4/24/2026

Best Foot Forward

I’m going to admit something.

People don’t show me their ugly side.

They hide it from me.

They don’t want to see mine.

So everyone plays nice.

I learned that in Year 1 of Mint.

Every day someone pitches me on a new idea that’s going to change disc golf.

Every day someone tells me how some player got angry on the course.

Every day someone shoots their shot with me.

Every day I have 50 new emails I wish I had time to get to.

Every day someone interrupts a conversation I’m having with someone else.

Every day I have tell someone NO.

Every day I have to decide if I help someone live their dream or not.

The telephone is always ringing.

Someone is always asking us to pick up.

Why?

Mint offers a need.

A potential sponsor.

Discs. Money. Open doors.

You name it, I’ve probably been asked it.

I am a check mark on the list.

People tell me what they think I want to hear.

For a while it was really hard to figure out who’s my friend for me and who’s my friend for the doors I can open.

It sucks telling friends they fucked up.

It sucks telling someone their dream isn’t good enough.

It sucks turning down event ideas and sponsorships.

It sucks admitting when I made mistakes.

We can’t have everything though.

I also have enough experience to see when an idea is just an idea and not a plan.

When I sense that, I 100% push on it.

I will vet a plan I don’t understand as fast as I can so that I can keep the noise down and distractions away.

I remember being a no one in disc golf.

I remember doors being closed on me.

I remember being doubted.

I remember what it felt like to be told my path was a mistake.

I remember every time someone told me my plan wasn’t good enough.

I hate giving other people that same feeling.

But I can’t be the solution for everyone.

I can’t make a player not kick their bag.

I can’t improve your event ideas.

I can’t lose focus on my business goals.

I can’t be the reason you weren’t prepared enough.

I know that when I do have to tell someone no, I will inevitably hear my name in the telephone game as some sort of retaliation.

It’s manipulation.

It makes disc golf look bad.

I have at times let it go both ways when I could have stopped it.

I know that’s also just people.

More and more I just want to be a disc golfer.

My job gets used against me a lot when I tell people no.

It used to bother me enough that I wouldn’t say no.

Lately I’ve taken a lot more caution to limit how much noise I let in now.

I’m trying to limit my dreaming.

Don’t get me wrong, my door is still always open.

I will put my best foot forward if someone needs help.

The difference is that I think I’m just more comfortable saying NO up front now.

I understand it’s what some situations need.

Even when saying it carries baggage.

Sometimes the only answer is no.

It’s weird how positive that word can feel when you embrace it.