Latest / Power Moves Media / Power Moves Ep. 4: Golf, Business & Opportunity with Iman Watson & LaToya Clark

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Power Moves Ep. 4: Golf, Business & Opportunity with Iman Watson & LaToya Clark · Power Moves Media

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome to Power Moves.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_04: I'm Alexander Austin, enterprise value strategist and nonprofit CEO.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm Rose Johnson, founder of the Spotlight DMV.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_04: And this is the show where we discuss the people, partnerships, and opportunities shaping business and economic growth across Prince George's County and throughout the region.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Every episode, we're bringing you conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and change makers who are creating opportunities and helping move our communities forward.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_04: And we've got a great conversation lined up.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Later in the show, we'll be joined by Iman Watson, founder of the Lab 301, and Latoya Clark, founder of the Green Carpet Golf.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_04: And we're talking how golf continues to be one of the most powerful tools for creating business opportunities.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: But before we get there, let's start out with a recap of what's been making headlines here in Prince George's.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_04: Oh man, Rose, now you're getting me started.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_04: You're getting me started.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_04: It's been a lot.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_04: It's been a lot.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_04: So last week I had a chance to attend the uh County Exec state of the economy.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_04: And you remember that conversation we had the week prior about$18 billion in projects?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: $18 billion?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_02: What it be?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_04: What a B, right?
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_04: They uh they broke down all$18 billion.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um so I'm very excited about a lot of things that are happening all through the county.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_04: Uh and then the county exec also um shed light on um Dr.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_04: Joseph, who is um our appointed uh superintendent of schools for Prince George's County Public Schools.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_04: So very excited about that.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um and so, you know, when you think about the projects we have and then where the school system plays and growing our economy, um, it's a new day.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_04: It's a new day.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and Alex, you know, we were discussing the role the school system plays in economic development.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's very important because your pipeline, your workforce, that development starts at the grade school level.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_04: And so we're talking about STEM, right?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_04: Science, math, um, science technology, mathematics, engineering, um, you know, that that foundational learning is so critically important.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_04: Pitch Rose County has a large school system.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and so what we produce on an annual basis in terms of potential talent that enters the workforce, once they graduate out of high school, they either go to college, trade school, military, start work.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of different options.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um, that's significant.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_04: And so to have that level of responsibility for a county that has almost a million people, um, and in that that also uh plays a major part in what the state does, right?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_04: Prince Russia County is the school system is pretty large.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_04: So you're you're the top.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_04: You're at the top.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_04: So that's important.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: And some of the ways that the school system does play a role in economic development, first and foremost, it attracts people to the county.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_04: It does.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's one of the main things that people factor in when they're looking for where they're gonna live.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_04: The schools.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_04: What is the school system?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_04: I I've had the opportunity to tour quite a few schools over the last couple of months.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_04: Um so I've seen some very impressive schools that have been um stood up over the last couple of years.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_04: I've met some really great educators, in which I, you know, again, we talk about, you know, again, superintendent, but the teachers they're in the trenches every single day, and I know quite a few.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, they are critical to the development of our young people and shaping their minds, and and and I think about some of the teachers that have influenced me that I still remember to this day from Prince Roses County.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_04: I'm a product of Prince Roses County Public Schools.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_04: But that imprint that they have is significant.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so you know, when you when you have a selection like Dr.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_04: Joseph and just the impact that they will bring, Dr.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_04: Joseph is representing the entire school system, right?
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_04: So it's it's it's one man that is lifted up by thousands that work in the system that are supporting our young people.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: So And so to that point, you know, it again, it it retains families and it attracts and retains families.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: It influences housing demand and property values.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_02: You've mentioned workforce, it attracts employers that want access to a skilled workforce.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah, it's a big deal.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's a big deal.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: So and it also helps prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs, professionals, tradespeople.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_02: And finally, it creates confidence that a community is investing in its future.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: And so when you think about all those things together, education, it really becomes something a critical part of economic development.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_04: No, it's huge.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_04: It's huge.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's it's something you can't ignore.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I just I think as we go through these um ebbs and flows of detachment from larger, you know, entities like the federal government.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_04: Um, gotta be thinking about what we're producing.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_04: And also think about, again,$18 billion of development over the next five, seven years, you're gonna have students that are gonna be entering the workforce.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_04: Where do they land in that, right?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_04: That that's a gr that would be great to see.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, you graduate through the school system and maybe you're working on a project.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: So when we're talking about from a business perspective, what are some of the things that one should be paying attention to as new leadership comes into play in in the school system?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, I wouldn't I wouldn't just say school, right?
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_04: I would say new leadership in general.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_04: What's the strategic, what's the strategy?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I think we've seen um collaborative efforts.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_04: Now you're starting to see all the dots connect.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_04: Um when we think about, you know, from a from a chambers perspective, is how we as a partner um play a part in the broader picture, right?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_04: But is ultimately led through a strategy.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_04: Um and any leader, you know, when I started a chamber, I had my hundred-day plan.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_04: Then we developed a uh uh one-year plan, then we developed a a three-year plan.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_04: That strategy is what we lean into.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_04: And so as and it's not set in stone, you revamp your strategy because trends change, things change, you have to pivot slightly sometimes, not drastically, but what I always look for is well, what is the strategy of the leader?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_04: What's the mindset?
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_04: Where where do they see the organization going?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_04: How can I help the leader get to where they want to be as a partner?
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and and just search forward.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because ultimately we're competing.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, we're definitely competing.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: We're competing for residents, for employers, for investment.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: All those things are strengthened when people have confidence in the leadership.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and I think I think, again, when you got$18 billion in projects, that's a lot of confidence.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: That's a lot of confidence.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but it's exciting.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_04: It's exciting to talk about that at a at that level.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_04: Um and to see how things are just kind of um, you know, aligning and in the role we're in now as mid-career professionals.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_04: We're we're in a place in our lives where we are making impact and we're looking at the future, right?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_04: At the same time.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_04: Like we're looking forward and and looking at our uh the next wave to say, okay, how are we laying the track the groundwork for this next generation?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_04: Because when they get the chance, how they manage things is gonna impact us.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_04: And so that's a that's a very interesting situation to think about if you don't have confidence in your in what your young people will put out when they when they hit the streets, right?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_04: Because ultimately you gotta live with it too.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, exactly, exactly.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, you touched on um collaboration, and when we're talking about collaboration, you know, the schools can't do it alone, businesses can't do it alone, and the strongest outcomes happen when industry, education, all those things are working together.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_04: Oh yeah, has to.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_04: It has to.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and I think, I think, you know, at the end of the day, there's so much happening.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_04: I have to be honest, it's hard sometimes to keep up with everything because there's a lot of moving parts.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_04: But I think the the intentional communication, again, um trying to get the as many bulletins as I call them bulletins, but information sources as possible, ask questions, you know, have the coffees, have the lunches, you know, keep your ears and eyes open to information and then decipher how you can you can make the most of it.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_04: Because there's a lot of information.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, when they say, you know, Prince Rogers County doesn't do this or doesn't do that, okay.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_04: My vantage point is a little different because I have a lot, I have so much information of positive things that are happening, it's sometimes overwhelming.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_04: So I can't keep up with it all.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_04: So let's let's figure out how to maximize the all of the, again, the projects, the hearings, the meetings, the develop.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_04: There's so much going on that it's sometimes you you can miss it because that one thing that isn't as positive is now the centerfold, right?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_04: But it there are there are more things happening that are positive than negative.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_04: And if we can just create a Rubik's chart of all the things and then we can duplicate ourselves, we'll be very busy.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so you know, when we're talking about duplicating ourselves, you know, that happens through relationships, right?
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_02: And and finding people that are aligned with the things that you're working on or with wherever you're headed.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're talking relationships between schools and businesses, between mentors and students, um, relationships that help create opportunities.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um you know, one thing you said was, hey, how do how do I align with somebody who's who's headed in the same direction, right?
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_04: And sometimes what I have learned recently is that sometimes we we may be you may align with someone who's going about it in a different way.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_04: And that's actually not a bad thing.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_04: It's not a bad thing sometimes.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_04: It's a difference of thought and opinion.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_04: But if if if you're approaching relationships from a solutions-oriented perspective, you're always gonna learn something.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_04: You always have a takeaway, and sometimes you have to be open-minded to to to know that what I thought I might have taken away from this conversation is not what I actually got.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_04: But but I can still apply it, right?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I can still be a resource.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_04: I recently learned that lesson.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_04: I just I was like, it wasn't what I expected, but it was better than what I expected.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: It sounds like a story time.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_04: Not yet, not yet.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_04: No, man, but but I I say that just as just in just a period of growth and reflection and say, you know, it's not always the way that you imagine.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_04: Sometimes an unorthodox way is the best way to get to your goal.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: And that's actually kind of what we're gonna be talking about today, because we will be talking to two extraordinary individuals that are shaping the golf experience right here in Prince George's County.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_02: And they're approaching it from their own perspective, from bringing their own gifts to the game of golf, to the golf experience.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so let's get into it.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_04: Let's do it.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: Today we're talking golf, entrepreneurship, and relationship building.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: Joining us are two people that are helping shape the golf experience right here in Prince George's County.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_02: We have Iman Watson, founder of the Lab 301, an indoor golf experience that's creating new ways for people to connect with the game while building community and business relationships.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_04: And we're also joined by Latoya Clark, founder of the Green Carpet Golf, a platform bringing storytelling, culture, fashion, and visibility to the golf community while helping expand what people think golf can be.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Power Moves.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having us.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so, golf isn't necessarily the first thing that people think about when they think about Prince George's County.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'd love to hear from both of you.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: How did golf find you?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: Ladies, first, let's start with LaToya.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I in college decided that when I turned 40, I would do cool old people stuff like pay golf.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: Little did I know 40 was not old, but at the time, it seemed like someone that was up there.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I constantly waited, and life was lifing.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And during that time, um, I am now a cancer survivor.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so during my diagnosis, I said, if I'm able to walk again and able to move around again, the first thing I want to do is learn to play golf.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: And from the very first lesson, I was hooked and I knew that somewhere I really wanted to be.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: I'm kind of first and foremost, I'm kind of amazed that you thought that 40 was old.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think as teenagers, we all think 40 is old and have no idea how close we are actually to that age.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: And congratulations on surviving cancer.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so golf has been my piece.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'm in what about you?
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so I got introduced to the game in uh my mid-20s, around 24, 45 years old.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um, unfortunately, I went through my first divorce, and my coworker was like, Man, you need something to fill the time.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_03: And so at lunchtime, he took me over to um um the drive-on range over there in DC at Hangings Point.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I felt like I was a natural at the game.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_03: I was really no good at the time, but I could hit the ball and I could make contact, and I thought that was the best thing in the world.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so quickly I got hooked and I was going to the range three times a day after that and wow up ever since.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_04: Very nice, very nice.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_04: So, so for both of you, at what point did you realize that there was an opportunity to combine golf with storytelling and and really media?
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I would say for myself, probably nine months into my golf, I guess, uh hobby, um, I went to Orlando for the PGA show.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: And during that time, I was able to hear Roger still speak.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: He spoke at the African American Symposium.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: And during that time, he basically said there's room for all of us in this space of golf, but you have to find your thing.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Find what you think you're good at and what others will say about you.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: And um, for me, it was fashion.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone always comment on my clothes.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: So the entire time I was in Orlando, people wanted to know where did I buy my golf clothes?
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: Where did I buy the shoes?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: And people always talk about my fashion, whether I'm at work, anywhere I am, it's always been a topic of discussion.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: So combining fashion as well as learning the personalities behind the players, that was something that I've always done.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm always a I'm a people person and I love talking to people.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so people always want to talk to me.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I was just like, well, maybe this is something I can combine um on the golf course.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's where the idea came from.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, guys, we're gonna get more into LaToya's story and um hearing about her business.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: But I want y'all to notice she talked about fashion and she's currently dressed in the Knicks colors.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_04: You saw it, Rose.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_04: You saw it, you saw it.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's Nick's and four.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: I tell you, we have tonight's game and we have Wednesday game.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: I will be in New York on Thursday to celebrate.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: You better get here first.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: No, I I love that, and I love um, you know, I'm a storyteller myself, and I I kind of have that gift where people they just love to talk to me.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: They love to talk to me.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I I really like that you're marrying together that gift with your passion for golf.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: And you kind of shared that backstory um last week with me about being at PGA and being encouraged to share whatever gifts that you have and marrying it with golf.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_02: And to this point, um, how have you seen that as far as marrying that with a business?
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it has it was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I started the organization February 3rd of 2026, and within the first month, I was booked for five different tournaments.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so the connections that I've made, the relationships I've built over time, and even, I mean, there's been so many areas.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: And even today, I spoke with someone um at a golf tournament and he was inquiring about a specific grant.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, Are you familiar with this grant as it relates to my nonprofit?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I just applied for that grant.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's a$350,000 grant.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: And he was like, Oh, I know the person behind it.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to introduce you to that person so that we could get your application at the top of the list.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: And that's something that who would have thought I would have been at a tournament out in Rockville and come across someone that was familiar with the type of work that my organization does, but not just that, but also grants that we were applying for.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: So just the relationship building and even the friendships.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: One of my best friends, and when I say I've been playing golf for a year now, a little over a year, and I literally have a golf bestie.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like me and her talk all the time.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: We are there for each other.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: She started her own nonprofit.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: I assist her with her nonprofit.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm on a board chair.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then she assists me by coming out to the green carpet events with me.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: And we just really have created a bond like no other.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: So golf has really brought a number of people into my life and friendships that I feel I will have for life.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_02: Alice, what a testimony for being in the room.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_04: Man, listen, you're talking about for real.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, like, that is a that is a connection that only God can really make.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: Like you're there for one thing and then you get this connection and it's gonna bump you to the top of the list.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: So, you know, with that, I want to segue a little bit and talk about the business of golf, right?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_04: And so in that, I mean not everyone ha and everyone has great ideas, but not everyone has the courage to do it and do a brick and mortar business.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_04: And so with the Lab 301, much like Lil Tori's saying, right, there's opportunities there, but not everybody can play.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_04: Like your boy.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_04: But I have a purpose of being there, right?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_04: And so through the lab and and the and the business model, what what problem are you trying to solve?
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_03: So we're trying to solve the problem of um access uh in our community.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I've been a golfer in Bridge Rivers, County, for 23 years.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um and just in my journey, I've seen the game grow in our community.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: But one thing I didn't, I don't see any true investment in our community in our youth.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_03: There are millions of dollars in scholarships that are left on the table every year for African Americans in golf.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_03: We should be building the infrastructure within our community so that we can train our youth so that they can have access to those scholarships.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_03: Right now, um, if you have a child and you don't have the deep pockets to have a country club membership, be able to uh get your kid off to these country clubs where you could have access to technology, it's not within our community.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: So building the lab through the one was my goal in filling that gap in our community to provide access to not just people who have the money, but to everyone.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and it's a great facility too.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_04: And and I'm in being modest, and I say this because when I say the brother built it from scratch, with his with his own hands, the brother took his own tools and built it out.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta see it.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_04: It's an amazing facility, but you hit the nail on the head, right?
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_04: Access and opportunity.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and then the next generation, right?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_04: So that's I I really commend you for that.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_04: Sure.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_02: And what I also love about the lab 301, you know, when you're talking about being an entrepreneur and having a business, it's important to be able to have multiple streams of income.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: That that's what you hear a lot of people talk about, multiple streams of income.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so a part of your business model is also using your space as a venue.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, talk to us about that.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: We kind of hit on merch earlier.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: Good point.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_04: Good segue, Rose.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you have the accessibility, you have the venue space, you have the merch.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Talk to us about those multiple streams and how you're able to use uh golf as the center of all of that.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm learning this as I go because I did not know that I would create so many different multiple streams of income from one product.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um so you know, my mind is always racing uh to think of new things.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_03: But with my merchandise, I don't focus on selling merchandise.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_03: I give my merchandise away to members, to anybody who's interested, because it's really advertisement to me.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_03: The more you know about the lab, the more you come in, the more you find the community, find the network.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_03: And that's really what I'm trying to grow.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so all things are done to focus on that.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Um the event space.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_03: I call it quote air quotes.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um it's the best event space that's not really an event space.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_03: Because I didn't plan for it today.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um I wanted this to be focused on golfers.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: I only wanted to deal with golfers, I didn't want to deal with anybody else, no birthday parties, no non-golf stuff.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: Don't call me.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_03: But with the way it's set up, and my wife did a beautiful job with the aesthetic of the place, that people find that, hey, I want to do graduation parties over here.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_03: I want to do my husband's birthday party.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we can do non-golf events in baby showers.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_03: Baby shower.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_03: Nice.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: Plenty of people find chamber events.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, if you're looking for a small event space that's quaint, um, out the way, uh, something that's private, uh serious.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no doubt.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_04: So when we talk about growth, right?
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_04: Um, there's a startup phase, which it looks like you've kind of grown beyond that now.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_04: What's the next three to five years look like in the trajectory for the lab?
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um, the next three to five years, I I hope that there's something big, big coming in in less time than that, because something that I'm working on right now, um, to grow the lab, to give us another location, to expand what we offer, more revenue streams, um, just to really bring the community together in ways that just don't exist right now.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_03: I have ideas and things that's all centered around golf, that's all centered around youth, um, and building that community um so that in the future.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: So we're talking right now, we're in Bowie.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: I'm looking to move to Upper Marlboro and then expand throughout PG County so that we can just kind of really have a have a hole in our youth when it comes to golf and and and having golf community that's very centered.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that the end goal as far as it comes to the youth, like when you're thinking about it, is scholarships because that is so, so important.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like the expenses for college, and I know you know this, Alex.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: You have one about to start their fresh college.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_04: I'm over here, like, Lord Jesus help us.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but but Rose, you like you you hit on something, and I mean I want to circle back on that a little bit.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you what is your definition of scale?
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_04: Because it's not it's not just customers, and you're you're you're giving a blueprint.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_04: You're saying, hey, I'm trying to expand, but I have an end goal that will impact the community.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_04: So what can you kind of package that up for us?
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um partnering with other businesses when I when I talk about scaling, I do something well and I want to stick to doing what I do well.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I want to scale to maybe offering hospitality services, food and beverage, and things like that.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_03: What we can do in our community is partner with other businesses, especially in the black community.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm gonna give you an example.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_03: If you go to a laundromat or if you go to an Asian business, speef right now, by the way.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_03: The front doors are all different.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: The back doors are all the same.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_03: They're all one business when you go through the back door.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: And we should be like that too.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: Why do I need if I don't do food well, why should I do food?
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_03: If I got a partner over here who has a restaurant, let him do my food.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_03: Let's not all be greedy.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_03: Do what you do well.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: And let somebody else do what they do well, and we all come together and what we have to offer.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_04: Ecosystem building.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_04: Vitoria, how about you?
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I wanted to kind of add to uh I'm in because I think that you are not speaking on the lab like like I would.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: So I am a member of the lab.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that people have always said that golf deals happen on the golf course.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I find that the lab is a great space to have the quiet conversations.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so there's a conference room that we're able to use.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so I've had plenty of meetings in that space to talk to people about many things, the green carpet and other things and other business ventures that I'm currently working on.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: And having the lab be a space where we can go hit some balls and see our distance while we hit the balls, using certain clubs, and then come and do the business in that quiet space has been, it's an amazing thing.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_01: It's something I'd never thought that I would do.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I'm glad that the lab exists for that reason.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I I yes, I I appreciate it.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: Seriously.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I keep my membership, even though I don't use it enough, but I use it enough to know that I want this membership because I want to be able to use it when I need it.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but I'm sorry, your question was it about scaling and like what does scale mean to you um just personally?
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so um from the standpoint of the green carpet, to me, scaling is traveling to do tournaments.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: I want to be in a space, um, well, not in a space.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: I want to be that go-to person that everyone wants within their golf tournament space.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, my goal is to travel around, to go to golf tournaments and be that energy on the golf course, be the person to invite other people in, people that don't play golf.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: The majority of the time at the beginning of a golf tournament, I can always spot out who's not a player.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_01: But I want to make that person feel just as welcome as the people that are there to play.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so I speak with them as well.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: I interview them as well.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: And they're like, well, I don't, I don't really play.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't matter.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: Come on up and let's talk about why you don't play and talk about what we have to do to get you to play.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I always give them some context.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, I know a good coach in DC, I know a good coach in Upper Marlboro, and I kind of connect them um in a way that makes them feel comfortable and makes them feel um included and they like would like to continue.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, there's a young lady that I invited to the lab, never played golf a day in her life.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: But we were hosting an event, a wine and golf event at the lab.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: She came and started hitting some balls.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: Ever since then, she's been on my line and now she's going to the range and she borrowed golf clubs, and now she's like, I really want to, I really want to do this as my hobby.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, really, my goal was to travel.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: I enjoy traveling.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's something I already enjoy.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: And if I'm able to take this green carpet to the next level, that's what I would like to do.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: I want to be on TV somewhere.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't have to necessarily be like a major network, but even if I do a podcast or even if I do uh just any type of film pertaining to golf.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: And letting people know that it's everyday people that are golfers.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: And even when my friends and I tell them, oh, I'm playing golf now, they're like, with who?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: Old rich people?
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, no, not necessarily.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like, there's a lot of people in golf that you wouldn't believe, and a lot of really down-to-earth people that you wouldn't know until you get in that space.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: And there are the people that I felt intimidated by when I first started to play golf, I'm super close with them.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I realized that they are just as silly as I am.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I thought you were mature.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's just, it's a space like no other.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: And no matter where you go, I want to be in a space where we all are included and where we all feel comfortable and we all feel like we belong in that space.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because one of the major things for me when I went to the PGA show, I was like, I don't belong here.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, um, I took a leap of faith and I applied as a content creator.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: I had a thousand followers.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: There's no way I thought I was going to get it.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: And they were looking for those that had over 100,000 followers.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I believe in myself, and I don't know why, but I am extremely confident that I can do all things.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's all because of my belief, my faith in God, and all the places that He's placed me when I know I didn't, I didn't do enough to get in those spaces.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so I applied for the content creator badge at the PGA show, and I was approved.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the reasons why I was approved, I found out later on, there were not enough of us who were content creators.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: They wanted more diversity in their content creators.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was able to get a badge.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: If I would have paid for my tickets out of pocket, it would have been like$1,200.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I was able to get the badge.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was able to go into the space and literally be in spaces I never thought that I would be in.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: That's a that's the story right there.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_04: We we in the last episode we had talked about, you know, feeling like you belong in the room.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_04: But but what I'm hearing is you you you took courage, right?
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_04: And you you applied regardless of the outcome.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_04: Whether it was no, it didn't matter, you apply, and that's really the victory.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_04: Right is saying, okay, you know, here's a barrier.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_04: I may not feel it, but I'm let me put myself out there because I know once I get the shot, it's on.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_04: So that's that's dope.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_04: That's dope.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: If you're just tuning in, you're listening to Power Moves, today's guests are Iman Watson of the Lab 301 and Latoya Clark of the Green Carpet Golf.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: And Latoya, I really loved what you just said because my first time stepping foot on a golf course was in 2024.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_02: And that was with the chamber.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: And with Prince George's Chamber of Commerce, the annual golf tournament.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I was nervous because, you know, just what you explained, some of your friends were asking, like, who are you going golfing with?
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, old white people.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_02: And that was my perception of golf, like stuffy, and just, I'm not gonna fit in.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: So when I got there, and I had a friend that was my Sherpa because she has been playing golf for a long time, and she heard me talking about going out there and I gotta create content, I'm gonna be talking to people on the golf course, and I just don't know.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so she was like, Well, I can help you, you know, I can help you teach you the etiquette and that kind of thing.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I got out there, and even though I did not play, just being on the course, seeing the camaraderie, the fellowship, the friendly competition.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we we do it different.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_02: We do it real different.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: We have music, comment, all of that.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I had such a good time.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're talking about partnerships and how all of that works together.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, you actually, you know, you're a part of our golf committee for this year's golf tournament, and you recommended the green carpet to us as a part of the experience.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you for that.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, yes.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, absolutely.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_04: That's part of that name.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_04: There you go.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_04: Get through golf.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: Well, yeah.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about let's talk about networking and and how that all comes together because you know, you don't even have to be in the room at that time.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: You have people that are calling your name when you're not even there.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_02: And so talk to us a bit about about that, about the networking piece of it.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_03: So um I I talk about just how the green copy got involved with uh tournament here.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_03: LaToya being one of my members at the lab, you know, we're always in there, I'm always talking to my members, um, and just find out what they do because I like to create that network community.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_03: If it's not something that um I can use or or a way that I can kind of plug in, maybe I know somebody or something like that.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_03: So she came in one day, she told me about the green carpet, and immediately sent me quality, you know, just digital advertising that I can immediately go to come to the committee and share with them.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I tell other people in business this if there's something that you seriously want to do, sit down and produce quality work so that someone who does want to support you doesn't have to do work to support you.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_03: That's a bull.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_03: That's a bar right there.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_04: Say it again, bro.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_04: That's a bar.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_04: No, that's a bar.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_04: That is a bar.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, fill in that gap, you know, and and like I mentioned, I was doing interviews and I didn't know what I was talking about.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_02: So now to have you being a part of the experience, I'm like, oh, this is awesome.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_02: This is awesome because she knows golf.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know golf, and I love that we're bringing in a whole other audience to learn about what we're doing um here in Prince George's County.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I want to tell y'all a fun fact the very first golf tournament I've ever played in was Prince George's Chamber of Commerce.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_04: That's you know what?
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_04: Shout out to the Chamber.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_01: Shout out to the Chamber.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, in addition to that, not only did I play, so at that time, I only played for two months.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I played with a group of women that I had never met a day in my life.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: And it was interesting because none of them were from this area.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like they flew in from other places to play.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_07: Bringing them in.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_01: And while we were playing, they gave me my nickname that I use on the golf course called the Chip and Queen.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so they started calling me Chip and Queen because my chip game was on point.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: And they was like, alright, Chip and Queen, we know even if you don't hit nothing else, that chip is gonna be right and you're gonna land us right where we need to get on the green so that we can finish.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: And after that, I was just like, I like the sound of that.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so now within the golf space, people literally call me the chip and queen.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: I have been in space.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_01: I was at a gnats game, and a guy walked up to me.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, are you the chip and queen?
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, yes.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: And he was like, it's so great to meet you.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_01: I follow you on Instagram, and like he just had so much conversation, and it was surprising to me that I don't even know this man, and I don't recall ever seeing him.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like he follows my page and he sees what I'm doing in the golf community and he admires it.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's creating, it's creating really networks because seriously, these women, I knew them from nowhere.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_01: And the fact that not only did they give me this name, we um connected so much through business and the type of work that we do.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm an executive director of a nonprofit, and so I was able to connect one of the young ladies with the services that we currently do at my nonprofit.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_01: So it was some really good networking taking place.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_04: All right, so so just you know, break it down.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_04: For someone who's never attended a golf event before, like, never been, you know, what do you hope they they walk away with first time?
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um the first time, I want them to walk away feeling like they had fun, feeling like they were surrounded by people with great energy.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think that I've ever been to a tournament that did not have good vibes.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_01: Even if, I mean, there's some tournaments that are better than others.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_01: However, when you go to these golf tournaments, it's it's a movement.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's a family environment.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: Really, it feels like the cookout.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_01: We have music playing, we have food, we have conversations.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so I want everyone to walk away like they just left their family cookout.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: Because once you get home, you start thinking about all of the people you connected with, even today.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: I have, no lie, at least 12 text messages that I sent today alone at the last golf tournament that I went to today.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_01: And it was because I made connections with so many people and I want to stay in contact with them.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: And there was a young lady who's just getting into golf.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, today was the first day that she ever played golf.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, wow.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_01: And something about her, and I don't know what it was, it was something about her.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so afterwards, I went back to her and I was like, you really should take lessons.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: I really advise you to take lessons.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_01: And she was like, you know what?
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm really trying to figure out my life, and I'm really trying to figure out what I want to do.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_01: And golf is a hobby that none of my friends are doing.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_01: She's in her young 20s.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and she's a masseuse.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I told her, I was like, you know what?
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_01: I went to a golf tournament in Orlando and there was a masseuse at the golf tournament.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_01: And it was great.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that's something that I don't see in the DMV area.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe that's something that you can, a space you can move into as you continue on to learn golf and be able to speak the language of a golfer.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so as we're talking, she was like, Yeah, it's because next month I want to do something for my birthday.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, When's your birthday?
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, she was like July 12th, and I was like, So am I.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_01: So is my birthday.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, what are the odds of me connecting with this young girl?
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: This girl's probably like 20 years younger than me, and we have the same birthday, and she's ready to get into golf.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: And so at that moment, I immediately give me your number.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to connect.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to meet.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, I invited her to the lab.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_01: So she's coming to meet me at the lab when I get back from New York this weekend because um, I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but the Knicks are taking it at four.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_04: So something like that.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: When I get back, I'm going to meet with this young lady and talk to her about her business plan, what she plans on doing, because she right now she's like, I'm an entrepreneur.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, So are you making money doing what you're doing?
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, Well, I'm trying to.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I'm trying to do.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Well, let's do it.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's no trying.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: Let's do it.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: So let's talk about what you have.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about your skill set and talk about the people you're connected with and let's make it happen.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: And especially because she was excited when I told her that I saw Masseuse on a golf at a golf tournament.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_01: She was like, I would love to do that.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_01: Can you help me?
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, like you said, have the the have yourself prepared for what's next.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: Prepare a documentation that you can share with others to let them know that you're serious about what you want to do.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then also give out some pro bonos.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: So if you know someone's throwing a tournament, offer them a massage.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_01: If you give them a massage and your massage is like no other, they have no choice but to want you at their events.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_01: So there's room for us all.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_01: And even if someone's not doing it, why not do it yourself?
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I did the green carpet.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_01: No one else has done the green carpet.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: People have interviewed people at golf tournaments, but no one has had the setup to make people feel welcome.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: Make people feel like they're a celebrity, make people feel um excited, and they're like, oh, can I follow you?
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_01: And you tag me.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: And people want to be tagged, people want to be create the collaborations on social media, and it allows for us to continue our networking relationships.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, what do you help people walk away with?
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: When you leave a tournament, I hope that you feel like you found something new.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, whether it be uh a connection with another person, whether it be an idea, uh, whether it be the game of golf itself, uh, especially if you've never been to a tournament before.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh there's so many people, like you talk about that network, right?
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_03: So you come, you leave the tournament, maybe you met someone that's giving you a new idea that you're gonna motivate you to move forward.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_03: Every time I leave the golf course, whether it's the group of guys that I played with or it's someone I met on the golf course, a conversation I've had, or experienced just playing that created something inside of me that I took away from that day.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I went and either work on something in my swing or something in my business.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because that's what being out there in in golf, you're out there in an environment, it's quiet, things are calm down, it's a place for you to focus.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_03: And this isn't the time when for and this is just me, right?
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_03: This is the time when I can really kind of shut things down and try to hear my thoughts.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_02: No, I love you know if you're listening out there and this sounds like a vibe and you want to join us on the green, uh, visit pgcoc.org.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: The golf tournament is on June 22nd.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_02: Or if you're a masseuse, hint hint.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_04: We'll be there.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_04: That's a really good idea.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, absolutely.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_03: No matter what you're doing, there's some way that we can kind of incorporate it to you.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're a business out there, definitely the Press George Chamber of Commerce golf tournaments obviously.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_04: I was gonna say that, but I'm glad you said that.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: Listen, that's coming from a member, not coming from us.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so, guys, this has been an amazing conversation.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_02: And now we are at one of my favorite parts of the show that we call power, the power move.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_02: So it is the moment where we ask our guests to reflect on a decision, opportunity, challenge, or experience that changed the trajectory of their journey.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_02: Admin, let's start with you.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_02: What is your power move?
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_03: I thought about how I would answer this question, and you know, I didn't want to be too general and say something like, oh, but all decisions, all lessons, you know, all risks affect how you how things move, right?
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_03: Every every decision.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_03: But I want to say for me, the decision to go into this business affected my career half.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um I have a nine to five job that I go to every day.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_03: Uh this is kind of something that I do on the side.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_03: Slowly the side is slowly creeping up on the main.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_03: If this race continues, this pay is going to take the main.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um which I hope happens one day.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um so you know, having an entrepreneur's spirit, you do a bunch of little businesses and little ideas, and then you know, if you get lucky and stumble onto this one that's not working very well, and that's where I'm at right now.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_03: So this decision to say, all right, I'm gonna go all in.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna pull this money out of my house.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna I'm gonna risk it all to open this business and convince my wife, like that's it.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_04: That's a different segment right there.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_04: We gotta have we'll have that conversation in a whole different segment.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_04: But no, that's that's real, though.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_04: That's real.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_04: That's real.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I I'd agree.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the power move, honestly, investing in yourself.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like golf has been a space that I decided to really invest in myself.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_01: Aside from getting myself fitted for clubs and all the things, jumping into this green carpet business, it was literally an idea that I had in January.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_01: And by February, I had the LLC created.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_01: I already had things insured, I already had uh licenses and all of the things to make sure that I protect my business.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and aside from that, I had to buy a whole new wardrobe.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: And if you know the way I shop, oh, I'm going to make sure that I'm looking right.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so I had to get the green carpet wardrobe.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so now I have my whole branded ward.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: you know, a whole closet full of branded clothes that I have no choice but to move forward.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: I have no choice but to be successful because I invested so much in the business.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I will say just the the response and the reaction that I get from others has not only inspired me to keep going and inspired me to not give up.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_01: Initially I was just like I'm spending thousands and I have nothing in return, but I know that it's going to come.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, having a business, so um my business is not in Prince George's yet, but I am the executive director for a nonprofit for Love of Children in DC.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so we serve students grades two through 12.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_01: We provide them with free tutoring services.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: But not only are we providing them with free tutoring services, our students receive a one-on-one tutor.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_01: I have networked with so many people through this golf network that I have fellow golfers that actually volunteer at my organization.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_01: And not only they're not just volunteering one time, it is a weekly commitment and these volunteers sign up to weekly come back every single week to report to their student and help them in math and reading.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_01: And so when I realized that my passion for the green carpet and my business can really intertwine with my nine to five, that changed everything for me because I realized that I'm able to do both.
• 45:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like women are constantly told you can't be good at everything and you can't do all the things.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a mother I'm a wife I'm a business owner I'm an executive director of a nonprofit.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a sister I'm in a sorority I wear many, many hats.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not going to say I'm perfect at everything, but I will say I'm pretty damn good.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_01: And being pretty good and being determined and just continuing to just follow my dreams.
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like there's a reason why I'm doing all of these things.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's not for nothing.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like I have a second lease on life after becoming a cancer survivor God knew what he was doing.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_01: And a part of me felt like he was stopping me from doing things I had no business doing because I was out partying and and standing on couches at the clubs and all the things.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I said oh he sat me down for real.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_01: There was a point where I could not walk I couldn't bathe myself.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so I didn't know where I was headed and once I was able to move around again and once I was able to do things for myself I said I'm going to do everything and I'm going to live the way God intended for me to live but I'm going to do it in a healthy way.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was golf for me and the green carpet for me and the green carpet providing me with a whole group a whole network of people that I would not have been connected to otherwise.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_04: That is super I I've I've heard I heard two takeaways right the first one is recognizing where we are in the economy right you both have full-time jobs and you got a business and you're implementing systems that are allowing you to maximize your time right that's that's what I'm hearing.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely right so that that is that is amazing.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_04: The second thing that I would really just say is that I just appreciate both of your your answers because you made a decision to get started before you had all the answers and just look at the trajectory that you're on.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_04: And I and again we're speaking to our audience but I'm also speaking myself about just certain things like you don't have to have all the answers but you do have to start.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_02: Never gonna that's the talk we have every other day right now I can't deal with your anxiety Rose Rose is on point.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_03: She's just on point that's that's all it is said something you know about business and that power move is a leap of faith right she spent money and had nothing tangible to roll for I have a lot of conversations with people say hey are you open to franchise I want to open a lab for I tell them are you willing to spend$160,000 and I have nothing to show for you got to be willing to sit there with yourself and do that.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_04: She might not have nothing to show absolutely what's your risk tolerance what is your risk tolerance?
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_02: So you're absolutely right sometimes that anything is going to take a while before it's producing that fruit that you you see it, but you have to you have to invest and plant that seed.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_03: Truly investing yourself not not no little investment like truly do the investment that you know in the back of your mind that you need to make.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah don't don't buy the car buy the house by the house amen.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_04: No I mean it's um you know I think about it it's it's a business lesson and it's a personal lesson in every business lesson.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_02: So this has been an amazing conversation y'all and before we let you go we want to make sure we tell people how they can connect with you and learn more about what you're building Latoya so you can follow me on all social media platforms at the green carpetgolf you can also visit thegreencarpetgolf.org and uh follow me in the rest of my journey.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_03: I'm excited and of course the lab301 at the lab301.com finds on Instagram Facebook matter of fact we're 24 uh people 24 followers away from a thousand boys all right we gotta do it there I can get 24 of you guys to go follow the lab 301 love it well thank you both for joining us today we appreciate you sharing your stories insights and helping us understand how golf continues to create opportunities for business community and connection appreciate y'all absolutely thank you for having us yes indeed thank you before we wrap up today's show here are some of the upcoming opportunities and events happening around the region that are on our radar.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_02: It's a lot going on if today's conversation about golf sparked your interest don't forget the Prince George's Chamber golf tournament is coming up on June 22nd at the Country Club at Woodmore.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's a Monday it is a Monday right after Juneteenth holiday.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_04: Extend your weekend guys that's right at the golf course making connections.
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_02: We've also got our AI training in collaboration with Meta coming up on June 30th.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_04: And don't forget our beloved Senator Angela also Brooks will be our guest speaker I'm actually really excited about this because this is a major milestone where we'll be sitting down with regional partners Senator Also Brooks Meta business owners talking about the AI landscape so this is this is huge at University of Maryland.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yes and guys you can find all of that on pgcoc.org and then from the community side there are a lot of great events happening over the next few weeks on June 11th check out the premiere of the downtown Largo farmer's market um so that's nice I'm ready for that I'm ready for that very excited about that I'm on the planning committee so I'm excited so I'm listening we'll tell you a story I'm trying to get my daughter uh who just graduated high school uh she has a candle business I'm like you gotta hit the farmers markets yeah gotta so that that's a good one um looking forward to that tell her hit me up for sure June 12th and 13th the World Cup experience comes to Prince George's sports and learning complex come on with it yeah so that's gonna be a really good win so June 13th is actually a busy day you can celebrate Juneteenth at Watkins Regional Park or head over to Trolley Trail Day in College Park.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_04: And if you're focused on business investing and building long-term wealth check out the Generational Wealth Weekend June 18th through the 20th oh yeah coming back around yes that's happening in DC and guess what guys it is free ninety nine free ninety nine unless you can't beat that and so to uh make sure that you're following me on the spotlight DMV on all platforms I'm on Facebook I'm on Instagram YouTube and you can keep up with all of the these exciting events and more there is no shortage of opportunities for sure to get connected um but you know this is this is our chance to build relationships stay engaged this summer I'm looking forward to it well that's our that's our time uh tonight for power moves um I want to thank you all for joining us Rose thank you yes this has been excellent and you know even though I'm not a golf player yet yes yet I enjoy the fellowship of it and I hope to see some of you guys out there.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely I'm Alexander Austin.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Rose Johnson keep making power moves