Chasing Tour Status and Being The 401k Girl | Betsy Kelly, Hemingway Wealth Management #040

Hi everyone. I'm Karissa from Shining Light on Minnesota. I'm super excited. This is one of my favorite guests and probably my favorite topic. We have Betsy Kelly. If you don't know, Betsy Kelly golf is here with us today. Welcome, Betsy. Yeah, thanks for having me. You bet. So, let's get started a little bit. Tell our viewers probably, let's go way back, where you're from and how you got into everything. So, you're from a local area around here. Yeah, absolutely. So, um Betsy Kelly, I born and raised Minnesota. I grew up in Forest Lake. So, I don't know if you guys know Forest Hills Golf Club. I actually grew Yeah. You have you played it? Oh, yeah. Yeah. So, I grew up right on the eighth hole. Oh, fun. And my parents got us into golf just at a really young age. Um started playing at four and literally my parents couldn't get my brothers and I off the golf course. Y it was kind of the childhood dream cuz and now everyone's like, "Oh, I wish I played when I was that young, you know." But um yeah, so grew up playing fell in love with the game right away, kind of like you. Yep. And I set goals at a really young age, too. So I, you know, started playing junior golf tournaments and, you know, I I'm competitive. So as soon as I got my first trophy, I was like, "Oh, dang." Like more. Yeah. I was like, "I want more." Like this is kind of fun. My brother has definitely pushed me, too. I grew up playing with a lot of the guys cuz being a women golfer there there's not a lot of there's just not a lot of girl golfers growing up. Yep. And I feel still to this day I would rather and I usually only play with guys. That's just what I do. I'm like I'm so used to being embedded in that when I grew up I'm like when they're like do you want to have girls come out? I'm like no I'm good. Yeah I feel bad saying that too but I like playing with the guys. I do. It's more of a competitive laidback not caddyy kind of thing. It's just chill. It's It's very Yeah. I still love playing with the girls and like some of my girlfriends, but the guys are just like players. They just want to play and get out there and they know what they're doing, not just about life. That's totally how I grew up. So much fun. I like so thankful my parents raised us, you know, right on the golf course. And then Yeah. And and you know, fast forward, played high school. Well, I actually I won a lot y in my junior golf career, which was a lot of fun. I won Minnesota State High School championship and then I started getting recruited to college and I was kind of looking like all Big 10, you know, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa. Uh, and then I ended up playing at Colorado State cuz here I Well, and here I am. I'm like little Minnesota girl. I never left the state. I want to get out of here and see what's out there. Yeah. And I went out there. I was like, well, this is amazing. So, um, but the funny thing is you go to college and like and you know you're you're the star in high school and now everyone is like star. Yeah. Yeah. It's a different ball game. You're playing before, you're playing during, you're playing after, you're on the green, you're at the range. It's non-stop. It's just a grind, which is fun. But it was very humbling. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz you're like, "Okay, I'm good." But everyone's really good. Everybody's good. So, we need to step it up. Yep. Yeah. So that's kind of my junior golf career and then into college. Yep. Um and I don't know if you want me to kind of go through the whole, you know, beyond that. Well, yeah, let's do it. Yeah. So played in college. Um I had pretty good like freshman sophomore year. Mhm. I fell off a little bit. Um I actually developed some like health issues. Yeah. But then yeah, I graduated and uh I actually got right into the business world. So I started working in the financial services industry which was my my uh degree degree is Yep. Yep. I was corporate and investment finance and like I wanted to go pro. I literally since I was four and started playing was like I'm going to be on the LPGA when I grow up. That's exactly what I would say too. I'm like I'm playing with all these guys so I'm not sure. Like I told everyone I was like I'm gonna you know I'm going to be a professional golfer. Well, I graduate and I don't have rich parents, so I'm like, "Okay, I'll go get a job." Because Q school and like professional golf's really expensive. People don't understand the not only the time, but the cost that's embedded with all that, like the flying and the school, the eating, and Yep. the dexterity of like playing at that level, too. Oh, 100%. So, like, yeah. So, I'm like, "Okay, well, I'll just go get a job." And and I had a really good job right out of college. I was really thankful. I was still living in Colorado. But people don't get that. Like what's really nice now is this NIL. Yep. Cuz kids like you guys got it made with this NIL stuff. But yeah. And then um I still like way back in my mind was like what if you know I I still need to try and and turn pro and like make it. Yeah. So I did and again I was working right. Uh, so everyone, all the girls kind of knew that I just showed up and played a few events here and there. So I turned professional. I think it was 2017 and I I played a couple mini tours. Um, I had Epson Tour status or back then it was Symmetra tour. Yep. But I again I played just a couple events here and there because I was working, right? Like you can't afford it and nobody understands the cost of like Yeah. of all of it. Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy. And then so um I know this is just a long long background on myself but that's good. Let's let the viewers know. Yeah. So then I stopped playing altogether and I kind of kind of like your story. I just stopped playing. Yeah. And I did struggle with some health issues. Uh but it was like the light inside me was burnt out. Yeah. And I went into a dark hole. Oh yeah. Yeah. And like not playing and then you know just everything like I was just being totally I you know I don't even know I developed an eating disorder. I was like I got really really skinny. It was really really bad. Like a really dark period of my time my my life and then yeah I you know started playing again. It's like the light comes back on every like okay I don't even know what happened in those 12 years that I didn't play. I know I had kids but yeah like it was kind of a blur and I'm huge in my faith now as well. So like those, which is important, you have to have those. Yeah. Like those darkest, darkest days, I literally got to a point where I, you know, I was forced to treatment for an eating disorder. And there was a time and I was like, "All right, well, I'm done." You know, and I just like the time's good. I'm I'm here. Yeah. And I like I prayed and anyways, like from that day, which was like really 2019 until now, just like completely surrendering and like giving my life over to God and just like, "Hey, you do your thing." Yeah. Um, started playing golf again. Like I look back now and so this leads to where I'm at. So, you know, fast forward to today, I do the social media stuff, right? So, like a big part of my brand and what a lot of people know me for is the social media. Um, I got some brand deals and it's all golf related, right? But the other side of it, people don't know. Everybody's like, "Great, she's a golfer. She does this." But the time that's spent for the social media, the editing of the videos, so much like I'm out here trying to play golf and now I got to make a video and explain what I'm doing and how I'm doing it and then I got to go home and edit it and then I got to make sure I'm doing it right and the algorithms. That's insane. Oh my gosh, it is so much work. And it's really funny, too, because a lot of people don't like people just think that social media is my job. Yeah. No. and and I'm like I have a real job as well and I gotta work a regular job just to cut it. Just work like 12 hour days, you know. But the editing sucks. It does. It is so much work and like I mean you I did a couple birdies thing before I did this and I'm like, you know, this is just too much. I'm just going to go back to my brand and who I am and my golf stuff and my work stuff and just put it all together because trying to do two separate things. Yeah. Like it's a lot. It is a lot. Well, and so here's what's funny. So I talk about like, you know, being a girl in college and wanting to turn pro. I turned pro. I don't have rich parents. I, you know, and you're just trying to get stuff. The reason why originally I tried to like really grow my Instagram was because I was sick of like all these non-golfer girls getting all the free stuff. That's pathetic. Yeah. Like I see him. I'm like, you don't even golf. You're just out here posing in cute clothes. I'm like, dude, let's go do a long drive. I freaking hate it. Like these girls on Instagram are like number one showing portraying the wrong like role. They're portraying the wrong view for women's golf especially for the next generation and they're getting just thrown free stuff at them and I'm like I'm out here grinding 9 to five. I don't get anything free. I'm like I'm going to go buy my golf balls. Let's go. Yeah. I'm like freaking what does a girl got to do here? That's why I started like originally cuz I'm like okay I'm going to play again like you know how am I going to do this and and like you know I started posting a little bit but it did totally take off right which is awesome which is like I'm so thankful for it. Absolutely. But it's kind of funny because it's like Yeah. Well these people see you now and they're like or when they see me they're like oh you play golf. I'm like, "Yep." And I work I work more than I golf. But you can start tying it together. And it's it's a fun world to have, but not not everybody's given that chance. And not everybody knows how to do it. So when you do it, it's like I see all the hard work that you're putting into. It's like, dang, she just goes and goes, too, you know? I know. Well, and I've gotten like more efficient with it. Cuz another thing too cuz the social media side like I I am very very picky with who I partner with too just because like PXG I mean look at me. I guess I'm like a walking advertisement for PXG right now. Yeah. But like I love PXG, right? And and that's a part of my story too because I want you know when I I had a guy who told me that he was going to buy me PXG clubs for me to try and turn pro. Sure. And never did. So I'm like I'm going to do this all. I'm going to do it on my own. I got this. This was me. Yep. I was like, I'm really all on my own here, so I'm going to make this happen. But yeah, I'm I'm really picky on all that. But I It's just totally, you know, the amount of videos just like just like this podcast, right? It's a lot of work. People never see the behind the scenes, the editing, but at the end of the day, it's just fun. It is fun. Like when I did the couple birdie stuff and I do the golf stuff, I'm like I just it's it's part of who I am. It's golf and that's golf's me. Like it's one of those it just comes natural. It's other people get annoyed like when you're out there on the golf course or you're trying to do something like, "Oh, she's making a video again or she's posting again." But you know what? I'm doing it. Nobody else is. So, you know what's funny, too? So, I've actually noticed this cuz I've I know a lot of like other golf influencers and golf content creators. Some of them will just go out to the golf course and that's like all they're there for is to get content. Yep. I'm so different. I'm like I'm here to grind. like for hours and do everything. I'm like I am still competing like I want to win. I'm just going to take a quick video while you know I put my little range my range sports stick in the ground and but sometimes when I play with others and you know I'm out here just trying to like play a normal round of golf and they're like let's do this video, let's do that. I'm like I'm just going to focus. I'm gonna focus. I want to still shoot good. Like come on. Yeah. Yeah. But so I I I'm really good at turning it on and turning it off. But you know, like you've played all these amazing courses, I'm like, "Yeah, absolutely. I'm going to put my stick in the ground and take videos." Take videos, but at the same time, I'm going to take it in mentally and be able to still have my game so I can say, "Hey, you know, I birdied hole five at Oldhead or I've played Sawrass." And Sawrass was an interesting story. I'll share that with you really quick. So, we're playing out there. We're on hole 17. We get up there and the Georgia Tech guys come up and they're not normally supposed to let people come up when they get to that hole obviously. And all the other guys that I'm playing with hit. I get up there and they start screaming and yelling you suck. Like all all the typical stuff. I'm like seriously like this is the one hole that you like kind of want to play forever. You get up there and like bounces on the green, bounces off and then it rolls in and I'm like all right. I look back. I'm like I don't even want to do this again. You guys are still here. I'm irritated. Like just go away. Like normally you can shut that off but I didn't expect it cuz they weren't yelling for the other guys. I'm like why when I get up there are you doing this? So now when someone says Georgia Tech I'm like h I've got a bone to pick with you guys. Yeah. Seriously. When did you play Srass? Uh we played Srass three years ago. Yep. We played old head of Canalent Ireland. If you've ever get a chance to play there the best course I've ever played in my life. It's Pebble Beach on steroids. So much fun. Seriously? Okay, that's got to be on my list. Insane. Like that is like every single shot you have like a 500 foot drop into the Atlantic Ocean. You have crosswinds. The greens are like phenomenal. Every single houses. Yeah. Well, that's you get a bucket list. Everybody's like, "What's your bucket list?" I'm like, "What course am I playing next?" You know what's funny? Like when people go on vacations and they don't golf, I'm like, "What do you do?" Right? Like how do you how do you not do that? Like I have a work trip. I'm like, "Okay, what courses are around here that I'm going to play that are fun?" I'm like, "The entire reason I'm going on a trip is to play golf." Like, I'm going to these destinations. Absolutely. It's not like when we go on a vacation, I'm like, "Okay, it's based on golf." And where are we playing? How many tea times do we have? And then if we have extra time on the side, we'll go see whatever else we need to see. Yeah. Oh, totally. Yeah. So, like Bandon, you'd for sure have to play. Yes. Y So that's like the And I guess for the viewers to know, so that's that's the one thing. So, I I turned pro. Recently, I got my amateur status back, which I'm so excited about. Yeah. And that's a whole different thing because it's like here I am. I've wanted to play professionally forever. I realized I actually didn't want that life. Like, it's a big life. It's a lot of the mental side of it is tough, too. Oh, totally. So, I got my amateur status back and the US AM qualify, but the US AM is at Bandon this year. Nice. But that's exactly it. like like playing professionally and I'm friends with a lot of girls on tour and this is at no means is this trying to tell the next generation don't do it but like it is a grind. It's a grind and those girls are on the road non-stop. They're broke. Yeah. Yeah. I mean the flights the like tell people a little bit I know I know it but tell people a little bit about like the schedule like you're traveling you play until Sunday. You fly out again Monday to go to the next tournament. Sometimes it's it's week after week. It's hour after hour. Yeah. I mean, they're on the road for weeks at a time. Yep. So, the joke is like they're rarely even at their their own homes. Yep. Because it's like Yeah. You're non-stop. So, you go to a tournament, you play your practice round. A lot of times you're playing a proam on Wednesday, then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you know, for the tournament, and then you fly to the next tournament. Y So that's non-stop. And and once I experienced a little bit of that, even with the mini tours, which isn't even as much as the LPGA, I was like, you know what? I have a really good job. I like making money. And I like being able to afford to stay at a hotel on this trip versus begging people, do you have a place? Do you have a place to stay or I'm going to bring a motor home or rent something? Yeah. And then go to places like Bandon and Payne's Valley and in Ireland, you know, it's like Absolutely. I so that's when it clicked with me but I love to compete. I know I'm like I will never stop competing but like the US so the amateur stuff I everyone thinks pro pro these amateur events are amazing. They are I went to the US Midam last year which my putter didn't show up but it's okay. Didn't show for the first day when we went to Ireland. I'm like this is not happy. Like we're in Ireland. Okay. Okay. No, my putter showed up, but it didn't show up. Like, it didn't you didn't bring it to the game. It didn't want to work. N so I lost my matches. But these these amateur tournaments, I'm like, you feel they put them on just as well as a US Open cuz it's a USGA event. So now to me, this this US Midam is like my new Super Bowl. This is my this is my me. I can do me and then I can still have my my other side. So like the US Midam this year, I talked about the US AM is at Bandon. Yep. The US Midam for women's is at Monterey Peninsula. Monterey Peninsula. Awesome. Which is very cool. Yeah. Yeah. So, this is like a whole new world to me and I'm super excited. Yeah. I mean, just when you play at a junior level, like you're doing like all the MGA and the Nike juniors and the amateurs and the Midams and the City qualifyings and all of that stuff. It's like this is great and this is super exciting because you're young and you haven't experienced the other stuff. Totally. So, like when I took time off and I'm like came back to it, I'm like now I'm actually playing for fun. Like if I mis hit a shot, I'm still really competitive, but it's not as like this is my life. Like this is where I'm going because I'm older now. It's like I'm I'm playing. I'm having fun. I know exactly where I want to be. I know every little adjustment I have to make in my swing in my head. I'm like, I don't even need to write my score down. I'm like, I just know where I where I am and that's my happy place. That's what it's all about. Yeah. like it's it's that light again, right, that I talked which is funny cuz this is shining light podcast but there you go. So golf is like the light in us. Golf is light. Yes, we're good. Um but it's exactly that and and like it is all about just having fun and you're not you know again I love to compete and I've never had a heart rate so high over like a three-footer to win a tournament type of stuff. But when you're just out there for fun and it's like your your get away from like all the noise in the world going on and it can be like it can bring its own noise very much so on the days when the clubs don't want to work. I'm like I'll see you in a couple days. I'm good. I'm I'm going to be out of here until I figure this stuff out. Trust me, I have had my moments where I'm like like my So Max Home I think quoted it and he was like golfers are a bunch of psychopaths. We're one swing away from thinking we can win the Masters to like never playing again. To never playing again, right? Yeah. And every day is something new and it's something like you always want to get better. So like I'm sitting here in the winter time like grinding on our simulator like how can I get an extra 10 yards. I want to get 15 yards further. Like it's never it's never enough. I got you there. The ripstick. Yep. Nice. But yeah, for sure. Like I'm the same way cuz you know in in between like just practicing in the gym and Yeah, we got to get you competing. I used to. Oh boy, that's that's going to be you should go to the medium this year. Yeah, it's fun. I mean we have like with work too. It's like we go out and we have all the the little four balls and I'm like this is great y'all but like it's it's hard like that's the networking fun side and you're doing great. You're working and doing everything and everybody's like oh you you won the long drive. I'm like, "Yeah, but it's like who am I competing against?" Are you playing a lot for work? Yeah. Ton of events. Yes. Do you really? Yeah. You have to be Come out and play with us on one. We've got 100%. Yes. Yeah. Well, that's the funny thing. So, like obviously I have the golf business, right? And like the social media side, but my actual job is I'm in the 401k industry. Yep. And you do retirement stuff. Yep. Retirement plans. So, and you guys like you know financial advisors are like half of these golf courses. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Financial adviserss love to golf and then business owners like you guys, you know, a lot of business owners love to play, too. So, they loot me into all these, right? Yeah. I mean, just being a good women golfer, you're going to get looped into scrambles everywhere. I think I've got like 12 this summer and now I'm like with the work ones and with TPC, I'm like, I'm just going to bring people out there too and golf out there. And it's it's fun, but it's also it's like your way to network for your work, too. It's like I'm going to be here and bring it. Yeah. Yeah. you're so we're definitely the ringers. It's like oh hey who are the good women that we can get out cuz it's like they have a 200 yard advantage but it is different when you're playing course in it a course and it's not in its best shape and it's like all right I'm kind of spoiled like playing the courses I've played and being at TPC and doing other things I'm like this is supposed to be a great I'm like I'm like it it does make you really appreciate TBC when I'm like oh my gosh these greens are so bad when I'm playing some of these others. Yeah. But the networking is amazing. And and this just goes for like anyone in business, right? Just being a women golfer. Yep. And and getting those invites out on the golf course cuz there's nothing better than getting to know someone for 4 hours on the golf course. Like the relationship building. Yes. And I don't know if you're the same, but every single person in my life, like important person in my life, I've literally met through golf. Yep. Which is so cool. Well, and it's like the ones that don't like the ones that don't golf, I'm like, "All right, let's let's just go out on the golf course. You can just sit here because I'm going to play. Like, let's let's try to bring you out there. Let's let's get you into my game a little bit into my world." Yeah. No, it's it's definitely it's a part of my life. It always has been and it's always going to be there. So, if people want to find me, it's like that's that's where I'm going to be. Yeah. If I go missing, I'm definitely on the golf course. And now that I live on the golf course, I'm like very much so. just bought a bought a house. You're kicking butt now. Like you've gone from like the the younger town home stuff and now you bought your first house. That was a God thing, too, because I literally like I grew up on the golf course and it was always my dream to full circle. Totally. Like it was always my dream to, you know, live on the golf course again. And uh yeah, it was it's crazy. And that's that's another thing too where I look back at like the last five years like me five years ago if saw me now I'd be shocked I'd be like there's no way right but I'm just so thankful and blessed and but yeah the the house on the golf course I literally I'm I have yet to hit wedges off my deck to the 10th green but that's going to happen. We've got turf if you need some. Yeah. No. Oh do you really? Yeah. I need turf. Yeah I I for sure need turf. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's a lot of fun. It's one of those though, like now you own a house, it's like, okay, now what are the fun things I've never gotten to do? Like I'm going to have a garden. I'm going to, you know, make the gym room the way I want to do it. Like I'm on a golf course. Like I'm going to be flopping shots over. Like what different angles can I come in, too? Oh, totally. Yeah. So, like the gardening was hilarious. My I joked with my mom cuz my mom's a gardener. Like she Okay. She's been waiting this whole to get one. Yeah. She's been waiting her whole life for this moment to come help me with my garden. and I was like, I have no idea what I'm doing, but you know, here's my credit card. We'll go to Melbergs or whatever. But yeah, and then the home gym I'm really excited about. And that's also a part of my background. Like because I did struggle with some of the health issues. Like when I decided I wanted to play again, I was like, I'm not really in a healthy body. You need to get physically fit. I need to get physically fit. And I that's a whole different story. But I'm very heavily involved with like my health and my fitness. And the home gym I'm pumped about, which people will see a lot more gym video, gym content on my page. But yeah, I that's a big part of golf though, too. I mean, people don't understand like when I played like you have your your practice time, you have your playing time, you have your gym time, you have to get your core strength there. I mean, I up until probably two years ago, I did MMA, I did all the other fun stuff. Like, you just do stuff. It's like what can I do to like stay fit, be active, and like especially through the winters here because we would travel and play golf courses. Tell people, let's go back a little bit. Tell people what you do in the in the winter time. You go to Arizona and play there a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I I do escape down to Arizona a bit. So, we have a condo down there and I I travel a lot though. So, that's another thing people don't realize because what you see on social media, like I could post a video of me in Cabo right now, you know? Yeah. It's like, but you're going to be golfing and everybody else is going to be on the beach. It's like, wait, what? I'm like, that's Yeah, that's what I would do. So, basically, I So, we go down to Arizona um call it five months of the year. Yep. But I am back in M. So, I do a lot of flying back and forth. Yeah. Yeah. Just cuz for work. I'm I'm probably in Minnesota one to two weeks every month for meetings. Virtual worlds made everything amazing. Absolutely. And I've honestly gotten more productive because when I am here, I mean, I'm working these 12-hour days of meetings versus like a couple here, a couple there. But yeah, I go to Arizona, I'm like, I'm out of here. I'm like, I hate the winter, too. Like seeing the snow. Like just two days ago, I was in Brainer and I'm seeing snow. I'm like, why am I living in a place that I can't play golf like year round? Like what is this? It's the end of May. The last two weeks I'm like almost getting to the point where I'm like, I need to go somewhere warm. I'm in almost summer months here in Minnesota and I'm not golfing. Like I'll still golf in 30° weather with snow coming down. Yes. But it's not the same. I I got like depressed. Yeah. I was like, I can't do this. Like I need to figure out how to work to build this life so I don't have to be here if I don't want to because again like I don't know. Golf is just my escape. It's my happy place. I have so much noise going on with everything else that it just shuts it all off. Yeah. And then in the winter, and I hate saying this cuz I know people are stuck here in the winter, but I travel. I'm like, I'm good. Yeah. That's I tell everyone I'm like, "Let too now that helps." Yeah. Yeah. I tell everyone I'm like, "Hey, as long as you can get out of here like twice cuz it truly it just the the negative." Yeah. The cold. But the funny thing is the couple times I did come like whenever I did come back y it was the days that we were were negative 40 of course the snowstorm. So the running joke was like I'm bringing the cold back. Like what is this? I would see some of the members at our gym. Yeah. The other members at TPC and they were he he'd laugh at me. He's like when are you coming back next because I'm going to make sure to leave because it was always the coldest weeks. But yeah, Arizona's been really fun. Um, and yeah, I'll take it. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I feel like when we do our winter trips, like we always pick the weeks where it's warm here and it's almost warmer here. Like if we go down to Pays Valley, we'll go play like over Thanksgiving or whatever. We'll go wherever we go. It's almost warmer here than it is there. Then when we get back, it's like, all right, it's 20 below. Like it was warmer here. Should have just stayed here and golfed. That happened to my dad. My dad like came down to Arizona and it was the one week where it was like really nice here. Yeah, it was raining down there. But yeah, do you guys have any other fun trips coming up? I want to play Bandon and I want to play Pebble Beach. Those are those are fun ones, but right now um I think through the summer is just going to be the grind on the golf course here. I mean, obviously we'll we'll set stuff up. What about you? What's your bucket list? Oh, I have like Okay, I have a big bucket list. Obviously, I have to go, you know, I just added one to my list, but uh for the summer, I actually really love just being here, too. Cuz I think Minnesota in the summer, there's like no better place, right? And we're so lucky with TPC cuz it's like it's our backyard. We play there. It's our backyard. Well, now it's literally my backyard. It's literally your backyard. You're going to be like, I bought a house. You're going to be like living there. I'm be like, "Hi, Betsy. I see you." So, the last two days has been totally crappy. Yeah, it has. I saw guys out there and one of them, I'm gonna throw out his name, Jeremy Brandt, insurance guy. Y I was like, "What are you I ran out. I was like, "What are you doing?" Like, "Why are you out here?" I was like, "Why are you out here?" I I do too cuz the weekends are like are typically our playing time and it seems like those have been the cold days. So, like like it's raining out. It's 20° out. I'm bundled up hat and mittens like the day I saw you last week. I'm like I'm still golfing. I'm good. Yeah. But I also laugh cuz that is us, right? Like even though it is raining and I'm like I like to golf. The one day you're sitting inside watching like Liv or PGA. I'm like, "Okay, I'm I'm watching it. I'm done playing golf for the day." Now I'm watching it and why are these people out there on the golf course? Yeah. No, totally. But yeah, so we're like just going to stick around for the summer and yeah, I I I just I do love TBC and my favorite courses in Minnesota besides that. So we'll go up north. Uh we do like this family fishing trip every year to Lake Vermillion. Yep. So people like on my page too. It's really funny because I'll post fishing content and then I start getting all these fishing people that follow me. Absolutely. Yeah. Like I know I saw you fishing at TBC. Our little ones used to go out there and we lived on a lake a long time ago. So it's like fishing and golf. Those were kind of my two things like growing up. I had older brothers that played sports. Very competitive. I'm like you're saying stuff. I'm like this is kind of coming full circle. Sounds like me talking right now. Yeah. Okay. You have to fish on 14 at TBC. There's like huge northern in there. Yeah. Yeah. You see them? Well, and then you see the little kids that are on like two two. Yeah. Like two in the fairway. I'm like kid. You just wait till I get bass and then go back out there. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. So like Yeah. Which is so much fun. I still have to go fish TPC. I haven't done that yet since like fishing opener. But people aren't supposed to be out there like you see them. But yeah, it is what it is. Yeah. But so uh the wilderness the wilderness. Yeah. Love the wilderness. Uh but yeah, other than that, like literally just sticking around. But the one we So when TPC closes for the 3M, that's kind of the week where I'm like, let's get out of here. Last year we did Sand Valley. Nice. Yep. Have you played it? I haven't played that one. And you have that one and then you have um Well, the whole coler over there is all fun. Yeah. You have to get out to Sand Valley. Yeah. It was like I think that's one of ours on our list, too. Yeah. I So we just 36 holes every day. Yeah. And it was so nice. four rounds in a day. Like sometimes depending on where we're at, we're like, I'm just going to wake up and go out at 6 and whenever it's dark, I'm going to be done. Like we're good. Yeah. You'll have to get out to Pays Valley, too. That's fun. That's a close drive away. That's easy and it's a lot of fun. They have they just added another course out there, the hay. Um you have like the mountain top, all of them. And that's Branson. It's great fishing, too. So, I know I've like everyone I've talked to said Payne's Valley was probably like the number one on their list. Yeah. So, that's for sure. bucket list. Yep. 19 out there is amazing. Like after you're done with a par three, the when we got out there was really cool. They had a lemonade stand or a Arnold Palmer stand. Do they really get a hole in one, you get 10 grand. You have a little homemade Arnold Palmer stand with the lemonade and the iced tea and it was really cool. And then you take your cart through the caves when you're done. And yeah, it's amazing. See, that's what I'm talking about. I live for stuff like that. Yeah. Everybody's like, "What's your dream?" I'm like, "I'm gonna be golfing." Yeah. Where am I going? Yeah. So, who have been some of your favorite or who are some of your favorite golfers that are playing today and that have played in the past? Oh, man. Okay. Charlie Hall is my favorite golfer. So, Charlie and Nelly Y are my two favorite players on the LPGA. Nelly is just a boss, right? Like, she is the goat right now. You see her, she's going. She knows where she is and she But I think like they're just really good for women's golf because, you know, this herself like she's That's what I love. She's so in. She's very authentic and I'm all about just like do your thing, be yourself, 100%. And people love that. And then I mean the smoking thing, everyone was like, "Oh my gosh, Charlie smokes." And I was like, "Whatever." For a little bit. It actually pissed me off cuz I'm like I'm big on, you know, being role models to the next generation. I'm like, "Respect respect the game, but that's who she is." And she's not she's like a John Dailyaly. Like she's a John Dailyaly. But then it's but then also too, I love how she's so into her fitness side. Like you'll hear her at tournaments and she's like Yeah. Like whatever. I don't even train for golf. I just train cuz I love it. And she's got the grind. Yep. She's got the grind. So I love And she's good. Yeah, she does. And like, you know, I hate to say this, but me growing up, it's like all these girls, we have a lot of the Koreans that were taking over. So I would joke around. I'm like, "We need more blondes on tour, right?" Yeah. more Americans. Even when I was out there, like I'm obviously a lot older, but when I grew up, I worked at a golf course. I lived for golf, played in sixth grade, played played varsity in sixth grade and just kind of went on up and my life was on a golf course. And you still have those, oh, she's a girl. She shouldn't be out here. You know, kind of the demeanors, which sounds crazy. And then I'm like, all right, let let's play golf and let's see if I should be here or not. Then let's let's bring it starts bringing your game up. Like I'm like, "All right, if I'm not supposed to be here, let's play." So there are so many I get so many people on Instagram who are like, "Oh, nice 130 yard drive." I'm like, "Bring it. Thousand bucks a hole." Yep. Like you I will destroy you. Yep. Or when people are like, "How like what are you 100 yards down the fairway? Down the fairway." I'm like, "No." I'm like, "But if you want to think that, go ahead." Like I'm not here just for who I am. I want to play. Yeah. Yeah. No, I love that. You're like, I got game. I can I can do it when I want to. We need to get you competing again. I think like it's a slippery slope. Like it's it's fun and like you get to that point and I'm like, I could be there. Should I be there or should I just enjoy it? Now the kids are starting to play and it's like all right, I got my mom mom role which takes you back some. But it's so exciting and I love seeing that some of the kids have have Okay, that's amazing though. So like just about being a mom and like everything you do. Yep. So, how do you I mean, how do you because I have a lot on my plate. Yeah. But I don't have kids. I don't even have a dog. And I joke around when I hang out with my nieces, which they're getting into the game. I've seen that. Yeah. They're like dogs with the zooies, you know? They're like So, I have so much respect for for moms and especially you as a business owner and like do doing your passions and still being a mom. I'm like, how do you do it all? It's hard. It's a long It's a long haul. It's like, okay, I'm putting in 60 hour work week, so I'm actually working. I'm out there grinding. I'm doing all the events. I'm doing podcasts. I'm doing all the stuff for Sun Control. And then it's like, okay, now I got to have a little bit of me time, which happens very frequently. And then it's like, okay, now I got to go home. I got to drive the kids. I got to do all that stuff, cook and clean and all the all that stuff. So, you would say golf is truly you're out for all that? 100% always has been because like mine's the same but you have both but it's so we're the same person cuz that's like I will not skip the gym. I'm like that is my only time to myself. Yeah. And people are like what do you do for yourself? I'm like I play golf. Like that's that's me. That's that's my time. That's who I am. Yeah. See I love that. Yeah. It's it's fun. It's a lot but it's it's a lot. Yeah. Yeah. What do you think's next? You have your the golf tournaments coming up. You have some travel probably down the line. Any other golf courses that are on your list? Oh man. Uh yeah. Next up is I really want to qualify for the USM. Yeah. Yep. Which I need to start practicing my short game, but I don't have an excuse cuz I live on the golf course now. Um the weather like that can't be an excuse, but the weather like Yeah. Yeah. The weather. So I had I kind of like even for the US Open qualifier this year, I was like I just moved. But I haven't been practicing. You know, this last week it's like, oh, it's been crappy out. No excuses now, right? I really want to qualify for the US AM. It's at Bandon, but if I were to pick and choose, I for sure want to qualify for the US Midam, but that's not until October at Monterey. Yep. And for me, like again, shoot my shot. I'm big on goals. I want to win that thing someday. Yep. Absolutely. And you will. Yeah, I I will. Okay, I will. We're gonna mark it right now. She's gonna win it. We just need to know when. Yeah. Yeah. And then that's my ticket to the US Open. So, but um yeah, like just for fun. Next up, like these next few weeks are pretty slow. These are kind of the days where I just grind on my actual job. Yep. Got to get stuff done here. Got to pay the bills. Got to do the the other stuff. Yes. Got to pay the bills. And then come June, we've got our fishing trip up north, which we'll go play like all those Oh, yeah. you know, wilds for her preserves the wilderness. All the wilderness, the court. Uh, what is it? It's the the quarry. The Cory Ridge Cory. What's the other one at Giants Ridge? Um, why am I blanking on it? But anyways, we'll go play those and then Yeah, I need to find a summer trip for when the 3M comes out. Yep. And that's pretty much it. I just really want to qualify for some of those. And you will. I mean it's it's now that you have the mindset it's just like okay now what are my next steps to get there like everything else is on the back burner like you got to do the work you got to do your regular 9 to5 you got to put in the time but it's like all right physically mentally like the mental side of getting to that level too tell our viewers a little bit about that and how it's different than the regular golf oh you it's so different this is you know this too everyone's like oh like you know when you're just out with your buddies and you can shoot 68. You set foot into a tournament, it totally different. Yep. And I feel like I've been training my whole life for that with playing competitively, but like I pointed out earlier, you're standing over a three-footer. That's not good. No. Right. Okay. That's not like it's like, okay, am I going to make it in the 20? Am I going to make it in the top 10? Am I going to make it in the money? Like, there's money on the line. There's the mental. There's the just the for me I've got to make this cut. I don't care. Especially on tour those girls it's like it's a matter of okay, am I making money this week or am I going to be in the hole or or the other side of it too is I have this putt. It's going to bring me to the next level. It's going to make my name out there. But everybody's watching too. So when you miss those everybody critiques girls more than they critique guys because they do. It's like oh she missed a 34. Guess what? Yeah. So, like one thing that I've So, this is this is funny and this is good for the younger golfers, too. And I hate to admit this, but like in junior golf, I would show up to a tournament and I just knew girls were looking at me and they're like, "That's Betsy Kelly, and I want to try and beat her." Yeah. And and that mind that's the mindset you need, though. It's kind of like that kind everybody out to get you kind of a frame. You have to have that mindset like Brooks Kepka. Everyone thinks he's he's cocky. No, he's confident and he's he's good. And you have to have that confidence to play. You can't just be out there and be like, "Oh, how am I hit a bad shot? Oh, well." No. Now, you can't be rude about it, right? Like, oh, like you suck. I'm going to break a club and throw it at you. And there is definitely a switch. There is. And like the greatest players have it and the ones that, you know, and I've definitely had tournaments where I'm like, "Wow, I did not show up." And a lot of it is mental. As soon as you check out, you're done. I mean, look at Scotty Shuffler. I mean, that's a great example. Like, he goes from, "Hi, I'm being arrested to, I got to get back out to the course and play my game and I got to win it, you know, and then now he's winning the Masters and he's winning, you know, the championship and it's like one full circle for him. You have kids and I feel like a lot of them too Yeah. have kids, have their family, and they start to lose it. Like, they're great for a year or two because it's it's a grind being out there like Yeah, it does. It's It's professionally I think it's not talked about enough on how much it hurts on the mental side just because it is such a grind. Y Lexi Thompson actually I think that's why she's semi-retired because she was just mentally like exhausted. Look at Michelle Lee too. I mean that's Michelle Lee. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. And so you know so there's that, right? Like when you're playing it for your career you're like I have to make this sixfooter to pay off my credit card bill. And then it's like now I have a family too. I'm like they have to travel with you. They have to see you. Yeah. And and now it's like that's what I love just about having my amateur stats back too. And and if I do miss a putt, it's like okay, I can still pay my bills and and whatever. But competition golf in general, I will tell you like I have yet to meet a golfer who will tell me they're not nervous on the first T- box, whether it's your club championship or it's the state open or the US Open. Absolutely. And literally like my couple I won the state open a few years in a row and I'm telling you, I looked at my Fitbit or whatever at the time. Now I just wear one of these Whoops. But now I was like my heart rate Yeah. My heart rate was like 130 or 140 over like a three or four foot cut. I can't even put my ball on that TV. Yeah, but I also like that's like what I love too and that's why I love it's an adrenaline rush. It's an adrenaline rush. Understand that I feel like when I play to like this is kind of weird but like non-ournament status there are certain courses that'll do that for you too. like when you're like I'm out to Old and I'm playing hole number five um and I'm like okay this is Tiger Woods's hole and I'm like it's just kind of one of those moments I'm like I want to take a step back and just examine the course and see it and like live it and then the other side of me is like I'm going to kick this course's butt. I want to play like let's do this. I love that. Yeah. Oh, it's fun. And everybody knows like when you're in golf, you hit a bad shot and I'm like, "Okay, the next one's just gonna go in." Like that's just what it is. And it's not a That's the mindset. Yeah. And I'll say I think a lot of I think a lot of golfers in general, they like especially the first hole. Okay. I doubled it. Yep. If you let that affect you. Well, one shot can roll in your round, too. Yeah, it totally can. But it's like even just that mindset like, "Okay, I'm going to put put that pass. I got 17 more holes left, right? One thing I learned in in high school actually that really helped, so I started to break the course down into, you know, basically six rounds of three holes. Yep. And so every three holes it would be like my goal was I wanted to try and make at least one birdie every three holes. So then I That's it. 66. 66. Yeah. Right. So that's easy. But it was also a good way for me to be like, "Okay, those three holes are done." Like new start. on to the next three because because it is such a mental grind and and lately as I've reflected past on some of my rounds Y I know where I mentally checked out and I was like absolutely like I'm almost done here I was like I was done on like hole four y which is not good but most these guys the best players in the world and the best juniors and it is 100% mindset it it's a zone it's like you you can see it in their eyes I'm like oh he's got the zone today like he's in a game or he's like there's people like Bryson and other golfers, John Rom, you know, you can see the angry obviously everybody gets upset when they hit a bad shot, but sometimes like when you're playing at that standard now that you're going from live to PGA tournaments, you have to prove yourself and they really want to and they want to bring it back and be like, I still got this and I can win on PGA. Like you hit a bad shot and you're like, it's going to affect them a little bit more just because it's a different playing level for them, too. Yeah. Yeah. I try not to swear a lot anymore, but I definitely will swear on the golf course. I I do like playing with Mark. He's like, "She's going to be in a bad mood. She just had bad show." I'm like, "No, I'm just going to put the next one in. I'm going to prove it to myself." But yes, there are some four-letter words that do come out. Yeah. Like I try so hard like Yeah. But when I But then I'm like, "Okay, I'm just to your point like, "Okay, I'll just make that." Or I try to joke around sometimes like, "Oh, well, at least I get to work on my short game, you know, like like I know where I'm going to be after this. I'll just get that up and down cuz you're going to hit bad shots. Like 100% going to hit bad shots. Yep. And everybody does. And yeah, when you watch the pros play and you watch everybody else playing different levels, you're like they're an everyday golfer. They just hit a bad shot. You know what? Like you people have to see that side of them, too. And that's what the bad side of social media is. They don't get to see some of the bad stuff that's out there. Obviously, just like anything, everybody's life is perfect, right? So it's totally it's good to see people playing not so great of a round or doing those kind of things. So that brings up a good point too because I everyone does post like oh all this great stuff on social media like when I started posting some of the losses people love that cuz it's it's so authentic or just like oh dude I just totally chunked the chip. It is what it is. Like Yeah. Like okay sweet you're human. You're just like the rest of us. Let me bounce a club and try to hit it and totally totally missed that. We're good. Totally. Like, yeah, people love that because it's like everyone does it. Yeah. So, well, when I was talking, I'm like, that would be fun to see like just have a bunch of like pro golfers, LPGA, PGA, live, whoever it is, mic them up, have them playing on a typical Friday, like the way they want to play with their guys, have a couple drinks, do what they do, swear if they want to swear, put it on HBO so everybody can see the bad shots. Yeah. Like, it's it's what they need to do so people know that they're actually people, too. Like they're not just they are in the zone. Yes. But they have another life too that they can play golf and have fun. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. So, what do you think as far as golfers go? Who have been some of your role model role models when you've grown up? Oh, boy. That's a good question. Um, so, okay. I actually, so when I was growing up, I actually loved Natalie Gulbas. And that's going to be a throwback for a lot of people. Totally. Yeah. cuz I was like this, you know, I mean, number one, she was like the hot girl on tour. Absolutely right. And she wasn't, again, when I was growing up, it was like all the Koreans were taking over and there wasn't a lot of good Americans. And so I looked up to that cuz I was like, "Oh, I love that. Like she's really pretty and she's good at golf and she's crushing it." Yep. And so I actually reached out. I like sent her a note or something and she This was like in seventh grade and she sent me like a signed picture. Oh, very cool. So, I thought that was like the coolest thing. Now, I'm good. This is my trophy for me. Yeah. And then even before that, like when I was real young, I remember I got the opportunity to play with one of the girls or some of the girls on the varsity team for Forest Lake. Yep. And and this is why I love what I do now because no matter how good they were, in my eyes being that young, they I was like, I always look up to you. I looked up to them. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, you're on the varsity golf team." Yeah, I was like just a little 5-year-old out here on the golf course. I was like I'm like, "Dang, I want to be like you." You know, and then she I know the girl now as she joked around cuz then I You grow up and she starts, you know, I'm beating her, right? She's like, "I want to be you. Come on now." Yeah. So, we all joked around about that. But yeah, definitely like just I think you know those were the big role models probably growing up and then just just and my brothers and stuff, you know, I just always wanted to be them. Absolutely. So I get it. Like trust me, I have two older brothers. I'm like I was like if I I didn't start golf until I was in sixth grade and I was right on varsity right away when I started. But I played basketball, I played baseball, I played football, I played everything. So, it's like you always have that inner competition in you. I'm the youngest and I'm the girl. So, I've got to step it up and beat them, not just play at their level. Like, I'm gonna be there and I'm going to do it. And then we get out on the golf course. I'm like, I'm going to win. Watch me. Totally. We have We're so similar on all that. Yeah. Yep. So, what's next? I mean, you've got your tours, you've got all that stuff, you've got work. Tell people a little bit about Nova and your stuff and where you're at. Yeah. So, I've been in the industry. So really like the financial services industry. I'm in 401ks now or retirement plans. Y been in the industry for about 11 years. Nice. Which again people are like you work? Cuz they think I Why do you have to have just Yeah, you just golf. Yeah. They think I live like a guy at the gym was like so do you just wake up and golf all day? And I was like I have a job. I make money. Like um but I've been in the industry. People don't post that. Like they want to just see the golf stuff. It's like nope. Here's I'm going to do both. Here's my golf and my work. Yeah. And I just I love that I can put all my passions together too, just like you. Right. So, absolutely. But yeah, I've been in the industry about 11 years and most of my career I've been more of in a sales role. Y so working with financial advisors and then their business owner clients. Nice. I actually when I was in um I was when I was in Colorado, I started in the annuity business. Then I went to the 401ks. Nice. And then I was looking for a role back in Minnesota. Yeah. um joined NOVA which is like a third party administrator for retirement plans. Yep. Then I went to the advisor side, right? So like all these adviserss were, you know, hey, come join my team. And it was actually an awesome opportunity. Yep. But I quickly realized that I didn't want to do individual wealth management and financial planning. I wanted to stick to my 401k world. Y but um yeah, so NOVA like when it comes to retirement plans, we're doing, you know, just like companies like Sun Control, right? So you guys probably have your 401k plan. Yep. Um you've got a record keeper. So that's like the website that you log on to. Yep. The Voya Principal John Hancock and Powers of the World. Y um Nova's doing the plan design 5500 compliance testing. Nice. Everything to make sure the plan's compliant with the IRS and the DO. I joke around cuz I am a golfer. We're like the club fitters. Yep. Absolutely. Or like or your caddy on the golf course type thing. But the fun part about my role is I am in the sales role. So, like I get to take guys golfing and you know I like after this I have like six meetings and a PXG shoot but everybody's like wait what? Like yeah I I do it all. You just figure it out. Yeah. But I truly do love my role and at the end of the day just like I Yeah. I just like love to help people and um I just it's fun that I have something that I get to mix all my golf. Not a lot of people do, right? Yeah. Yeah. And I get to like technically I get to set my own schedule which just like being an entrepreneur. I I mean I'm working Saturdays and Sundays 100%. There's no days off. It's still a grind no matter what you do. Yeah. But I also love that it's like oh it's a Tuesday and I have my US Open qualifier. I'm going to go out and golf. I'm going to prep. I'm going to do the the practice green. I'm gonna, you know, do all all the fitness stuff. Yeah. Yeah. So that's that's kind of what I do my actual career. Love it. Um I pretty much know all these f a lot of financial adviserss in the state and I've met a ton of business owners because I do probably 200 plans a year and uh and then but the golf side's my passion. Absolutely. That's my passion. That's for fun and that's where I'm going to end up. But we're we're doing all this other stuff on the side to pay the bills. Exactly. Fun. Well, we appreciate having you on today. If anybody wants to try to get a hold of you, where can they find you? What are your socials? All that. Yeah. So, follow me on Instagram. It's Betsy Kelly. Um, if you have kids, have them follow me, too, because that's I love just being a good role model to next generation. And then, yeah, work-wise, you know, be kelly at nova41k.com and they can find you out on the golf course. I think the most interesting thing for all the younger generations out there is seeing people like you that have had the ups and downs and now you're finally kicking butt again in life. You're back to where you need to be and you've you've found the light. Oh my gosh, I totally found the light and I appreciate you. And it was like, yeah, golf. Everybody's like, why are you doing this podcast? I'm like, because it's fun. Like, I want to get people on here. I want people to hear people's story and I just want that's my way to give back, too. And it's intentional. And if we can talk golf and play golf and all golf, let's You're being You're the It's the brightest. You're being the brightest light in the room and like bringing people Yep. out. So, yeah. I um I appreciate you having me on. Yes, you bet. And we'll see you out to the golf course. Go some golf balls in the simulator right now. Oh, 100%. See you later.