Daphne’s Headcovers an unlikely story of golf and success

Jane Spicer, Her Global Company And The Sailboat.

 If I hadn’t lived it, my story might well be described as a Fairy Tale—a story of a little girl who learned that hard work, perseverance, and determination would not only achieve a short-term goal but would further be the foundation for a lifetime’s labor of love.
As a precocious ten-year-old, I determined that I needed a sailboat. My mom, who was wise beyond her years, encouraged my seemingly impractical dream with a high dose of reality. “How will you earn the money,” she asked?

“Toys,” was my answer. “I will make toys.” My mom and I worked side-by-side and sure enough, I earned the money for my own sailboat. Soon thereafter, the toys morphed into puppets and my mom and I transformed into a team selling our creations at weekend arts and crafts shows. While I didn’t seem to have time to sail my new boat, it did come in very handy when used to store our designs while being towed behind mom’s Volkswagen bug!

I was sixteen years old when my mom came home to tell me that a customer suggested a silly idea to turn our puppets into golf club covers. That “silly” idea set in motion the development of one of the world’s most successful animal golf head cover companies.

I purchased a patent leather hat box at a local Good Will store, stuffed it with our newly created golf club cover samples, and set out on my first sales call to the Arizona Biltmore Golf Shopwhere I encountered a man who remains a friend today.

I treated Pete to the most dreadful sales pitch imaginable. Instead of politely showing me the door, he explained that my sailboat’s rudder was a bit askew! He showed me how to improve my lousy presentation and presented me with two “tough but important leads and if you can sell them, you can sell anyone.” Then Pete became my first sale as he placed an order for my new golf club covers!

Advised by Pete to take some time to practice my presentation, I was instead buoyed by my first sale and immediately set sail toward a man who Pete described as a brilliant marketer, but a tough cookie. Although shamed for arriving without an appointment, business card, or proper purchase order, he became my second order…for a design I had not yet even created! I sat in my car, with his order in hand, and cried my eyes out!

My first sales trip was more successful than I could have imagined and Daphne’s Headcoversset sail with a strong wind at its back. We were on our way!

Over the years, my mom Daphne, the company’s namesake, and I cut, sewed, designed, packed, delivered, answered phones and did everything to grow our company. Being a sixteen year old girl selling a new product to what could affectionately be referred to as the “old boys club” presented challenges every day.

My mom continued to be my inspiration and my partner throughout high school and college and together we learned which of our “crazy schemes” had staying power with our clients. One year, with my mom nursing the flu, I missed finals while doing a trade show. But when I wasn’t in school, I covered the state encouraging new accounts while building our company. I drove the wheels off my first car…which I earned selling head covers!

After college, it seemed I was ready for a “real job.” Well, that was a mistake! After years of every-day dedication to growing Daphne’s Headcovers, I now found myself working with people who spent most of their days finding ways to excuse themselves from the work they were hired to do. So, it was back to the streets which was the best business training I could imagine. My new husband, Steve, and I packed the car with the long-dormant puppet line and spent six years working the western United States selling at large arts and crafts festivals. We’d spend the week making puppets and sell them on the weekends.

In 1994, my mom Daphne announced her retirement and Steve and I purchased Daphne’s Headcovers and moved our inventory from our homes to our first real office space. A year later our son Jack was born. Life was indeed good!

It was one short year later when my mom passed suddenly and unexpectedly from a brain tumor. That same year, Tiger Woodswon the Masters and my business grew 400% in one quarter. With a toddler attached to my hip, grieving unbearably for my mentor…my partner…my mom, I was forced to leave the safety of my sailboat and dive in to meet the new demand for my head covers.

I couldn’t hire seamstresses quickly enough as requests came from around the world and there were no signs of it slowing down. Soon, I was managing two shifts of 75 employees and my son slept on my office floor as I wanted him to be with me and there was no time to go home.

Ultimately, increasing costs and a lack of labor forced us to move some of our manufacturing to Indonesia and then to China. I struggled with the notion of taking our manufacturing overseas and am now delighted to be “coming home” to Phoenix with our manufacturing.

Today, Daphne’s Headcovers are sold in 75 countries.

We are found at the world’s top resorts and golf shops and our designs are carried on the bags of more than 200 professional golfers on the major golf tours. We lead the industry in a niche we created and continue to re-invent ourselves year after year.

Growing Daphne’s Headcovers has been my greatest joy, biggest headache, and most fulfilling endeavor of my life. In April, we celebrated our thirty-third year in business and I still pinch myself especially when I think of my mother’s words those many years ago, “How will you pay for the sailboat?”

I’ve learned that listening is the best tool I can use to find ways for all parties to succeed.

I’ve also learned that waking up every morning terrified about how I would make it all work is actually quite normal for entrepreneurs. It’s what fuels those of us who choose to make our own way in life.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful life with my children Jack and Sarah, 2 Golden Retrievers and our rescued cats. I often reflect on my mom’s challenge to pay for that sailboat. Today, I pay it forward as Daphne’s Headcovers partners with a significant number of worthy charities to help as many as we can to achieve their dreams. Giving back has been part of the 33+ year old Phoenix based company’s motto from the start. Most recently, I created a headcover in honor of Gabriel, the founding dog of Gabriel’s Angels,a Phoenix-based charity that uses therapy dogs to deliver healing pet therapy to abused, neglected and at-risk children. Donating a portion of the proceeds to Gabriel’s Angels good work is just the icing on the cake for me.

My mom always encouraged me to do good while I was doing well. I think she would be quite proud of the legacy her words have wrought.

And by the way, I still sail! phoenix-company-moves-overseas-jobs-back-to-valley
Jane Spicer, Her Global Company And The Sailboat. If I hadn’t lived it, my story might well be described as a Fairy Tale—a story of a little girl who learned that hard work, perseverance, and determination would not only achieve a short-term goal but would further be the foundation for a lifetime’s labor of love.
As a precocious ten-year-old, I determined that I needed a sailboat. My mom, who was wise beyond her years, encouraged my seemingly impractical dream with a high dose of reality. “How will you earn the money,” she asked?

“Toys,” was my answer. “I will make toys.” My mom and I worked side-by-side and sure enough, I earned the money for my own sailboat. Soon thereafter, the toys morphed into puppets and my mom and I transformed into a team selling our creations at weekend arts and crafts shows. While I didn’t seem to have time to sail my new boat, it did come in very handy when used to store our designs while being towed behind mom’s Volkswagen bug!

I was sixteen years old when my mom came home to tell me that a customer suggested a silly idea to turn our puppets into golf club covers. That “silly” idea set in motion the development of one of the world’s most successful animal golf head cover companies.

I purchased a patent leather hat box at a local Good Will store, stuffed it with our newly created golf club cover samples, and set out on my first sales call to the Arizona Biltmore Golf Shopwhere I encountered a man who remains a friend today.

I treated Pete to the most dreadful sales pitch imaginable. Instead of politely showing me the door, he explained that my sailboat’s rudder was a bit askew! He showed me how to improve my lousy presentation and presented me with two “tough but important leads and if you can sell them, you can sell anyone.” Then Pete became my first sale as he placed an order for my new golf club covers!

Advised by Pete to take some time to practice my presentation, I was instead buoyed by my first sale and immediately set sail toward a man who Pete described as a brilliant marketer, but a tough cookie. Although shamed for arriving without an appointment, business card, or proper purchase order, he became my second order…for a design I had not yet even created! I sat in my car, with his order in hand, and cried my eyes out!

My first sales trip was more successful than I could have imagined and Daphne’s Headcoversset sail with a strong wind at its back. We were on our way!

Over the years, my mom Daphne, the company’s namesake, and I cut, sewed, designed, packed, delivered, answered phones and did everything to grow our company. Being a sixteen year old girl selling a new product to what could affectionately be referred to as the “old boys club” presented challenges every day.

My mom continued to be my inspiration and my partner throughout high school and college and together we learned which of our “crazy schemes” had staying power with our clients. One year, with my mom nursing the flu, I missed finals while doing a trade show. But when I wasn’t in school, I covered the state encouraging new accounts while building our company. I drove the wheels off my first car…which I earned selling head covers!

After college, it seemed I was ready for a “real job.” Well, that was a mistake! After years of every-day dedication to growing Daphne’s Headcovers, I now found myself working with people who spent most of their days finding ways to excuse themselves from the work they were hired to do. So, it was back to the streets which was the best business training I could imagine. My new husband, Steve, and I packed the car with the long-dormant puppet line and spent six years working the western United States selling at large arts and crafts festivals. We’d spend the week making puppets and sell them on the weekends.

In 1994, my mom Daphne announced her retirement and Steve and I purchased Daphne’s Headcovers and moved our inventory from our homes to our first real office space. A year later our son Jack was born. Life was indeed good!

It was one short year later when my mom passed suddenly and unexpectedly from a brain tumor. That same year, Tiger Woodswon the Masters and my business grew 400% in one quarter. With a toddler attached to my hip, grieving unbearably for my mentor…my partner…my mom, I was forced to leave the safety of my sailboat and dive in to meet the new demand for my head covers.

I couldn’t hire seamstresses quickly enough as requests came from around the world and there were no signs of it slowing down. Soon, I was managing two shifts of 75 employees and my son slept on my office floor as I wanted him to be with me and there was no time to go home.

Ultimately, increasing costs and a lack of labor forced us to move some of our manufacturing to Indonesia and then to China. I struggled with the notion of taking our manufacturing overseas and am now delighted to be “coming home” to Phoenix with our manufacturing.

Today, Daphne’s Headcovers are sold in 75 countries.

We are found at the world’s top resorts and golf shops and our designs are carried on the bags of more than 200 professional golfers on the major golf tours. We lead the industry in a niche we created and continue to re-invent ourselves year after year.

Growing Daphne’s Headcovers has been my greatest joy, biggest headache, and most fulfilling endeavor of my life. In April, we celebrated our thirty-third year in business and I still pinch myself especially when I think of my mother’s words those many years ago, “How will you pay for the sailboat?”

I’ve learned that listening is the best tool I can use to find ways for all parties to succeed.

I’ve also learned that waking up every morning terrified about how I would make it all work is actually quite normal for entrepreneurs. It’s what fuels those of us who choose to make our own way in life.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful life with my children Jack and Sarah, 2 Golden Retrievers and our rescued cats. I often reflect on my mom’s challenge to pay for that sailboat. Today, I pay it forward as Daphne’s Headcovers partners with a significant number of worthy charities to help as many as we can to achieve their dreams. Giving back has been part of the 33+ year old Phoenix based company’s motto from the start. Most recently, I created a headcover in honor of Gabriel, the founding dog of Gabriel’s Angels,a Phoenix-based charity that uses therapy dogs to deliver healing pet therapy to abused, neglected and at-risk children. Donating a portion of the proceeds to Gabriel’s Angels good work is just the icing on the cake for me.

My mom always encouraged me to do good while I was doing well. I think she would be quite proud of the legacy her words have wrought.

And by the way, I still sail!