Unfiltered Founders
Unfiltered Founders is a raw, real, and refreshing podcast for anyone ready to break free from the corporate grind and embrace the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. Hosted by Darren Penquite and Andy Baker—two former corporate professionals turned business owners—this show dives deep into the highs, lows, and everything in between of starting and scaling a business.
Each episode features candid conversations about the unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship: the wins, the losses, the sleepless nights, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether you're just considering taking the leap or you're a seasoned business owner looking for perspective, encouragement, or the next big idea, Unfiltered Founders delivers honest insights and practical advice—with a dash of humor and a whole lot of heart.
Tune in for stories that inspire, advice you can actually use, and the kind of support every founder needs but rarely finds.
Unfiltered Founders
Pro Tips and Tee Shots: How One Man Built a Golf Empire
Ever wondered what it takes to transform a simple idea sketched on a napkin into a multimillion-dollar business? Noah Horstman, founder and CEO of Golf Garage, takes us on his remarkable journey from golf-obsessed kid to visionary entrepreneur who built Southern Oregon's premier indoor golf facility.
Noah's story begins at Bear Creek Golf Course, where as a 12-year-old he worked in exchange for free golf time, eventually falling in love with the game after connecting with the ball on his ninth hole ever. His path through competitive college golf to becoming a PGA Professional laid the groundwork for understanding both the technical and business sides of the sport. After winning teaching awards and gaining experience at facilities across the country, Noah identified a crucial gap in the market – a comprehensive indoor golf training facility that could serve as both a skill development center and community hub.
What makes this conversation truly valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs is Noah's candid discussion of the obstacles he faced. After 40 potential financiers rejected his concept, a chance reconnection with a high school golf teammate led to securing the $4.8 million needed to break ground. When construction costs ballooned by an additional million dollars, Noah had to quickly pivot his business model to generate immediate revenue. Through it all, he maintained his core vision while adapting to market realities.
The Golf Garage success story highlights several crucial entrepreneurial lessons: the importance of building a supportive community around your vision, knowing when to ignore naysayers while listening to constructive feedback, and balancing business ambitions with family life. Noah's philosophy of putting family first while creating opportunities for them within the business offers a refreshing perspective on work-life integration.
Ready to pursue your own entrepreneurial dreams? Listen now to gain actionable insights from someone who risked everything on a vision and is now planning nationwide franchising opportunities. What would you risk to build something extraordinary?
Welcome to the unfiltered founders.
Speaker 2:I am Darren, I'm Andy. How's your week been, buddy? It has been one of those weeks, man. I'll tell you it's busy, crazy, crazy busy Running around coordinating everything, putting all sorts of things together. So no complaints. Busy is good in this world, but yeah, it's been wild. How about you Busy?
Speaker 1:I'm living the bachelor life. My wife and kids are out of town, so I've been working seven days a week there you know, there's that, that's. They appreciate that about me when I'm out of town and they don't need my attention.
Speaker 2:I might as well be useful and work more yeah, yeah, and get get all of it out of the way and get caught up and all that kind of thing I got a story I'll tell you off of air later. We are unfiltered. There are certain thingstered.
Speaker 1:There are certain things we will not disclose. There are certain things we will not disclose yes. Well, for sure, what are you drinking?
Speaker 2:I've got an old-fashioned. Today Seems to be the go-to man. It's been over 100 degrees.
Speaker 1:I got a pineapple cider.
Speaker 2:Ah, there you go.
Speaker 3:I've got ice in mine, so that's you know with and our and our guests, but also our host. Noah, what are you drinking? Oh, hey, boys, it's been a been a day I didn't have time to make anything fancy, so I went with the uh yeah, the traditional. This is agua titos and soda with a lime, oh perfect that's refreshing maybe a double, maybe a triple, we don't know yet we don't know yet.
Speaker 2:We'll see how the rest of the conversation goes he just started it, so I like it. Here we go. Yeah, it's like those, those videos. You see, it's like. This is me. After one, it's going down. Good, yeah, that's that's how it works, yeah it works.
Speaker 1:Tell you what your bartender here makes the best.
Speaker 3:Cadillacs too, oh man, oh, I haven't had those. Yeah, there's some secret recipe in there. We're not going to tell you on the air I don't know what it is, but it's what?
Speaker 1:is it more tequila than usual? Oh boy, yeah, yeah, our costs it is, but it's what? Is it? More tequila than usual? Oh, boy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, our costs are going up, but that's okay as long as there's a smile on someone's face when they leave 15 bucks a pop man, Somebody's making money. There we go, let's go. That's the goal, though.
Speaker 2:Well speaking of. So this is our guest today Noah Horstman. He is the founder CEO of the Golf Garage. If you don't know it, google it. It's in Southern Oregon and it is one of the top, if not the top, golf training indoor facility. And I'll tell you right now. It's awesome. Darren and I are both members here. We come here often to hang out with the family, hang out with some business associates, hosted a tournament here, great places so, and we actually record our podcasts here too.
Speaker 1:We do, we do.
Speaker 2:So Noah's kind enough to let us do it. And here we are. After how many podcasts we've been at, now we're finally going to let him speak.
Speaker 1:This is 10, I think.
Speaker 2:So, dude Noah, thanks for being here, bud.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thanks for having me, you guys. It's a pleasure to be on and glad to have you guys as members and friends too.
Speaker 1:So it's about time we did this. That's right, so let's start at the beginning. You've been playing golf since you were a little kid.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yep, so I grew up in Southern Oregon uh, as you did, andy, and uh, bear Creek, golf course, was the place for me. So it's kind of where everybody so played every other sport except football. The parents wouldn't sign the permission slip. Imagine that, since you can't see me, I'm five foot seven now as an adult.
Speaker 1:So put a helmet on and your whole body disappears. I don't think they made them in my size, that's for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So, um, it was pretty cool. I went out with a buddy and we played nine holes at bear Creek. We were working to start with, and the owner said, hey, why don't you guys go out and try this? And I'm like, all right, whatever. I hated it for the first eight and then I connected with the ball and I was hooked. So it's like amazing how that sport will do that to you.
Speaker 3:And, uh, what was funny about the owner? You know, just thinking in terms of like business. All of a sudden, when we got done, she's like, hey, you want to come back tomorrow? And I was thinking, sure, so I came back and worked again, right, and this kept happening for like three weeks. The funny thing is I wasn't getting paid. I was getting paid in free golf, so for her it was a home run. And then finally she said you know, you're doing such a good job, let's, let's pay you.
Speaker 3:And the crazy thing about it was like I didn't realize what under the table was. I was 12 years old. She's just giving me cash. Here you go, have a nice day. It's like five bucks an hour or something. So I remember, I'll never forget this. I'm out on the putting green with the superintendent and we're on the ninth hole and he's teaching me how to mow the green. And back then there's a real mower, there's no safeties, there's nothing. And I'm making my first loop and here comes the owner screaming stop, what do you guys do, what do you guys do. And she's like we don't have insurance for that. So that's what I got on this. That's when I got on the payroll after that one, so that was pretty good.
Speaker 3:No more under the table when she realized I was handy enough to mow some greens. Oh, that's funny.
Speaker 1:Good times, man. Fast forward a few years. You, you play competitive golf in college. Um you become a PGA member. Tell me about that process.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so process, I mean you kind of hit the nail on the head. There was a lot of practice in there. I mean, I was a grinder, I would be at the course all day, every day. Um, primarily cause I worked at the golf courses, I'd ride my bike down, didn't matter rain or shine. It was probably 364 minus Christmas, so what would you know? The process with the PGA side of it is unique because I have a college degree so I could become a PGA professional similar to a master's degree in two years. But you had to work in the industry, you had to be mentored under another PGA professional. Um, if you don't have a college, degree.
Speaker 1:Is there still a path?
Speaker 3:It's. It's three years minimum, up to eight Um. And and what would happen was they had a playing ability test and you'd have to shoot plus or minus uh, it was about six strokes over the course rating. So if the course rating 72, which is kind of a traditional average par 72, then you'd have to shoot 78. But it was 36 holes in one day so you'd have to go 78, 78 back to back on a course that you probably didn't know it wasn't set up.
Speaker 3:You know particularly tough, but golf is weird when you start getting into a set score that you have to shoot. We had guys on the PAT tour, as we called it, and so I thought I was a hotshot right and playing golf in college for four years I was ranked top 50 in the country after freshman year. So I'm like I'm going to the toughest course I can to beat this thing. So I go up to Emerald Valley, which is the fifth toughest rating in Oregon tree-lined, everywhere it's University of Oregon's home course, everywhere it's university oregon's home course and we get out there and I shoot 77 on the opening, yeah and I'm like, but that was terrible for me.
Speaker 1:I was just like you have to average it or you actually have to shoot three consecutive rounds two, two rounds of 78 or better.
Speaker 3:So I'm I'm squeaking by by a stroke right. So when you think about the cut line, you're like, well, I'm one under the cut on this.
Speaker 1:I've got seven shots.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly To tie it. So I'm cruising along, I get started, I'm par, par, par five, coming up, hammer drive down the middle. And I'm walking up and this guy comes in from the other fairway and he picks up my golf ball and I run up there and the guys in my group see it. So I'm just like running up, I'm like, hey, throw my ball back. Like we're in a tournament. The dude throws it down.
Speaker 3:But it's like 10 feet away from where we saw it at, in a divot, literally just in a divot, and I hit it down there. I have like seven iron into this par five. And I'm talking to the guys. I'm like I don't know what to do. Guys, we're all worried Cause we were like want to pass this so bad. So I'm like I don't really want to, you know, call a rules official and figure this all out. So I played it as it lied, bladed over the green, make double bogey. So now I've got like I'm I'm like, oh man, I've got like four shots. But the funny thing about that was I hit that shot and I just started getting mad after that. So I ended up par and out, beating it by like four shots and it was, it was over. But without that I think you know, you look at it, you know golf, business, all that stuff, and you know you gotta. You got the ups and downs and I just got to persevere through it.
Speaker 1:So becoming a PGA member it's like a long apprenticeship.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would say so. I mean, you're an associate, you know so you used to be an apprentice, right? And then they didn't like that word anymore, so they changed it to associate.
Speaker 1:You have to declare yourself as a professional before you even enroll in the program.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you do. So you can't play in any amateur events for a number of months prior, and so you're kind of in this little area of I guess, gray area, if you will, of amateur to pro and then vice versa. If you decide to get your amateur status back, you have to wait a year, apply for it and no tournaments in between pro or amateur, so anyone can declare a professional and take money right.
Speaker 3:So that's not the thing. The PGA is different from the standpoint of it's the business of the game. It's growing the game. It's really something that I never thought twice about. I was always going into the PGA more as a player, thinking that I would use that stepping stone to go play golf. Little did I know that I was making $23,000 a year salary, starting opening a golf course sales and marketing director, tournament director, assistant pro, and I would make a little bit of money teaching on the side. I mean, when you come out of college with 27,000 in debt, then you do that. I mean I was living at home, right?
Speaker 3:And I'm trying to figure out how to make this happen, and I did that for a year under a management company, learning all the ropes, and finally I'm like, man, I'm working for somebody else. This is brutal. And so finally I'm like where else can I go? So a job opens up at a private club up in Salem and didn't know much about it other than I had played it as a junior golfer. So apply for the job, get it, get up there. My base salary now jumps up to 30.
Speaker 1:I'm like sweet, I'm living, I'm living large baby and I can teach unlimited. You're rolling at that 14, 15 hour.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's right baby, nice, good math. And then I keep. Then I keep like all my lessons. So I'm like, going two years in Willamette University, coaching job opens up. They asked me to be that. So I've got like two income streams and I got less in income streams and I'm just like I'm starting to feel like I can do something. And, uh, you know, all this stuff's going great.
Speaker 3:And then, uh, management changes and I was in a place where I'm director of instruction, I'm able to do whatever I want to do. And management comes back to me and says, hey, we really need you in the shop more. You know, you're kind of the tenured one here. We need your help. And I'm like, uh, no, that's not going to work for me. Well, are you saying you're not going to do it? I'm like, uh, no, but I'm not saying I'm going to do it either. So I walk out. I'm like I need some time to think. And the funniest thing about this story was they bring in this head pro and and he basically in this meeting said, hey, you're making more money than I am. I'm like, well, I've been here longer than you and I'm you know why does that even matter? Why are you looking at that?
Speaker 1:I'm like that's that's terrible.
Speaker 3:So I go home and I'm talking to my wife at the time I'm just like you know, I was about to quit on the spot, but I didn't want to do that without talking to you about it first. So I get online PG of America has a job board at the time and I find a job in Cleveland, ohio, you never find teaching jobs and I apply. The guy that was supposed to be there decides to stay back where he was at in Carolina and I get offered the job on the phone. Um, and it was contingent on them flying me out and I liking it. So I like kind of fast forwarding on the story. Just forget the fact that it's Ohio.
Speaker 3:Well, I had family there, yeah yeah, yeah, mistake on the lake dude, it was Cleveland, but I'm an Indians fan, so come on.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:So, going back to this board, like this like scenario of like changing management, right, so I get into the general manager's office the day that I'm going to give him my notice and I called him like the night before, go in there, and he doesn't look up when he sees me come in. That's how disrespectful this guy was after like all these things that I had done. So I just say, hey, tom, um, I just want to thank you for your time and I'm going to put in my two weeks today and he looks up at me and he's like holy shit, you're serious. I was like yeah, he's like, oh, so it was like the best feeling.
Speaker 2:I think I have ever had yeah. You saw that wall.
Speaker 3:Just do I could have, like you could have taken it so many different ways, right.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I mean it was like the most priceless and best feeling I've ever had anywhere, right? So yeah, I mean you know moving, moving forward. Now it's like you work at all these facilities I've had so many bosses or other professionals on like you learn, on like what not to do.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:So, whether it was, you know, drinking like all day long, or to mismanagement, to no respect, to whatever, and it's I think that's probably what's helped shape me into saying I'm going to go build golf garage and I'm going to go do these other things because I've always tried to build them with other people, or I've always tried to build business, um, in a community environment, like at a private club, and man, I mean anymore, it's like you just got to do it yourself half the time.
Speaker 1:So let's back back up just a little bit to the West coast golf Academy days and was this? You were, you were a club pro and you were teaching and trying to balance that time of you know running a pro shop and teaching and having your responsibilities split, and you just said, hey, I'm done with the pro, I'm going to become a private contractor and you're going to hire me as a private contractor to come and teach at your facility as West Coast Golf Academy. Is that kind of how it went down?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so even before that, I think what allowed me to get my foot in the door was when I was in Ohio. I was fortunate enough to be nominated for some teaching awards, so Northern Ohio Teacher of the Year, two of three years in youth player development awards, so section awards. There's 41 sections in the country, so at that point in time you're in the top 41 of all teaching pros, right. And because of that it opened up some doors within some other networks, like PGA magazine, which is a publication. The pros get 30,000 pros in the in the world and um it it allowed you to be an ambassador for them. And then there's all these other opportunities.
Speaker 3:I was, I educated the Wisconsin PGA. I've done numerous speaking engagements within our section, and then they ask you to be on committees, right. So I never thought awards would do what they did, but it it was kind of humbling to see how many doors that opened. And because of that you were able to start writing your ticket. I would have golf courses contacting me, asking me to come down and teach at their facility or be their director of instruction. Um, I was a finalist, uh, three different times for three very premier country clubs. Um, in the country hosting, you know, tour events. Um, you know we think of things as expensive on the West coast. It's nowhere near East coast money. It's just a totally different dynamic over there. Not afraid to spend, it's just, it's awesome.
Speaker 3:We do have Silicon Valley, I guess, on the West coast, but it's different, um, and so I would just say like, uh, with all of those endeavors, yes, it made it easier to come to the table at West coast golf Academy when I moved back out here to say I'm going to create a partnership with you that's going to make you a ton of money at your golf course, but you're not going to take anything out of my pocket to do that, right. And then if you decide that you want to take something out of my pocket, then we're going to profit, share everything that I do for you. They don't want to do that because they got to track that. So it's a lot easier just to say, hey, here, you keep the clubs, you keep this, we're going to create revenue and prove it.
Speaker 1:So it's pretty easy. So you've got. So you've got a pretty good gig going. You're rolling along. You've got West coast golf Academy. You got a few people you know working for you.
Speaker 1:You've got a great client, clientele of students and you get some crazy wild hair up your ass that I'm going to build an $8 million building with simulator bays and call it golf garage. Yeah, what in the world went through your head that said where in the world did you get the, the, the data? There was nothing like it to do competitive analysis. There was where in the world did you get the data to come up with this and said, oh, this will be a profitable business venture.
Speaker 3:Well, I think what happened was having a partnership, and a previous business model made me realize that our area still needed an indoor facility, and it was always going to be something built at the golf courses. And so when I left that business and started West coast golf Academy and having coaches, you're looking after them and you're like well, I know I can teach here here, here, but they needed a facility that allowed them to teach. So we built it in my garage, in your garage, at the house two bays, 525 square feet, dry walled.
Speaker 3:It did it all, got a business license, made it happen, right and it just worked out. And I think the unique thing about this was we weren't expecting to keep all our students. We didn't know. I mean, you go from the best two golf courses in the Valley to, um, probably the worst shape golf courses in the Valley, um, and then you have this indoor facility that no one's ever seen before and we got busier. And then I had backing from TaylorMade Golf and they built an indoor fitting system for us and we sold probably more clubs in there than the majority of golf courses do. That, you know, and I think people started believing that what was happening indoors really was happening outside and we could prove it and we could prove how to make them better. And there's not a lot of pros of the 30,000. There might be 500 out there that can really show you why you're doing what you're doing. It's there's no discredit to anybody there, it's just you're either passionate about what you're doing or you're not. And our industry has a lot of career paths.
Speaker 1:It's not just teaching and coaching, it's just a lot of people think that if you're a PGA pro you're a good player and you're a good teacher.
Speaker 3:That's not always the case. It's like any industry, and so we're trying to create a standard of excellence when it comes to teaching and coaching and allow anyone from three to 93 to continue to grow and be better. And that just sounds good. I mean, we'll teach anybody. So with that, we needed some pillars. We needed to figure out what really allowed players to be better. So the philosophy of every player is different was really important, but we needed the tools to back that up. So creating those assessments that we have with our performance coaches right. So we now have fitness, we have mental coaching right, we have the mechanical. And we could do all that in the garage.
Speaker 3:And so what happened was we outgrew the garage and so I've always wanted an indoor facility Garage one, garage, one, the original. And I remember talking to people about the name and when I started building this and drawing it out, they're like what are you going to call them? We call it golf garage. Well, that's a terrible name. I'm like yeah, well, do you know why I'm calling that? Then, when you tell them the story, they're like oh, that's really cool.
Speaker 2:So can I just interject for a second?
Speaker 3:Cause I have to. This is what I've been wanting to ask you you just you just totally just pulled into this Um so naysayers.
Speaker 2:We, we all deal with naysayers, especially when you start your own company. People are going to criticize your logo, your name, your methodology. You know what's this guy doing building this massive facility for golf in Southern Oregon, right? So you have all these naysayers like tell us your story about how you overcame that, how you dealt with that. Because we've both shared our war stories about people like oh yeah, no that. Because we've both shared our war stories about people like, oh yeah, no. Because there's everybody's a critic, right, and it's mainly those that don't or can't do it right.
Speaker 2:So what's your experience been in starting a business from scratch, which you know there's a lot of different ways to start a business Starting it from scratch and putting your personal assets on the line and taking the risk like nobody would or could Like. What's your advice to our listeners? Who are the people saying, hey, I want to do this, I've got a vision, I've got a dream. What do you say to that? How do you block that out? Or maybe say, hey, I'll take some of that information and process it into something positive?
Speaker 3:Well, number one, this wasn't just an overnight thought. This was a 15-year endeavor, right, and I've been all over the country. I helped some other friends open up indoor facilities in colder climates. And when we look at the market, right, I don't think any good business person is just going to dive in and say I'm doing this and this is how I'm going to do it. I've operated multiple LLCs. I've operated in the golf industry as a general manager and just about every position down to superintendent, so I understand the industry, I understand what my target market is, I have a goal right, so I think the vision has always been there. The thing that makes it tough about the naysayers is when it's someone you actually care about telling you that it's bad right so now it gets personal.
Speaker 3:The thing of it is I don't think it affected me as much only because the process, when it starts, just goes and you have so much to deal with as you build a building particularly that sometimes you lose sight in oh I've got a business plan I've got to create now too. So it's really you have to be organized and you have to put really good people around you, right. I mean, both of you guys are mentors to me and we talk a lot about different things.
Speaker 1:And vice versa.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I appreciate that and I think the whole point is your community and your tribe that you keep close to you, that you can really vent on those if they're bothering you, because at the end of the day those are small things, right, and you hit the nail on the head. It could be because they're jealous of it and they want it and they don't know how to do it. And you know, my biggest strategy in business is that I'm not selfish with it. I want people that are better than me in all different areas, because I can't do it all myself.
Speaker 1:And there is a difference, believe it or not, between a naysayer and a devil's advocate. A hundred percent, because you need that devil's advocate.
Speaker 2:Well, and just what you were saying to me is exactly how I would say it right, it's about vision and community. It's the vision that you have and your commitment to that vision and the community. You have not to just hold you accountable to that vision, but to help you refine that vision as a devil's advocate to say, okay, think about doing it this way, right? I mean, even just the other day you called me with a question and we were just kind of talking through some things about like hey, I've got this. You know, individual overseeing memberships what? How would you think about the email convention? We talked about something as simple as that to you know, debt service and all sorts of things that are much bigger, and it's like there's, there's a community you've got to have.
Speaker 2:And you know, even you know I'm reading a book right now talking about just the neuroscience behind connection, behind community, and it's huge, like there's a ton of value in connecting with others, like-minded people. Um and so if you're not doing that now and you're listening to this, you need to go find people that want to be like you. And I have a friend who's a coach that says show me your friends, I'll show you your future, and that's exactly right. When you're starting a business, you've got to shed some of that corporate thing and if people around you are thinking like a corporate person, you might want to reevaluate those friendships, if that's really where you want to go.
Speaker 3:Well, and I would just say, when we talk about mentorship, a golf professional and I've been super blessed from the standpoint of being at high-end privates to where I'm dealing with some of the most wealthy people in the world that have made it from nothing, right, we have some local people here in Southern Oregon like that that I can call them and they'll answer and I'll bounce questions like that off them too, and I just think, don't be afraid to ask, don't be afraid to listen. I think that's really huge, because I think, when you start going along the lines of here's my vision, here's where I want to go, the market's going to tell you I've had to. I've had to take so many detours from this business in order to generate revenue, knowing that I have a private lender that I need to repay and I don't want to default on that. And even in this I've had to make sacrifices, that I have three kids. I'm not afraid to be here, knowing it's going to be a better future for them, right? Are you willing to do that? So it's really your risk.
Speaker 3:Adversity, too, right? This is a huge nut, right? So 6.2 million, right? Not eight, but we'll call it eight. After all, the interest is probably eight, right, yeah, but. But at the end of the day, this is something that I want to work and I want to franchise into 50 fold. We've talked about that. You're my guy for that and we're also looking at. You heard it here first.
Speaker 3:It's coming baby, it's coming and you know, and I'm not afraid to say that the whole point of this business too is we're partnering with golfers. We're gonna have 20 reciprocal golf courses built into our membership. Multiply that by 50. You now can go to any golf garage around the country, key fob, in 24 seven. And do this. Try to steal the idea. I dare you Good luck Right. Come buy it and franchise it from here.
Speaker 1:I just texted him last week about you know. I said often imitated, but never duplicated. That's a funny thing.
Speaker 3:I used to this. I used to be so afraid to let certain secrets out. Now that I'm looking at this, it's actually created more security. I'm like, yeah, here you want to know. Sure I'll tell you. I'm not gonna tell you everything, I'm not gonna give you my financials maybe, but like I'll give you a lot because you can't do it you know it's funny, andy, and I talk a lot on this podcast about how it costs no money to start a business.
Speaker 1:You are not that case, no.
Speaker 3:Well, we'll start now, right, I think you have to look at it too, I mean one of the biggest things I looked at was I penciled this out to it could be paid off in five years if it was done right. And then cost of construction made it cost a million dollars more than it was supposed to. So now I've got that going on right, but you don't even have time to think. You're like, you're already in. So when you're in, you start going not even survival mode. You go what needs to work now? How do I make money now? How do I get this going? How do I train my staff Right? There's all these things.
Speaker 3:And then, like I said, I went right away to a marketing person, said I need you to help me market this facility because I don't have time. And you know what. They did the best they could. I went to another person and I had to redo my website, Right. And then I'm going to another person that's helping me with social media now. So all these things Right, Darren, you've helped me with video. I think it's just not being afraid to ask people for help and knowing what your network is, but also utilize your resources. I've. I mean, I specify that and I preach that to my college golf team all the time and learn how to read the room.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, that's hard, that's that's a gift dude. It is hard, but it's also a necessity in business.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, it doesn't hurt Like I've had some time in corporate America too, right. Just internships and stuff, but it was high level. So it's it's always good if you can, if you can kind of go out of your comfort zone and and make eye contact, shake hands with people and not be afraid to network. And that's what the golf garage is here for.
Speaker 1:So the golf garage has been open for just barely over a year. We just had the one year anniversary. Looking at your business model today and where it's going to go over the next year, how different is that from where you were looking at your business model a year ago and where it was going to go over the next year?
Speaker 3:So I want to jump back to two years ago when we well, two and a half when this was a napkin drawing. I remember drawing it out with my wife and we were out for coffee. On a napkin I said here's what I want to do. It was 10 rectangles that were bays, a little sliver that had a putting green.
Speaker 1:I remember having that discussion with you. I have the napkin, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then we talk in like 10 minutes later. She's like well, I kind of want to teach Pilates again. I'm like okay. So then I added another square. So it went from a 7,500 square foot building to a 20,000 square foot building in one thing and we're like fine, then we're going to build a conference room and I'm like well, we need lease space.
Speaker 3:Oh, we need this, that and the other right. So it was a blessing in disguise that she said that. And the other thing about it is we're collaborating with so many other businesses. Um, I actually just got 501 C3 status for a West coast golf association last week Huge. So now we're going to be able to build that into a $2 million thing to grow golfers. Even though it doesn't directly help me, it can. It's going to build golfers to hopefully they can get jobs, to hopefully they'll come back and support golf garage Golf as a young age, teaches integrity and gets kids involved with the right crowd, Without question.
Speaker 1:You know the other thing too more successful, like for those listeners.
Speaker 3:I mean, most people have heard of Harry and David. Right, harry and David's a gifting business.
Speaker 1:Now it is yeah.
Speaker 3:They went bankrupt. So when 800 flowers now owns them, um, I was an intern at Harry and David and I remember getting a tour of all the properties, all these things and the country store and we got 30% off. It was like the best thing ever.
Speaker 2:We were like yeah, let's go get some wine, dude, 30% off of what's already 400% off the price.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly. So what's unique about it is, I think, of Golf Garage as the country store the country store of Harry and David is that it's special, it's bigger, it's got more than any other Harry and David you're ever going to see, and so Golf Garage is kind of the equivalent to that. So when we build more Golf Garages, they're not all going to have Pilates, they're not all going to have PTs, they're not all going to have sushi that we start next week and all these food trucks, right. But the idea and the concept of golf garage and how to grow the game at a high level is here. And I will tell you that I had a job opportunity at golf tech when it first opened up. I was hired in Colorado. They were only in Colorado at the time and now they're the biggest brand in golf.
Speaker 3:In golf instruction, they give the most lessons. I don't know what they're worth. I'd have to look at. They're crazy. So I hated it. I'm like I don't want to teach in a box, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do that. And, oddly enough, I talked to a really good friend who's a regional manager of golf tech as I was looking at my business model when I changed from independent contractor to employee. As we went through this whole model for coaches and I took some of it, but then I still made it my own. And I think that's kind of the cool thing about businesses. Even if you ask questions and you talk to people, you're still trying to figure out how does it work within your vision, right? How does it work within your strategy, and then what's the market going to do to that Right?
Speaker 3:So, and then you just recalibrate.
Speaker 2:So there, that napkin needs to be framed and put in here. It's a little, and then you just recalibrate, so that napkin needs to be framed and put in here, just for reference.
Speaker 3:It's a little dirty now. I think I wipe my face after coffee. It doesn't matter. Add more character to it, that's right. That's right.
Speaker 1:I'll have to find it In 20 years. You'll pull it out. It still smells like whiskey. Vodka today.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, baby, that that's right. That's right. That's why I drink vodka it doesn't smell when I go home. So so what's the thing you take away, Like if you can give a bit of advice to somebody who just can't quite take that leap, and that's that's who you know, Darren, and I like to think our audience is. And what do you? What would you tell them?
Speaker 3:Yeah, number one if you have a dream, don't let anybody take it away from you, you know, and go seek more advice. Find the mentor that's going to help guide you through it, cause they're out there. Um, and if you keep getting people that are saying it's a bad idea, um, quick version of um financing I spoke to 40 people that all could have financed this business roughly and I got said no to. I started my plans out of pocket with an architect and the firm that built this building and I was about 20,000 in and I started looking at it. I'm like starting to spend a little bit more money than I want to at this point.
Speaker 3:And I don't have any money for a concept, but we were ready to go and I had already made kind of a promise to buy the property without having the money. So they're holding it. They know I have to get lending, but it was like a little bit more than that. I probably could have gotten sued if it went a little farther. And, uh, man, it was just out of left field. I called a buddy that I played high school golf with and I knew he owned a golf course in South Carolina and I said, hey, I have this concept. I'm not looking for a partner, I'm looking for a private lender. I want somebody that can help me get to this next level. This is what it is.
Speaker 3:So he listens and he's like, well, um, it's actually not me, it's my dad. Um, he's on a plane and he's heading to Vegas, but he'll call you when he lands. I'm going to text him right now. So I'm like, putting two and two together and I'm just like, how are you going to text him right now? This was before. Text was like a big thing on plane. So I'm like what are you talking about? So he, uh, he gives me a call about an hour later and I'm like, oh, that's cool and we're talking I had met his dad one time and find out he's flying his plane down to Vegas. And I'm like, okay, well, this might, might be a good thing.
Speaker 3:And he invites me to his house the next week he's coming back up, so he gives me daytime like immediately. I'm like, oh wow, this is like a very professional person. He knows what he wants, he's ready to meet. See what happens. So I'm shaking. I'm going to his house. I don't remember him, but I remember meeting him in high school and he just has me in and we sit in his office and we first start talking and the way the conversation went I'm just like I'm not getting lending from this guy. And all of a sudden he just keeps asking questions and starts talking about my family and just tries to get to know me really Right. And then he starts showing me all these other businesses that he finances and like how he does it. And then he's like yeah, how much do you need again? And then I'm like well, 4.8 and this. And it's like well, this is what I do.
Speaker 1:He's like yeah, I think.
Speaker 3:I can do that, and I literally just sat there in awe. No, it wasn't even that kind of feeling. I literally was like I I was about ready to go, because I didn't think anything like that was even close. I left there. Dude, I was the giddiest little kid in the world.
Speaker 3:And I was like who do I even call? What do I do? What do I do Like I was like drive slow, it's okay, but it was, it was really cool the way he did that. And don't give up, right, I mean I think that's the key. If you have a dream, you know we are super unique in the United States. We do still have that ability to have an American dream might cost a little bit, but you can't be afraid to take the risk If you believe in your product. The other thing is to don't just build something and give it to someone else to run it. It's never going to be as successful.
Speaker 1:No, and you have to do stuff that you're an expert in and you don't have to be. You don't have to spend several million dollars to make money teaching people how to play golf and play golf. Well, you know, and, like I said, we talk about businesses that don't cost any money. Right, you know, there you can start for a few hundred bucks, um, but you jumped in both feet. I mean more so than anybody I've ever seen because, as as a business person, as somebody who's come come from the corporate world, there are so many analytics and so many points of data that we collect to make these decisions, and you had none of that. You just had nothing but a vision.
Speaker 3:I had. There was a facility in Columbus, ohio, that was being built about the same time as mine. I think they got theirs done a month before and we talked a little bit, but it's the same thing. Yeah, there's this different, there's this straight training. That's all they really care about. Ours is community, ours is an event space. Ours is built, you know, for anything and everything. I've had proms asked me to be here now because we're in a community that doesn't have enough event space.
Speaker 1:And you have a full bar up front. We have full bar.
Speaker 3:I mean and again, this is the funny thing, my contractor did a great job on this. I said, hey, you're my demographic, what would get you to join here? And he said you need to build a bar. I'm like, I never saw myself as a bar person, and so that was a learning curve. So, immediately, instead of me freaking out trying to pour drinks all day which I know what I like, you know, but would have went broke, probably with Andy coming in and you coming in, darren and me.
Speaker 3:No, in short, though, it was hiring someone that had that strategy in place, not being afraid to pay a little more upfront either. Right, I'm already in $6 million of debt. What's 40,000 or $50,000 a year? Right, and that's the thing that people struggle with. I think there's a lot of unknown costs, too, that you just don't know, right, so you get into these contractors, you build, and all of a sudden, hey, do you need signs? Oh, that's not part of the package. Now, all of a sudden, you got $30,000 in signage, right, so it's just like, at the end of the day, I laugh when I write a $5,000 check right, Because I'm like whatever you know, it's, it's this, and as long as we have the revenue generation coming in and we're smart about it, you know.
Speaker 3:And then it's about creating your team. Right, I have the best team at golf garage ever, right.
Speaker 1:They would do. They would do anything for everyone.
Speaker 3:They might make mistakes, but we're all going to make mistakes, right? I make mistakes every single day, but it's about what you're going to do the next step, because a mistake's an opportunity and that's the way I always try to train them. It's like hey, you can make somebody so mad at you, but how's it going to feel when they're your best friend in about a week because of what you gave back to them to make them feel special.
Speaker 1:What is your biggest mistake in the last year that you've, and how? How did you overcome it?
Speaker 3:Oh, biggest mistake would probably just be not being around my kids. You're right, family first. So SOU, golf, family first. So the way I overcame it was, um, really communicating with them. They're at a young age to where you want to be around them, help them. My wife's homeschooling them. She's also teaching Pilates full time. So we're all really busy and there's times where I would leave and the kids were like, dad, uh, we don't want you to go today, right? So I would literally take that to heart and I would say, hey, you want to come to work with me tomorrow, right? So there's ways to do it and I think it's instead of making it, um, harder and harder for everybody.
Speaker 3:I've engaged my family in the business and I think you know telling my oldest like, hey, you're going to get paid, you're going to be on our salary, which is a tax break, right. So we look at it from both ways. It's a benefit to the business and I get to see my kids. I work with my wife every day. Not everybody can do that, but she's also my devil's advocate. She's really good at the finite details and I'm really good at talking with my staff about things and making sure where she's going to look at the backend and say hey, did you notice this thing get charged? I'm like great, thank you for that, Right? So between us, it's a one, two punch for sure, and so now she's the COO because of that.
Speaker 3:So it turns into I need you to tell me this, and so the thing that's hard about that, though, is we. We have to learn to separate our personal from business, and I tell her too I'm like you have to tell me when you want to meet. I can't do this at nine at night when you come home, because you see me, and then all these things happen. I'm decompressing. So there's been some arguments over what is the time to do it and when it's not, and finally, we're starting to get there, but it's only been a year. It's like marriage. We've been married 14 years, and now it's starting to get really good with communication.
Speaker 2:Just takes a while. Do you ever email your wife on a date night? Just be like hey.
Speaker 1:I know we can't talk about it right now yeah, you know exactly hey, this is gonna need your attention asap tomorrow morning. You know I would. I would do that 100. I just go to the bathroom I'm on a date real quick.
Speaker 3:I'm like, hey, I gotta don't worry, I wash my hands first. I know you got plans tonight.
Speaker 1:I don't want to disrupt those, but that's exactly right. Yes, that's exactly right. Speaking of timing, I know there's ambitions on franchising and getting golf garage spread across the country. How close do you think you are not in pulling the trigger on financing, but having the business model so fine-tuned that it's ready for that next step? Man?
Speaker 3:it's so fun. Right now I'm enjoying every moment of this endeavor. The first year is such a growth period and I never really thought about it. I was actually getting mad at banks because they all wanted a first year before they'd refi and I'm like, I have money in the bank. Look at what I can do. I'll put my personal info down. I want to get out of this 10 and a half percent interest rate. Like what can I do? You know, and you know it's man. It's just interesting to look at the whole picture of where we are, and I'm enjoying that ride right now, so much that it's not my plan to know when that's supposed to happen. But at the same time, I'm working towards it, and so what's cool about it is I want to get this. I've got goals right. So I want to get the sushi concept up and running this next week and then we'll have the bar build out in a month.
Speaker 1:I want to get the other stuff right. Concept, even a part of your thought process?
Speaker 3:No, not even close, right. This is collaborating with people. All of a sudden somebody comes and introduces me to somebody, because the networking side of this has been so good. And, you know, I think part of it for me was I was very smart in bringing on someone I've known since I was two as our director of instruction. He knows that I'm not mad, even if I act mad like he can. He can deal with my personality trait really well, and so what's cool about it was he was able to help me operate the business at some level, right, the day-to-day stuff at some level that I trusted him to, where I could go and engage in the community, and that community outreach has brought so many people in.
Speaker 3:So, just partnering with everybody, what can I do for your business? How can I help you give a gift certificate for free bay time it's no skin off my back to any nonprofit in town to then the goal is ask them to come run their event at my place, right, that generates revenue. So all those partnerships are good. So, going to the franchising thing, I think I have a grasp on the operations, but every market's different, so I would probably go into this thing as trying to find a PGA professional that I know and trust in a market that I understand a little bit. But they have the connections at, just like the Dutch Bros model or any other big business, to where you're trying to find a franchise. You know advisor like Andy that can direct me on the backend of how to do this the best and implement it, to then saying here's my guy in this target audience. I know it can work in Medford. If it can work in Medford, it can work literally anywhere.
Speaker 1:It can work in Portland and Seattle. Well, there's so many more people.
Speaker 3:So those are easy. Big, big markets are easy, because I already have the connections. That's a harder one. It may not have enough people Because it's so seasonal as far as weather, but it's got so much money.
Speaker 3:You could do it right, but you would do a much smaller version of it, and Andy and I have talked about what that looks like an express version or what it is and then you can always add on, and I think part of it, too, is looking at. I wanted an exit strategy for my family of owning the property, owning the dirt, owning the building, of owning the property, owning the dirt, owning the building. We also built it out as having additional garage doors that are within the walls, so if we ever wanted this thing to be a warehouse or something else, we have other entrances. So I think it's unique to think differently about what each market offers. And are the other ones going to be owning the dirt, owning the property? I don't know yet.
Speaker 3:I think at the end of the day, they could all be leased, but it's somebody that has a dream of wanting to grow the game of golf, that understands that most people don't have the time. They have the money. They don't have the time and embarrassment is still a big thing and they want to have engaged conversation with somebody at a really fun place. This brings that to them, and then it was so fun that they came back and then they realized they're not as good at golf as they want to be, and then they start taking lessons Right, and then we get them on the golf course Right, and so the the whole economy becomes better in the United States and potentially globally, as we move forward.
Speaker 1:There's one huge component that you've completely missed You're raising PGA tour players in the golf garage.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So this is within 10 years, you could have three tour players who grew up here training here.
Speaker 3:Well, I appreciate you thinking of us as a high level, one of the things that's unique. That's not really it's not entirely out yet, but we've been working on a global golf academy with a local private school since I moved back. The old president of that school has done that and we are in process of having our first class coming over from Asia this next year and that school has put out PGA Tour players.
Speaker 1:They have, they have, and so School has put out PGA tour players.
Speaker 3:They have, they have, and so I've been on the PGA tour T. It's on like anything you can imagine. There's so much stress out there. It's super fun, right For me. I'm not playing, so, but it's just one of those animals that anyone that has the drive to do that golf garage gives them the opportunity to have the tools to do it Right, and I think that's kind of a cool thing to the expertise in the training and the coaching and the and the equipment that's accessible 24 seven without question, I think, anyone that's interested in a franchise in golf garage I've had, you know, I've probably had 10 people reach out already in different areas.
Speaker 3:I've had somebody in Japan reach out Missouri, montana, idaho, right All over. But what it really comes down to is you don't have to be the owner operator, because part of it is I'm going to help find that person that can run it for you, and I think that's really important to understand too. If you love golf, that's what I care most about.
Speaker 1:You don't have to be a PGA.
Speaker 3:No, I definitely will be supporting PGA pros different. There might be some things differently there, but I think at the end of the day, it really comes down to someone that's passionate about growing the game and understands what the values of this is Right.
Speaker 2:That's right. You can find a pro to do that. But having a manager leave it, have a manager run it for you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're up to six PGA coaches at this point. So, yeah, we call everybody a coach here In a small town. Yeah, and we'll continue. My goal's eight. So my goal's eight 20 golf courses. Just keep going and seeing where it takes us. Two of those already in the pipeline for their pga membership yeah we've got, uh, I think three of those six will have their pga membership within the year and hopefully the fourth soon after. Um, and then we have two new associates that'll be coming in here in the next year as well Excellent.
Speaker 2:All right, well with that. So, noah, thank you. This has been awesome. So, those of you listening, it's about community, it's about vision, it's about going for it and not being afraid. If you like what we're doing, like us share, us Stick it. And hey, if you like us, share us, tell the people about it. We'd love it, we appreciate it and, uh, we'll see you next time, take care. Thanks, guys.