We recently connected with Hayle Howland and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I started playing golf again in 2021. I had picked up my clubs, after the pandemic, to spend time outside with my family. I quickly fell in love with all aspects of golf: being surrounded by nature, unleashing my competitive self, meditating for hours on something that wasn’t work/school, and the conversations curated by time on a cart with my kids! The sport itself was fulfilling, but I soon began to realize that the shopping side was daunting. I never thought I would think shopping was overwhelming!!! I was challenged finding apparel, a new golf bag, shoes, hats, gloves – almost everything. The stores near me had very limited selections for female golfers. I turned to online shopping, as most female golfers do, and then spent copious amounts of time scrapping Google, Pinterest, and Instagram. I had truly had enough. Finding cute golf gear should not be this difficult!!!

So, in 2023, I had an idea – a simplified product platform. Wouldn’t all women benefit from a one-stop shop? A singular site that housed everything? All brands (big and small), all products, all prices, all style, etc. Present all information so customers can make conscious purchases, be confident in their decisions, and of course reduce overall cost. I made the decision in August 2023 to build it myself. This unique platform didn’t exist, so I needed to create it!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My background is in Sales & Marketing. I worked for 15 years in the Medical Device Industry before deciding to pivot to Golf. I had turned 40 and life was guiding me to do something…different. I felt an urge to finally pursue my passion – entrepreneurship. Combining my love of golf, with innovation, and marketing, felt like the next right move!

For the last year and a half, this pivot in career has lead me to so much more joy than I ever knew “work” could provide! I am privileged to be surrounded with mostly female founders (women owned golf brands), people that want to encourage and help me build my business, and an industry that is finally opening it’s arms wide for women to join.

The website I created is now at the intersection of the sport, female customers, and the brands that listen to consumers. I hope that my unique platform will grow with women and golf.

How did you build your audience on social media?

In the very early days, I had a conversation with a mentor. He said: I must create a social presence before I launch anything. Taking his advice, I created all of my socials and did the research. Focus on Instagram and Pinterest. Start small and own it!

Along with listening to my mentor, I subscribe to a few social media and marketing experts. I utilize their methods everyday. Every week is planned out and every post serves a purpose. I keep my messaging customer focused – what is their pain-point?

Have you ever had to pivot?

Previously mentioned, I keep my messaging focused on the customer’s pain points. I didn’t quite have that down when I first launched. It was only a couple months ago that I realized my messaging needed to pivot. I needed to effectively communicate with them, and then, provide a solution. It took a few friends and consumer interviews to have the epiphany that I needed to pivot on the branding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.memberguestshop.com
• Instagram: @memberguestshop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/memberguestshop

Image Credits

Brenna Joy Photography