Meet Donald Burlock

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donald Burlock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donald, how do you think about risk?
When I started my career in engineering, I discovered that there was a big part of me that consistently looked for purpose-driven endeavors. Over time, as a gravitated more towards product design and development, my attraction to taking calculated risks seemed to grow. As I spent more time working in big tech companies with other designers and engineers, taking a risk was very much a part of development experience. The more innovative the project, the greater the risks. It helped me build a healthy tolerance for risk, while also gaining experience in how to approach risk with degrees of responsibility.

In my most recent role at Amazon, I remember practicing something that founder Jeff Bezos would talk about –– that some risks are two-way doors, and others are one way doors. A two-way door risk is easy to take because it’s reversible and you can come back and take another door. I’ve brought this practice into my weekly work as a new founder and entrepreneur. When I started the company, I knew that if I didn’t try and build out my own brand and company, I’d regret it much later in life. In my mind, it was a reversible risk –– even if the business fails, I’ll learn a ton, and I’ll gain more relationships and experience by pushing to bring Kingsmen to a wide audience.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I founded the company in July 2023, in San Diego, California, but the idea of developing a new brand in the golf industry goes back to 2020. It was during this chaotic year that I decided to develop a brand committed to positively impacting the world for the better through apparel design.

My background is in product design and development. I spent over a decade working in design studios on product launches and direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns. I’ve been inspired by fashion and branding for years – but it wasn’t until I played a round of golf for the first time in 2021, that I decided to do something with the idea of a performance wear company.

My first round was played with some friends during a trip in Cancun, and that’s when the bug bit me. Eventually, I traveled to Portugal and played a links-style course in Faro, along the coast. It was absolutely beautiful. From there, the brand started to take shape – I knew I wanted to create a brand that balanced performance with the diversity of new players from all different cultural experiences getting into the game. That’s when Kingsmen really went from some logo and pattern explorations to the formation of a company.

Along with the values of performance, style, and diversity, I wanted to bridge the gap between the legacy I was creating and the heritage of those who’ve paved the way in the game. I wanted to find inspiration in the men and women who pushed for golf to be inclusive for all people.

We welcome all golfers and our style transcends a lot of the barriers that have historically framed the industry of golf. We have an overarching commitment to providing equity, access, and opportunity to golfers from every community through our brand.

This mission at times is in conflict with the major retailers in the golf industry. Many of the major retailers cater to one dominant audience. As a result, it’s been difficult to secure retail accounts with Pro Shops and golf retailers. It’s taken time to find buyers and merchandise directors who will give our brand a chance. While the industry has generally moved towards more diversity and reflection of diverse backgrounds in the game, it still has been slow to embrace new brands in the space. We’ve had to be patient and rely on social proof to drive growth.

While growing the brand, I’ve also been learning how to play golf –– which is different from just learning how to swing and hit a golf ball on a driving range. My growth and development with the game of golf has often run parallel with learning how to grow a new brand and drive business growth through sales and marketing. It’s not easy to see success in an industry that has lots of incumbents, but ultimately, it’s given me a great deal of confidence to see customers buying our products.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Bring your sunscreen! And an appetite. I’m all about the postcard-perfect moments that you can have in this beautiful city. First off, we’ll go from the airport to Cocina35 for the best chilaquiles in town. The flavors are amazing and you can top off the breakfast with some fresh churros. From there, we’ll need to walk off the calories –- and there’s no better place to do it than in Coronado. We’ll head over to Hotel Del in Coronado and walk the boardwalk around the hotel.

If Mexican food isn’t your thing, then we’d start the day with a quick grab and go spot. Izola bakery or Wayfarer Bread & Pastry have some of the best croissants and artisan pastries anywhere. From our quick grab and go, we’ll take our coffees and head north to La Jolla Shores. There’s a coastal walk trail in La Jolla that is absolutely beautiful –– you feel like you’re on the ocean with the seaside breeze.

A late lunch –- tacos! There’s so many great places for tacos in San Diego. The Taco Stand is my favorite.

End the night in the Gaslamp Quarter –– lots of restaurants in Little Italy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of my closest colleagues, Mark Karam, has been a part of my professional journey over the past decade. We’ve become close friends and I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s also been an unofficial mentor, giving me sage advice as I’ve navigated some of the more difficult political stretches at organizations. Mark often jokes about a scene from the Matrix, where a young boy tells Neo, “There is no spoon.” The meaning behind sharing this with me is to encourage me to silence the perpetual dialogue of limitation we have running in our minds. It’s a subtle reminder that I can embrace a mindset and consciousness where anything is possible –– including starting a successful business. I believe he deserves credit for not only influencing my story positively, but the stories of many professionals he’s interact with over the years.

Website: www.kingsmengolf.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingsmengolf/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldburlockjr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kingsmengolf/

Image Credits
https://www.johnriedy.com/