Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2023 - 26

under the hot summer sun. White would
collect money from the field owners and
buy candy to pay his cousins.
" That's how I got started, " White says.
" And once you start enterprising, it's
like that lightbulb went off for me, and I
was hooked. "
At around age 13, White began cutting
his friends' hair at $2 per cut (increasing
that to $20 when he was 16). He then started
FOR THE HOUSTON
WHITE BRAND ETHOS,
WE LIVE BY TWO
THINGS: HUMAN
CONNECTION IS THE
MOST POWERFUL
FORCE IN NATURE,
AND WE NEED A MORE
INTERCULTURAL
WORLD.
-HOUSTON WHITE
screen printing and selling t-shirts-saving
money for his next move.
" I was trying to find ways to enterprise
and hustle legally, " he says. " You don't always
want to go ask your mom for money. You
get tired of people saying no. "
After high school, he attended barber
school and expanded his hair-cutting
venture. He eventually put away enough
money cutting hair and flipping houses to
buy a building in North Minneapolis in
which he and his wife, Donise, who died
in 2018, created a living area upstairs and a
business area below that included FRESH,
his own barbershop. And things took off
from there.
" I bought the building in 2008 and
started to bring all these things together, "
says White. " I realized I could sell t-shirts
under this roof and also skincare. [Then
I thought], a barbershop is community
and coffee is community, so I put a small
coffee bar in. "
FASHION FORWARD
While White grew his business empire
(which included The Get Down Coffee Co.
brand-now available in Target stores-
and, in 2012, a clothing line called Black
Excellence), he was also working on his golf
game, and the two began to intertwine. He
played golf as often as possible (ultimately
achieving a 2 handicap) and with whoever
arrived on the first tee-to the benefit of
his game and his business.
" I learned the concept of leverage on the
golf course by listening to older guys talking
about trusts and stocks, and thinking about
how I should be leveraging my money, "
White says. " I'm out there for four hours
with knowledgeable people, uninterrupted.
I was being mentored by folks from every
walk of life on the golf course. "
For White, golf was an opportunity to
make connections and learn something
new. " I am forever remaining coachable
in business and in life, and that's why I
am able to do so much, " he says. " Never
think you have arrived, and you will
keep arriving. "
The time had arrived, however, to
leverage golf in his business-and make it
culturally relevant. White added the Viictory
Line of golf apparel to his fashion business.
He'd met a woman from the Ivory Coast
who could manufacture White's vision
of Kente cloth African wear for the golf
course. The clothing has been featured at
the 3M Open tournament in Blaine.
" It all started with that idea of just
wanting representation and wanting my
culture celebrated, " White says.
MIXED FOUR-BALL
While the COVID-19 pandemic tempered
Viictory Line's launch in 2020, it was the
impetus for White's next venture: the " Be
the Change " golf tournament at Theodore
Wirth GC.
" The tournament originated from the
idea of 'What can I do that I love to help
my neighborhood, my community?' " White
says. " All the rec centers were closed down
in the neighborhood during the pandemic,
and we had a big problem with the kids
getting in trouble. There wasn't anything
for them to do.
" With the pandemic-induced recession
going on, the smaller nonprofits trying to
do good work couldn't get funding, " White
says. " And with the race conversation and
polarization in our politics [at the time of
26 MINNESOTAGOLFER Spring 2023
mngolf.org
PHOTO: BROOKE ROSS
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2023

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