G&E Magazine aims to deconstruct the journey that golfers and entrepreneurs alike take on their road to success in the world.  Their achievements, as well as their trials and tribulations, serve to inspire us.  Our goal is to pass that inspiration along to our readers.

This week, we are lucky to have Ted Watson join us from Watson Golf, creator of “The Hanger” training aid.

Hey, Ted!  Thanks for joining us today.  Before we get into Watson Golf, tell us a little about your background.  Where’d you grow up and how’d you get here?

Thanks for having me!  Well, I grew up in a small town in Central California.  My mother was an immigrant from Indonesia, and she met my father in night school.  I’m the youngest of 5 children by 15 years…  Some would say I was an accident, but I like to call it an “immaculate conception.”  [Laughter]

Growing up with older parents, you learn to raise yourself and pave your own path, so to speak.  That definitely led me to where I am today.  My father always said that I was a “little kid with big ideas.”  Fast forward 30 or so years, I guess he was right…

I went to Long Beach State where I graduated with a BA in Communications.  My first job was as a bag boy for a local grocery store called Bob’s Market.  Actually, I almost didn’t get the job because I answered this question incorrectly:  “Is it what you know or who you know?”  The 16-year-old Ted answered:  “It’s what you know.”  That lesson would go on to transform my business relationships.

That’s awesome.  It sounds like you’ve worked hard to get where you are today.  How did you get into golf originally?

I started playing when I was around 14 years old.  I picked it up because I was told it was a good sport to play if I ever wanted to get into the business world.

It definitely helps!  So, what made you want to start Watson Golf?

It wasn’t really a want as much as it was a need.  It started as a passion project to improve my own game, and it just took off from there!

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Did you have any other entrepreneurial ventures prior to Watson Golf?

Well, if you consider a kid selling candy out of his backpack entrepreneurial… then, yes.  Other than that, no.

I think that counts!  Have any doors opened up for you since starting Watson Golf?

Sure, it’s allowed me to travel quite a bit, meet some really cool people, and play at some unbelievable golf courses.

That’s great.  What do we have to look forward to from Watson Golf?

We’re working on releasing two more products in the near future.

We’ll keep our eye out for that.  What have you learned most since starting Watson Golf?

Don’t cut corners.

 

Short and sweet.  I like it.  How does Watson Golf engage with the community?

We sponsor charity events and help out at local tournaments.

Awesome.  So now we’ll jump into some rapid-fire questions.  Who or what is your greatest inspiration?

The fear of failure.

That will certainly keep you moving forward.  What is your favorite time of year and day to play a round?

In April… because that’s my wife’s name.  [Laughter]  No, but honestly in April – mid-afternoon.

And if you could play 18 with anyone, who would it be?

Tiger Woods

Do you have a favorite course beverage?

Bloody Mary.

Can’t go wrong there.  Have you made any golf related purchases recently other than Watson Golf products?

My custom golf cart.

 

Wow, jealous.  So, as an entrepreneur, do you use any tools or tricks to stay focused?

Have two kids under 3 years old and you’ll get real focused…

I’ll take your word for it.  How do you structure your day?

In the morning, I’ll get up early, make a pot of coffee, then get the kids up and head to work.  Evening, I like to get a bucket of balls in.  It helps me unwind and sometimes “upwind” – if that’s a thing – after a day of work.  It helps me create new ideas for future golf swing trainers.

That’s interesting.  Do you have any recommendations for aspiring entrepreneurs?  Reading materials?

“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re exactly right.”  There isn’t a book to read or a blog to follow.  Put your ideas into motion and actually do something with them.  We all have good ideas, but it doesn’t become a great idea until it is actually done.

I love it.  Great advice.  Thanks for the time!