How is Marcos Baugh willing his vision for Urban Golf Club into existence?
It’s been said that sports are a vehicle for building character. Perhaps no sport exemplifies this more than golf. Anyone who has ever played golf knows how challenging it can be. Improvement is always possible, but it requires tremendous persistence. Ultimately, golf teaches three of the most valuable character traits known to man - patience, humility, and accountability.
My guest in this episode, Marcos Baugh, is founder of Urban Golf Club, a not-for-profit organization that teaches golf and financial literacy in Boston.
In Episode 56, Marcos shares how his experiences working as a caddy at a Boston country club through his teenage years led him to imagine and bring to life Urban Golf Club. Marcos discusses his passion for teaching young people life skills that extend far beyond golf and his vision for growing the organization well beyond the borders of Boston.
So, what’s your biggest takeaway from my conversation with Marcos Baugh?
My biggest takeaway is that Urban Golf Club’s core values of patience, humility, and accountability are critical to success in golf, sports and life, in general. Taking on the greatest challenges and making ourselves very uncomfortable is what generates the greatest growth. In that sense, golf is a microcosm of life. Marcos is doing great work helping young people build these traits.
My suggestion to young athletes is to gravitate towards those coaches, mentors, and friends that challenge you to your best even if you don’t always like what they have to say. Being able to look in the mirror and acknowledge what you see with complete honesty is a sign of great character.
I want to thank Marcos for his kind generosity and the wisdom she shared with The Freshman Foundation Community.
You can learn more about Marcos and Urban Golf Club by visiting their website https://www.urbangolfclub.org/ and their Instagram page @urbangolfclub.
To learn how mental performance coaching can help your mind work FOR you rather than against you, visit https://michaelvhuber.com.
Thank you for listening. We’ll see you back soon for Episode 57!
00:00.00
mvhuber
Hey Marcos how are you I'm great. Thanks for thanks for coming on to the podcast I appreciate it. Um, you know I we you and I had never met until I watched the golf channel piece about urban golf club your organization and I was just really fascinated.
00:02.54
Marcos
I'm good how you doing.
00:19.77
mvhuber
By the story and by you and so we connected and I asked you to come onto the podcast. So I guess the None question I'd ask you is what was it like being kind of featured or interviewed for that for that piece like what effect has it had on you.
00:32.20
Marcos
Um, well I'll tell you what I've been I've been working at the country club since I was fifteen years old um and I always knew well in the first year I was actually rookie of the year um and actually I I kind of.
00:39.89
mvhuber
E.
00:52.20
Marcos
Kind of share I shared it with another caddie and we've had a vibranty ever since but um, but in the from the beginning I was like this is this is a place for me right? and so coming into the Us open and being featured. Um, it never really, it was like Okay yeah. But sure this is gonna happen I always had I always had in in my mind. Um, you know the idea of creating an organization behind it started in college as I was asked. You know I was in my business major and um.
01:17.42
mvhuber
A.
01:26.34
Marcos
I was like yeah this is obviously what's gonna happen I've been cadding at the country club since I was 15 you know I'm going I'm in business school now I'm going to start a business teaching kids golf. Ah it was just and then I was like okay I'm gonna get a lot of attention because when I start telling people about this It's it's just going to. You know snowball from there because nobody's doing what I'm doing you know people ask me about ah, how are you different from the first t um, and None of none he doesn't have financial literacy as a you know Ah, a part of their you know program and i.
01:46.35
mvhuber
A.
02:00.20
mvhuber
Um.
02:04.26
Marcos
Don't you know and I and I definitely come with a different approach to kids you know I Um Yeah, they have games interactive stuff but I'm I'm really like going down to the bases where I'm going into these community centers and they're playing basketball already And. Ah, what am I Goingnna do to tell them to hit 50 balls until they get it right? Just cold turkey like no and that's not gonna happen. So um, from from the very beginning ever since I thought of the idea I knew I was going to pick up I knew I was going to get some attention for it and so the golf channel.
02:24.79
mvhuber
Right.
02:39.37
Marcos
The experience was I mean I was at the country club in my home course. Ah Ponka park that I grew up playing and that where they interviewed my parents um and then I went over it So It's kind of like a normal day like probably the day I would want Um, you know it's a vote. Pretty much a normal day. You know what? I mean like that's how it felt I was just a camera in my face which is fun.
02:59.49
mvhuber
Right? I got you? Okay, well, but that helps me right? So you weren't doesn't sound like you were you were nervous at All. It sounds like you know and I get that you know I can relate to a lot of what you said there I think we have a lot of similarities in the sense in a lot of different ways. But. I Think when you're so invested in what you're doing and you've have this vision for so Long. It's not.. It's not intimidating right? like you know exactly who you are and what you're doing and so right then you just have that camera in your face. It's almost like if I'm podcasting or someone interviews me, it's like I'm not nervous. This is just who I am and what I've become and it's.
03:22.99
Marcos
My.
03:33.62
Marcos
Um, exactly.
03:36.64
mvhuber
I Think what's so fascinating is your optimism right? like I could hear you say like hey I've never doubted the fact that this is going to get recognized.
03:45.50
Marcos
Yeah I mean it's I Just knew I was in my own my own lane my own you know, um, ah very ah you know it's is of my own niche Obviously um and you know it kind of surprised me that it nobody's really.
03:50.35
mvhuber
In. Yeah.
04:03.46
Marcos
You know gone after the way I am and it's because it's these these kids these kids these kids that I you know tried to introduce golf to you know they have their preconceived notions and stuff like that and um I would say a lot of the time you know.
04:03.49
mvhuber
And.
04:14.51
mvhuber
Sure.
04:22.59
Marcos
The average country club pro won't know how to approach a kid That's never really had that um in front of them before. So it's like ah I'm not a like I said I'm I'm not of of course I'm not afraid like at the end of the day I was one of these.
04:28.51
mvhuber
Um, right.
04:41.11
Marcos
Rugrats you know what? I mean like I was I was the kid you know I was I was playing I was playing golf when they were playing basketball now. But um I was still you know didn't want to hear no other nothing. You know I didn't want to hear I don't you know this is what I I like so like you know, leave me alone. Let me shoot my who.
04:45.87
mvhuber
Right.
04:51.90
mvhuber
M.
04:58.20
mvhuber
Um.
05:00.30
Marcos
I Mean shoot my ball into the hoop and stuff like that. It's um so it's really just about making sure that the kids understand that you're not going to. You're not trying to take basketball away from them. Um.
05:11.23
mvhuber
And.
05:15.15
Marcos
You're not trying to. You know you're you're giving them I introduce golf as a tool more than anything like like golf. You know it's more. It's It's not even about being the best at it. Of course you always want to get better and it's It's a never ending process of getting better in terms of golf. You know what? no matter where you start? um.
05:18.33
mvhuber
Right? right.
05:29.19
mvhuber
And.
05:34.63
Marcos
But it's it's I get these kids looking towards the future more than anything. Um, and golf is very you know, generational and I mean just naturally exactly So um, so introducing.
05:41.68
mvhuber
Um, right tanded down.
05:51.20
Marcos
Because the golf for the None time you know and stopping embrace it pretty much their entire life which is on the basketball court. Um I interact I put together ah routines where I put basketball and golf together. Um.
06:03.70
mvhuber
Yeah I Love that.
06:06.66
Marcos
So they would hit a golf they would hit a golf ball down the court and then pick up a basketball at None court shoot a layup make a shot and then go back and forth and as they do that I would ah you know adjust their swings as they go.
06:17.90
mvhuber
Yeah, and and and I think you just said it. You know there and I think you even said it in the piece like the way I think of it right? and it's sort of similar to what I do when working with kids is you kind of meet them where they're at right like you could try to force them to hit a golf ball 50 times the right way. But.
06:35.70
Marcos
No, exactly.
06:36.45
mvhuber
They don't relate to that. It's boring. Maybe I'm not having fun right? If you can kind of combine those worlds and make it make it. You know real for them like like it's you know they can relate to it then all of a sudden you got a chance to make a connection and and that's one of the biggest things I took out of the piece as well. Is you know you said.
06:42.99
Marcos
When it.
06:54.30
mvhuber
You know something to the effect of you know? Ah I I don't want to be talking at them right? I want to you know I understand where they're coming from and that's huge right? because at the end of the day sports are great. We all want to be good at sports I think you know people who like sports want to get better at it. Some of us want to be professionals and that's a really hard thing to do But what we do.
07:00.30
Marcos
Um, yeah.
07:12.54
mvhuber
Get out of sports is learning right? Which is what you're doing right? You're introducing them to a new way of thinking and a new challenge that they wouldn't have had otherwise then it starts to sort of bring into the conversation. Some of the principles. The values of of Urban Golf club which we'll get into but.
07:14.43
Marcos
Yep.
07:26.89
Marcos
Um, what? ah.
07:30.21
mvhuber
I Guess I wanted to ask you you know since we talk about golf being passed down did your parents play golf.
07:35.80
Marcos
Um, well my mother later um, tried it herself. You know, bought a couple lessons for herself and then she had brought us out to the driving range and I hit a I was hitting a few. My other brothers were hitting a few.
07:43.95
mvhuber
Sure.
07:53.11
Marcos
You know it just stuck on me and um, ever since then you know my mother really never picked up a club again. Ah, but obviously I took it and ran with it. Um, so it's I mean it just it just fell on my lap. You know what I mean and I'm ah I'm a you know. Just a 9 year old kid you know willing to do whatever my parents give me right? So um, and the thing is about if I got I don't know if I don't know what it happened if I got it later like in my teens.
08:15.10
mvhuber
Right.
08:25.31
mvhuber
Right.
08:28.27
Marcos
Um, because that's that's because a lot of these kids like I said they had their they have their minds made up at when they get to their teenage years. They know what they they know what they like exactly and and the thing is they don't even know that they don't like golf. They just don't like watching it. It's it's.
08:33.79
mvhuber
Sure Absolutely right? They figure out what they like and they don't like right right? how.
08:46.27
Marcos
That's really the only perspective that they have is if they're flipping through on a Sunday and they see all these guys playing golf again. Ah but they don't know what it's you know they don't know they never. They won't know until they try it.
08:55.38
mvhuber
Well I think there's a couple things in there one you know you talk a little bit about right? There's not. There's not a lot of people of color and golf rights mostly older white men right? So it's hard to relate plus when you live in a place that doesn't have like a fancy golf course like it's just.
09:04.69
Marcos
Um, yeah.
09:11.34
Marcos
Then.
09:13.81
mvhuber
It's totally off the radar. But I think you know regardless of of the color of your skin or where you come from like when you're in your teenage years fifteen 16 17 it's it's not it's becomes about one. How do I get to spend my time if I really like to play basketball. That's my favorite thing like why am I going to give up time playing basketball.
09:29.39
Marcos
Um.
09:32.34
mvhuber
To be with my friends or to be with my you know my girllffriend or whatever it is I do work to go play golf which is expensive right? Why am I going to give up that time and 2 It's hard. A lot of kids don't want to do anybody people don't like to do things that are hard because they're going to fail at it and it makes them feel like crap and golf is the ultimate like humble. Um.
09:34.24
Marcos
Um, right.
09:44.87
Marcos
You think.
09:52.16
mvhuber
Ultimate you know in humbling games. You know I started playing at 30 and I was so terrible and I was always a good athlete but I could not play golf with the life of me and it would be so easy to just like so forget this I'm gonna quit to take on that challenge when you're 1516 years old and like be okay with failing is not.
09:52.93
Marcos
Um, exactly.
10:03.20
Marcos
Exactly.
10:10.37
Marcos
Why and and the thing That's why I incorporate you know something as simple as basketball. You know for that positive reinforcement. That's really what it's all. Um, so you know they're whiff at it and I'll keep telling them that like you know, go just just keep going you swing if you miss Blah Blah blah.
10:11.15
mvhuber
That's not the easiest thing in the world to do.
10:21.39
mvhuber
That's a good point.
10:30.26
Marcos
You know if they do that a couple times I'll and they you know decide to like run after they whiff you I'll grab I'll grab hey we're gonna hit this ball. Regardless, ah, you know you're not going to be out here withffin for 30 minutes um so yeah, using using this is so something simple like basketball. We're even running up and down the court grabbing the ball and passing it to their buddy and whoever gets to the end of the line first wins. Whatever and exactly so it's it's it's um, definitely I get doing pushups too. You know what I mean like um.
10:49.73
mvhuber
Um, right? Yeah, it's fun.
11:00.20
mvhuber
Who.
11:04.30
Marcos
So it's it's you know golf golf sucks at the end of the day. Golf is golf golf is the worst is is the worst you know it has the worst learning curve ever. You know what? I mean it's it's just like just today you know I mean I just started so just.
11:06.21
mvhuber
You can. Ah.
11:15.14
mvhuber
It's really hard.
11:23.29
Marcos
Swinging My friend said don't So don't play golf swing play golf. You understand that like so and that's another thing I'll keep I'll keep paralleling golf and basketball all day. But um, you know I want kids to treat a golf swing like they I want.
11:26.10
mvhuber
Um, yeah.
11:41.81
Marcos
Ah, kid to have as many swing thoughts as they do like layup thoughts. You know I mean how you know how much thought is going into a layout. How much thought is going to into a 3 pointer with 3 seconds on the clock. You know what? I mean and the thing is about golf. It's like.
11:54.90
mvhuber
And.
11:59.55
Marcos
3 seconds are always on the clock like every shot every shot is just as important as last one like like you don't have you don't have you don't have a lot of time to make up. You don't you know you know what I mean I think and.
12:00.44
mvhuber
Yeah, well.
12:14.93
mvhuber
It's such a mental game. It is. It's interesting because one of the reasons one of the influences I had in getting into sports psychology is I I used to read these books by a guy named Dr Bob Rotella who writes golf like.
12:17.35
Marcos
Yeah.
12:30.44
mvhuber
Gay books about the mental game of golf. There's a whole series of them and I started reading them I had never really played golf but I was like I played a little bit but I was like learning about the thought process. So one of the things he always said and I I still think about it today I still use it and I and it related to my work is like you have to put the same low level.
12:31.10
Marcos
Why.
12:49.78
mvhuber
Of importance on every shot if if if you try to like change the way you're thinking about the shot. They're all the same theoretically. But the pressure is different when the situations are different. So how do you like just go up and hit the ball the same way every time regardless of what's going on around you.
12:59.20
Marcos
Mine.
13:06.21
Marcos
Um, exactly.
13:06.31
mvhuber
And that's a life lesson right? like it kind of comes back to the values of your organization patience Humility accountability right? at the end of the day right? like every shot matters and you've got to put the same level of intensity into it and the same focus and understand that when the ball goes into the woods.
13:11.33
Marcos
Exactly.
13:25.79
mvhuber
You got to play it where it lies right? You know and you can't let that get you down because if you do, you're not going to last on the golf course.
13:31.59
Marcos
Yeah I mean it's like I said the golf the the the Parallels between golf and life are you know it's just you know they're there. There's they can't be ignored. Um and every time you walk on a golf course. You know it the golf golf demands it.
13:37.41
mvhuber
Yes, absolutely.
13:51.48
Marcos
If you're if you're you're gonna end up quitting halfway through if not the None of the way through if you if you don't hold on your ah your patience you hear humility in the counter if if you don't have those. It's it's like night and day playing golf with or without them.
14:02.20
mvhuber
Yeah.
14:07.48
mvhuber
Um, sure is yeah.
14:09.44
Marcos
Ah, and um, so that's kind of what I I push on the kids and that to honestly that's I'm just now getting into it myself.
14:17.71
mvhuber
So but but I'm but I'm curious like so how does that How do those values come out in the in the sessions with the the classes with the kids that you're working with like how do they respond to those ideas of patience humility and accountability like.
14:31.48
Marcos
Um, it.
14:35.77
mvhuber
What's the typical reaction. Do they like do they get it or do they sort of resist it or somewhere in between.
14:39.65
Marcos
Well they they they understand I mean I make it very clear like if you don't have these 3 things. None of all, you know we we a lot of the time I define them first. So I ask kiddo anybody know what humility is anybody know what patience or accountability is and um.
14:50.27
mvhuber
Ah, right know what this means? Yeah yeah.
14:59.21
Marcos
I kind of have them guess hey what do you need? What do you think you need to do something. Ah well, um, eventually if you're really trying to get better at it. What does that take right? Um, so first first the None off are you get them.
15:07.39
mvhuber
Um.
15:17.28
Marcos
I get that into their head like you're not going to be good at this Automatically, you're going to. You're going to be bad at it I'm going to tell you your trash if you try to tell me that you're oh I can do it. You know what? I mean I'll have Nope problem telling a kid that you're bad and the thing is they don't.
15:32.20
mvhuber
Um.
15:35.33
Marcos
they're always, they're always um they're always looking for the instant gratification. You know what I mean and golf is everything but that and they get it immediately after the None after their first swings they get it. Um, it's just do. It's just if they're willing to do it again and again.
15:38.93
mvhuber
Yes, they are boom.
15:53.44
mvhuber
That's right, yeah right to endure that that torture until you actually get to the point where you actually swing the the club pretty well and it goes relatively straight. It takes a lot takes a while and in the air. Yeah.
15:54.20
Marcos
And again and again.
16:02.27
Marcos
Um, at least or in the air the very least um but it's like I said it's It's one of the most difficult learning curves to manage in sports and um, you know.
16:15.42
mvhuber
Yeah.
16:20.89
Marcos
I like I like this I Like to say people like say oh it's ah it's a battle against you know yourself? Um, yeah, it is but I though I feel like you're real like if if you if somebody were were playing defense on you' it's it's I tell these guys like hey yeah you know you don't have a person trying to block your T shot.
16:32.33
mvhuber
Um.
16:40.24
Marcos
But at the end of the day. There's a bunker right? there all right? like yeah the golf course is your defender.
16:42.29
mvhuber
Um, right? well and that's you're absolutely right? and to me the way I think of it is is I think it's I think it's your mind.
16:55.40
Marcos
Um, yeah.
16:57.19
mvhuber
Right? Like when I think about playing golf one of the things like just as is an example, the bunkers 1 thing but like for me like if I have a tshot over water. It doesn't matter right? like you still just have to hit the ball the same way because if you hit it? Well, it's gonna go over the water you're gonna be fine, but as soon as I see the water. There's this like mental block like oh I have to get it over the water. So what do I end up doing.
17:09.90
Marcos
Um, exactly why are.
17:16.82
mvhuber
And it right into the water right? like you have to get to a place where you can block out all those distractions because you can't do anything about what's in front of you and you have to really just focus in and be okay with hey I'm going to put my best swing on this and see what happens and that's life right? like in life. There's sometimes we go out and give our best you know.
17:28.64
Marcos
Exactly. What.
17:36.80
mvhuber
And things don't go the way we want them to what are we going to do. We're going to throw our club. We're going to snap it over our knee or we're going to just walk up to the ball and hit it again to try to get back into the fairway that's life you know and I think you said it really? well.
17:43.32
Marcos
Why so it's like and um, it's like so I I play a little bit of basketball myself of course. Um, but you know I can dunk the basketball right? And um, you know people people say oh you know. Oh you dunk? Well when there's nobody on you and I'm like yeah for sure why you dunk well and when there's nobody trying to block you I'm like yeah no doubt about it every time. Um, but so when I when I say you know that you have the golf course playing defense on you. It's like. You want to be you want to treat every shot like you're Russell Westbrook like like you want to just you don't want like if somebody trying to jump in front of you or the bunkers right? there you're going to drive you know through it.
18:27.50
mvhuber
Um, yeah.
18:36.29
mvhuber
Right? You're gonna attack. You're gonna attack it rather than yeah, right? exactly.
18:40.58
Marcos
You get a drive through it. Um, and so you know I'm I'm really just thing I Really just thought of that just but but ah exactly.
18:48.80
mvhuber
Ah, but it's a good but it's a good analogy right? You want to attack right? Always want to be attacking because that's in your control right? Regardless of whether there's somebody between you and the basket or there's a bunker between you and the green or whatever it is like you got to go after it with the same intensity every time because.
19:00.71
Marcos
Um, me 100% exactly
19:06.30
mvhuber
That's what you control? That's your attitude right? Ah so I want to ask you so like I know you've had this idea it sounds like you've had this idea for a long time. So like 1 exactly did you develop the vision was it in college is that what I heard you say before.
19:19.80
Marcos
Yeah, so it was about sophomore year in college. Um I was like okay I'm in this business degree and um, what the hell am I gonna do with it I like oh why wouldn't why wouldn't I start a business.
19:32.49
mvhuber
Um, yeah.
19:37.00
Marcos
And then I was like oh yeah I I kind of took like a hiatus from golf my freshman year of college was like oh yeah I like golf don't I That was really how it came on like yeah, okay, okay I I did some first tea stuff when I was in high school.
19:47.27
mvhuber
Yeah, yeah. In.
19:55.83
Marcos
Um, it So it's kind of it was just a no brainer. Um, and that's pretty much just it's been blind I've been had I've I've had the blinders on the ever ever since and um, but you know as for the financial literacy portion which is really like the kicker.
19:57.30
mvhuber
And.
20:04.00
mvhuber
In.
20:14.38
Marcos
Um, that's that's come into form the last year and a half because I just figured I it just can't be it can't be just golf. Um and neither be an educational. You know an educational component to my organization and golf teaches you a lot but it doesn't teach you how to.
20:21.64
mvhuber
M.
20:28.51
mvhuber
Um.
20:33.83
mvhuber
Yeah.
20:34.40
Marcos
Survive really? um and I figured you know financial literacy is pretty much just been growing up as a caddie like what else am I listening to for 4 hours 5 hours straight people talking about millions of dollars in
20:49.39
mvhuber
Yeah Moon given where you caddy. Yeah.
20:53.10
Marcos
And ah put in there. Yeah exactly and and buying me another house or whatever it may be like so of course you know financial literacy in golf they walk hand in hand and I just figured it was of course it had to be it.
20:58.58
mvhuber
Um, yeah, you sure? Yeah I think it's a I mean I think it makes a lot of sense and I mean the truth of the matter is is. There's always a need for more financial literacy and it's not just for young people. It's for a lot of.
21:14.50
Marcos
Um, of course oh my god.
21:17.28
mvhuber
Adults too right? So it's a very it's ah it's a very important topic and it seems to um, align pretty well so you know you had the vision. You had a very like you had tunnel vision about doing this and obviously it's evolving but I know there was a point where you started to get some help.
21:33.66
Marcos
Um, yeah, yeah, so um, ah there was a caddie member tournament back in 2019 and I met my now lawyer.
21:35.96
mvhuber
Implementing structure and you got some fundraising Can you tell me about like that. How how that came to be.
21:45.48
mvhuber
The.
21:51.87
mvhuber
Um.
21:51.92
Marcos
Ah, Ned Corcoran and as soon as he heard about what I was doing. He had suddenly kind of jumped to the opportunity to like get my paperwork done right away as soon as possible. So my None got done um with him and ah.
22:00.40
mvhuber
Um, yep.
22:10.87
Marcos
Once that happened you know he has his own. He has his own network of course he was a cat. He was a he's a member at the country club and he you know started telling people about it and I I was ah caddying and so I would continue to talk to people about it.
22:16.10
mvhuber
Sure.
22:23.61
mvhuber
A.
22:26.31
Marcos
And um, you know he had some buzz around the club and so forth. So last November we had our None ah like cocktail fundraiser at you know, ah the golf course next door. Um.
22:38.83
mvhuber
Um.
22:42.91
Marcos
And you know we raised about 10 grand there. Yeah yeah, and um, you know we bought the laptop I'm talking to you on right now. Um, exactly we bought.
22:45.76
mvhuber
That's awesome. Wow.
22:51.60
mvhuber
Yeah, right, an essential running a business hey Im a computer you don't have a business. Basically.
23:00.45
Marcos
You know this nice. Nice little printer actually bought a book. We bought some books we bought a book but a bunch of them. Um, ever heard of that right there Maybe it's backwards. But.
23:13.85
mvhuber
Oh wow yeah, book it to Washington up from slavery. Yeah.
23:18.70
Marcos
Yeah, so it's it's kind of like um, it's it's it's it's a it's a story about a guy who was born a slave and got through it and traveled the world in the turn of the None century like or to turn it.
23:30.89
mvhuber
Um, ah what? So what? So what made you? what? what about that book like what inspired you to buy that book.
23:39.66
Marcos
Oh it just like like telling people to like this guy had a way worse. He know what I mean um and the you know today you know things.
23:48.78
mvhuber
Yep, yeah.
23:58.62
Marcos
Things you know start to get a little you know trivial and not you know, not as you know they take you know people are so. So people take things a little bit too Seriously these days and um, it's this is kind of a it's kind of a wake up call like to have a have a book called up from slavery like what is it like where at the turn of the None century talking about.
24:21.00
mvhuber
A a.
24:31.53
Marcos
Oh you know it was my hard work that got me through not my race but blah blah you know I mean he's He's the um, he was conceived though. He's conceived from rape from the play slave master and his mother. Ah, you know what? I mean it's it just this.
24:42.88
mvhuber
Um, yeah puts it. It puts it puts things in perspective.
24:51.34
Marcos
But the thing is the the the craze the but what it's he got see his name has been sabotaged over the years though and that's kind of why I'm kind of bringing them back in the forefront to you know, hope kids understand what he was about because he was very. He was an industrialist he created. Ah, the Tuskee Institute um you know with by hand pretty much or using the none students built the built the school itself and um and it was it was an industrial school. Um.
25:10.65
mvhuber
Is it.
25:22.20
mvhuber
Wow I don't know that story.
25:28.35
Marcos
That you know just he taught kids How to you know, use their hands. Um and it and it was just you know it's the most probably probably my favorite.. Definitely my favorite. Ah ah, black person in American history or black you call him an activist. He's more of just Stuff. Just the the man really.
25:48.32
mvhuber
Yeah, yeah, well listen I think it's important to have I mean I appreciate that I mean obviously I know who know of BookerTWashington I've never read the book but I want to read it now. But yeah I think it's important to have those types of.
26:03.46
Marcos
Um, yeah.
26:04.80
mvhuber
Call them role models right? like they're from a different era but like to have people to look at and have to have that perspective of like hey like things are really hard really hard for real like at 1 point in the world and for these people to endure those hardships and then come out the other end and still be known three hundred years later
26:13.27
Marcos
White.
26:23.35
Marcos
What.
26:23.98
mvhuber
You know, two hundred years later and have all these accomplishments that are attached to their name and whether the people what their views on them. Are you know the people are going to have their opinions about everything. Unfortunately, they just do right? But it's impossible to not to deny the story that you've just told about a man who.
26:32.89
Marcos
Um, of course of course.
26:41.97
mvhuber
Endured probably the most you know, heinous sort of um, you know you know thing that you could go through as a person to come through it and then also like build something from scratch. You know after having gone through that. That's that's inspirational and it's it's hard to deny whether whether or not you have ah a positive or negative opinion about.
26:50.85
Marcos
Um, exactly.
27:00.27
mvhuber
What the person did and for me one of the books that's very similar to that different context but it's called um, ah man search for meaning by Victor Frankel which is similar. It's he was about his his journey through the holocaust and how he survived the holocaust and it was always that same theme of you know.
27:11.91
Marcos
Um, okay.
27:19.22
mvhuber
If I could get through this then I can you know then I could do anything right? and that was the mean he found meaning in the struggle and like that book just you know sings to me because it's like the things that we go through in this life today are just there really are trivial a usual word right? like.
27:21.49
Marcos
Yep.
27:33.29
Marcos
Um, yeah, exactly yeah, that's one hundred
27:36.80
mvhuber
Problem We all have problems but it's our perception of the problems that is really the issue. It's not the problems themselves. Okay, it's not that big of a deal I'm free I have a life I can earn money and have a family. It's like we'll figure it out versus like you know, having that self pity or that depression or despair like I can't get out of this.
27:46.83
Marcos
Um, yeah.
27:54.98
Marcos
Um, wonder with him. Yeah I mean it's a great guy.
27:56.51
mvhuber
Um, so I appreciate that? Um, yeah, So um, tell me more about ned because I you know he was only in a short part of the clip but I I just found him to be really um, endearing in the sense that like you could just tell the fondness that he has for you. As a person you know it was really it was really you know it was touching because you could tell that he really cares about you and he he believes in what you're doing So Can you just talk about that relationship a little bit more.
28:24.63
Marcos
Um, I mean it's it's been great. Um, Ned has just been very helpful along the way I mean at the end of the day he's he's anything legally like that's the guy like he's he's actually you know.
28:36.28
mvhuber
And.
28:41.77
Marcos
From what I hear a ah relatively well known lawyer in the area and of course he I can't imagine him getting any complaints. Um, but he's he's just been great. You know, reaching out to his his friends and the membership.
28:56.82
mvhuber
And.
29:00.86
Marcos
And actually he has He has a connection with Nbc Sports Ah, which was very helpful and he was actually um, a part of the the diversity committee for the Us open Also so we.
29:07.00
mvhuber
Gotcha gotcha.
29:15.73
mvhuber
Very interesting.
29:18.49
Marcos
Yeah, so we got to um, go to this nice um little charity event on Thursday night. Um, and that didn't speak I think he's the financial chair and he himself with ah the. The chair chair his name is Macy Russell um he they did this little little internship program. Ah for kids all around the country. You know to come from their colleges and you know get on get on stay on site and you know do.
29:37.21
mvhuber
No.
29:53.35
Marcos
You know, ah you know, learn about the golf industry. Um, so they had about 27 kids. Ah you know out of maybe None None applicants and um, they did a great job with that. So ned has is always you know ah looked out. And he's done a lot of work with ah the first not the first he. But um, the boys and girls clubs. Ah in the area too. So he understands like what needs to be done how we allocate the money and things of that nature I still need an accountant but um.
30:18.95
mvhuber
Um, gotcha.
30:33.10
Marcos
He's definitely knows where the money should go to you know, make sure we get the more the best out of it or the most out of it.
30:38.54
mvhuber
Yeah I mean listen, it's really important to have those kinds of resources around you you know in terms of understanding that What's really necessary to effectively run a business because you know just in that you know. Minute or 2 in that response right? You've got Legal. You've got account and you've got day-to-day Operations. You've got fundraising. You've got right? You got all those things and you're the guy doing it all mostly right? but you can't do everything on your own right? You need to find good people that can help you.
30:55.95
Marcos
Yeah. Feel.
31:07.97
mvhuber
And it sounds like you know having somebody like that in your corner. Not only to help you with the legal side of it or the financial side of it but somebody really believes in what you're doing and is you know a supporter a mentor or somebody who really wants to help you get to where you want to go because it's really hard to do things like this by yourself. You know, like as much as you. But.
31:21.00
Marcos
Um, no I mean it's ah.
31:27.69
mvhuber
As much as you believe in what you're doing I'm sure there are days where it's like man this is really hard and and I know it sounds like you have a full time job right? So you're doing you're running the the not-for- profit and you're doing a full time job and you're Caddy like you got a lot on your plate. Okay.
31:33.25
Marcos
Um, yeah. No yeah I just I just caddy um what what the plan is hopefully I caddy this I caddy through the season and then once ah, you know the colder months come along I'll ah will I believe by then. We should have enough money where I can ah do this full time until the next until the next caddie season. Um, so that's that's that's the that's the goal. We'll see what happens in six months except six seven days
31:59.17
mvhuber
Full time. Awesome! That's great. That's great.
32:10.80
mvhuber
So is that is getting to that level of funding is that just a matter of continuing to fundraise.
32:17.71
Marcos
Um, yeah, but we we we have it it just it just how it just how um how everything's gonna get split up how how you know how much.
32:24.59
mvhuber
Um, gotcha. Okay.
32:35.45
Marcos
You know how how long is it goingnna be is it gonna be 4 5 4 is it gonna be five months is gonna be six months is gonna be four months you know what I mean so we're just trying to figure out the logistics and we'll will we'll have that ah puppy we figure out before the summer
32:38.26
mvhuber
Are.
32:50.19
mvhuber
Yeah, are your are your parents involved at all in running the the not enough profit. Okay.
32:54.57
Marcos
Um, no, they're not. They're not involved so much. Um, but I do owe my mom seventy bucks for feeding the kids that we brought to the oak. Yeah so that's about it.
33:08.91
mvhuber
Ah, so so it's a very small role but an important one you got to keep them gotta to keep them fed. Ah so so at this point right? like obviously the the the the Urban Golf club is moving forward. It's.
33:12.40
Marcos
Um, yes, yes, yes, exactly? But um, all didn't want to pay for it but she's right.
33:28.47
mvhuber
Growing You've got funding. You know this is going to become you know for you personally a full-time venture in the very near future. So what's what's the long-term goal for all this like what do you want this to become down the road.
33:39.59
Marcos
Um, um, well I would love our own our own space of course. Um, whether that's like an indoor facility with you know, classrooms and simulators.
33:48.14
mvhuber
Okay.
33:57.84
Marcos
And putting greens and things like that. Um, really like you know have a couple levels to it. Whatever it may be like it's gonna be you know, just a golf facility in in the inner city of Boston right? And hopefully.
34:08.31
mvhuber
M.
34:16.73
Marcos
You know we can have another place another you know another place one day I'd love to you know, venture out to even New York or Chicago one of these days right? Yeah, um so and take it as far as we can, especially especially in the north you know where golf isn't year round kind of like where it.
34:23.69
mvhuber
That was gonna be my next question.
34:34.95
mvhuber
Yep.
34:36.55
Marcos
Like matters most um, you know Detroit places like that and um, you know, just be be nationwide. Um, and I'll go to London and help those guys out mean if I can.
34:51.00
mvhuber
Ah, yeah.
34:55.71
Marcos
Um, but ultimately I'd love to you know, just really so I kind of want to show people how it's done. You know what? I mean like because at the end of the day. It's not being done. Well.
35:08.13
mvhuber
Um I do.
35:15.10
Marcos
And my opinion. Um, so of course the kids are you know number one priority. But um, you know if we're talking longer. You know I want I want my own you know course. Um you know I would if. Whether it's close by or you know it's hard to get land anywhere in Massachusetts like that anyway, but um, or if it's something that I can figure out in the midwest and you know take kids there for a couple weeks out of the summer or whatever it may be.
35:36.60
mvhuber
Um.
35:46.94
mvhuber
Yeah.
35:52.61
Marcos
Or have some type of retreat there for anybody who would like to you know, come and support the kids um because I would you know anything anything that I would do like in terms of of course I am a nonprofit organization every every piece every penny is going into is getting reinvested. Um, and what I what I want to do because I do so I do some golf course design myself? Yeah, and um I've I've do I have None thing can i.
36:16.80
mvhuber
Interesting.
36:23.85
mvhuber
Yeah.
36:39.32
mvhuber
You got sketches.
36:40.62
Marcos
Um, yeah, don't know how the how you go to see this but it's It's very like geometric I don't know if you can see it.
36:45.44
mvhuber
It has tough.
36:56.96
mvhuber
It's a little easier there.
36:58.34
Marcos
But um, out you know, want to design my own golf course at the Midwest somewhere I've actually I'm crazy right? and my lawyer would agree. Um so on a couple occasions and I didn't use any any.
37:07.76
mvhuber
Ah.
37:18.33
Marcos
Business funds or anything like that. But I took it upon myself to fly to Wyoming and um, try to ah reach reach reach out to Kanye at his ranch I mean I got to you know, just.
37:32.00
mvhuber
Had that work out.
37:37.52
Marcos
Couple couple nice conversations with the security and um, that's really like how how I kind of got inspired to design those things I was like feels if there was a golf course at kind each place. What would it look like.
37:38.75
mvhuber
Okay, got to got to start somewhere.
37:56.32
Marcos
And so it's just a bunch of shape you know, shaped bunkers like Triangle bunkers you know robbers bunkers. Whatever it may be like.
38:01.30
mvhuber
Okay, all right that that that that that helps me so picture the visual a little bit better than trying to see the just the sketch you had.
38:07.41
Marcos
Yeah, like legit like legit rec Tangle greens and triangular greens things like that. Yeah I'll even um I'll figure it now I'll I'll let you see him. But um, yeah so I was just like.
38:14.54
mvhuber
Ah, this is super interesting idea man.
38:26.78
Marcos
He has a flat because you can only do stuff like that on flat land and it's like very flat over there I kind of want it was like oh you know, just trying to check out the topography of the above all blog because I'm a golf course desire and I lied of course not a registered golf course design but you know sounds cool.
38:36.11
mvhuber
Um.
38:46.40
Marcos
Um, but yeah you know i' I'm very inspired by people like that I I hold I hold like Kanye I hope kanie to to to a modern day booker to Washington in ah and ah in a way.
38:51.55
mvhuber
Are.
38:57.70
mvhuber
Ah I think you know what? I what I hear in your voice is somebody who isn't is truly an entrepreneur right? Like you've got a ton of ideas. You know they're good ideas because it's working right? What you're doing is working you understand there's a need for.
39:16.25
Marcos
Um, but.
39:16.52
mvhuber
The services that you provide to the community and it's working right? And so yeah, it's It's only natural to look at other people who are highly successful and have taken a lot of risk and tried a lot of different things to look at them and hold them in high esteem and I do too right? like it's not. It's ah it's easy to criticize. It's hard to go out and do.
39:34.70
Marcos
Um, exactly.
39:36.14
mvhuber
And you're going out and doing like you're like I'm going to do this. You know, whatever it takes I'm going to do it and like I respect that because I know how hard it can be to try to do things from scratch on your own you know with no clue where it's going to and no clue where it's going to end up. It takes a lot of faith.
39:40.95
Marcos
Um, appreciate that. Yeah.
39:50.64
Marcos
Thank you and um, you know I got stood up by like Tiger Woods is right? hand lady for coffee Once she didn't stand me up but she's like oh we're doing this project. She's all we can't do coffee Anymore. So I mean I would always reach out you you know the thing is I'll I'll stick my neck I'll stick my neck out exactly especially for something that's you know I believe in as much as this it's just I figure I figured who would say no if they have the right type of.
40:11.17
mvhuber
Um, but you have to you got to.
40:27.24
mvhuber
Yeah, and and you don't know if they're going to say no until you ask the question right? and so you for for what you're doing. You know you've got to be okay with being rejected you know what like I got to ask the question. It's important to me I think I have a good idea I think they'll like it if they don't like it.
40:27.39
Marcos
You know money and of course hard I mean exactly.
40:38.21
Marcos
Um, home abuse.
40:46.94
mvhuber
That's their problem I'll move on to the next person because you know I can I have to have thick skin and that's that's very unique. You know in terms of being able to do that. But when you believe in something which you know I feel the same way about what I do is when you believe in something you just keep going right? like that was something I took out of the the interview right? like.
40:47.80
Marcos
Um, we.
40:52.70
Marcos
Um, appreciate that. Um, yes, but.
41:05.42
mvhuber
Your your father I think was the one who said you're stubborn as heck you know is you think that's a do you think that's a fair characterization.
41:07.85
Marcos
Um, yeah, yeah for sure I mean he would know he would know better than anyone you know I got it from him. So.
41:18.56
mvhuber
Ah, hey it it. It works in your favor. A lot of times sometimes it works against us. But when you're trying to do something important being stubborn and going forward and and not stop it until you've seen it through is really is really ah, not an easy thing to do and it's admirable.
41:21.13
Marcos
Um, destroy.
41:32.42
Marcos
I appreciate that and um, you know it's just so what else am I going to do at this point at this point did nothing else for me to do but to you know, put my put the pedal to the metal and and just you know.
41:45.51
mvhuber
Um, yep.
41:51.54
mvhuber
Yeah, so I guess ah as as I as we I say we'll wrap up here. Um I usually ask the same question at the end of all of my podcast interviews and sometimes it takes a different shape.
41:52.90
Marcos
Kick doors down.
41:58.57
Marcos
Um, yeah.
42:11.34
mvhuber
Depending on who I'm talking to and I was trying to think about how I would ask you the question but I guess what I would the way I would frame it is is if you had to give 1 piece of advice to somebody who wanted to chase their vision chase their dream right? Someone who wants to be an entrepreneur.
42:27.80
Marcos
In here.
42:30.25
mvhuber
What would that piece of advice. Be.
42:32.63
Marcos
Um, um.
42:39.47
Marcos
Um, well it's it's kind of 2 things right? Make sure that you're doing it better or working harder than anybody else at at it. Whatever may be or make sure that you're the your.
42:43.26
mvhuber
Okay.
42:52.36
mvhuber
Um.
42:58.89
Marcos
Or you're the only person doing it. Yeah, so that's if you if you're if you're in if you're in a field that you want to be successful in and you're not you know, getting at it every day 1% every day type of thing or.
43:00.69
mvhuber
Um, yeah, right.
43:14.66
Marcos
You know in some cases if you want real results. You know you'll dedicate a lot more than that every day. Um, but 1% every day you know if that goes a what guy goes a long time that goes you know that's three months you know I mean you're really working at's Hometon and then um.
43:17.29
mvhuber
E.
43:25.63
mvhuber
Oh.
43:33.30
Marcos
Yeah, and if you if you're but if you're in your own lane. You just you just kind of just put your head down and keep going and don't you know and where not even you know you want to work as hard as a person trying to do it better than everybody else, but sometimes like ah like I'm not saying.
43:38.70
mvhuber
Yeah, yep.
43:51.18
Marcos
Nothing nothing here came easy but it came naturally right, nothing nothing that I'm doing now is as as come easy, but it definitely K. It's definitely like a natural feeling like.
44:05.27
mvhuber
I Love that and I and I really relate to that right? like you know when you believe in something it's not easy I get that right because every days can be hard when things aren't going the way we want them to but it's natural in the sense that like you believe in it right? It's It's part of you.
44:16.68
Marcos
A. Um, exactly.
44:23.71
mvhuber
Right? It always makes sense. You know and and I think that that's really important right? So I think it kind of speaks to if you're going to start a venture. Whatever it is that you believe you know you have to believe in it right? You don't just start a business because you think you can make money. And you start a business you do it because you believe in it and eventually the success will come because you believe in it and you're willing to put in the effort and the time and the energy into it being successful which is basically what you've described.
44:44.35
Marcos
You hit. Yeah, 100% and it's just took for me. It was always um, like five years ago I'm like oh I'm gonna be a part of this open one way or another like oh was just a met like five years ago six years ago I'm in the cadiard saying the shit.
45:06.64
mvhuber
Ah, you're good.
45:08.35
Marcos
And um, it's it's It's like this kid's crazy. You know I I mean um or or what I say like oh was just a matter of time like I've said that for a while I've been saying that for a long time. It's just a matter of time like but um.
45:12.59
mvhuber
Yeah.
45:27.69
Marcos
Yeah I mean I'm blessed to be where I am now and we're just getting started and I'm I'm excited to see what's what's going to happen next because I just know that you know it's only I Only Goingnna get more. It's all I'm only Goingnna get more attention as as as as long as I keep running around the City. Or cities eventually.
45:49.72
mvhuber
It's only a matter of time I I have no doubt that you are gonna achieve whatever it is that you set your mind to it sounds like you've already already checked a lot of those boxes but there's so much more to come So I can't wait to see how things go for you I'll definitely be.
45:57.89
Marcos
Is that.
46:03.44
Marcos
Um, appreciate that. Thank you? Yeah and Paul thank you Michael all right? thanks.
46:06.59
mvhuber
Definitely be paying attention. So thanks for coming on to the podcast. It was great talking to you again. Marcos and you're welcome take care.