Wolf Pack Discs- Brian Frawley Q and A
As the sport of Disc Golf grows, so do the various companies surrounding it. There are hoards of companies out there trying to get their feet in the water in the Disc Golf world. One of the companies out there that are doing some good is Wolf Pack Discs. I got the chance to talk to one of the creators, Brian Frawley, and learn about what his company truly is. Enjoy!
1) How did you get your start into Disc Golf?
I got into disc golf when i had to install a kids course at the YMCA summer camp I worked at. I made this little 150-200 ft 9 hole course for kids. It was awesome to watch the kids get into the game so fast.
2) How did Wolf Pack Discs come to be?
Richard and I started golfing in 2008, traveling to events and having fun. We would buy giant lots of old discs on Ebay, take the ones we needed for our game and sell the other ones on ebay or at parks. We started a facebook page just so our friends could know about what we were doing. Richard started making memes before they were really popular and that seamed to draw a lot of attention to our page. The page got so big, and we started to run events that we decided to incorporate to make it legit.
3) Where does the name "Wolf Pack" come from?
We met a pair of brothers names RC and DJ Hunt, the four of us started to hang out a lot. That led to us calling ourselves the wolf pack... add discs on the end and boom you have a company. Richard wanted to name the company 9 inch discs... glad we didnt.
4) How do you choose to sponsor someone?
Amber is the team manager. She gets a ton of requests throughout the year. When she gets a request she will check out the PDGA website and see their stats as well as find their social media and see what their social media "style" is like. We also have a few other people outside of Richard/Amber and myself who make choices on players. They may come in with a recommendation, but for the most part I let Richard and Amber make those choices. I personally try to stay out of it and focus on the business.
5) Favorite Disc?
Thats a great question. We partnered with Discraft in 2017 after years with Gateway. I am really just learning Discrafts line up and feel like its cop out to say buzzz, so I am going to go with the LE ESP Glow Undertaker. I love how easy it is to throw, and I have tons of confidence in it when I use it. I also love zone, still learning how awesome it can really be.
6) Favorite course?
Parma in NY or Flip CIty in Michigan... I cant pick.
7) Any advice for someone who wants to make their own Disc Golf brand?
Make sure you really want the project and work before you dive in. We have been around since 2009 and there have been so many companies that have started and ended in that time. Know how to spend within your means and do it the right way. Get that LLC or what ever you need to do in your state. Pay your taxes and follow the rules. If you dont want to do the work then dont open a company.
8) What are you doing to grow the sport where you are?
I am lucky. I still work for the YMCA full time. I have recently added another 9 hole course at an outdoor education center, and in 2017 alone introduced the game to a few thousand kids. Its a blast.
9) What has been your favorite memory so far with the company being what it is?
I always love going to big events (Bowling Green AMs, Ledgestone or Michigan State Championships) and seeing our logo on people that I dont know. I like to ask them where they got it, what they know about the company and such. Then I tell them I own it after our convo is over and thank them for their support.
10) What makes you different than everyone else?
Since day one Richard and I never thought of the company as a money making project. Its been about expanding the sport, having quality events, being the fun group at tournies and having a good product for sale as well. I think the fact that we dont "sell" to much makes us more approachable by people.
11) Is there anything else you would like the people to know about you or the company that they may not?
I'll tell you a cool story. So Amber and I welcomed our first child in May 2016. She was born at 7 am in the morning. By 9 am that morning Richard had already purchased her a PDGA membership. Thats how close we are, we want anyone that comes to our events or purchases an item of the website to feel that close to us as well.
I would like to thank Brian for takin ghte time out of his day to answer these questions and respond back to me in such a quick manner, go follow Brian and Wolf Pack Discs on all forms of social media!
Picture credit goes to discgolfscene.com