Sup world,
This week absolutely flew by. There's a lot of stuff I've been working on this week that I am excited to get out to you guys and bring to life. The reality is, it's much easier to say "I want to do this. I want to make these." vs. actually executing it and also making it turn out the way it is in your head, and all on the right timeline. It's been 8 months since I quit my full-time job to see what I can do with the brand, and it's been an eye-opening experience. I really enjoy it, but it's definitely been a lifestyle change that I'm still learning to manage. Gonna write more about my experience later in this newsletter. This week I also had a swing lesson via FaceTime for the first time and committed to a change in my golf swing, something I haven't done in a while. Enjoy.
Also, no Vlog this week but if you haven't watched last week's, here is the link: Round at Rancho Bernardo Inn, Road to Scratch, etc.
Current Index: N/A
Most Recent 3 Scores
• 88 - San Vicente
• 80 - Rancho Bernardo Inn
• 86 - Golf Club of CA
First FaceTime Swing Lesson
I've been battling a strong draw / hook for a really long time now. When my tempo is on point, it's a baby draw and I can manage it well on the course. I can actually put together some good rounds with the swing, especially on shorter courses. I've shot a 73 with this swing along with a handful of other scores in the 70s. But more often than not I'm shooting in the low 80s. And when tempo is really bad, I can stack up a lot of doubles and triples on the card and finish in the high 80s and low 90s. This shit isn't gonna fly as a scratch golfer!!! I did a lesson with my swing coach @kevinpaulegolf who is based out of the Bay Area. This year, they opened a studio in Pleasant Hill, CA called The Golf Spot Bay Area. If you're in the Bay Area, tap in and check them out. During our lesson we worked on my position at the top of my swing. Pre-lesson, my club head would point to the right of my target, which would promote a strong "in to out" move on my down swing. We worked on getting my back swing "flatter" on my back swing. A familiar golf swing to compare this to would be Rickie Fowler. It stil feels really weird. And my practice swings are still a lot different than the swings I put put on the ball. But getting this dialed will get me a straigther ball flight that will be easier to manage on the course. It should also eliminate the shanks when my tempo and timing are off. Just gotta grind this change and make it a repeatable, consistent swing so I can avoid doubles+ on the card.
Malbon Golf's 2nd NFT Project
If I had to choose one brand that I look up to when it comes to Montes Collective it's Malbon Golf. They are doing all of the right things for the game/sport. Their clothes, their branding, their collabs with brands like Nike and Evian, and their whole approach is so on point and speaks to me so well. They dropped 1000 NFTs a while ago that featured different designs of their "Buckets Logo." This month, they will be dropping their next project called Front Nine and they are so fucking sickkkkk. It will be 9,000 characters in 3D. Here are some pics of a few.
Quitting my job and building the brand full time
I graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Business emphasizing in Accounting and Finance. In college, I didn't even know what career I wanted. All I knew is that I wanted to have my own business; I just didn't know what kind of business at the time. Going into accounting out of college was a safe play and a good start to a corporate career. I quickly learned I hated that shit. I worked at a Big 4 accounting firm where the turnaround is crazy. They have you working 60-80 hour weeks at certain times of the year and the actual work just kinda blows (for me). I spent every hour outside of work searching for different kinds of businesses I could potentially start. Around this time, I came across probably my favorite book to date: How to Win at the Sport of Business by Mark Cuban. One of the biggest takeaways I got from this book is that an essential skill in entrepreneurship is SALES. I told myself at the 2 year mark at the firm, I would start looking for jobs in sales. After my 2nd busy season at the firm was over, I interviewed with one tech company, got an offer as a Sales Development Representative, and immediately accepted. I was stoked. It was a huge change of pace. But I fucking loved it. It was a career that rewarded hard work. I learned how to cold call prospects and spark strangers' interest into our product. Out of thin air!! After a year and a half I got promoted to be an Account Executive where the real $$$ is made. Pretty early, I proved to myself I could close deals as an AE and make really good money. However, it was around this time though that I had so many ideas for the brand I wanted to pursue and execute on. I was stuck. I was in a career I actually kind of enjoyed. But I also knew that I wouldn't be able to build a golf apparel start up later in my 30s all while building a family and paying for a mortgage. I made the decision to devote the rest of my 20s to Montes Collective. We're in the thick of it now. Some days I feel really inspired and some days the doubt creeps in. I'm really lucky though because my parents, my brother, and my girlfriend have been very supportive of my decision. All my homies have been supporting me on this journey as well and it really helps me keep going. It's frustrating at times because I know my parents sometimes don't see the same vision as I do for this thing. It's frustrating to not see results that I can prove to them right away. But it doesn't happen overnight. My parents are coming from a good place though and if you're reading this I want to thank you for being so supportive no matter what. And I want to thank everyone who has been a part of Montes Collective so far. Whether you follow the account and vote on Smash/Pass stories or copped some clothes, I really appreciate you and you help keep me motivated. Please be patient with me because I know I can build something great for us that changes how the game of golf is played throughout the world.
Hit 'em straight this weekend and I'll see you guys next week.
Cheers,
JR Montes
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