Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tony Brooks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tony, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

When I first started my company, very little hiring was going on in the industry. I found myself in a situation where I had to make income to support my family, and there is no one scarier than someone who is hungry, with motivation. I started by myself, often times sleeping in my car as I lived some 100 miles away from my contracted location. Once I got the ball rolling, I was able to move my family closer to my location, and this where things took off. I was able to spend more time with them which fed my soul and was also close enough to work that I could commit more to its expansion. It was when I was a nationwide bid to be the exclusive partner with the city of San Diego, opening two more sites is where I needed to expand my employee count. Not everyone that has worked for me has turned out to be a rockstar, and more often than not, especially at the beginning it seemed like the wrong hires were taking place. I stopped looking at resumes, and work history, and started to hire from the heart. I started focusing on passionate, caring people, who wanted to learn as much as give. Those that wanted to be a part of our story and help see our dream a reality by introducing golf to children and families across our basin, and eventually into other states. I would highly recommend if anyone were in a similar position, to have a detailed hiring process that focuses on the potential candidate’s character first.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have always been around golf for as long as I can remember. I “officially” started playing in 1982 and I remember fondly going to the driving range in Johannesburg, South Africa with my father. It was the smell of grass, the sounds of spikes on the floor, and the sounds of nature that got me hooked. As I progressed in life, I saw the common denominator of life and golf that were shared. It is this common denominator that I try to instill in our development programs for juniors. I am a firm believer that this game will open many doors regardless of the ability of the child. I have met and played with people from all walks of life, and this game has opened many doors for me professionally, and personally, that I truly treasure. I am most proud of becoming one of the youngest PGA Master Professionals in the country at age 36. Typically, that honor is reserved for professionals a few decades older than that, as it does take a tremendous amount of work to accomplish this. It goes to show you, if you have the drive and dedication to work, you can achieve what most wont. It is an honor that I share with 1% of the PGA member population.

Any advice for managing a team?

Dealing with a team requires a positive morale. Making sure everyone is as happy and appreciated is the priority to accomplish this. There have been a few times where not everyone was happy on the team and without the communication things would have escalated and slowly destroyed the operation. Frequent meetings, having an open communication, and not being the “traditional boss” that barks orders out is what I would suggest for anyone wishing to have a positive morale for their company. In this day and age, there are many ways for people to earn income that were not around some 10 years ago, with this in mind, we have to focus on what matters to all people. Having a role in the company, being valued, and showing respect to any employee typically trumps an environment where they may get paid more but are treated like a number. It is amazing what kindness and trust of the operation does. Having them involved in the direction of the company and providing them growth and learning opportunities can help them feel an ownership of the product. The key thing however, if you have anyone on your staff who is bringing others down to make themselves look good, make sure they are no longer on your staff.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like many operators and owners, COVID threw us all in for a loop. With everything closed it was a major adjustment for us and all I was thinking at that time was “I hope we can survive”. Thankfully with the assistance of government programs to keep employees on payroll, and with our sports being one of the only things open, this created a reverse effect for our industry. We now have to readjust for how things were pre COVID. Now things are getting back to our “normal”, we no longer have the influx of discretionary income like we did a few years ago.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liongolfacademy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lion_family_golf_academies/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionfamilygolf
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/liongolfacademy
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lion-golf-academy-san-diego-2