We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Walko a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Robert, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Green Ferret Golf was founded because I was looking for way to reinvent myself after a very negative business venture. With a background in finance and marketing/sales, I found myself sitting on my couch wondering what a early 40’s guy could accomplish still.
An avid golfer my entire life, it was after a charity outing for our local high school that the idea really started shaping out.
I literally shot out of bed in the middle of the night with the idea for a golf apparel brand. After some research on different slang words associated with golf, I stubbled upon the term “ferret”; an old slang term from a hole-out from off the green, for par or better, not using your putter. Basically a chip in that doesn’t hurt your scorecard.
As I was bouncing the idea off my little sister’s wisdom, my wife joked that my ADD makes my brain run like a little ferret that cannot keep up with wheel and voila, Green Ferret Golf was founded.
We started with great intentions and but were stuck with tragedy when my sister suddenly passed away 32 days later.
The next six months, I was struck with horrible depression and suicidal thoughts. Rather than market the company I was so proud of, I would sit on my couch praying that my son would come home from school faster than he could. Thankfully, with the support of great friends, community and professionals, I was able to regain my footing and start living life again.
In January of 25, I had a ticket to go the PGA Show in Orlando and no real idea of what to expect or if I even wanted to do this project. My wife told me to take the trip and make sure and thanks to her we’re back on track.
In July of this year, we supported a golf tournament that shaped the future direction of the company. Our friend with Sail On and Fly High, a suicide and mental health awareness organization in Council Bluffs, Iowa, asked if we could help sponsor their annual golf tournament. They had swapped courses this past year and wanted to make it a memorable event. We gladly accepted.
During the round, it dawned on my that this little idea of a “golf brand” can be so much more and can provide support from community based groups like Sail On and Fly High.
I flew back home to Charlotte, talked to my advisors and began working on rebranding our look from a cute little ferret that speaks specifically to golfers, to the new inspired GFG logo we wear today.
Through my own struggles with mental heath, depression and ADD, three things have become abundantly clear to me:
1. My problems are so trivial compared to what others are going through and have been through. I have an amazing family and support system that wants to see me succeed and supports what we are trying to accomplish.
2. There is not enough money going into local community outreach centers that are mostly volunteer operated. Years ago a decision was made and the funds for helping mental health patients went somewhere else.
3. This was no longer a brand that I wanted to build and then “cash out” – Green Ferret Golf has become a personal mission to help support those that support their communities in times of need and crisis.
What really has me jazzed about this project is the daily learning and struggles. I view building this company out like playing golf. One hole doesn’t define the round, but it can really hurt without proper planning.
Now the plan is broken down like a scorecard – a few holes a time with a target score for each set of holes. Right now the first hole is a long par five and we still have a chance at birdie!

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?

It’s not so much a brand that we are building, but a community.
Golf had always been an escape for me – from walking inside the ropes with Phil Mickelson to sneaking into the Nestle Invitational (now Arnold Palmer Invitational) to getting to play wishlist courses like Tehama and – my best memories growing up revolve around the game and the family that it created.
When we lived in Phoenix, my mom was diagnosed with cancer for the first time. We lived in a suburb called Ahwatukee that had an executive golf course called The Lakes.
On days that my mom had doctor’s appointments, I would go to the course and spend the day there, practicing and walking as many holes as I could play (some think I should be better at golf, oh well.)
I got the chance to try out for my high school golf team, only to have guys that made it to the show on that team, so I played football and golfed in the off season.
Throughout college and my career in financial services, golf was a staple for gathering clients, entertaining or just resting my soul when I was out with my ‘non-golfer’ friends.
After my personal mental health battles, I realized that if I was going to pursue something that I was truly passionate about a golf brand was just the right thing.
The fun part about starting this company is the realization that everything that I have done in my career has led me to this. Whether it was marketing new mutual funds with no track record, helping a client plan for the uncertainty of life or working on cutting edge technology that is used today in practical applications; every critical decision made has been part of the learning experience that is needed to do this.
There is little difference between marketing a new golf company and marketing a brand new financial services product – both are flooded markets with commodity pricing and the clients is going to end up working with the people they like best.
While we can provide great shirts that feel amazing, my desire is to have future members of the community rally behind our messaging; Faith in the Game. Growth in Life. No matter how the round is going, there is always another hole, or another day to get out and try again.

Golf is Life is Golf.
Set a plan and aim for a goal.
Execute your shot to the best of your ability.
Deal with the outcome – positive or not.
Repeat.

The similarities are what make golf the greatest game.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It’s kind of our thing.

I was adopted when I was 8 months old by an amazing family that has guided me and provided examples of endurance and hard work.

During the six months after my sister passed, I was not sure what I was going to do. The struggle to be anything but be a father and a husband was intense.

Our R&D process for our private label line has been extensive. My background in finance, both as an advisor and as a wholesaler, coupled with experience with start-ups in the tech sector has helped less than anticipated when it comes to this project.

Apparel started out as a foreign language to me, no pun on international production intended. It has taken lots of patience to find the pieces of the puzzle to make sure that we are providing clothing that people will love to wear.

Green Ferret Golf works with a global network of companies from China to Bangladesh to our amazing partners here in Charlotte, North Carolina. This company may have started in interesting times given international politics and current global trade hurdles, however we have found like minded people that love growth.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In my past, I was always a talk first type leader.

In retrospect, I believe that it came from a “coding” issue being abandoned then adopted without any information about my birth. I always felt that I had something to prove. I came into meetings prepared, rehearsed and ready to charge forward.

Having my sister’s passing come ‘out of order’ for me was a huge shift. Although we were both adopted from separate families, she centered me and helped me work through difficult life and business decisions.

Through my personal growth, I now have more subdued approach towards all steps of the process.

I have adapted to a “as long as it gets done” not a 9-5 work/life balance. Spending time going to watch softball games, cheer competitions and even coaching little league baseball provided me with a different set of skills since my last big project.

The change is visible in these new relationships.

Prototyping is stressful, time consuming and challenging to say the least. Without the growth in how to handle these complicated situations in real time, there would be no future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greenferretgolf.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenferretgolf
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15i8hFRceg/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@greenferretgolf
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@greenferretgolf

  all social media handles are @greenferretgolf

Image Credits

Maralyn Walko, Rob Walko or selfies.