By coinnews 
0:00 spk_0
Welcome to Financial Freestyle. I’m Ross Mack, and this is sponsored by Vanguard.Welcome to Financial Freestyle here on Yahoo Finance. I’m your host Ross Mack. Now look, no matter where you are on your own financial journey, it always takes a first step to actually get to success. And guess what, man, you’ve landed at the perfect place because I’m going to be talking to some of the most influential people in the world, and they’re going to be uncovering some of their secrets to success. And today’s no different because I’m talking to the co-founders of East Side Golf, that being Earl Cooper as well as Olajuwonjaoku. Fellas, how y’all doing, man? I appreciate y’all for being here.
0:39 spk_1
Doing job man, yeah, yeah, yeah.Definitely,
0:44 spk_0
I just want to commend y’all, man. Y’all, y’all definitely pushing the culture forward, man. Congratulations on all the success, but top viewers, right?Who was,
0:53 spk_1
who
0:53 spk_0
was
0:53 spk_1
Earl?Yeah. Olajuwon, uh, you know, from East Atlanta, uh, I’ve been playing golf since I was 6. I mean, I’m motivated. I’ve always wanted to turn pro in golf with the more I was college, was in finance and to, uh, to fund my dream, I started a company. It’s called East Side Golf, so.
1:15 spk_2
Uh-huh. Yeah. And uh for me, Earl Cooper from Wilmington, Delaware started playing golf at the age of 6 as well. Um, I always like to say I didn’t like playing golf initially, um, but it wasn’t until I saw the opportunities that it could present. So I ended up winning the Golf Channel dried chip and putt, uh, that got me an opportunity, kept going golf scholarship.house, but I’m one of, you know, highly decorated PGA professional. I’ve worked at some really good country clubs across the country and in 2016, I was named Gulf I as one of the best teachers in America. And I’m proud to say, you know, join the O kind of six months later and we’ve been off to the races, so.
1:50 spk_0
So let’sactually talk about that, right? What made you guys go full throttle when it came to East Side Golf? What was the motivation behind it?
2:00 spk_1
Yeah, uh, so, I mean, just to take a step back, me and Earl, we met in college, you know, we won a national championship in 2010 and uh at Morehouse College and uh after I graduated, my major was accounting minor of finance.I turned pro in golf. I did that for a couple of years, won a couple of mini tour events, but it just, it got to a point I just couldn’t afford it anymore, you know, taking up about jobs and um I had to give up my dream, you know, but I won a couple of mini tour events so I do have professional wins. Um, so literally started my uh commercial finance career. So I was in corporate finance, uh, I used to finance tractors and trailers, scale trucking companies, did that for about 10 years.And I got home one day. I was just like, this ain’t it, you know, I wanna turn back throwing golf. I was about to get a promotion to become vice president of a finance firm out of San Diego.And just fully suited, got home, I just think I wanna turn back pro, but I knew it’d be hard to find sponsors because I’ve tried that before. So first things first, let me just make a logo, you know, so the logo that you see, you know, jeans, sweatshirt, cuba and chain, it’s me. And I was gonna put that on my bag and my polo. I showed it to Earl and I put it on a t-shirt.But I started this brain because I was tired of being told no, you know, no to my dreams, no to the things that I want to do, and turning back pro was that one thing I wanted to do. So why not take the entrepreneur route and sponsor myself. So, uh, it looks like I, I’ll actually be turning back pro uh at the beginning of next month, uh, so it’s full circle for me.
3:37 spk_0
That’s epic, man. I’m wishing you nothing but success and good luck on that. Um, like I say, y’all boys will have to teach me about that. But Earl, what, what were you doing before EA G?
3:48 spk_2
Yeah, so before Eastside Golf, um, I just talked about earlier, I was working in the golf industry, um, so I was a PGA professional working at some good country clubs and teaching a lot, and then I actually took a period and, uh, took a role in the mayor’s office, um, the mayor’s office in Wilmington, Delaware. So I was overseeing, you know, public-private partnerships and doing really well. I actually co-founded another program called HBCU Week and so grew that, scaled that andIt was just again an opportunity for me to kind of get back into the golf space, but on my own terms. Uh, and I just, like you said, fell in love with the logo. Uh, I knew it wasn’t gonna be easy. It still hasn’t been easy, but it was just something that we believed in and we could just always kind of relate back to our earlier days and we talked about kinda, this brand really service that younger, you know, Elajuwon, that younger oh and just wishing that they had something that, you know,could, they could relate to, but also have something that they could like aspire to. Um, and it’s just like that perfect balance. So it’s been an unbelievable ride, you know, there’s been a lot of ups and downs, but I’m, I’m excited about the future.
4:56 spk_0
I love it. So let’s actually go straight to the logo, right? Because you know when I golf, right, it’s, it’s one of those, you in the country club, it’s pretty snobby. You go in there, you got your polo on tucked. You got to have it tucked into your pants. Uh, you know what I mean? So like, what was the inspiration behind this logo?
5:19 spk_1
Uh, so the logo, like I said, it’s me, but it’s the way that I, that I feel and that I want to feel out on the golf course like myself, you know, being authentic, jeans, sweatshirt, cubaling chain. I’m swinging the golf club this way. My cubaling chain swinging the other way. That’s, I mean, that’s saying I’m really living within who I am, you know, no matter what I look like, I enjoy this sport and I enjoy.what comes from it, I mean, literally the, the logo has a smile on them, you know, but hopefully other people see this logo in whatever sector of sport, uh sector of business, and they see that uh the way into it is being themselves, you know, our tagline is be authentic, or, or just do it and be authentic, you know, and that’s the way that we see that the game of golf can grow andJust seeing so many people, you know, take advantage of the game, that’s what’s missing. And I, we want people to come into this game as themselves and that’s what the logo I feel helps people to do is be authentic.
6:26 spk_2
And I would add, I feel likeNow, I just wanna add something quickly to that to O’s point. Like, I feel like the logo also is disruptive in the sense of, you know, naturally we place judgment. And when you see that logo, you may not think that it’s a professional golfer such as Elama or someone that has that skill set and soWe also love the fact that they can’t judge a book by its cover, right? And so I think that that’s another piece of like also being your true authentic self doesn’t take away from your skill level and that doesn’t mean that you can’t compete with, you know, the best in the world. I love it, man.
7:02 spk_0
Ithink thatQuite often we show up in this world and we have to.Effectively play the game, right? And I think that y’all logo speaks to people that are, you know, when you go out on the golf course, it’s not not many people that look like us. And so the fact that you guys are are not shying away from that and actually leaning into it, it really speaks to the brand and I think that’s one of the things that, you know, the the the people see that authenticity and that’s why you guys are so successful. So congrats to that. But let’s let’s pivot to, right?Getting to where you guys are today, right? Like let’s talk about how you guys started this business and more importantly, how you guys were able to find success.
7:43 spk_1
Yeah, uh, I mean, I started the business out of my apartment, you know, um, like I said, I was in commercial finance and, you know, I, I wanted to do something different and it was going to be like a hobby of mine. So I started the business literally June 1st.2019 of uh LegalZoom and uh started the LLC and I had already started buying inventory, you know, and bought a few pieces. Did, did OK. I mean, sold a couple, didn’t really take it serious but uh once COVID hit, I ended up getting let go from my, from my uh from my job and right before that was about to get a promotion.And you know, they would have me back if time would surpass, but I couldn’t take any chances, you know. I had something that I love to do which was design, which was fashion and uh and on top of that clothes. And so why not dive into something along with the sport that I love golf, and I feel like I could be successful. So I end up, you know, emptying out the savings account. I end upI end up empty out, I ended up emptying out the savings account, the 401k, sold all the cryptocurrencies, maxed out the credit cards and bought all inventory with it. And the 1st 3000 orders from my apartment, I shipped out myself.
9:07 spk_2
That’samazing, man.And to add to that, I mean, you know, when you think about the organization and the brand now, you know, we scaled it to 20 employees. Uh, we have done some fundraising, you know, we have a headquarters in New York City, um, but we still try to operate with that scrappy mindset that Olajuwon had in the beginning as far as, you know, just figuring it out, doing it ourselves andSo to see the, the way this company has evolved and we’re just being constantly mindful of the consumer and the point of view that we want, you know, out there in the world. But you know, we, we’ve certainly been great to work with a ton of great partners and we just expanded to like Golf, Galaxy, House of Sport, and Nordstrom’s as well. So we’re very excited about the growth of the organization.
9:54 spk_0
That’s remarkable, man. So let’s, let’s go, let’s go, let’s lean into that, right? BecauseYou guys just aren’t like.Uh, uh, a brand where people are just buying it on Shopify. You guys have been able to find a way toHave amazing partnerships, right? You just talk about being in Nordstrom’s. How do you have an idea and actually scale it toTo actually scale and actually amplify and build all these partnerships and getting in more uh retailers, etc. Like how did how did that go? Obviously, you talked about raising capital. Like how did we, how does an entrepreneur get to where you guysare?
10:33 spk_1
Yeah, at the beginning of it, it is following your dream, you know, following your, what’s the goal or more, what is the thing that you’re trying to fix, you know, uh, what’s that one thing that since you were growing up, you wish would have changed that so many other people would have, uh, thought would have changed or that you can help that you have so much experience and when you look at golf, me and Earl have over 50.years of experience. We’ve both been playing since we were 60 years old. You know, 50 years of experience combined, him living in Delaware, me living in Georgia, so many different experiences and different perspectives. Um, and as we grew, we saw that this was a game that we took advantage of as we as we were growing up. And we saw what it did for ourselves andI don’t speak for myself. I saw what it did for myself, my confidence, but then for uh being on time for things, but then on top of that, you know, integrity, honesty, you know, uh, governance of oneself is what golf kind of teaches you. And so all of these great things are put into a golfer just from playing it. If you’re gonna get really good, it, it teaches you.Those things, but we saw this, and now it’s like, well, why not give that to so many more people, you know, and why not try to figure out a way, you know, uh, to, to make it more acceptable. I’ll, I’ll give one example. I used to volunteer coach that uh first year of Detroit at uh Raccoon golf course in Detroit. And I was and I was still at my corporate job and I’m just coaching, but I’m helping one kid.At a time, you know, one kid at a time. One kid or holding the class of maybe 4 or 5 kids and I’m just like, damn, like this is the work that I’m doing, but how can I get all of them?You know, how can I think of a way, how do they learn, you know, and it’s literally through social media, it’s through logos. It’s through something that kind of like is a little bit rebellious, I would say, you know, and why not come up with something that they can connect with that they can see themselves within.And so, if you can create something in my opinion, like that, that solves a problem that gives people uh more of the curiosity of something that’s never been presented to them in this way that they can take advantage of that can better themselves. This is a, this is a solve and this is a fix, and that’s where I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs can, can really elevate is that, is if they’re fixing or solving a problem, but also following their, their, their passion.
13:17 spk_2
For us, you know, in scaling the company, I mean, we focus a lot on just the product, you know, product is king. You gotta make sure that you have quality products, um, you know, understanding margins, terms, you know, a lot of that goes into it and the apparel business is a very cash intense business, right? When you think about the investment that you need to make on something now, when you think about just from research and development.To sampling and then to actually the production, it could take 6 months. You haven’t received a dollar back. And so, it’s one of those things where for us as an organization, we’re constantly being mindful of those buckets, right? I like to say targets, deadlines and protect the margins. Those are the three things that you, that we’re constantly um focusing on. And even when you scale these big bucks, you gotta make sure that that product is moving.Cause you can get a big order from any of the, you know, doors that we named, but then that’s flashing product when it doesn’t move. And so then again it, it can either tarnish your brand or it can have a negative effect where people are like, well, I’m not gonna go to, you know, Eastside Golf.com, but just, you know, go here cause it’s on sale. So these are all of the little things that you have to constantly be mindful.Love that just in any business, you know, but especially in the apparel business where it’s a constant grind and how many times that, you know, you hit for one season, but you gotta be able to hit for the next season and the next season. Um, but it’s been something where it’s a O’s point.The grind is paid off when it allows us to kind of fuel the impact that we’re looking to have on the sport. But when you see, you know, the numbers, according to the National Golf Association, it’s just growing and it’s growing amongst minorities. And so we love that fact thatYou know, the growth that we’re seeing in the sport and we’re offering a solution to them as well.
15:09 spk_0
So, talking to the entrepreneurs, if you were to help them skip some steps or not make mistakes, what were some of your biggest mistakes you guys made and how did you overcome it?
15:18 spk_1
I’ll start, uh, biggest mistakes, I would say definitely.Uh, don’t feel like you have to start off by spending this big absorbent of, of money to invest. You know, start off slow, start off small, but make sure it works, you know, figure out or figure out what works for that product, for that logo, for that story, you know.
15:43 spk_0
Or we’re going to take a quick break and when we get back, we’ll have more from Olajuwon and Earl of East Side Golf.Welcome back to Financial Freestyle, and we’re talking to the co-founders of East Sag Golf. And earlier, um, Elijawon, you was telling me, right, some of the mistakes that you made early on, but what’s also important for the entrepreneurs that are watching is, right, how do we cut that learning curve. So let’s actually get to like actually how you overcame some of those early mistakes.
16:16 spk_1
Um, I mean, to really overcome and to really, I know.You’re just spending a little bit, you know, just spending a little bit, or you wanna spend a lot cause you wanna hit that home run. It takes time to build that story up first, see what works with what products, see what works with that logo, um, and build that line plan. You know, different skews are gonna come on, but take your time, source different things, get the best sample. Like when I first started.I mean, I didn’t, now, I wouldn’t say I got the cheapest sweatshirt, you know, but I did get the one that was right under Champion, and then I started the brand because I wanted to, you know, build off of something that I would wear. So, taking that time out and figuring out those things that work for the brand, I mean, it’s, it’s most important, but once you figure out, then you can make that bigger investment, you know, uh, because up until then, like I said,Just, just chip away at it, but don’t stop until you, you know, obviously you get your goal.
17:18 spk_2
And I would say, you know, one of the things that I’ve learned, uh, it’s just strategic planning, you know, you definitely need a strategic road map, and I think oftentimes I like to say.Plan for the worst and expect the best. And I think too often when you create these models, there’s no dip to it. It’s just like, oh, everything’s gonna be perfect and everything’s gonna be roses. And so I think we’ve been able to constantly pivot as a brand, right? If something isn’t working, you have to have the ability to pivot. I feel like too often, especially when it comes down to, to business, people tie their emotions to it.And so you can take your emotions out of it and just look at the numbers. And it could be for a variety of reasons why it’s not working, but just don’t be afraid to pivot, right? Like that’s, and I think again when you start out with like a big dream, you’re like, man, this is the way I saw it in my dream and it’sIt doesn’t necessarily always have to be exactly the way that you saw it in your dream, because there are certain contexts and like right now we’re dealing with terrors. So it’s like, hey, I gotta make sure that we still are protecting our margins. So in quote unquote, in my dream, I thought it needed to be this, but if that’s gonna have negative impact on the business.Then you have to be able to pivot. And so maybe you can address that later, or maybe you can go back to it at another time. But just the ability to constantly pivot, to me, I feel like all the brands that survived and those are the brands that are around for a long time versus the brands that are just very trendy and just here for a moment.
18:56 spk_0
You brought up a very interesting point, and that being tariffs, right? That is the hottest topic. And whether it’s you know the auto industry, agriculture industry, and obviously apparel, how is that impacting the business and from a, you know, and I love because both of you guys have such obviously a testament to having a successful business, but you guys are always forward thinking, right? AndIt it kind of goes with being in the fashion industry because you’re already thinking about spring 2026. But when you think about tariffs, uh, how are you guys adjusting to that?
19:31 spk_2
Yeah, so one, we’re already looking, you know, it’s a constant conversation of diversifying, you know, factories and understanding, OK, a lot of goods come out of China, but can you go to other countries like Peru? Is there opportunities in Europe, uh, India, those sorts of places, right? Uh, and you know, domestically. Um, so you, you, you constantly so.In there. But then you also have to say, OK, well, if I’m still getting my product from China, then OK, how is that going to impact my margins? And how does that impact my partner’s margin as well, right? So when you sell something for wholesale, everyone’s got to, holistically, our approach is that everyone’s gonna take a take a little hit here, right?We’re gonna ask the manufacturer to say, hey, we’re gonna need you to make it for a little bit less. Then we’re gonna actually need to maybe take up the price a little bit to protect the margins and then the same thing when it comes to our wholesaler. Um, they’re gonna have to take up the price a little bit. So we’re not just saying, we’re going to push it all on the consumer because we’re mindful of that, but it’s definitely aconversation with three different parties that all have their own different interests, um, to make sure that we can continue to be successful. But the beautiful thing about it is, I shouldn’t say beautiful, but the thing about it is it’s affecting every apparel brand. So it’s not just one apparel brand that’s not, you know that’s not affected. SoWe’re constantly looking at it. We definitely have some modeling. We will probably see the impact in late Q4 because right now when you think about fall, all that stuff is pretty much price locked, right? So you’re not going to see it immediately right now because most of the goods are already here domestically sitting at our warehouse waiting to be shipped. But certainly, you talk about Q4, if it still remains.There would be some slight increases across the board.
21:19 spk_0
Awesome, man. So, as we get ready to wrap up, what’s next? What’s next for East Side Golf?
21:24 spk_1
So we have our first uh brick and mortar in the US that’s opening at uh Detroit Airport.No, that’s gonna be good because just seeing our, I believe they have maybe anywhere from 85 to 90 million flyers in a, in a year. So the potentially have, you know, a percentage of that to see East Side Golf, this will be the introduction, um, I mean, it’s, it’s super dope. Definitely have uh a new, a new tournament that we, uh, are rolling out and it’s called East Side Golf Open Run.Uh, other than that, anything else,
22:00 spk_2
sir? Yeah, I mean, we’re gonna be bringing back the East Side Golf Invitational. We’re constantly expanding, uh, doors and Golf Galaxy and Nordstroms, uh, and just excited about our community day. You know, that’s also something that’s really big for us. So super excited about just the future of the brand, and I just want to leave one note. Again, you don’t have to play golf in order to wear East Side Golf. So we welcome, you know, men and women to come try out our brand, um, and hopefully we’ll see you out there on the the course.
22:28 spk_0
Without a doubt, and y’all going to be at the Macronomics wealth summit July 19th. Yes, sir. But look, that’s it for this episode of Financial Freestyle. A big special thanks to both of y’all, to Earl and Olajuwon of East SAA for sharing a lot of insights, right? But that’s it for this episode. Make sure you guys tune in next week for a new episode. Have a good one.
22:49 spk_3
This content was not intended to be financial advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional financial services.