Just over a year ago, I walked away from a 17-year career at Direct Supply.

It wasn’t an easy decision.

Direct Supply had become a second home – the people, the relationships, the experiences. For nearly two decades, it was where I grew up professionally. I built a career in sales and analytics, worked with incredibly talented people and developed relationships across the organization and the greater senior living industry that I’ll always value.

But at a certain point, I knew I couldn’t keep doing both.

Golf – and the content, photography and storytelling around it – had grown into something more than a side hustle. And with a wife and two young kids at home, I couldn’t give two careers the time and focus they each deserved while still being a good dad and husband.

So with the 2025 golf season approaching, I finally made the call. My last day working in Corporate was April 17, 2025.

My full LinkedIn post from April 17, 2025

What the Past Year Has Looked Like

A lot of early mornings. Wake-ups in the threes and fours to drive and be in position when the sun comes up in places like Stevens Point, Sheboygan, northern Illinois and southern Michigan.

A lot of time on the road. Three to five days at a time, chasing light, telling stories and trying to make something meaningful out of each stop.

And a constant balancing act – capturing content, editing it, delivering it on time, sharing it across social media and then doing it all over again.

I went into the year thinking I’d have more time.

The reality is I’ve never been busier.

There were a lot of unknowns going in to this. And a lot that I had to figure out on the fly.

I thought the hard part would be getting work – it’s been pricing it.

Outside of a little directional guidance from friends I trust like Cody Retlich and Patrick Koenig, nobody really tells you what to charge or what they “typically pay” – asking AI tools for guidance is about as helpful. There’s no playbook for it.

I heard a wide range of numbers early on, and it didn’t take long to realize that what people say and what actually gets paid aren’t always the same thing.

I also knew I didn’t have the name recognition of Evan Schiller, Patrick Koenig or Brian Orr – so pricing like them wasn’t realistic.

I’ve been figuring it out as I go, and for me that resulted in underpricing early on to make sure I got the work… and learning those lessons the hard way.

I also said yes to just about everything, which I think you have to do in year one. But it taught me something important – not every opportunity is the right one.

There are parts of this work that I don’t want to spend my time on long-term. Social media management is one of them. It’s valuable and people say I’m good at it, but it’s not where I do my best work or where I want to focus my time (which truly is our most scarce and precious resource).

What is – and what this year reinforced over and over again – is golf course photography.

That’s the part that never feels like work.

The early mornings, the travel, chasing the right light – when my alarm goes off at 3:30 to go shoot a beautiful golf course in golden hour light, there’s no hitting snooze. That’s how I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

There’s also a side of this that most people don’t see.

Doing this professionally means more than just showing up with a camera.

It meant getting my FAA Part 107 license so I can legally operate a drone commercially – and of course keeping it current. It meant investing in the right equipment (multiple Mavic 4 Pro drones and enough batteries to last full days, handhelds like the Osmo Pocket 3, microphones, backpacks, stands and tripods, etc.), hardware and software to allow me to work at the level I expect of myself and that best show clients’ properties.

And it meant building the infrastructure behind it all – drone insurance, massive amounts of file storage, creative systems, subscriptions and learning how to run an actual business, from managing expenses to handling taxes on the up-and-up.

None of that is glamorous.

But it’s all part of doing it right.

And the reality is, none of this works without the support system behind me.

Kelly has been incredible through all of it – the early mornings, the time on the road and the overall unpredictability. And my kids have been along for the ride in their own way, too – whether joining to turn golf content trips into family ones or wanting to see my favorite photos and videos taken while they were at school.

Every time we pass my picture in Quinn’s school hallway that shows me flying a drone at Stevens Point Country Club she stops and says, “My daddy!”

The explanation of what I do on it is pretty bad: “Quinn’s dad takes pictures and writes about golf.”

Close enough, I suppose.

What Surprised Me Most

What’s surprised me the most is the support.

From my family to the local golf community here in Wisconsin, to the broader network I’ve built over the past 15 years, the encouragement and opportunities have been incredible.

And just as important – the team around WiscoGolfAddict.

My contributing writers have stepped up in a big way this year, even helping manage parts of the site at times while I’ve been focused on building the business. Someday I hope this all gets so big they can leave their jobs if they want, too.

Year one wasn’t perfect. There was a financial hit, as expected, and I definitely noticed when my bi-weekly paychecks stopping hitting my checking account.

There were lessons learned the hard way, mornings that were supposed to be clear that never materialized, and reshoots and long learning sessions to hone new skills and elevate my work.

But there was also clarity. Clarity around the work I want to do. Clarity on where I can provide the most value. And confidence that this was the right move.

Now heading into year two, I’m more motivated than ever.

With a full slate of course shoots, content partnerships, video projects and written work already committed to, the opportunities in front of me are better than I could have ever imagined a year ago.

More importantly, I’m doing what I love.

And we’re just getting started.