Good good CEO and president settled out Wednesday over the latest twist at the beleaguered YouTube golf collective, according to a memo seen by Business Insider.
Nahid Giga, one of the company’s founders and an early investor, will serve as interim CEO, according to a memo shared with staffers by Alex Puchala, who leads finance and operations at Good Good.
Outgoing CEO Matt Kendrick, also one of the founders of Good Good, did Callaway publicly condemned after the golf company ended its partnership with the YouTuber group over a controversial ad it created in partnership with Callaway.
In the memo, Puchala called it a difficult day for Good Good. “Matt helped build something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport.”
The Chairman, Joe Flannerya sports industry vet, had been appointed to take over most of the business and had only been on the job for a few days when the advert was announced.
A spokesperson for Good Good said that even with the recent controversy, the company has seen growth in retail sales and social media followers. It has also retained investor confidence, the spokesperson said. It also sees an opportunity to re-engage retailers.
The ad behind the firestorm
The ad that sparked the firestorm showed one of Good Good’s co-founders, Garrett Clark, running up to a female member of the group, Alexis Miestowski, and pushing her to the ground. He leaned over her and said, “Don’t touch my new driver,” before picking him up himself and shooting.
The consequences were swift and severe. Retailers pulled Good Good products from their shelves and the golf group stepped in as title sponsor of a PGA Tour event in the fall.
Kendrick told Front office sports that he had not viewed the ad before it ran and that the marketing team was monitoring it. Good Good’s head of marketing, Jeff Lefkovits, and a second employee of the marketing team were fired. According to reports, Callaway’s head of content has left. Goed Goed has previously apologized for the content of the advertisement.
It was a striking turn in what was considered a creative economy success story. The high-energy golf video company had built a string of retail partnerships and raised $45 million last year.
The diversified company that had made Good Good a success story for creators also exposed it to partners who didn’t want bad news.
Good Good had a brand-friendly image and had launched a campaign earlier this year, ‘There’s More to Golf’, to promote inclusivity and reach new audiences.
Creator economy watchers have said this Good Good can come back as it doubles down on its core audience and leans on humor – in a self-deprecating way – to steady the ship.
Here’s Puchala’s memo:
Good Good Team – I wanted you to hear this news directly from me. As of today, Matt has decided to step down as CEO of Good Good and Joe has chosen to part ways as well. This is a difficult day for the entire Good Good family. Matt helped build something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport. What started as a small group of friends playing golf is now a growing global community. To ensure stability during this transition, Nahid Giga, co-founder of Good Good and one of our first investors, will act as interim CEO with immediate effect. Garrett and the creator team will continue to do what they do best: create great content and engage our fans who are eager to see and hear from us. I will remain COO and CFO and continue to oversee the day-to-day operations. We are encouraged by the continued support of the Good Good community, and we remain focused on moving forward and building the next chapter of the company. My door is always open if you have any questions or just want to talk. Furthermore, Alex
