Jandie Smith Turner is a Mom-prenuer powerhouse taking the business of Golf by storm. Managing her multiple roles as wife, mother of two boys, successful business owner, and author is no easy feat. Jandie shares her journey of entrepreneurship, building a family, and navigating the business of a white male-dominated industry.
It was all a Dream
18 years ago, I informally gathered a group of 16 women for a golf tournament on Memorial Day in an effort to fellowship and network on our day off. Local vendors provided prizes, we had lively competitions and celebrated our womanhood with the common interest of golf. At the conclusion of the day I was asked, “When is your next event?” I did not have one. Shocked by the overwhelming response, I planned another tournament for July 4th and was then asked, “When is your next event?” Again I replied, I do not have one. Labor Day was the next holiday and I found myself planning another tournament when I realized that I must be onto something. At the time, I was working as a business consultant and my instincts told me to investigate this business of golf. The following winter, I connected with an attendee of one of the tournaments I planned and they inquired about my event schedule with interest in me planning an event for them. My instincts met opportunity and Acuity Sports was born.
Acuity Sports is a division of Acuity International, LLC, a full-service, professionally managed event planning and management firm. I was intentional by creating a golf management side and a general event management side in order to maximize opportunity and growth potential. Developing the golf management portion of my business required researching the golf industry and learning the importance of golf as a sport and as a business. I then conducted an industry analysis and determined how I could blend my passion for golf with my business acumen.
Headquartered in the Washington, D.C., Area, Acuity, is a full-service boutique event management firm that serves associations, nonprofits, and corporate clients around the world. Our firm specializes in all aspects of event management, from the seed of an idea to the final event experience, and beyond. We pride ourselves on stellar customer service and unique event management wizardry to help our clients shine with events that are extraordinary in nature, cost-effective by design, and revered by attendees. You may wonder how we do this. It is simple: we listen to your needs, design a project plan aligned to your budget, and proceed to exceed your expectations.
A Black Woman in a White Man’s World
In my career, I try not to let being a woman and a minority impede my success.
I use my unique qualities to my advantage, in business, by networking in circles with people who value me and my experiences. In the golf industry, there is a limited number of women and black women are far less. At the onset, my goal was to network with women and minorities that had an interest in hosting a golf event while simultaneously increasing representation within the industry. My research revealed a white space in the golf world and almost 20 years later I have yet to find another person who is serving this market with intentionality.
The golf industry is stuck in the ’70s. Early in my career when attending the PGA Show in Orlando, there were times when I was one of seven minorities out of 50 thousand people. While representation has improved, vendors are not motivated to practice inclusion. I remember a conversation with a vendor for Nike and I was telling them about my extensive database of minority golfers, and the response was “why do I care, they aren’t going to buy my products anyway.” This experience encouraged me to continue forging ahead to ensure minority golfers become “seen” as purposeful and profitable clientele.
Since the golf business is majority led by wealthy white men, when I secure a contract often they are not expecting a black woman to be running the show. I pride myself in executing with excellence and forcing people to relinquish stereotypes. Once, I had a white male golf pro actually try to sabotage my event by not honoring the contract and holding up their end of the bargain. Astonished at their lack of preparation to deal with me as a minority who expected excellence for my clients, I wasn’t going to settle. I stood my ground and held them accountable for honoring the contract. I have learned, in this industry, to kill them with kindness and a smile. If that doesn’t work, I find another avenue by infiltrating surrounding influencers who see the value of my work which in turn forces the leader to get on board.
This is a game of chess, and you have to find a way to get people to where you want them.
Life on a Tightrope
My life is a constant balancing act. Luckily, I have the most agreeable spouse in the world. He is easy-going, supportive, and he often says yes to whatever I need. We have similar interests, we both love sports, and love watching the kids play sports. It is a priority for us to ensure we are on the same page with our two boys. The mutual respect we have for one another is paramount in our marital success. I am so thankful to have an understanding spouse and someone that understands YOU.
My advice is to make time, give the respect that is due, and try to be a better spouse every single day.
Navigating business and raising sons has been the challenge of my life. We kept the boys involved in sports since they were five years old. I lead them by modeling work ethic and showing them how to be successful. You can talk to your kids, but you never really know if they are hearing you. So, if I tell them to work hard at school, I’m working hard on my business. If I tell them to practice at sports, I am working out in the gym. I have found it best to parent the child that you have and not the child that you want. You have to meet the individual child where they are and give them what they need.
Endurance is my superpower! Sometimes, I have no clue how I accomplish it all, but I have learned to schedule every minute of my day and figured out how to do a lot of stuff in a little bit of time. My friends who follow my social media are always surprised at my ability to “be everywhere”. They will say, “yesterday you were in Austin, TX; last night you were at your son’s football game in DC; the next day you working out and on a conference call; and Saturday you were in North Carolina watching your eldest son’s college game!” I try to be as efficient as possible so that I can accomplish the things I need to do, and want to do. Exercise and eating healthy fuels me to be successful. I want to thrive in my business, be a supportive wife, and connected mother. It takes a lot of endurance to do it all and enjoy it. My goal is to be fully present.
Shaping the Life of Future Femmes
I would love to find an outlet for me to tell my story to young girls and women. My presence in this male-dominated industry and old boy network has taught me that, YES I CAN play and I will carve out a piece of this for me. For every No that I get, I go find another yes. Young women need to hear that message and demand their seat at the table. I hope that I can inspire women and girls to be in business for themselves. For me, there wasn’t a golf business like mine for me to emulate, I had to create it.
My message for young girls and women would be to figure out what you want to do, create your own path, and make it work. Anything is possible, if you can believe it, you can achieve it.
Women can do whatever makes them happy, in the context of home life and business. We have a long life to live and you should live in joy. Every person has the ability to set the terms of their life. Spend time with yourself and learn how to be happy with yourself, utilize your gifts, and determine your contribution to society.
The American Mom thanks you, Jandie, for sharing your story and using your voice to empower! Her book, Golf: The Sport of Business is available now on Amazon! Contact Jandie to schedule your next corporate event www.acuityevents.net • www.acuitysports.com
Follow @acuity_events on IG!
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