Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany O’Malley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tiffany. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started Course & Club out of a personal need. A few years ago I began playing golf and was surprised by the narrow style choices available to women golfers. Most were very modern and athletic looking. I was looking for something classic and elegant -but with the functional performance of sportswear.
I had gotten my degree in Fashion Marketing and Design so my creative impulses were sparked. As it happened, my husband had just sold the company he ran and we had moved full-time to our vacation home in Montana to plan the next stage of our life. So it was really a serendipitous merging of opportunity, timing and passion that inspired me to start Course & Club.
Now, three years later, Course & Club is a successful women’s golf apparel company with an online store and with a product sold at a number of pro-shops. As it is with fashion, I’m already designing next year’s collection!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
If any entrepreneur has traveled a smooth road, I would like to meet them! Starting your own business is not for quitters! Every next step you take is a new step so you will make mistakes. It is part of the discovery process. I have definitely had my share of challenging times over the last few years. I’d like to share a couple of my experiences.
In the fashion industry, it is essential to find the right partners. Developing new products requires partnering with many vendors to get from concept to finished product. For one of my skirts to get to the point of being sold online, I contracted with – a pattern maker, a pattern grader, multiple fabric manufacturers, a sewing manufacturer, a zipper supplier, a button supplier, a thread supplier, a tag supplier, a model and a photographer.
That’s nearly a dozen companies I interviewed, check references on and negotiated contract terms with. Thankfully, most of my partners have been wonderful, but I had two that failed to deliver what they promised. I lost months of time – and wasted some precious start-up capital. But I got through it and learned some valuable lessons. The second vexing challenge I found in designing women’s clothing relates to “FIT”. Women demand their clothes fit in a way that is flattering and comfortable. Since I am 100% committed to delighting my customers, I obsess over fit.
For one particularly intricate skirt, I modified the prototype thirty times! At times, I wondered if we were ever going to get it finished. It all had to be just right –the seam allowance, the hip width, the hem length, the pleats, the ribbon. Each piece was part of a puzzle that had to fit together perfectly to make the skirt hang perfectly. When it comes to designing Course & Club apparel I am a perfectionist. But I’ve learned if you are going to be a perfectionist, you also have to be very patient.
Please tell us about Course & Club.
Course & Club designs and sells classic, elegant women’s golf apparel. Our goal is to provide women golfers both fashion and functionality. In the same way that golf is a traditional and elegant sport, our pieces are designed to ensure they will be mainstays in your closet for years to come. Whether playing around or having lunch with the girls, these styles offer the versatility to always look your best!
I am so proud of the brand and how far we’ve come for 3 reasons:
1.) This company was launched out of my passion. No one made me do it. No one asked me to do it. I wanted to do it. And although I had worked in corporate America for 10 years, I had never run a company. But I wasn’t scared. I drew confidence from my desire and got to work. I literally started with “Start Your Own Business for Dummies”. I Googled fabric sources and pattern makers and how to launch a clothing line.
I researched and interviewed manufacturers, and spent months testing fabrics. I wanted to understand every facet of the business so I researched the responsibilities of a designer, Webmaster, accountant, publicist, marketer, operator and social media manager. All the while I was powered by my passion. The whole experience has advanced my personal and professional growth. It feels good.
2.) I’ve created a platform to give back. Personally, my husband and I have been involved in non-profits for years, but now I have a company that is able to use its voice and funds to give back to organizations we cherish. Specifically, we are very active in giving our time and financial resources to organizations that encourage and equip children and young adults with special needs with the skills and equipment to get outside and recreate.
In fact, one of my great friends, Luci, who has Downs Syndrome, is one of Course & Club’s models. I am thankful for the platform and the opportunity to do what I can do to help people that bring so much joy and inspiration to my life.
3.) Lastly, I am proud of Course & Club because we have been able to launch and operate utilizing local suppliers. My prototyping and pattern making is done in Austin, my manufacturing is done in Dallas and my fabric sourcing is done right here in Southlake.
While it may be more expensive to use domestic suppliers I really enjoy the bonding and trust I experience with local companies. I am grateful to have found enthusiastic and cable companies so close to home and cherish supporting jobs right here in Texas – and more broadly in the great USA!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
While I have not mastered any of these, I think the following four qualities matter most for me in successfully operating Course & Club. Positive attitude, resilience, patience and high standards.
*Positive attitude is critical because entrepreneurs face so many obstacles. How you face them is your secret weapon. If you have a positive outlook on life, things may not be easier, but they will be easier to handle!
*Resilience is the quality that keeps you fighting. Things will go wrong. It’s unavoidable. When they do, you have to be able to get yourself up, shake it off and push on. Early on I hired the wrong partner- it was a costly and heart-wrenching mistake. Part of me just wanted to quit, but the other part of me would not allow it. Out of that experience, I adopted two mottos” “Quitting is not an option”. “Failure is not an option”.
*Patience is vital because nothing happens overnight. The process of launching a boutique line of women’s golf apparel took nearly 3 years. Things rarely work on the timetable you set for them. So ride the waves – be patient and get it right.
*High standards are born out of a sense of personal pride. Every product we sell has my name on it. If my customers have a wonderful experience with my products I’ve done my job. The key is to never lower the bar. Effort should always be aspirational!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.courseandclub.com
- Phone: 405-474-0481
- Email: tiffany@courseandclub.com
Image Credit:
Simply E3 Photography, Erin Kaye Photography
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