People buy into franchises for 2 reasons: better processes/buying power and brand. 

In golf management, there's really no brand element...everyone is trying to differentiate themselves as experts, with buying power and better processes. That's not why you buy into a franchise. 

You buy into a franchise because you want more customers coming in the door. You buy in for Brand. 

Processes and buying power are just table stakes, not differentiators. 

Read an article the other day about learning new skills and practice. 

Turns out that repeating exactly the same move over and over is not nearly as effective as mixing things up...but just slightly. When we practice golf, I believe we need to work on technique, but we also need to simulate on-course experiences by hitting variations of each shot. 

Do this and I feel it will help you improve fast. 

In this episode, we're talking about all the ways to win attention online. Every business is different, and you shouldn't feel like you have to win on EVERY platform...only the ones that suit your mission the best. 

Not every platform is created equal, and your content needs to be applied contextually for the platform it's on. That means choosing which platforms to engage with carefully. 

I promise this practice session will help your game.

Today we're talking about improving our technique, and nailing down our setup and alignment (science)...
Then taking it to real-golf simulations on the practice range (art and creativity). 

I believe it's super important to work on both areas. One of my best practice sessions yet.

I grew up playing golf in Maine...not exactly golf central. I had no idea about how the college recruitment process worked, and how college coaches selected their teams. 

Of course, premium showcases like the AJGA are great, but for most kids looking to play team golf, it's not a reality. There are other ways to get on radar screens and win the attention of a college coach who's willing to bet on you. 

Here are a few strategies I should have thought about years ago. 

JP Longeuil is the Head Pro at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando...but it hasn't always been white glove country clubs and pure 7-irons knocking down flagsticks for him. He began as an artist...with lofty ambitions of helping people "see things differently". 

JP grew up in a really tough neighborhood outside New York City. That "gritty" beginning made him into the person he is today...one of Brown Golf's go-to guys. 

Today, we're getting into some of his childhood adventures sneaking into the city, the Graffiti art culture, and connections to his viewpoints on golf. 

I've been struggling with my driver lately...hoping to use some old tricks to iron out the big dog this weekend. 

Here are some quick ideas for a short practice session to get your long game back on track. 

Whether in real life or in the digital world, there are 3 things you absolutely have to do if you want to grow a trusting and appreciative audience. 

Here's a 6-min episode on exactly how to do it...

In short, we need to be diverse in our topics/knowledge to be interesting (curation), we need to listen and engage ($1.80 strategy), and we need to bring our own empathetic voice (creation/documentation)...relating to the interests, questions, challenges that our audience faces. 

This isn't a quick win...but it's a big win if you can manage. 

Most beginners feel too intimidated to go out to their local public golf course. They feel like they won't belong, or the course doesn't want them out there. 

That couldn't be farther from the truth. The industry is struggling to bring people into the game right now...and golf clubs are still really lousy at letting newcomers know that they're welcome. 

But there are some ways around it...and you can try golf for free at most public golf courses. Here's how. 

Forget about your swing. Don't even think about changing your hip rotation or your club face angle at the top of your swing. 

That crap is NOT where you're going wrong. It's much more likely, and much easier to fix the stuff you're doing wrong before you even take the club back. 

Focus on your pre-swing stuff forever...more or less...and I promise you'll improve like crazy. 

If you've only got a small window of practice time this week (hopefully more), here's what I'm suggesting you can work on.

We're going to focus heavily on distance control with your wedges. Knowing your carry yardages for each of your wedges is hugely valuable on the golf course. By the way, there might be a significant difference between your carry yardages and your total yardages (where ball eventually ends up). 

Let's try to get a solid ballpark of those carry yardages to arm you with info on the course. 

Someone asked me about my pre-shot routine...the steps I take before hitting each shot. 

Here's the answer...honestly the secret is all about self awareness. Hope it helps you with your own game. 

Bigger buying decisions follow principles known as a considered buying process. More risk means more consideration, more time, more stress in pulling the trigger. 

Quick sells don't work in considered buying situations...here's part of a recent consulting session that outlines how it goes down and what you can do to bring more business in the door. 

For those of us with limited practice time, it's really important to do our best to simulate real golf in practice. Here's my 1-hour blueprint for taking your game from the practice range to the first tee. 

Lot of value in this episode. The fact that some people choose to do business with others with common interests is fascinating to me.

It doesn't matter if you're talking about specific things your target audience is looking for, or simply covering subject matter that you're passionate about. Either way, people with shared interests often do business together. 

If you're a Boston Red Sox fan...talk about it...and other Red Sox fans will gravitate to you. 

The Facebook community has been really active lately with tons of Q&A. I've answered everyone's questions in the feed, but here's a quick recap of my findings after over 300 comments and conversations. 

Hope it helps you break your personal best. 

Cheers! 

If you're not winning the battle for attention on the front end of the buying process, you're not even hearing from a huge chunk of potential followers and customers. 

Here's a quick talk about why you need to be more open about sharing your good stuff....whether for your personal brand or for your business. 

When you're feeling good about those 3-5 footers, the whole world is a better place. 

Today's practice is all about confidence over the "shorties". Hope you can get through the challenge and win yourself a chance to pound some drivers. 

I spent about an hour working on the game this morning. 

There were a couple takeaways that I thought I'd share with you. One had to do with short game and chipping from short range. As for full swing, a focus on the "transition" of my golf swing produced some great results immediately. 

Baby steps...just a little progress at a time guys!