The Golfing CEO

Episode 5 of The Golfing CEO turns the microphone on Derek's own competitive golf journey. Joined once again by his instructor, Cory Scoggin, Derek relives the highs, lows, and biggest moments from the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Amateur. Together, they break down Derek's annual spring and summer tournament season as he pursues one of golf's toughest tests.  Enjoying the show? Be sure t...

Episode 4 of The Golfing CEO features Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and one of the golf industry's leading advocates and thought leaders. Join Derek and Jay as they discuss the golf industry's annual trip to Capitol Hill for National Golf Day, the business realities facing public and private golf courses, and why participation, innovation, and new audiences are givi...

Episode 3 of The Golfing CEO features a guest who almost perfectly embodies the title of this podcast: Scott McNealy, co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, and father of PGA TOUR standout Maverick McNealy, as well as three other boys who reached higher levels of golf than most of us can only dream about. Join Derek and Scott as they discuss leadership, competition, using golf as a strateg...

It’s Season 2, Episode 2 of The Golfing CEO , and Derek has the pleasure of sitting down with Hrag Hamalian, CEO of the TGR Foundation. Founded by Tiger Woods in 1996, the organization has impacted more than 300,000 students and educators through education and STEAM-based learning programs focused on underserved communities.  Join Derek and Hrag as they talk about Hrag’s “delusional” foray into ed...

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Golfing CEO , where Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him to kick off the second season of the pod is former Oracle President & COO Ray Lane, who invested in Derek’s company nearly ten years ago and has sat on Strivr’s board ever since. Join Derek and Ray as they talk about Ra...

It's Season 2 of The Golfing CEO, and Derek is back and just as delusional as ever. This season will feature 18 bi-weekly episodes with more amazing guests, who are eager to share their stories, both told and untold, on and off the course.

In the final episode of Season 1, Derek and co-founder & COO Michael Manuccia wrap up the story of Strivr’s first two years in business — this time with help from two of the company’s earliest employees who lived it day-in and day-out… Mike Colucci and Peter Murray. From spending endless days on NFL practice fields to creating virtual reality content for the U.S. National Soccer and Ski teams,...

Have you ever wondered what drives someone to make a wholesale career change — not once, but multiple times across a lifetime?  In this episode, Derek sits down with Joe Moglia, whose journey from longtime collegiate football coach to Wall Street executive to football coach again is one of the most unconventional and inspirational “rags to riches” stories you’ll hear.  Joe passionately shares why...

We’ve heard from some big-name NFL players this season — but what about everyone else who plays the game? What’s life really like for them, before, during, and after their time on the field? In today’s episode, Derek sits down with one of his closest friends, Evan Moore, for a raw and reflective conversation. Evan opens up about battling injuries in college, battling to make an NFL roster, and how...

We’re nearing the end of Season 1 of The Golfing CEO , and there’s still one big “delusion” we haven’t unpacked — Derek’s belief that he will one day achieve an exit. Well, that’s all about to change, as today’s episode dives into the founding story of Strivr, told by the people who lived it. Join Derek as he sits down with two of his closest friends and co-founders, Michael Manuccia and Trent Edw...

It’s Derek’s final individual stroke-play qualifier of the year — and this time, he’s bringing backup. Derek enlists his cousin-in-law, Mike Kelly, to serve as caddie and on-course correspondent to capture every moment. Join them for the “before,” “during,” and “after” of the round as Derek takes one last shot in 2025 at chipping away at his ongoing bet with Carson. Enjoying the show? Be sure to f...

It’s episode 13 of The Golfing CEO , and today’s guest is another “chance connection” who fortuitously found his way to the show after it launched. Join Derek and author, speaker, and executive coach, Casey Jacox, as they dive into all things sales, entrepreneurship, and – yes – parenting!  In addition to his “day job” helping people and organizations elevate performance, Casey also hosts The QB D...

We kicked off Season 1 with Carson Palmer, and in today’s episode, we’re grateful to be joined by his longtime teammate and future NFL Hall of Famer, Larry Fitzgerald. It’s a candid conversation that provides a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a helmet — both on and off the field. Join Derek and Larry as they talk about their mutual love for gol...

How often does anyone get an inside look at one of the most successful collegiate athletic programs in the world? Usually the first thing that comes to mind when we hear a question like this is a powerhouse football or basketball program… but this time, it’s golf. In today’s episode, Derek sits down with Anne Walker and Conrad Ray, the long-time head coaches of Stanford’s women’s and men’s golf te...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build and operate a world-class golf course… or even a collection of them in some of the most remote corners of the world? In this episode, Derek is joined by co-founder and CEO of Cabot, Ben Cowan-Dewar, who has spearheaded Cabot’s two decades of growth from one plot of land in remote Nova Scotia to more than ten golf courses across six different countries....

In this episode, Derek is joined by the LPGA’s Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer, Ricki Lasky. Ricki shares how she started “in the kitchen” - literally and metaphorically - as part of her journey through the last 25+ years in the golf industry, as well as how the LPGA is experiencing unprecedented growth as part of the rising tide of women’s sports.  Enjoying the show? Be sure to follow...

Derek sits down with his golf instructor, Cory Scoggin, for a deep-dive into the current state of his game and his progression over the last three years. Cory also shares nuggets related to his own instructional philosophies, what you can do to begin your own game-improvement journey, and why every golfer - from an amateur to a professional - just wants to make better contact.  Links + CTA Enjoyin...

In episode 7 of The Golfing CEO , host Derek Belch sits down with Tom Coyne — Executive Editor of The Golfer’s Journal , host of its acclaimed podcast, and five-time author of award-winning books, including one adapted for film. Together, they explore how golf has given Tom both “nothing” and “everything” in return, why Paper Tiger is the single-biggest influence behind Derek starting this show, a...

In episode 6 of The Golfing CEO , host Derek Belch talks to mental golf coach, author, and podcast host Michael Leonard, whose Wicked Smart Golf platform took him from a successful, yet unfulfilling life in sales to one of the most trusted names in the golf community. Derek and Michael relive their chance meeting during the San Diego City Amateur while discussing the ups and downs of entrepreneurs...

Welcome to “episode 5” of The Golfing CEO , where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week’s guest is Chad Mumm, Executive Producer of the hit Netflix show, Full Swing , and CEO of golf’s newest (and hottest) startup, Pro Shop . Derek and Chad talk about the integral role golf plays in business, how Full Swing t...

Welcome to “episode 4” of The Golfing CEO , where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week, Derek talks to Senior Vice President of Golf at Pebble Beach, John Sawin. Derek shares that John’s year-long sabbatical to play in some of the biggest amateur events in America is one of the “pieces of the puzzle” that in...

Welcome to the debut episode of The Golfing CEO , where Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him to kick off the pod is Carson Palmer, former Heisman Trophy winner, #1 NFL Draft pick, and 15-year NFL veteran. In this candid conversation, they dive into what it really takes to succeed at the top, life after the NFL,...

Welcome to “episode 2” of The Golfing CEO , where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him this week is Geoffrey Moore, the world-renowned author of Crossing the Chasm . Geoff shares his unconventional path to Silicon Valley and the world of high-flying tech companies that pour billions of dollars into product...

Welcome to “episode 3” of The Golfing CEO , where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week, Derek is joined by former MLB pitcher Tim Stauffer to recount a milestone moment… proof that his outrageous bet with Carson Palmer (Ep. 1) may not be so delusional after all. Join Derek and Tim as they talk about the ups...

Welcome to The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Each week, Derek tees it up with some of the world’s most successful business executives, pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers. Together, they’ll share their stories, successes and failures, and the role that golf has played along the way.