I think what we should start to get into straight away guy you've got some quick fire questions. For our guests today.
Haven't you i have now they're easy questions there's nine of them i tried to do a number that associated with golf. So i thought 18 was too many nines like nice little nine right suit's a beginner exactly there's no staff around the golf there's no right. Or wrong answer to any of these but i am personally judge you on some of them so there's no pressure you answer i think everyone listens going to judge you just a little bit because this is your first introduction to the to the listeners they might already follow you on instagram. But um they might not know any of this you've never talked about it on your stories potentially yeah. So guys don't get too excited not great. But question one nine holes or the driving range driving range oh controversial i know number two netflix or youtube uh youtube is that a real answer i probably wouldn't do either to be honest i'm not very good at watching tv well that's why youtube videos are good sure tv rick you've got a short attention span haven't you rick you like four minute videos. So that's where youtube's good 4 21 yeah as i mean yeah i'm done otherwise like if it gets too the amount of series i've started. And never finished it's so hard if the first episode's not absolutely amazing i'm out other than breaking bad i watched that and that was a bit slow anyway spotify. Or apple music spotify all controversial um apple iphone haven't yet i know but spotify is just the one wow okay um no offense. Or listen at least on spotify and also spotify you want to sponsor the podcast we're not going to we will go spotify exclusive at the drop of the hat um tiger. Or jack nicholas tiger yeah i'm with you driving. Or putting patek oh no oh i want to say driving yes iron head covers yes. Or no no it's the right answer 100 that's the correct answer first app you open in the morning is instagram i think that's pretty standard in it a final question favorite golf brand favorite golf brand. For what purpose for just anything so it can do an apparel. Or you can do a clubs. Or balls just the one brand that's so far in your early golfing career you felt drawn to for any reason this is really hard because i spend most of my time complaining about golf brands um adidas. And nike i can't i know it's controversial to say both but i'm going to say both. So that's a nike then.
Yeah it kind of has to be nike on this podcast that was nice very nice little introduction there um actually i do want to definitely dive more into your story. But most of the what's really interesting for me is that you kind of came from nowhere about six. Or seven months ago certainly on instagram and it was like wow a new golfer you're in your mid-20s female you know actually storying. And making it making a bit of a i don't know a bit of noise about your first steps into golf i thought wow this is amazing i've had i've never seen this really before um i think you do a great job on instagram if you want to follow me baker what's your actual at mia ella x because that's my name. And someone had took it so i had to put an x on the end okay. So your actual name is mia ella yeah your middle name it's my middle name. But mia is also very common these days should we start from the beginning what got you into it. And i know you might have thought you've sold this story a few times already but listeners will want to hear it what got you into golf. And what got you into kind of documenting your progress yeah i would say it is a very it's actually quite an interesting story even i'm surprised sometimes um. But basically my ex-boyfriend's dad was really really into golf. And he was super kind. And actually took me out on a golf course which i was only driving the buggy. But i just thought it was. So beautiful and he then.
Invited me to go and play on the range i was like yeah sure definitely hit some balls hit some balls. And then.
Thought hmm maybe i could you know play this a bit more seriously so for my birthday last september i was bought some golf clubs. And that kind of meant you know mia come on you need to start playing so i went to try and find some golf shoes because you've got to have the gear otherwise what are you meant to wear on the course obviously um. And we went and looked in pro shops and couldn't find any or there was only one pair. For women um or they sold nothing so we went to the uk's biggest golf retailer which would make total sense um flagship store london um two stories and again they sold nothing for women and were you expecting there to be obviously in that store a lot of shoes because it's a big store big retailer. Or we are we surprised we went in there was nothing well i was expecting there to be at least a couple of pairs you know. And there was nothing i was offered some pink tees that's my only option. And that was actually serious yeah the pink teeth well i said oh is there anything. For me that oh we've got some pink tees so i was like goodness. And i was thinking you know i can't be the only person who has gone into this store. And been turned away you know you're losing customers here so i ended up getting in touch with the ceo and we met we had a couple of meetings wow yeah. And this was before my instagram had even started. So this was november time last year. And i basically spoke to the ceo said you know there's a number of things we can do i looked on their instagram they didn't have many women on there featured they just didn't really target women at all. And there are. So many of us out there who do want to have a go. And yeah we're starting later in our career you know we weren't starting when we were five. And that's okay you know. And it's exciting and it's fun to start and learn and do something new. And you know by the time i'm 40 i'm gonna be so grateful for my current self for having started when i was like 26.. And maybe a lot of people around the uk maybe even the world are going to be grateful that you actually you know maybe have taken some steps into putting ladies clothing into retailers etc. And was it just sorry did you say it was just shoes you went in. For as well i just went in for shoes did they sell ladies apparel. Or not no no nothing. For women that's crazy because i obviously i've worked in golf shots before and i know guy has i've certainly when i worked at mia really established golf course uh we used to have a lady golf professional at work with us and also um a retailer who was a woman as well. And they used to really be pride themselves on the women women's stock and sometimes it didn't suit everyone granted but it was a big section in the shop like maybe you know it's hard to quantify how much. But like a quarter of the shop was laid his gear. And it did sell really well. And i know where i've been to obviously i don't look for the ladies clothing not anymore i think that's the point though you know where you're talking about there's a woman there. And they pride themselves in it if there's no women there correct well i was going to come on to that i was like i underst i never did any of the ordering. For the women's clothing and if those two women weren't working in the shop who would have done i i don't want i don't really know um but it surprises me that a big retail store didn't have options um it's interesting that you you managed to reach to the ceo and get an answer and yeah which is pretty awesome yeah. And you feel that there's been steps now put in place to you know prevent that is the is the new lady sections popping up into these stores. Or is it still lacking. Or would you still change anything would be interesting to hear that yeah no to be fair they were very receptive. And that's what i'm really appreciative of it's not just oh this girl's coming and complaining she actually wants to help her she wants to you know kind of make her stamp and say you know come on if you're a woman let's have a go join in um so you know there's more pictures on their instagram feed now featuring women teaching you yeah we saw you in the golf shop the other day i was on it well what was funny on on tuesday we'd been down to trafford center this might give you an idea of the retail store it's. For plates you said retail though because they've obviously they've worked with you to try. And and you're not sure it's american golf yeah i know i didn't want to stay i didn't want to come across no it's dubbing them in no i don't think it is i think the fact that you've spoke with the ceo to be first american golf is massive kudos to them i think he would have got no response that would have been worse at least she got a response. And they're based around here aren't they yeah they are. And their team work really hard to try and get as much women and stuff in like their new malden store now has like a whole women's section um still trying to get shoes in there but they're doing a good job.
