctors, lawyers, the same type of people
that grew up seeing but the connection that they have
(17:10):
in their circle. I mean if you play golf, you
can go out. Oh, let me invite my guy. All
of a sudden, you got to force them, three four
guys out there playing golf and you don't know who
it is.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
You know, relax.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Is a sensitive you say, for something to figure out.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Wow, y'all don't have gay ears.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yes, this guy has.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
I'm listening to you because I'm intrigued by what you don't.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I've heard that before.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
I've heard everybody say that, you know, they golf because
it's great for networking. And then you know, I've golfed once.
I was terrible at it. I got frustrated. But it's
a time for men to do something we don't do,
which is talk.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
You know, for a long period of time. It's good
bonding for men.
Speaker 8 (17:59):
I think, yeah, no, I agree. I think on the
golf course though, yeah, yes, yeah no.
Speaker 9 (18:04):
And it's funny you said men because we actually we're
doing a campaign featuring Justin Tuck just talking about fathers
because a lot of times, again you're talking about that
opportunity to bond and like it's a great sport, like
to just go out there and a lot of times
that's a man's hobby, you know, I mean, well, we
definitely support the women to get out there as well.
Speaker 8 (18:24):
And I agree that golf can be intimidating.
Speaker 9 (18:27):
Like, look, I was the first African American golf professional
at two golf courses that were over one hundred years old,
WHOA so Detroit Golf Club and Womington Country Club and Wimington.
I started out as a caddy there, right, So like
you used to dream of going in the clubhouse like, man, like,
what would that be like?
Speaker 8 (18:45):
And you know the point. And I feel like the
reason why.
Speaker 9 (18:48):
I took both of those roles was simply because he's
an opportunity to reset the standard.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Right.
Speaker 9 (18:53):
They don't know, they've never even interact with someone at
that level in that position, and so it's important that
we you go and kind of push through that uncomfortableness.
And that's kind of what I'm saying, where as an adult,
if the adults can go, we know it's just gonna.
Speaker 8 (19:08):
They're gonna look up to you.
Speaker 9 (19:10):
You know, and so if they see you doing the
goal for us, we don't want it to be a
shock when we show up or minority show up and
they're playing golf.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
We want that to be normalized.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Right.
Speaker 9 (19:22):
But that's up to us to normalize it amongst that generation,
just like we normalize everything else. So it could be
something as simple as like going to the movies or
every summer of y'all.
Speaker 8 (19:31):
Go to this place, whatever it may be, it's just normal.
Just you saw it. And so that's the thing.
Speaker 9 (19:36):
Our goal is that we want this next generation to
really say, you know what, I may pay golf once
or twice a year, and I'm cool with that, but
at least when the opportunity comes, we're not sitting on
the sideline.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
That's why labels suck.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
And it's like, you know who says golf is a explorer.
Imagine if Cooper Flag, you know, a liar bird felt
like that about basketball. Like yo, if you got of
love for something, you should be able to you know,
embrace it.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
Yeah, going back to your logo to now, because most
people may think it is a white sport and that
because that's what we've seen, you know, up until now,
and you know a little bit before, did they Did
you ever receive any flag about the black man with
the golf club and the chain and the jeans?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
For sure? For sure, I mean I'll take it a
step back.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
I uh It was a point I went to this
country club in Michigan and I was wearing these pants
and these white guys on the range. It was a
private country club. Uh, these white guys on the range
had on the same pants. Now, I didn't have any
belt loops on the pants, but I got singled out
and lo and behold, I ended up getting kicked off
the course. There were some other ones that I had on.
(20:46):
This was this was maybe like four years ago and
we had just started making pants. Yeah wild whilst at
the business had a Jordan got kicked off, but was
dress call dress code, so uh definitely said yo, lit
old caf.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I just wear these for today, Like, nah, you gotta
go on and change.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
I come back and change, get back on the driver range,
and it's just like, yeah, how can I help you?
Like you gotta wait till the member gets here, you know.
And you know that was four years ago, and it's
crazy to say now we have clothes that are being
sold in that pro shop.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
But I say that because it's the same logo.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
You know, this logo was me And I mean there
was a point when I first came out with it,
I got asked, yo, is that a noose around that,
you know, Like I didn't know what that was and
I'm like, it's a cube link chain, Like, come.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
On, that's just a funny joke for you. Yeah, him
to ask that a goddamn yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah. But either way it goes given a slack on it.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
I mean to be honest, even my man like when
you first started, like it was just like, I don't
know if that's gonna work, you know, just from his
experience being in that.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know if that's gonna work.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And I didn't go through the PGA school and PJA program,
but I didn't work at a golf country club. I
just wanted it bad, you know, and showing who I am,
And that's our tagline, be authentic.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
That's why.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
That's how I want everybody to show up at the
golf course. That's what's going to grow the game, is
you being yourself and continuously being yourself even though it's
out at the golf course. A lot of people might
see the golf course or country club. It might feel
like that's corporate America or I got to change.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Up how I am.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Like nah, like I want you to be yourself and
where east Side Golf while you're doing it looking good.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Well, we haven't seen that influence yet, you know, at
least in Tennis. You know, Venus Arena were unapologetically black.
Sia No was like, I'm not black, I'm cobblin Asian
or whatever.
Speaker 9 (22:32):
He said, Yeah, yeah, no, you're right. I mean, and
that's really again, that's up to us. And like for us,
even our strategy, like we said earlier, all of the
culturally relevant people that we engage with, we needed that
first and lifestyle, like we were selling our stuff and
up n YC.
Speaker 8 (22:51):
We were selling it in.
Speaker 9 (22:52):
Bodega, you know, all of the top tier street where accounts.
And now we're transitioning to more big stores and now
transitioning to the golf course.
Speaker 8 (23:03):
Right because at the end.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
Of the day, if we just showed up, you're right,
it was just two black guys with a logo, even
though we did play golf.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
It's just like, well where the rest of y'all at?
Is that really a model? Is that a business? And
we have proven that.
Speaker 9 (23:14):
I mean you've seen it, you know even you know,
look at what kal It has done, you know in
the golf space. And we were with cald very early
on along that journey, you know what I'm saying. He's
actually in one of we have a documentary and he was,
you know, featured in our documentary talking about the Jordan's
shoes and.
Speaker 8 (23:29):
The impact that we had there.
Speaker 9 (23:31):
So like, I think what we've done now is like
build a community and like build a proven model on June.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
What's the June one?
Speaker 9 (23:37):
It'll be six years, right, I'm sorry, No, I'm just saying,
like a lot of companies don't even make it the
six years, right, And so it's certainly it's a real
thing that we got. It's just again we have to
continue to push and support each other.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Has Calin had real impact on golf because I never
can tell if he's really in love with golfer if
he's just pushing sneakers.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
Now, I mean he has. He was on the O
were Golf digest. I mean they got a lot of excitement.
Speaker 9 (24:02):
He's got a lot of followers, he's got big influence, right,
and so you know, we've been fortunate enough to work
with him to go to his golf events. He supported
our merch. You know, he's always shouting us out, like
we delivered him a locker and like all of that
and so now it's been it's been huge because as
also when you think about it, like in order to
grow golf, it's gonna happen in this room like they
need us. Everything is trying to grow, and this is
(24:24):
the only market that they haven't tapped yet.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Listen, man, y'all got some of the dopest collections. You'll
had me and my husband out there golf great listen,
and I'm telling you it was all kinds of people.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
What is that?
Speaker 8 (24:35):
What is that?
Speaker 7 (24:35):
What brand is that?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
You know?
Speaker 6 (24:37):
Because yes, y'all hear in some of the what y'all
say street, y'all wouldn't call.
Speaker 8 (24:41):
That street where would'all like lifestyle?
Speaker 7 (24:43):
Lifestyle?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Right?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
But then y'all also do have like a high quality
performance apparel brand right where I had to send this
skirt on and the slex my husband would have slacks.
Y'all even had to shoes. Y'all got some of the
dopest collaborations with Jordan's. I think he had the yeah yeah,
and then I had the ax, Yeah you can change
(25:06):
the uh with a color.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
Yeah, you can change the smoosh.
Speaker 6 (25:09):
I was up there like I've been doing this a lion,
and everything was ok looking the part man, so it's
definitely quality.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Yeah, and then.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
Tell us about the Detroit store in the airport.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
So finally, Well, so our first brick and mortar we
actually have in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
We in that maybe two and a half three years ago.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Our second brick and mortar were actually building that Detroit
Airport U D T W. And the main reason is
because we have a I mean big history there, him
being the first black PJ professionally Detroit golf club, me
being me starting the brand in Detroit downtown on the
east side of Detroit. You know, it's just full circle
for us. So why not start well, why not build that,
(25:57):
uh that store in Detroit. Watch actually the PGA show
that they have at the beginning of the year A
it's like a big, big box retail show and we
sell to all these different country clubs. We went there
in February twenty twenty and Learry got approached by some
(26:17):
Asian gentlemen, you know, Japanese guys, and they loved us
so much. They was just like, Yo, we want to
bring that over to Tokyo. Sent them like a ten
thousand They sent us a ten thousand dollars PO we
sent them back merch. It sold out in twenty four
hours and ever since then, it just grew from there
and then we ended up getting a relationship with a
gentleman as a distributor and then opened our first store
(26:38):
in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Congratulations. I wanted to ask y'all about the golf world.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Is the golf world embracing this cultural shift that's happening.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
I think yes. I think they just don't know what
to do right.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
So it's like using the word like collaboration or like
feature or remix they like, we don't know.
Speaker 8 (26:57):
They obviously want it because like right now, like YouTube.
Speaker 9 (26:59):
Golf is exploding, like exploding, Like YouTube golf in some
cases are more popular than what the golf you see
in on TV.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
What is YouTube golf?
Speaker 9 (27:08):
So YouTube golf is where they basically have like influencers
go out there and they film their around playing golf
or like they're talking and the cameras and they're pulling
in pros. But I think they are embracing it some
there's always gonna be some resistance as well. I think
where we are though we recently just signed our PGA
Tour Professional one Kid by the name of Joseph Bramlett.
(27:29):
Bramlet Bramlett, I'm thirty seven years old, went to Stanford.
You know, he's the second African American that's playing regularly
out there on tour outside of Tiger Woods. But actually
this week we have a kid playing in a major championship.
His name is a Huginio Chachar and he's playing the
PGA Championship, which is like a big deal.
Speaker 8 (27:48):
So you got the Masters the PGA this week.
Speaker 9 (27:51):
And how we basically want the position is like telling
these guys that be their authentic self but also at
the same time, like they're waving the flag for us, right,
kind of showing them, you know that on and off
the course lifestyle, Like we're even gonna be having these
guys do not a tunnel walk, but like a walk
up right, Like we're styling them from the moment they
get out the car to they changing. So we're really
(28:13):
just exactly we're really bringing that influence. And you know,
we do have an investment from the PGA of America,
so they invested in our company. So you know we've
been raising capital as well to just grow and expand
because as you all know, as business folks. You need money,
you know, you need to either relationship with a bank,
you need you know, family and friends. You need something
(28:33):
to be able to grow. And so especially too, like
now we're getting in the Norse Strooms, Golf Galaxy, House
of Sport, We're going into snipes and seventy doors there.
So like those are big, big purchase orders, right, and
so you're buying on future, So you definitely need you know,
that financial cash flow.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
And I see, yeah, you're investing in the as well.
Speaker 8 (28:55):
Yes, yeah, yes, the miles.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Yeah, so far three hundred thousand.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
First year, I think about two years ago we gave
fifty thousand and it's just been up ever since. We
have an invitation at Liberty National right over in.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Jersey every year the east Side Collegiate.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
That actually is at Frisco, Texas. We have the east
Side Golf Invitational, four college teams. The only play in
that tournament is a fundraiser for the Moreholes college golf team.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Gotch Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
So Mercedes Bands has been one of our primary sponsors.
We're both Mercedes Bands and USA Ambassadors. They sponsored the
tournament and we ended up giving the boys probably about
one hundred grand every year and it's just been growing.
Now they have author Blank Foundation down in Atlanta actually
gifted them an entire simulator rooms.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
So that means a.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
Simulator room probably about this size where they get the putt,
hit golf shots all times of the night, or just
get in that practice whenever they can.
Speaker 9 (29:51):
So yeah, so I would just say it was like
it was so important to us because we can't sit
up here and be successful and not support the program.
That's how we met, right, like saying, well, we're here,
but you know what's up with Mare's college golf team.
And so that's always been a passion of ours to
make sure that those boys are set.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Up the right way.
Speaker 9 (30:08):
And you know, we just laid the foundation and now
it's just great to see other organizations and other partners.
So when we go into these rooms, were always thinking
about them.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
So listen, when y'all buy the east Side east Side
Golf golf course, yeah sure you can invest.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
No, that's next, right, You'll got to have your own
golf course.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, we're working on it.
Speaker 8 (30:26):
He was talking about it in the Green.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
That's real for.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Your own golf course, or y'all gonna have your own
golf clubs golf balls, golf like your own east Side
Golf branded golf balls.
Speaker 7 (30:40):
Golf equipment.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Yeah, so golf equipment is very expensive to make. Definitely
golf clubs. That's why partly Nike got out of the business.
But we did collaborate with bridge Stone Golf on our
own golf ball, so we do have your own golf
Balls's just a tour BX. They already use it, but
me and Earl actually on the box itself.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
So they sell it.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
BJS Superstore sell that at a few few other places
golf courses as well. So I mean, it's just that
that equipment thing is a really tricky thing just because
it takes a huge investment on the front end, you know,
and if you don't sell, and if you don't have
probably number the number one, two, three, or four or
five player in the world playing your golf clubs, it's
(31:20):
gonna be kind of hard to sell them.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Who's the leader in that world?
Speaker 1 (31:23):
As far as selling the golf clothes.
Speaker 8 (31:25):
Tailor made, I say tailor made, tailor made, So they
got like Roy McElroy, he's right now.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Scotti Scheffler, who is number one in the world.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Yeah, yeah, they got that on lock but like you said,
I mean, we have a whole offering. Right, you go
to eastside golf dot com and you're gonna see something
on there for you, you know what I mean, whether you're
a man, whether you're a woman, where you're just getting
started and ultimately, like the goal was not necessarily to
make golf clothes quote unquote, just make dope shit, you
know what I mean, we gonna find it right, Like, look,
(31:55):
Tim's weren't made.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
For construction right in the street.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That is not made for the street.
Speaker 9 (32:01):
Right, that's not waterproof, which is crazy, right, but that's
the point that but we wear them all the time,
like that's a staple.
Speaker 8 (32:06):
Right.
Speaker 9 (32:06):
So it's just one of those things where like and
we love it, like you know what I mean, when
our product is showing up court side, you know what
I mean, when our product is showing up in music videos.
Like literally we did a collab with with paper Planes
and if It's Bleak did a video with it on
with Benny the Butcher, Right, So it's just because it's dope.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
It's not like we seated it.
Speaker 9 (32:25):
It was just like he was looking at it and
it's like, yo, that's flying, Like that's ultimately what we
want to create, because that's going to give us the
confidence that we need when we go to the golf course.
To your point, it's almost like anxiety when people sitting
in them parking lots getting ready to go, like, man,
I don't want nobody to match with me. What they
gonna say all of that. So it's like if you
got your shit on and you're looking good, it just
(32:47):
kind of alleviates that. And I feel like that's also
our next step where when you are headed to the
golf course, you could go on eastside golf dot com
and just get some small little tutorials, right, just get
the verbiage down so you feel just a little bit
more comfortable when you go in there speaking the language saying, hey,
how much.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Is a bucket of balls?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You know?
Speaker 8 (33:05):
Where's this? What's that?
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Like?
Speaker 9 (33:07):
You know, what's your you know how much you charge
for tea time? Like just basic language?
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No more than four, no more than just selling for
no more than four?
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yeah, yeah, sure, that's how can they find How can
they go to the site if they want more information?
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah, here finals on eastside golf dot com.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
We actually have a TikTok at east Side Golf and
our Instagram is at east Side Golf.
Speaker 8 (33:31):
Yeah, go download our app as well. We got a
really dope app.
Speaker 9 (33:34):
We have a lot of exclusives product on their merch shoes,
everything at east Side Golf.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
Man, respect to y'all brothers and everything that y'all have built,
everything that y'all are building.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
This is very very inspiring.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Man. Now we got to get y'all out on the
golf course. That's the next time. That's the next thing.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
She was, she was and Baltimore holding it down.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I feel like God is calling me to learn.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I tried it one time, but man, I swung at
that ball like thirty times and and hit it and
just like I'm just gonna ride around with you all.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
We got a professional coach right here.
Speaker 9 (34:06):
I got you want to get you all out there.
But yeah, it's a great like family atmosphere too.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Like that's like my son plays. My son I played
in college and I stopped since college. Okay, but it
was one of those things. We go out there, we
drink and we have fun to our ship and then
come back to go to class.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
But handed, but my.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Son actually plays, and I was like, I got to
get back out there.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
But just having a.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
Time understand the time is definitely a thing, but it's
just so worth it.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
We go to top golf, top golf.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
That's top top, top golf, top golf.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, success to you.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Good morning, mm hmm. Wake that ass up in the morning.
Breakfast Club
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Morning.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Everybody's d J n V Jess Hilarius Charlamagne the guy.
We are the Breakfast Club. He got a special guest
in the building.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, we have Elijah One.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Did I say that right? John Cole Okay and Earl Cooper,
welcome brothers.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Elija One.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
I always hear your first name as a last name.
I've never I've never met an Elijah One. Who was
Elijah One? Who was the first name.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
That's because, yeah, I was born in Houston.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
I was born in Houston, but my family was a
big rock They were both big Rockets fans, and yeah,
just one thing led to another. First name is last name?
Is my first name? Got so his name that was
that was my father. He was born in South Memphis
and he changed his name joined the Black Panthers when
he was about twenty four. Cage his name from Robert
(00:50):
Rutliche to Kwamea Johanaku and now I'm Elijah one Ja.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, they want the slave master name.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
What's your ancestry?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Yeah, Nigerian, Okay, but it's uh, it's a name, but uh,
but it's split in between the two.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
They were just big Houston Rockets.
Speaker 6 (01:10):
And then when I first met Earl, I didn't realize
I never met a young Earl before.
Speaker 7 (01:16):
Yeah, you got to grow into definitely, you ain't growing
to it yet. You still look too young for Earl.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Butright I got I got.
Speaker 8 (01:27):
A son on the way. He's gonna be Earl too.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I mean, DMNX made it a classic name.
Speaker 8 (01:36):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right about that.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So how did you guys get into golf? What what
made you say? Golf is the sport that I want
to do. I want to try. I love and talk
about that your passion for golf.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
A friend of the family introduced me to the game.
I grew up with his sons playing golf. We all
ended up getting golf scholarships to college.
Speaker 9 (01:53):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
But the thing was, we ended up playing basketball and
golf growing up, so we're really competitive.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And it was just on the east side of Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
I mean it was a way to stay out of
the streets for real, like off Bouldercrest Road, you know,
east side.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It was tough.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
But right when I leave, because right when I leave
the golf course, I mean the hood is right there.
But like when I'm at the golf course, like it
was positive influences always at the golf course. I didn't
really have that as much at home as much at home,
but why not go to the golf course and actually
get that? So judges, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, these are the
people that I'm looking up to, Like, how are these
(02:27):
people at eleven am on a Tuesday just out and
about doing their own thing? And now it was golf.
So I just wanted to be a part of that
and have that to be a part of my life.
So that's what really just pushed me to it.
Speaker 7 (02:38):
Yeah, and you're from Delaware.
Speaker 8 (02:39):
Yeah, yeah, I'm from Delaware and really yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Why don't know people really get it from there?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (02:46):
I told you two how long with two of us?
Two black people?
Speaker 7 (02:56):
But you played golf too, right?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (02:57):
I started playing golf at the age of six inner
city Youth GoF program. It was called the LPGA Urban
Youth Golf Program, and my parents just signed me up,
like nobody in my family played. And I often like
to say I'm happy that my dad didn't listen to
a six year old because left up to me, I
was like, I don't want to do this, you know
where all my friends where everybody looked like me, but
he kept me in it. And then at thirteen, I
(03:17):
ended up winning a Golf Channel drive chip and putt,
which is like a free trip to Disney World. I
was on TV and I'm like, man, if every golf
tournament like this, I'm ready to practice.
Speaker 8 (03:25):
And you know, it was fortunate enough.
Speaker 9 (03:27):
Elajauwana and I you know, had a golf scholarship the
Morese College and played on the golf team there and
that's where we met.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Break that down for you said it's called the Inner City.
Speaker 9 (03:35):
It was called the LPGA, which is a Ladies Professional
Golf Association. So they had a ladies major event in
Wilming teams called the McDonald Championship and they created like
a nonprofit off of that and it was that urban
youth GoF program. So again just trying to get young
kids involved in the game. And then for us, I'll
(03:56):
say that's what also kind of helped shape our point
of view because everyone's like, well, how did y'all get here?
And these programs are great, but you need an evolved adult,
right Like all of you all have kids, so you're
not just gonna drop call it a ten year old
off at a golf course, right, or the average age
is a fifty year old white man, right, and he
come back like what happened?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Right?
Speaker 8 (04:15):
So it takes an evolved adult.
Speaker 9 (04:18):
And that's one of the things that we're always constantly
encouraging people like go with the kid, you know what
I mean, whatever that may be.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
So a lot of our focus has.
Speaker 9 (04:25):
Been on young professionals, not necessarily just the kids because
we don't even make kids close just shit.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I wonder how much Tiger Woods made people feel like,
influence people, influence people to touch, reach out the young
black kid and try to get them involved.
Speaker 9 (04:36):
In go I mean he was yeah, everything for us
like coming up Tiger Woods was you know, he dominated it.
Speaker 8 (04:43):
He made us want to watch it. You know, you
want to be just like Tiger when.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I mean the catalyst for me when I was thirteen,
actually I was playing golf at It's across from East
Lake Country Club in Atlanta where they hold it to
a championship.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Y'all definitely got to come out for that.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
But across from there, Charlie Yates Junior Academy in two
thousand and one actually got sponsored by Nike to go
up to Chicago I got a thirty minute lesson from
Tiger Woods and Earlwoods at the time when his father
was still here. So I mean, ever since then, I
just been on it. You know, I've been hungry for
the game. I mean everything that it entitles, as far
as like gives you, you know, and just the people
(05:20):
that it surrounds you, that surrounds you because you play it.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So it's the wonders for me.
Speaker 7 (05:25):
But what made you y'all want to stick with it?
Speaker 8 (05:27):
Though?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Right?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Because I know you said if you when you were six,
you wouldn't want to do it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It's born.
Speaker 6 (05:31):
That's the first thing that you know, people arguing they
say about it.
Speaker 7 (05:35):
What made y'all want.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
To stick with it? Y'all actually have a golfing brand.
Like what people are buying is y'all got stores about
to open up and airports and everything. Y'all's still about
to have y'all peril and what North Stroum.
Speaker 8 (05:49):
Like right now right here in New York.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Yeah, what made y'all want to stick with that? You
don't really see a lot of us in golf.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Right Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
So honestly, for me, golf changed my life. I mean,
as far as temperament, resilience, you know, I mean everything
that I am as far as like just hard work
and structure. I mean, because when you look at golf
and every shot that you take in golf, it's individual.
You know what I'm saying. You can't look at the
entire thing is you get it lost. But that's just
(06:18):
like life. You got to take you one step at
a time, a day at a time, you know. And
golf just taught me to be really intricate on each
single detail.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And that's I literally just relate that.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Over to my professional career as far as corporate finance
when I was in that about to become VP of
sales over to here running a business. You know, there's
steps to it and you have to build systems to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
I use all of those things from golf to relay
it onto my business and it's been working.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
When do you take the step to be professional as
far as a golfer? Right, you know, you see all
these people, everybody's into golf, and but when is it professional?
And break it down a little bit like we all
know basketball, we know thee A draft, we all know football,
we know thee A draft, we know baseball you go
into the d League or the farm League as they
call it. So how does golf work when it comes
to that, Because you were a presonal time, So I'm.
Speaker 9 (07:07):
A PGA professional. So I mean, so PGA professionals are
the men and women. We're experts in the golf business.
So at every golf course there there's a person that
managed that and so more that's what I did. So
you get your pg certification. It's twenty eight thousand PGA
members across the country. Out of that twenty eight thousand,
(07:27):
there's roughly like three hundred African Americans, right, so the
number is you know, that's less than half a one percent, right,
So there's definitely a lot of work to be done there.
But that's what I'm considered a PGA professional versus Elijah
On you want to explain it.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
Yeah, I mean the reason that I started this brand was,
I mean back when I after I graduated from Morehouse
Majors accounting minor in finance, I turned pro and golf.
I did that for a couple of years, won a
couple of mini tour events, but got to a point
that just couldn't afford it anymore, you know, taking them
by our jobs, carboy, caddy in and like hustling. However,
I can get it to fund my golf career. Last
(08:04):
time me and my mom got in an argument. She
was like, you know, it's about that time you get
a job.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
And so had to stop that and I started my
finance career. I was in commercial finance for about ten years.
But it got to a point, Like I said, I
wanted to play professional golf, but I knew it we
already find sponsors. So to your point, the only way
to turn pro is to have sponsors in the game.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
I mean good enough where sponsors finds you.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Absolutely absolutely, and it's full circle for me. Actually, I'm
turning back pro and golf in June. That's the reason
I started the brand because I was like, I can't
find any sponsors. Why not take the entrepreneur route and
sponsor myself. So now I have a Southern company in
Georgia power being one of my one of my sponsors
for professional golf, along with a couple of other companies
(08:50):
in Atlanta. But it's I mean, the whole thing is
sponsorship is dollars. If you can raise that and that
company can see what they can really get out of you,
where it comes to like a certain type of customer,
a certain type of feel, they'll pay you for it.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And then you need to be a professional, Like how
much do they need to sponsor, like say a company
like that to put you in the league to go
against the tiger Woods or whoever the top professional is now.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Yeah, it varies from tour to tour because some tour
entry fees or I mean it ranges from a thousand
to sometimes five thousand dollars for an entry fee.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Into the tournament. So that doesn't include.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
You know, travel, your caddy, food, rent, you know, something breaks,
you know, So it would range from anywhere I would
say one seventy five one hundred and seventy five thousand
to two hundred and fifty thousand.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And that I love both of y'all.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
I love y'all stories because y'all represent I like when
people get into an industry and they show all sides
of the industry. When I hear PGA professional, I'm thinking
that's a player, right, somebody who does the business. Yeah,
and that's that's like, damn, there's so many different ways
for us to be involved in this.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
In this sport.
Speaker 9 (09:52):
Yeah, sure, no, I completely agree, And I feel like
that's one of the things that I'll say really just
excites me about our business is the fact that we're
having an impact on the sport without actually playing it, right,
And so it's kind of like a basketball analogy would
be like we're working in the front office, right, and
so we're getting everyone excited and bringing everyone along with us, right.
(10:16):
Like when you think about when the brand started, it
was right before COVID and then you know, our first
viral moment was Chris Paul wearing it had to toe
when he was a player, when he was a president
of the NBA Players Association, the night of the boycott,
the event that happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and so like
that's that's how we kind of went viral, but it
was through basketball, and then from there, you know, we
(10:37):
got hooked up with Michael Jordan and we've had like
CC Sabathia, Victor Cruz, you know, Peka's, Steve Stout, like.
Speaker 8 (10:45):
You name it.
Speaker 9 (10:46):
All of these guys are like, we see exactly what
you guys are doing, right, Like you are bringing in
people into the game culturally relevant and in a way
like Our tagline is, you know, be authentic, So.
Speaker 8 (10:57):
That's that's all we require.
Speaker 7 (10:59):
And your logo I love it, rockleball Man, rock Obama.
Speaker 8 (11:07):
It's cat You sure.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I think they know I'm looking at them, looking at.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
The radio, swinging the golf club.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Yes, it was crazy, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
The logo is actually me. I created it. I ain't
gonna lie.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I just know I never looked at it.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
But yeah, I created the logo. I wanted to turn pro.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Like I said, it was gonna go on my bag
in my polo and then I showed it to him.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
He was just like, yo, put that show a T shirt.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
So I did, went downtown Detroit and I maybe got
stopped one hundred times in two hours, just like who
are you? What's that logo? Where can I get it?
And do you play golf? That's why I know I
had something.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean, it's fly even even if you're not in
the golfers, just to fly over show.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (12:01):
Now that's one of the things we always say, like,
you know you don't play polo, but you wear Ralph Laurent, correct, right,
so you don't have to play golf in order to
wear east Side Golf And like even a jacket, like
we got a Jeff Hamilton jacket, Like that's not you
know what I mean, You're not going out on a
golf course with that.
Speaker 8 (12:16):
But we do make golf clothes for the golfer.
Speaker 9 (12:18):
But at the end of the day, like our whole
strategy was like meet people where they are right. And
that's why it's important to come up on like this
platform because this is where the people at right and
they need to know and hear like no golf is
available for you golf when you think about it, majority
of golf courses are public parks owned by municipalities, so
your tax dollars go towards that, and so again just
(12:41):
encouraging people to go out.
Speaker 8 (12:42):
There and experience that.
Speaker 9 (12:43):
As matter of fact, we actually have a community day
coming up in Wilmington this Friday this week, and again
it's a great like microcosma like what we're trying to
create where we buy out the entire golf course so
everybody comes and it's not just we like to say,
it's not just like underrepresented communities will fly in for
our events as well. We certainly bring the community out,
(13:03):
but we pay for everything, the food, the lessons, the range,
the golf course, and it's an unbelievable atmosphere that's created
when you eliminate the financial burden and people can really
discover how great the game is and just meet other people.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I was gonna ask, it's, you know, with golf being
so expensive, how do you get our community to get involved? Like,
because clubs are expensive, bringing the time at the golf
course is expensive. It's not like, you know, you grab
a basketball and get a park and you just go shoot.
So it makes it so expensive. So what do you
tell people? How could they start if they want to
get into it and don't have the finances.
Speaker 9 (13:35):
Yeah, I mean, there's plenty of ways to start first,
you gotta you know, the hard part is just kind
of finding a golf course. Once you find a golf course,
there are programs out there.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Should you start there? Should start at a range first?
Speaker 9 (13:46):
Well, just I'm saying that most golf courses have a range.
It may be small, but you can start at a
range or indoor simulator. But getting the clubs, I think
again it's a misnomer that you have to you know,
buy this whole set that's fitted. No, you know, I
think that's the worst thing to do.
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Especially problem, like what what are they doing?
Speaker 9 (14:07):
Yeah, in the beginning, I'm always we're always encouraging people
to go get starter sets, and starter sets can range
anywhere from five hundred dollars to seven hundred and fifty dollars.
You can go to a golf galaxy also pick up
Eastside Golf there and that'll give you all the equipment.
And in the beginning, you're you know, it's just changing
a lot. Even if you don't have that, you could
go to the range and just say, hey, can I
(14:28):
borrow a seven iron or just one club and typically
they have those clubs, they're available. So look, I mean
we spend money, you know what I mean, on clothes,
on all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 8 (14:37):
So what our biggest thing is, we just want.
Speaker 9 (14:40):
People to recognize the value. And when young professionals understand, like, look,
you guys work at iHeartMedia. They have golf events, so
it's an opportunity to engage whether it be artists, account execs, whoever,
like decision makers and you get a chance to spend
that quality time with them.
Speaker 8 (14:58):
And that's the like big unline.
Speaker 9 (15:00):
Like oftentimes when golf opportunities come up, we're on the sidelines.
We're like, man, I ain't going out there. I don't
want to embarrass myself. But that's where the deals are happening.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Let imagine a question.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I can think of times right like when I was younger,
you know, me and my now wife walking into you know,
restaurants in South Carolina seeing nothing but white people in there,
nothing but white people working there, and seeing ourselves.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, they're same for us.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And I remember one time in particular, you know, we
went to one and it was like, oh no, we're leaving,
and the waitresses like what the woman to do was like,
why y'all leaving?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Because too many white people?
Speaker 4 (15:30):
And I was like, yeah, the golf course probably is
ten times as intimidating as that, just because it's like,
we don't.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
See each other out there. So if a couple of
guys just pull up on the golf course, are there going,
are they going to be welcomed?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
I mean, well, so they have private country clubs, and
then they have municipalities, as he once said, public parks downtown,
what you pay your tax.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Dollars on, that's where we need to be.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Yeah, a lot of those, a lot of those golf
courses are definitely welcoming, they notice your first time coming
out there. And on top of that, you know, some
of these golf courses have bucket of balls might be
twelve bucks.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
And play it against sports and yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Play is with Y'ALLBA, what is your problem?
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, yeah, golf balls oh.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Man man continue cheap, continue downtown, bucket of golf balls
might be twelve bucks.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
But then you can go to play it again sports
and get a whole thing of clubs, fourteen clubs for
one hundred dollars, twenty five dollars. And this is an investment,
you know, like whatever, And I see this all the time.
Whatever you do with your life, I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Care what you do. If you play golf, it will.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Increase that revenue, it will increase whatever opportunities you have.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
So many different types of people play golf.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I mean, I've met guys that you know, own movie companies,
guys investors out in Colo Alto, I mean, all the
way over to being at Liberty National, Ironman family that
sold Rebok. You know, all of these different types of
people play golf. Doctors, lawyers, the same type of people
that grew up seeing but the connection that they have
(17:10):
in their circle. I mean if you play golf, you
can go out. Oh, let me invite my guy. All
of a sudden, you got to force them, three four
guys out there playing golf and you don't know who
it is.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
You know, relax.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Is a sensitive you say, for something to figure out.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Wow, y'all don't have gay ears.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yes, this guy has.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
I'm listening to you because I'm intrigued by what you don't.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I've heard that before.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
I've heard everybody say that, you know, they golf because
it's great for networking. And then you know, I've golfed once.
I was terrible at it. I got frustrated. But it's
a time for men to do something we don't do,
which is talk.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
You know, for a long period of time. It's good
bonding for men.
Speaker 8 (17:59):
I think, yeah, no, I agree. I think on the
golf course though, yeah, yes, yeah no.
Speaker 9 (18:04):
And it's funny you said men because we actually we're
doing a campaign featuring Justin Tuck just talking about fathers
because a lot of times, again you're talking about that
opportunity to bond and like it's a great sport, like
to just go out there and a lot of times
that's a man's hobby, you know, I mean, well, we
definitely support the women to get out there as well.
Speaker 8 (18:24):
And I agree that golf can be intimidating.
Speaker 9 (18:27):
Like, look, I was the first African American golf professional
at two golf courses that were over one hundred years old,
WHOA so Detroit Golf Club and Womington Country Club and Wimington.
I started out as a caddy there, right, So like
you used to dream of going in the clubhouse like, man, like,
what would that be like?
Speaker 8 (18:45):
And you know the point. And I feel like the
reason why.
Speaker 9 (18:48):
I took both of those roles was simply because he's
an opportunity to reset the standard.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Right.
Speaker 9 (18:53):
They don't know, they've never even interact with someone at
that level in that position, and so it's important that
we you go and kind of push through that uncomfortableness.
And that's kind of what I'm saying, where as an adult,
if the adults can go, we know it's just gonna.
Speaker 8 (19:08):
They're gonna look up to you.
Speaker 9 (19:10):
You know, and so if they see you doing the
goal for us, we don't want it to be a
shock when we show up or minority show up and
they're playing golf.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
We want that to be normalized.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Right.
Speaker 9 (19:22):
But that's up to us to normalize it amongst that generation,
just like we normalize everything else. So it could be
something as simple as like going to the movies or
every summer of y'all.
Speaker 8 (19:31):
Go to this place, whatever it may be, it's just normal.
Just you saw it. And so that's the thing.
Speaker 9 (19:36):
Our goal is that we want this next generation to
really say, you know what, I may pay golf once
or twice a year, and I'm cool with that, but
at least when the opportunity comes, we're not sitting on
the sideline.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
That's why labels suck.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
And it's like, you know who says golf is a explorer.
Imagine if Cooper Flag, you know, a liar bird felt
like that about basketball. Like yo, if you got of
love for something, you should be able to you know,
embrace it.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
Yeah, going back to your logo to now, because most
people may think it is a white sport and that
because that's what we've seen, you know, up until now,
and you know a little bit before, did they Did
you ever receive any flag about the black man with
the golf club and the chain and the jeans?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
For sure? For sure, I mean I'll take it a
step back.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
I uh It was a point I went to this
country club in Michigan and I was wearing these pants
and these white guys on the range. It was a
private country club. Uh, these white guys on the range
had on the same pants. Now, I didn't have any
belt loops on the pants, but I got singled out
and lo and behold, I ended up getting kicked off
the course. There were some other ones that I had on.
(20:46):
This was this was maybe like four years ago and
we had just started making pants. Yeah wild whilst at
the business had a Jordan got kicked off, but was
dress call dress code, so uh definitely said yo, lit
old caf.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I just wear these for today, Like, nah, you gotta
go on and change.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
I come back and change, get back on the driver range,
and it's just like, yeah, how can I help you?
Like you gotta wait till the member gets here, you know.
And you know that was four years ago, and it's
crazy to say now we have clothes that are being
sold in that pro shop.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
But I say that because it's the same logo.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
You know, this logo was me And I mean there
was a point when I first came out with it,
I got asked, yo, is that a noose around that,
you know, Like I didn't know what that was and
I'm like, it's a cube link chain, Like, come.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
On, that's just a funny joke for you. Yeah, him
to ask that a goddamn yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah. But either way it goes given a slack on it.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
I mean to be honest, even my man like when
you first started, like it was just like, I don't
know if that's gonna work, you know, just from his
experience being in that.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know if that's gonna work.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And I didn't go through the PGA school and PJA program,
but I didn't work at a golf country club. I
just wanted it bad, you know, and showing who I am,
And that's our tagline, be authentic.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
That's why.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
That's how I want everybody to show up at the
golf course. That's what's going to grow the game, is
you being yourself and continuously being yourself even though it's
out at the golf course. A lot of people might
see the golf course or country club. It might feel
like that's corporate America or I got to change.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Up how I am.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Like nah, like I want you to be yourself and
where east Side Golf while you're doing it looking good.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Well, we haven't seen that influence yet, you know, at
least in Tennis. You know, Venus Arena were unapologetically black.
Sia No was like, I'm not black, I'm cobblin Asian
or whatever.
Speaker 9 (22:32):
He said, Yeah, yeah, no, you're right. I mean, and
that's really again, that's up to us. And like for us,
even our strategy, like we said earlier, all of the
culturally relevant people that we engage with, we needed that
first and lifestyle, like we were selling our stuff and
up n YC.
Speaker 8 (22:51):
We were selling it in.
Speaker 9 (22:52):
Bodega, you know, all of the top tier street where accounts.
And now we're transitioning to more big stores and now
transitioning to the golf course.
Speaker 8 (23:03):
Right because at the end.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
Of the day, if we just showed up, you're right,
it was just two black guys with a logo, even
though we did play golf.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
It's just like, well where the rest of y'all at?
Is that really a model? Is that a business? And
we have proven that.
Speaker 9 (23:14):
I mean you've seen it, you know even you know,
look at what kal It has done, you know in
the golf space. And we were with cald very early
on along that journey, you know what I'm saying. He's
actually in one of we have a documentary and he was,
you know, featured in our documentary talking about the Jordan's
shoes and.
Speaker 8 (23:29):
The impact that we had there.
Speaker 9 (23:31):
So like, I think what we've done now is like
build a community and like build a proven model on June.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
What's the June one?
Speaker 9 (23:37):
It'll be six years, right, I'm sorry, No, I'm just saying,
like a lot of companies don't even make it the
six years, right, And so it's certainly it's a real
thing that we got. It's just again we have to
continue to push and support each other.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Has Calin had real impact on golf because I never
can tell if he's really in love with golfer if
he's just pushing sneakers.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
Now, I mean he has. He was on the O
were Golf digest. I mean they got a lot of excitement.
Speaker 9 (24:02):
He's got a lot of followers, he's got big influence, right,
and so you know, we've been fortunate enough to work
with him to go to his golf events. He supported
our merch. You know, he's always shouting us out, like
we delivered him a locker and like all of that
and so now it's been it's been huge because as
also when you think about it, like in order to
grow golf, it's gonna happen in this room like they
need us. Everything is trying to grow, and this is
(24:24):
the only market that they haven't tapped yet.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Listen, man, y'all got some of the dopest collections. You'll
had me and my husband out there golf great listen,
and I'm telling you it was all kinds of people.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
What is that?
Speaker 8 (24:35):
What is that?
Speaker 7 (24:35):
What brand is that?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
You know?
Speaker 6 (24:37):
Because yes, y'all hear in some of the what y'all
say street, y'all wouldn't call.
Speaker 8 (24:41):
That street where would'all like lifestyle?
Speaker 7 (24:43):
Lifestyle?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Right?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
But then y'all also do have like a high quality
performance apparel brand right where I had to send this
skirt on and the slex my husband would have slacks.
Y'all even had to shoes. Y'all got some of the
dopest collaborations with Jordan's. I think he had the yeah yeah,
and then I had the ax, Yeah you can change
(25:06):
the uh with a color.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
Yeah, you can change the smoosh.
Speaker 6 (25:09):
I was up there like I've been doing this a lion,
and everything was ok looking the part man, so it's
definitely quality.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Yeah, and then.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
Tell us about the Detroit store in the airport.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
So finally, Well, so our first brick and mortar we
actually have in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
We in that maybe two and a half three years ago.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Our second brick and mortar were actually building that Detroit
Airport U D T W. And the main reason is
because we have a I mean big history there, him
being the first black PJ professionally Detroit golf club, me
being me starting the brand in Detroit downtown on the
east side of Detroit. You know, it's just full circle
for us. So why not start well, why not build that,
(25:57):
uh that store in Detroit. Watch actually the PGA show
that they have at the beginning of the year A
it's like a big, big box retail show and we
sell to all these different country clubs. We went there
in February twenty twenty and Learry got approached by some
(26:17):
Asian gentlemen, you know, Japanese guys, and they loved us
so much. They was just like, Yo, we want to
bring that over to Tokyo. Sent them like a ten
thousand They sent us a ten thousand dollars PO we
sent them back merch. It sold out in twenty four
hours and ever since then, it just grew from there
and then we ended up getting a relationship with a
gentleman as a distributor and then opened our first store
(26:38):
in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Congratulations. I wanted to ask y'all about the golf world.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Is the golf world embracing this cultural shift that's happening.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
I think yes. I think they just don't know what
to do right.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
So it's like using the word like collaboration or like
feature or remix they like, we don't know.
Speaker 8 (26:57):
They obviously want it because like right now, like YouTube.
Speaker 9 (26:59):
Golf is exploding, like exploding, Like YouTube golf in some
cases are more popular than what the golf you see
in on TV.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
What is YouTube golf?
Speaker 9 (27:08):
So YouTube golf is where they basically have like influencers
go out there and they film their around playing golf
or like they're talking and the cameras and they're pulling
in pros. But I think they are embracing it some
there's always gonna be some resistance as well. I think
where we are though we recently just signed our PGA
Tour Professional one Kid by the name of Joseph Bramlett.
(27:29):
Bramlet Bramlett, I'm thirty seven years old, went to Stanford.
You know, he's the second African American that's playing regularly
out there on tour outside of Tiger Woods. But actually
this week we have a kid playing in a major championship.
His name is a Huginio Chachar and he's playing the
PGA Championship, which is like a big deal.
Speaker 8 (27:48):
So you got the Masters the PGA this week.
Speaker 9 (27:51):
And how we basically want the position is like telling
these guys that be their authentic self but also at
the same time, like they're waving the flag for us, right,
kind of showing them, you know that on and off
the course lifestyle, Like we're even gonna be having these
guys do not a tunnel walk, but like a walk
up right, Like we're styling them from the moment they
get out the car to they changing. So we're really
(28:13):
just exactly we're really bringing that influence. And you know,
we do have an investment from the PGA of America,
so they invested in our company. So you know we've
been raising capital as well to just grow and expand
because as you all know, as business folks. You need money,
you know, you need to either relationship with a bank,
you need you know, family and friends. You need something
(28:33):
to be able to grow. And so especially too, like
now we're getting in the Norse Strooms, Golf Galaxy, House
of Sport, We're going into snipes and seventy doors there.
So like those are big, big purchase orders, right, and
so you're buying on future, So you definitely need you know,
that financial cash flow.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
And I see, yeah, you're investing in the as well.
Speaker 8 (28:55):
Yes, yeah, yes, the miles.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Yeah, so far three hundred thousand.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
First year, I think about two years ago we gave
fifty thousand and it's just been up ever since. We
have an invitation at Liberty National right over in.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Jersey every year the east Side Collegiate.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
That actually is at Frisco, Texas. We have the east
Side Golf Invitational, four college teams. The only play in
that tournament is a fundraiser for the Moreholes college golf team.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Gotch Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
So Mercedes Bands has been one of our primary sponsors.
We're both Mercedes Bands and USA Ambassadors. They sponsored the
tournament and we ended up giving the boys probably about
one hundred grand every year and it's just been growing.
Now they have author Blank Foundation down in Atlanta actually
gifted them an entire simulator rooms.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
So that means a.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
Simulator room probably about this size where they get the putt,
hit golf shots all times of the night, or just
get in that practice whenever they can.
Speaker 9 (29:51):
So yeah, so I would just say it was like
it was so important to us because we can't sit
up here and be successful and not support the program.
That's how we met, right, like saying, well, we're here,
but you know what's up with Mare's college golf team.
And so that's always been a passion of ours to
make sure that those boys are set.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Up the right way.
Speaker 9 (30:08):
And you know, we just laid the foundation and now
it's just great to see other organizations and other partners.
So when we go into these rooms, were always thinking
about them.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
So listen, when y'all buy the east Side east Side
Golf golf course, yeah sure you can invest.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
No, that's next, right, You'll got to have your own
golf course.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, we're working on it.
Speaker 8 (30:26):
He was talking about it in the Green.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
That's real for.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Your own golf course, or y'all gonna have your own
golf clubs golf balls, golf like your own east Side
Golf branded golf balls.
Speaker 7 (30:40):
Golf equipment.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Yeah, so golf equipment is very expensive to make. Definitely
golf clubs. That's why partly Nike got out of the business.
But we did collaborate with bridge Stone Golf on our
own golf ball, so we do have your own golf
Balls's just a tour BX. They already use it, but
me and Earl actually on the box itself.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
So they sell it.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
BJS Superstore sell that at a few few other places
golf courses as well. So I mean, it's just that
that equipment thing is a really tricky thing just because
it takes a huge investment on the front end, you know,
and if you don't sell, and if you don't have
probably number the number one, two, three, or four or
five player in the world playing your golf clubs, it's
(31:20):
gonna be kind of hard to sell them.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Who's the leader in that world?
Speaker 1 (31:23):
As far as selling the golf clothes.
Speaker 8 (31:25):
Tailor made, I say tailor made, tailor made, So they
got like Roy McElroy, he's right now.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Scotti Scheffler, who is number one in the world.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Yeah, yeah, they got that on lock but like you said,
I mean, we have a whole offering. Right, you go
to eastside golf dot com and you're gonna see something
on there for you, you know what I mean, whether you're
a man, whether you're a woman, where you're just getting
started and ultimately, like the goal was not necessarily to
make golf clothes quote unquote, just make dope shit, you
know what I mean, we gonna find it right, Like, look,
(31:55):
Tim's weren't made.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
For construction right in the street.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That is not made for the street.
Speaker 9 (32:01):
Right, that's not waterproof, which is crazy, right, but that's
the point that but we wear them all the time,
like that's a staple.
Speaker 8 (32:06):
Right.
Speaker 9 (32:06):
So it's just one of those things where like and
we love it, like you know what I mean, when
our product is showing up court side, you know what
I mean, when our product is showing up in music videos.
Like literally we did a collab with with paper Planes
and if It's Bleak did a video with it on
with Benny the Butcher, Right, So it's just because it's dope.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
It's not like we seated it.
Speaker 9 (32:25):
It was just like he was looking at it and
it's like, yo, that's flying, Like that's ultimately what we
want to create, because that's going to give us the
confidence that we need when we go to the golf course.
To your point, it's almost like anxiety when people sitting
in them parking lots getting ready to go, like, man,
I don't want nobody to match with me. What they
gonna say all of that. So it's like if you
got your shit on and you're looking good, it just
(32:47):
kind of alleviates that. And I feel like that's also
our next step where when you are headed to the
golf course, you could go on eastside golf dot com
and just get some small little tutorials, right, just get
the verbiage down so you feel just a little bit
more comfortable when you go in there speaking the language saying, hey,
how much.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Is a bucket of balls?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You know?
Speaker 8 (33:05):
Where's this? What's that?
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Like?
Speaker 9 (33:07):
You know, what's your you know how much you charge
for tea time? Like just basic language?
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No more than four, no more than just selling for
no more than four?
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yeah, yeah, sure, that's how can they find How can
they go to the site if they want more information?
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah, here finals on eastside golf dot com.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
We actually have a TikTok at east Side Golf and
our Instagram is at east Side Golf.
Speaker 8 (33:31):
Yeah, go download our app as well. We got a
really dope app.
Speaker 9 (33:34):
We have a lot of exclusives product on their merch shoes,
everything at east Side Golf.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
Man, respect to y'all brothers and everything that y'all have built,
everything that y'all are building.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
This is very very inspiring.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Man. Now we got to get y'all out on the
golf course. That's the next time. That's the next thing.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
She was, she was and Baltimore holding it down.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I feel like God is calling me to learn.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I tried it one time, but man, I swung at
that ball like thirty times and and hit it and
just like I'm just gonna ride around with you all.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
We got a professional coach right here.
Speaker 9 (34:06):
I got you want to get you all out there.
But yeah, it's a great like family atmosphere too.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Like that's like my son plays. My son I played
in college and I stopped since college. Okay, but it
was one of those things. We go out there, we
drink and we have fun to our ship and then
come back to go to class.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
But handed, but my.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Son actually plays, and I was like, I got to
get back out there.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
But just having a.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
Time understand the time is definitely a thing, but it's
just so worth it.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
We go to top golf, top golf.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
That's top top, top golf, top golf.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, success to you.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Good morning, mm hmm. Wake that ass up in the morning.
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