Hi all! By now you’re well aware of the passion for the game as well as the burgeoning interest into golf bag design that led to establishing Nelson Hill. Next on the list is to discuss the first few steps in actually bringing the designs to life.

Like everything else, simply starting down the path was the hardest. Not that there haven’t been plenty of massive hurdles along the way (and there will surely be lots more to come) but you have some momentum in the moment that helps with the drive needed. Looking back though, that first step was only difficult because I had to openly talk about what I wanted to do. Creating anything from scratch, no matter how small, always sounds crazy. Its daunting due to the leap of faith necessary to put yourself out there.

What’s interesting though is that when you read about entrepreneurship, people warn that you should be prepared to hear lots of “no” along the way. That’s true, but it only feels harsh if you’re not really committed to the idea. There’s this thought that people are going to be mean about it. “Your idea sucks.” “That’s terrible.” “What the hell were you thinking?” But people by and large don’t really work like that. It’s more of people saying “okay, cool” then they don’t follow up. We all do it if we’re being honest. So hearing a blunt “no” only comes if you’re looking for a way out or you’re surrounded by the wrong people.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the the things you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain

Anyway, I’ve worked in finance for the entirety of my adult life and a few years back it came time for me to pursue some proper designations. The natural first natural step was an MBA and luckily for me, UMKC was right down the street. I didn’t really know it at the time but UMKC was pretty well known for its entrepreneurship program. When I started classes in the summer of 2016, my first class happened to be in ENT as it was one of the only summer classes open to newcomers. I had been sketching golf bags for several years at that point so when my professor said “you can do a case study or bring your own idea,” I found myself cautiously raising my hand for the own idea category. It’s funny how life works like that.

One class led to another, which led to another and then another. From market research to business planning to pitch practice. You name it, I took it. And I’m far better for it no doubt. Not just in the entrepreneurship sense but very much in the world of finance too. Big, publicly traded companies are hard to think of as small start-ups but that’s exactly where they all started way back when. Learning more about all those initial steps and coming to know first hand how hard the founders had to work to establish their respective companies was fascinating. The foresight needed to build the brand. The ability to bring people together towards a common goal. The maintenance of to keep going. It’s all incredible really and I’d highly recommend digging further into that world if you’re even remotely interested.

During my time at UMKC, I was also able to look into some motivations even further behind my whole process. Aside from the simple love of golf and interest in starting something, entrepreneurship runs in my blood. My grandfather started an auto parts store long before I was ever a thing and my dad ended up taking over after my grandpa retired. Unfortunately, I was too young to get to really participate in the fun but I distinctly remember “helping” by picking random part numbers my dad would assign to keep me busy. We spent many long hours in the shop and I didn’t know it at the time, but I was learning first hand how hard it all was. Fast-forward 20+ years and here I am, loving every minute of my own passion project.

UMKC Regnier Venture Creation Challenge!

I’ll talk about the first prototype next week, which came courtesy of Haik Kavookjian. If you didn’t notice, he’s also the super talented photographer we’ve had through this whole thing! I’ll brag on him more in the next post but if you’re interested in super high quality leather craftsmanship, give me a look. It’s definitely worth the investment. See you all next week!

Best // Eric

The Path Forward