Latest / Scene Projects Sports Network / Aubrey Smith on SKUNK'd Golf's Growth, Community Impact, and Future Plans

Transcript

Aubrey Smith on SKUNK'd Golf's Growth, Community Impact, and Future Plans · Scene Projects Sports Network

• 0:13
  Welcome in to another exciting episode of the Scene Project Sports Network.
• 0:17
  I am your host, Bubba Starts, and with me today is my friend Aubrey from the Skunk Golf
• 0:22
  Company.
• 0:23
  Aubrey, welcome in, man.
• 0:24
  Thanks for having me.
• 0:25
  We we really appreciate it.
• 0:27
  Hey.
• 0:28
  We appreciate you.
• 0:29
  I I got the, I got the pullover on today.
• 0:32
  You can see the skunk hat in the background.
• 0:35
  I got a lot more stuff that's hanging up in the background here.
• 0:39
  I'm just so happy with with the relationship that we've been able to form over the last
• 0:45
  several months.
• 0:45
  Getting to include you guys in our coverage of the Sanford International last fall was was an
• 0:51
  amazing experience, and I'm just so grateful for you guys.
• 0:54
  Yeah.
• 0:54
  Definitely.
• 0:55
  And and, you know, like we said before the show, you know, we're we're appreciative of you
• 0:59
  for, you know, bringing us along on your journey too and and opening our the doors for
• 1:07
  us for that, and and it's really special.
• 1:09
  It's it's it's crazy how far this has come already, you know, and and in the you know,
• 1:14
  we're coming up on two years here in May.
• 1:16
  So, yeah, it's really special, and we really appreciate what you've been doing for us.
• 1:20
  And and yeah.
• 1:21
  So thank you.
• 1:22
  Yeah.
• 1:23
  The the feelings are mutual, man.
• 1:24
  I I love to look good even though my game stinks.
• 1:29
  Right?
• 1:29
  So it's Yep.
• 1:32
  Well, before we get into what is going to be an extremely busy golf season both for us and for
• 1:39
  you guys.
• 1:40
  Would love to just give you a chance off the top here.
• 1:43
  Give us a little bit of, you know, your backstory and then the backstory of skunked
• 1:47
  golf, and then we'll bring it forward to where we're all at now.
• 1:51
  K.
• 1:51
  Yeah.
• 1:51
  So, yeah, I mean, I oh, man.
• 1:54
  I grew up kinda moving around a lot.
• 1:56
  My dad was in the oil field.
• 1:58
  So, you know, I moved around to a lot of different towns.
• 2:01
  I was born in California.
• 2:03
  I moved around Montana a lot.
• 2:06
  That's where my mom's from.
• 2:08
  So, you know, through through my dad's career in the oil field, it took took me to a lot of
• 2:13
  different places, and and he was a very, very good golfer.
• 2:16
  He was about a two handicap.
• 2:18
  And, you know, he he taught me from a very, very young age, how to golf and went to a lot
• 2:24
  of tournaments, started winning a lot of tournaments.
• 2:26
  And I I, you I was I was really good when I was young.
• 2:28
  And, I actually ended up quitting playing golf for a while because, my baseball coach told me
• 2:36
  it was messing with my swing, and my dad was very unhappy with that.
• 2:41
  But, you know, he let me do it.
• 2:43
  He let me learn my own lessons.
• 2:44
  And and, so I fell back in love with golf probably coming into high school, I think.
• 2:51
  And I've just been doing it ever since.
• 2:53
  You know, it's it's something that with golf, it's something that you can do at an older age.
• 2:58
  You know?
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  It's something that it's not too hard on your body, and it's it's something that you can stay
• 3:03
  competitive in and that you know, I've been in sports my whole life.
• 3:06
  And for me, competition was a huge part of it, and I love competing.
• 3:11
  And, you know, even if if it's just for, you know, a a dinner bet or something.
• 3:15
  You know?
• 3:16
  But so, yeah, we I started golfing again and and just continued to do that.
• 3:22
  And then I I moved into North Dakota from Montana.
• 3:26
  I got a a job in the oil field, you know, followed in my father's footsteps and met some,
• 3:32
  a couple of really great guys that that also own the company with me.
• 3:36
  And, their name is Kyle Kaplan is one of the guys, and, Alex Miller is another guy.
• 3:42
  And they're just two really great guys, honestly.
• 3:45
  I I mean, I can't I can't say that enough about them.
• 3:49
  They've they've been really great in this this process of starting this company.
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  And Alex Alex wasn't a golfer when we first met, but he's been getting into it.
• 4:01
  And he's actually man, he is leaps and bounds better in the last, you know, four or five
• 4:07
  years that he started, then it's amazing to watch his progress, honestly.
• 4:12
  It really is.
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  And Kyle and I are we're very similar in our you know, where our handicaps are.
• 4:19
  We're not great by any means.
• 4:20
  And but but we just love the game, and and we love the competition.
• 4:24
  And and it's just fun to get out and and enjoy something outdoors, you know, and and, you
• 4:30
  know, just do something in the summertime, especially up here.
• 4:33
  That's all you kinda got is the summer.
• 4:34
  You know, we we only get so long to play it.
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  But so, yeah, I mean, into the company starting the company, man, I I thought about it for a
• 4:45
  few months.
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  I I really did.
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  And I talked to those two about you know, I I wanted them to be in this journey with me and
• 4:52
  starting this.
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  And and I I there's no way.
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  You know, looking back now, there's no way at all I could do this without those two at all.
• 5:00
  There's no way.
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  So I'm I'm grateful for those two helping me do what we've done so far.
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  And and so I just you know, I can't shout them out enough.
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  I really can.
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  I I wish they could join us.
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  But so, yeah, I I researched a bunch about, you know, starting an apparel company, golf apparel
• 5:20
  company for about two, three months.
• 5:23
  Oh, man.
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  I went through I probably wrote down no.
• 5:27
  Fifth close to 50 different company names, and, you know, you have to look them up and see if
• 5:32
  they're already taken somewhere or you know?
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  And this the whole thing about it is you gotta think about the website name and and, you know,
• 5:40
  you you gotta stand out a little bit.
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  Right?
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  Especially in this in this atmosphere of the golf apparel world.
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  There's so many.
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  Good, good, Primo, unreal.
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  You know?
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  I mean, I can go on and on.
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  So we had to get something that that stuck out.
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  And I think part of it was, you know, when you're when you're on the tee box, I mean, as
• 6:00
  far as our name came from, or any shot, really, and it's just a terrible shot.
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  You know?
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  And, you know, on the golf course, we're always ribbing each other.
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  We're always giving each other shit.
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  And, you know, you hit a bad shot and your partner will say to you, like, wow.
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  Your game stinks.
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  You know?
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  And you're like, well, at least I still look good.
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  You know?
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  That's that's good.
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  So we kinda ran with that in a way and and just started thinking of ways to go around that, and
• 6:28
  that's where skunked came from.
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  You know?
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  And and Kyle came up with the with the slogan, which is, look good even though even if your
• 6:36
  game stinks.
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  And it just it really came together well.
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  And, yeah, I mean, that's that's kinda where the company kinda just started and and grew
• 6:46
  from.
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  And we've been, you know, a lot of a lot of ground and pound for going out and and talking
• 6:53
  to other other people and making connections.
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  And, like, we've made a connection with you, you know, and it's just been so big for us and
• 7:00
  the leaps that we've taken in these in these in these two years.
• 7:03
  Well, May 16 will be our two year anniversary.
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  So the leaps that we've taken from when we started to now is is really special, and it's
• 7:11
  our goals are are already being met, and we're ahead of ahead of schedule on some of our other
• 7:16
  goals, and it's it's really cool.
• 7:18
  It's really cool.
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  It's something that I never thought I would do in my lifetime.
• 7:22
  And, you know, it's something that when I first thought about this, I think it was well, I I
• 7:29
  gotta take a leap of faith, you know, and and and try and get this going and you know?
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  Because I'm if I don't do it now, when will I?
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  You know?
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  So I think that's where that just kinda started, and and we ran with it.
• 7:41
  And, yeah, these these two other guys, Kyle and Alex, are just great people to have along with
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  me and and so grateful for him.
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  Alex runs our logistics, and he runs our, you know, our warehouse and all of our stuff like
• 7:54
  that.
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  He's he's he's on top of the ball.
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  I mean, you could send him an order at 11PM, 12PM at night, and he will get up and send it
• 8:01
  off.
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  He is he'll package it up.
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  He is so great.
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  And, Kyle, he has a finance degree, so he's huge for us, you know, in the finance
• 8:10
  department.
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  We're we're, you know, we're dealing with our taxes and keeping track of everything, you
• 8:15
  know, Excel spreadsheets.
• 8:17
  That's just not my cup of tea.
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  You know?
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  So I I let them deal with that, you know, and and they do very good job at it.
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  And I deal with the creative side of it.
• 8:26
  I deal with the social media side of it.
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  And, I guess I'm more of the people person, I guess you could say.
• 8:34
  But, yeah, behind the scenes with those two, it it couldn't get done without them.
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  So I just you know, thank thank thank you to those guys too.
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  So Yeah.
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  Well, it all starts with a great team.
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  Right?
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  Yes.
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  And and the best ideas and only can get so far without, you know, a a great team and a lot of
• 8:54
  energy, a lot of time spent before you see fruition to a lot.
• 8:59
  You know?
• 8:59
  Just getting the clothing delivered can seem like a whole massive step, but then you gotta
• 9:04
  sell it.
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  You know?
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  Exactly.
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  And it's not always an easy sell and especially living in the rural areas that we do.
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  I mean, even the our big cities.
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  Right?
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  Fargo and down here in South Dakota, Sioux Falls are very small towns when you look at the
• 9:20
  grander scale of things.
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  Right?
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  A a city of 200,000 people like Sioux Falls in Illinois is a, you know, a village.
• 9:29
  Right?
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  Like, it's it's tidy.
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  So realizing that, it's not always easy to sell.
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  But what we do have going for us is that people are fierce, fiercely dedicated to their local
• 9:42
  companies.
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  Yes.
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  So I'm sure you guys really see a a great turnout for you locally when you're able to get
• 9:48
  stuff onto the golf courses out there and onto the racks.
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  I think that's amazing.
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  And to me, yes, we're in different Dakotas, but we're still still neighbors, and I still
• 10:00
  consider you guys a local company to me as well.
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  I mean, everybody always confuses South Dakota for North Dakota anyway.
• 10:07
  Right.
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  So does that happen to you guys?
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  Do you are they like, oh, yeah.
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  Mount Rushmore.
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  Yeah.
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  Pretty much.
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  I mean, yeah.
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  You get in there like North Dakota.
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  Is that well, you know, isn't that the same thing?
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  Well, no.
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  I mean, no.
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  Technically.
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  But yeah.
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  No.
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  I so when I heard about you guys and and having, you know, followed and kinda fell into
• 10:27
  you from Lance and his driven brand and a shout out to Lance Christensen Yes.
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  Junior and everything that he's doing.
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  His amazing story really drew me into him.
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  And then when we were getting the opportunity to cover the Sanford International last
• 10:42
  September, it just made too much sense to find a local company that we could wear.
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  Right?
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  There there was only so many things that we could do, and I didn't wanna be out there not
• 10:51
  rocking some kind of golf apparel.
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  But I also didn't wanna just go down and buy some Callaway stuff to look like I belong.
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  If I'm gonna be out there and representing, you know, our network and the people around us, I
• 11:03
  would much rather have a local company like Skunkt that that we could throw out there, and
• 11:08
  and it really turned out great.
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  We looked amazing out there.
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  My wife and I both getting to rock it.
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  You know, getting to snap some pictures with Ronda Barber was a massive you know, I I it
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  wasn't even on my bucket list, so I don't know what I was scratching it off of, but it was a
• 11:25
  highlight for me, for sure.
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  And now we get to move into doing a lot more content both on the course and supporting some
• 11:34
  other events.
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  One of them being the inaugural skunked classic Yeah.
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  That will be happening in Minot.
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  Correct?
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  Yes.
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  One of our local, you know, muni courses here.
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  It's just a so the course that it's at is actually it's called Apple Grove right on the
• 11:51
  edge of town here, and it's on June 27 this year.
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  We're it's a co we so we want you know, we sell women's clothing too.
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  So and we're trying to get into that lane.
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  Right?
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  We don't just wanna single out the men, and we definitely we're we're exclusionary.
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  So or exclusive.
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  You know?
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  And so so we want to we wanted women to join too.
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  We we wanna we wanna make them feel welcome into what we're doing.
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  And so it's a coed charity tournament.
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  You have to have one woman to play.
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  You know?
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  We we want them to be out there.
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  We want them to enjoy themselves too and, and to represent our women's line.
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  You know?
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  And, so, yeah, we're doing a a co head co head charity tournament for the Minot Public School
• 12:35
  Foundation here in town just to help them with, you know, overdue lunch bills and, you know,
• 12:42
  whatever else they need help with at the school district.
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  And, you know, that was was something that Alex and and Kyle and I talked about when we when we
• 12:51
  decided to do this tournament was we want it to be a charity tournament.
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  We want it to go to something that means something, you know, especially local.
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  And, and that's what we came up with, and and we're really proud to to to help them out and
• 13:07
  and have them in it with us.
• 13:10
  Yeah.
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  I think it's awesome.
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  And having an impact on your community is so important when starting a business and one that
• 13:17
  doesn't necessarily serve everyone in the community.
• 13:20
  Right?
• 13:20
  Right.
• 13:21
  Not everyone golfs, although everyone could.
• 13:24
  And I think that's kind of the message that we'd always like to bring out anytime we're
• 13:29
  talking, but that we, we want to affect our world around us in a positive way.
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  And what better way to do that than by getting everyone out on the course together, share an
• 13:41
  awesome, amazing day, and to raise some money for some great kids in the school district
• 13:46
  there.
• 13:46
  So it's really awesome that you're getting to include that.
• 13:50
  I know this meant a lot to you guys when you started the company.
• 13:53
  And getting to just two years later to actually kick this off, Yeah.
• 13:59
  It's really cool.
• 14:00
  So, Aubrey, what goes into it, on your guys' side of, you know, having the idea is one
• 14:06
  thing, but what goes into actually bringing this across the finish line?
• 14:09
  Oh, man.
• 14:10
  It has been something.
• 14:11
  You know, we so we we put we made up a sponsor package for different you know, we all the all
• 14:16
  the companies local, you know, even more corporate companies that we do go to.
• 14:20
  You know?
• 14:21
  Shields is one of them, obviously.
• 14:22
  They're huge.
• 14:23
  You know, they're a North Dakota brand.
• 14:24
  So, you know, us trying to get to Shields is huge for us.
• 14:27
  But, you know, going to all these different companies and and presenting them with a
• 14:32
  letterhead that says, this is what hey.
• 14:34
  You know, this is what we're about.
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  This is our company.
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  This is who we are.
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  This is who we're partnering with in the local community.
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  This is who you would be, you know, supporting and just to come out and have a a really good
• 14:48
  time.
• 14:48
  And, you know, you don't have to be good.
• 14:49
  Like you said, you don't have to be good.
• 14:51
  It's something that you can get out and support your local community doing and and and just
• 14:55
  have a good day.
• 14:56
  You know?
• 14:57
  Just have a a fun time.
• 14:58
  And that's what we want people there.
• 14:59
  We want it to be fun for people.
• 15:01
  And, but, yeah, the footwork is crazy.
• 15:05
  You know, we've been going door to door.
• 15:07
  I mean, it's I have done well, Kyle and I because Alex lives in a different town where
• 15:13
  we're our our actual business is actually based is in a town called Washburn.
• 15:19
  But Kyle and I live in Minot here.
• 15:21
  And, yeah, we've been doing some serious legwork.
• 15:24
  I I think we've gotten close to a 100 businesses in the last couple weeks that we've
• 15:30
  went door to door on and and just, you know, presented them with this letterhead and this
• 15:35
  this sponsor package.
• 15:36
  And and we've gotten some really good feedback, and we've gotten some really good, door prizes
• 15:41
  and and raffle prizes and stuff like that already and some couple good sponsorships
• 15:46
  already.
• 15:46
  So we're doing really good, and and it's coming along really well.
• 15:50
  You know?
• 15:50
  And then as far as the golf course goes too, you know, you know, setting all that up, having
• 15:55
  to get the carts, you know, because they don't have enough carts for you know, it's not gonna
• 15:59
  be a 108 golfers.
• 16:00
  So gotta get a rental golf company in to bring golf carts in.
• 16:05
  So it's a heel it's a big thing, you know, but it's coming along good.
• 16:08
  And and we also got some outside help too that we're talking to with people that that do a lot
• 16:14
  of tournaments and that that have been involved with setting up tournaments that are helping us
• 16:18
  out as well.
• 16:18
  And and so we're really grateful for the to them to to help us out.
• 16:22
  But, yeah, that's you know, we're it's one day at a time, really.
• 16:27
  You know?
• 16:27
  But but, man, we're excited for this tournament.
• 16:29
  We really are.
• 16:29
  That was one of our our big goals And when we started this was, you know, to do something do
• 16:35
  something to give back to the community and and, for supporting us, we wanna support them.
• 16:40
  You know?
• 16:40
  And and so this is huge for us, and we're just we're just grateful that we're able to do it in
• 16:45
  this in this shorter time, you know, in the two years.
• 16:48
  So
• 16:49
  Yeah.
• 16:49
  I mean, some companies work for, you know, years before they even have the idea.
• 16:54
  So to see this get off the ground as fast as it did Yeah.
• 16:59
  Was really incredible and just, grateful that I I get to be some small part of that as well.
• 17:06
  I'm trying to, dig through.
• 17:08
  I know I had a picture of the flyer somewhere at one point, but I can't seem to find it right
• 17:14
  now.
• 17:15
  Oh, yeah.
• 17:16
  But, we'll make sure that we post that, and, obviously, we've been sharing it out, onto our
• 17:21
  social medias as well.
• 17:22
  So everyone watching, definitely make sure you check out the skunk classic.
• 17:26
  I think it's been a great great time.
• 17:28
  Love the coed nature of it.
• 17:29
  I I think it kinda lends itself to being not that there aren't competitive women that are
• 17:34
  out there golfing.
• 17:35
  Oh, yeah.
• 17:35
  Definitely.
• 17:35
  As well, my wife being one of them.
• 17:38
  She's one of the most dead eye.
• 17:40
  She has tiger vision, man, all the time.
• 17:42
  Hey.
• 17:42
  There you go.
• 17:43
  One of my favorite memories of our honeymoon was being on the course.
• 17:47
  We had gone over to Buena Vista, Iowa and played their course, And she hit a 30 footer
• 17:53
  that did this.
• 17:54
  I think it changed directions about four times.
• 17:56
  Just a knuckle baller.
• 17:58
  Yeah.
• 17:58
  Just like, how do you because she just walks out.
• 18:00
  She's not, like, lining it up with the putter and look.
• 18:03
  She just walks up to it and boom.
• 18:05
  Like, that's incredible.
• 18:07
  But, that's just Awesome.
• 18:08
  Shout out to my wife, Danielle Yeah.
• 18:10
  Everything that she does for this company and for me personally.
• 18:15
  And I can't wait to come up there with her.
• 18:17
  We're putting a team together from the scene project sports network to come up there and be
• 18:21
  a part of it.
• 18:22
  Whether we get onto the golf course or we just get to hang out and and film everything or
• 18:27
  maybe a little bit of both is gonna be exciting.
• 18:30
  So can't wait for that moment and to have that, you know, under our belts and to have that for
• 18:36
  Skunk to say, hey.
• 18:37
  Now well, now we got a leg up on next year.
• 18:41
  Right?
• 18:41
  Exactly.
• 18:42
  That's what's important.
• 18:43
  It seems to me that, you know, obviously, growing the brand is something, but it it truly
• 18:50
  is the impact on your community that seems to be most important for you.
• 18:54
  You guys coming from the oil rigs.
• 18:56
  You probably made plenty of money doing that.
• 18:58
  Right?
• 18:59
  And, you know, living in North Dakota isn't, you know, the beach in California.
• 19:04
  Right?
• 19:04
  So Right.
• 19:05
  But but you've been able to invest now in yourselves and to grow this brand.
• 19:11
  What for you is the next, you know, three to five years of Skunk to end?
• 19:16
  Where do you see the company going?
• 19:18
  Yeah.
• 19:18
  So when we first started this company, that's what we did was we had a five year plan, right,
• 19:25
  before we even got the licensing, before we even got anything going.
• 19:29
  We sat down, and we we made up a five year plan.
• 19:32
  And this is where we wanna be.
• 19:33
  This is our goals.
• 19:34
  And after after five years, we don't hit those goals, then we reevaluate.
• 19:38
  Right?
• 19:39
  But right now, like I said, we're we're ahead of schedule on a lot of things, and we're doing
• 19:44
  we're hitting our goals.
• 19:45
  And I'm really excited to see where this takes us this year.
• 19:50
  This will be a big milestone and a big indicator to tell us where we're at this year,
• 19:57
  I think, after you know, when this year is done and to see if we can hit this goal for this
• 20:01
  year, which I I I don't think we're gonna have any problem.
• 20:04
  But I would I'm I'm really excited to see, you know, if we can if we can do that and and where
• 20:11
  it takes us after that.
• 20:12
  And, You know, we tried to get into Shields last year, but with it being a new company,
• 20:20
  it's really hard.
• 20:21
  You know, it's really hard.
• 20:22
  They want a certain amount.
• 20:23
  They want a certain certain quantity that we just couldn't give them.
• 20:27
  And, you know, she's We need
• 20:28
  10,000 shirts, and you're going Exactly.
• 20:31
  That's probably
• 20:32
  Yeah.
• 20:32
  You know, it's just something we couldn't we couldn't produce at the time.
• 20:37
  So those talks kinda, you know, pulled back.
• 20:40
  But we are gonna we're gonna give it one more year, and then we're gonna try again because,
• 20:44
  you know, that that's a that's a huge market to get into, and that's something
• 20:46
  that's been found some parameters in that goal that you needed to hit.
• 20:50
  Okay.
• 20:51
  Well, if we need to be able to supply them with this many, then we need to go out and we need
• 20:55
  to net this much this year to be able to prepare for that and to not you don't wanna
• 21:01
  obviously wanna put all of your eggs into that basket either.
• 21:04
  You still have the smaller retailers and and golf courses that I'm sure are carrying them
• 21:10
  that are a little bit easier to get into.
• 21:11
  Yep.
• 21:12
  And, hopefully, you know, with the Scene Project Sports Network and our relationship,
• 21:16
  that we're able to drive that online sales as much and to maybe bring you down here into
• 21:22
  South Dakota and have the apparel available down here as well.
• 21:26
  So we're actually getting ready to talk to Boulder Canyon in outside of in in between
• 21:32
  Deadwood and and Strandersburg.
• 21:33
  I've played that course a few times, man.
• 21:35
  Yeah.
• 21:36
  Is beautiful.
• 21:37
  Holy Oh, yeah.
• 21:38
  Wow.
• 21:38
  Challenging.
• 21:39
  Building that new clubhouse.
• 21:41
  They're building that new clubhouse there.
• 21:43
  And so last year, I talked to their their pro shop manager and, when when me and some buddies
• 21:50
  went down and played and, you know, asked them what they were getting their their hats for.
• 21:55
  You know, they they carry a lot of Waggle stuff.
• 21:57
  So I asked them what they were getting their hats for, and she told me.
• 22:00
  And I said, well, we can beat it.
• 22:01
  And so we're we're getting ready to talk to them again and and see if we can get our our
• 22:06
  apparel, at least the hats, into their new clubhouse and and push it out in in South
• 22:12
  Dakota too.
• 22:13
  And then we also were in Minnesota in the Brainerd area last summer for my bachelor
• 22:19
  party, actually.
• 22:19
  Haven't played golf out there, but I've been around there.
• 22:22
  Shout out to Dunhams on the lake and everything they've done for us.
• 22:26
  So amazing.
• 22:27
  So we went to we went to Madden's Resort and all their golf courses there at their their
• 22:32
  their resort.
• 22:33
  And we talked to their club pro house guy, and he weirdly enough, his parents are actually
• 22:39
  from North Dakota.
• 22:40
  So, you know, it's small world stuff like that.
• 22:42
  You know, you meet people that are you know, it's just small world where you're like, oh,
• 22:46
  wow.
• 22:46
  You know?
• 22:47
  So so we kinda got our foot in the door there that we need to talk to them again too.
• 22:50
  So, yeah, it's definitely we got opportunities ahead of us and and trying to branch out and
• 22:56
  expand the brand.
• 22:57
  And, you know, that's all that's really what it's about right now in the early stages.
• 23:01
  Right?
• 23:01
  It's it's all about brand recognition.
• 23:03
  It's all about expanding the brand.
• 23:04
  It's all about marketing.
• 23:06
  You know?
• 23:07
  So that's a big part of it for us, and and that's where we're where we're aiming.
• 23:12
  Yeah.
• 23:13
  Well, I'm just happy to be a a part of that marketing plan, to be out here growing the
• 23:18
  brand alongside of ours, and, I got deep roots.
• 23:21
  I grew up out in Deadwood.
• 23:23
  So I got deep roots out there in the Black Hills and, got some friends out on the golf
• 23:28
  courses, and, we'll see what we can work around.
• 23:31
  And, yeah, we'll would love to keep, you know, providing some influence in that area around
• 23:37
  all the stuff that we are.
• 23:38
  I mean and that's that's the point.
• 23:40
  It is about our relationship is, carrying the skunk name with us everywhere that we go to
• 23:46
  golf Yeah.
• 23:46
  With the intention that it becomes one thing.
• 23:49
  You know?
• 23:49
  It's not about, you know, can we drive tens of thousands of dollars of sales through our, you
• 23:55
  know, affiliate link.
• 23:56
  Would that be nice?
• 23:57
  Yes.
• 23:58
  But it's also about, can we spread that skunk name into these places that we go and really
• 24:04
  covering this, I would say, maybe five state region.
• 24:07
  Right?
• 24:08
  Iowa not being far from me at all.
• 24:10
  Nebraska, just across the river about ten minutes from me.
• 24:13
  They got some really nice one of the best courses that I've ever played in my life to
• 24:16
  Tonka is right across the river.
• 24:18
  Really incredible spot there.
• 24:20
  So, yeah, man.
• 24:22
  I think we're headed in the right direction.
• 24:24
  It was really awesome to connect with you guys last fall and to have that moment and to
• 24:30
  hopefully repeat on a lot of the past successes and to keep searching for even more.
• 24:36
  Yeah.
• 24:36
  Yeah.
• 24:37
  Definitely.
• 24:38
  Yeah.
• 24:38
  It's, it's been quite the journey, and I'm I'm so excited to see where it takes us.
• 24:43
  And and, you know, hopefully, you know, in starting this company, you know, all three of
• 24:49
  us work in the oil field together, and that's where we met.
• 24:51
  And, you know, that was part of it.
• 24:53
  That's one of the goals is to is to get out of the oil field and and to have this be our main
• 24:57
  job and and to really push this and and push ourselves too.
• 25:01
  You know?
• 25:01
  I mean, this has been this has been crazy.
• 25:04
  You know?
• 25:04
  When when I when we started this, I I don't think I really realized what all went into it.
• 25:09
  Know?
• 25:09
  I don't I don't know if anybody really does until they're in it.
• 25:12
  You know?
• 25:12
  But, man, we've we've learned a lot along the way so far, and and it's been just a really
• 25:18
  cool journey.
• 25:19
  So, yeah, we're really excited to see where this takes us.
• 25:22
  Well, you've got a great product line.
• 25:25
  You have an amazing, logo.
• 25:27
  Love the skunk.
• 25:28
  It's very recognizable on everything.
• 25:31
  I love the directions that you guys are going.
• 25:33
  I mean, from something very sleek and fashionable, like the pullover, to something
• 25:37
  more fun like the retrofits, the hat that you got on, a kind of a custom, you know, a
• 25:43
  statewide thing.
• 25:45
  But Yes.
• 25:45
  You guys haven't tried to get you're not going into too many lanes at once.
• 25:50
  I think you've Right.
• 25:51
  Selected a a really a great avenue of them.
• 25:56
  Get out there.
• 25:56
  Let's sell a ton of them.
• 25:58
  Let's sell out of all the lines in twenty twenty six and then see what kinda, you know,
• 26:03
  big moves we could make in 2027.
• 26:06
  And I'm just very grateful to be part of the Skunk family and, to continue growing with you
• 26:11
  guys.
• 26:11
  It's gonna be an awesome, awesome run.
• 26:14
  Yes.
• 26:14
  For sure.
• 26:16
  Well, we got the website down there.
• 26:18
  You guys can check out all the Skunked apparel at skunkedgc.com.
• 26:22
  That's skunked, skunkdgc.com.
• 26:28
  They are the sponsors of all the golf content that comes from the same project sports
• 26:32
  network.
• 26:33
  So keep your eye on us.
• 26:34
  If you wanna wear what we wear here at e s p s n, then you gotta get skunked.
• 26:40
  Come on now.
• 26:41
  That's great.
• 26:42
  Anything you wanna add before I let you go, Aubrey?
• 26:46
  Not really.
• 26:46
  I just you know, again, thank you to you and and all of your creators that are working with
• 26:51
  you for, you know, pushing our name out there and and and being on this journey with us
• 26:55
  again.
• 26:56
  So thank you for that.
• 26:57
  And, also, thank you to our families too, you know, for for being there and supporting us
• 27:02
  and, you know, well, it's a lot of work.
• 27:05
  You know?
• 27:05
  We're we're we're traveling a lot, and and we're we're doing a lot of stuff to get the
• 27:09
  name out.
• 27:09
  And and, so so thank you to them for, you know, staying behind us and and rooting us on and and
• 27:15
  being our support system.
• 27:16
  So yeah.
• 27:17
  Yes.
• 27:18
  The unsung heroes, the wives and kids of business owners who who don't get to spend as
• 27:23
  much time with their husbands and fathers as they wish they could.
• 27:27
  But That's exactly right.
• 27:29
  With a bigger vision in mind that you'll be able to, you know, leave.
• 27:32
  I know how hard the work can be Mhmm.
• 27:34
  For guys out in the oil field, a lot of time away from your family doing that.
• 27:39
  And with the vision of, hey.
• 27:40
  I can build this to be at my own boss and how freeing that can be.
• 27:45
  So I I just a huge kudos to you guys for for being brave enough to get out there.
• 27:52
  You've built an incredible brand, and now we just gotta get out there and tell as many
• 27:57
  people as possible.
• 27:58
  So I'm gonna keep running my mouth about you every chance I get, and, I can't wait to see
• 28:04
  you guys up there in Minot.
• 28:05
  What's the date of the golf tournament again?
• 28:07
  June 27.
• 28:09
  June 27.
• 28:10
  Well, I will see you up there.
• 28:11
  The Airbnb is already reserved, sir.
• 28:14
  So, yeah, we're we're coming.
• 28:17
  Whether we get into the tournament or not is to be seen.
• 28:21
  I got one talking to one of our other cohost.
• 28:24
  I'm really trying to talk Lance into coming, but who knows what his schedule will be like.
• 28:28
  Yeah.
• 28:28
  If Lance comes, then we're setting sights on a championship.
• 28:32
  Because otherwise, we're leaning on me, and I don't think that's gonna go very well.
• 28:38
  Yeah.
• 28:38
  We appreciate you, Aubrey.
• 28:40
  It's been great getting to know you guys, and I can't wait to see where this all goes.
• 28:45
  And glad to be along for the ride, man.
• 28:47
  Thank you.
• 28:48
  Thank you so much.
• 28:49
  Also, hey.
• 28:49
  Tell your wife.
• 28:50
  We got some we got some new product coming in here pretty soon.
• 28:53
  Well, probably May.
• 28:55
  We got we got women's tank tops coming in.
• 28:57
  So Okay.
• 28:58
  Yeah.
• 28:59
  She's gonna she's gonna need one in every color.
• 29:01
  I already know.
• 29:03
  Perfect.
• 29:04
  Awesome.
• 29:05
  Well, Aubrey, thank you so much for giving me some of your time today, and thank you for
• 29:09
  being part of the scene.
• 29:11
  Yes.
• 29:11
  Yes.
• 29:11
  Thank you.
• 29:15
  Hey, guys.
• 29:16
  I just wanted to pop in and tell you about a great new company that we just started working
• 29:20
  with.
• 29:20
  Skunk Golf Company out of North Dakota sent us some awesome gear.
• 29:25
  Man, they got some great stuff, y'all.
• 29:27
  They got some awesome hats.
• 29:29
  They sent us some great polo and collared shirts, some T shirts, skorts for the ladies
• 29:34
  too, and some sweet visors.
• 29:36
  Go check them out.
• 29:37
  Skunked Golf online.