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Kewl Tubes The Diane Gracely Story

There was a time when golf clubs were sold without a headcover that was a walking billboard for the manufacturer. Now a days when you walk out of the golf shop with your new Driver or Hybrid they come with a headcover that is branded for the manufacturer. These are a perfect beacon for someone to swipe your new stick and also don’t allow you to put your own personal stamp on your bag.

The old school guy in me has fallen head over heels for all things traditional in the game and there is nothing better than a set of KEWL TUBES custom knit headcovers. They are pure tradition and a staple in the bag of many professionals and golfers across the country.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Diane Gracely, president and CEO of Kewl Tubes to learn about her story as an entrepreneur and the successes Kewl Tubes has had since their inception in February 2006.

Diane Gracely is a practical woman who saw a need and had the guts and fortitude to do something about it. Guts and fortitude are two traits that Diane knows about. When she decided to take up the game of golf to spend more time with her husband she wanted to personalize her gear and get a knit headcover. In doing some research to find what she was looking for, she quickly realized that there was a big premium on knit headcovers. Being the practical person she is she took the bull by the horns and said I can knit my own.

What happened next is a great story. Friends and playing partners all liked the workmanship and style she put into her headcovers and they all wanted one. After knitting plenty for her friends, the light bulb went off and she was in business. So much so that she sold her current business to dedicate 100% of her efforts to KEWL TUBES.

The process of knitting a single headcover by hand takes 3 hours of uninterrupted handwork. As her business grew she knew in order to keep up with the demand she needed to become automated. Again, she set out to find a solution. After finding an early 1900’s hand cranked knitting machine on E-Bay she bid on it and won it. Ingenuity took over as her husband’s hands retrofitted the machine to produce perfect knitting for their headcovers.

Slowly she acquired 5 more machines each producing a different size headcover for drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. The hand cranked machines are antiques from an era gone by, but the attention to detail and end results are a work of art.

Sure she could get a new fancy machine that pounds out tons of production but she is sticking to quality and craftsmanship that her customers clamor for.

As with many small business there are struggles and endless hours and it can become a tiresome feat but add to that a hereditary disease and her story takes on a whole new perspective. Diane suffers from CMT, Charcot Marie Tooth, and in her own words she describes her story.

Charcot Marie Tooth has limited my ability to walk and stand. I had to have both of my feet reconstructed because the disease was deforming my feet as my life progressed. I had to resign from my full time job as an accounting rep for a local company because the surgeries and healing time was estimated to be 3 years.

I was raising a 2 year old son on my own. I had gone through a divorce. I knew I could not sit at home and do nothing. I needed money to pay bills and raise my son.

I bought a computer before having my first surgery so that I could teach myself more about the internet and learn about designing web sites, and starting and growing a business online while I was laid up.

I started a small business making laminated bookmarks for wedding favors, schools, book authors, baby showers, and other occasions and events. My business did very well since I had learned how to market it on the internet.

Then 8 years later, I met a man who changed my life, and I started a new business, KEWL TUBES golf club covers. The business took off immediately and I sold the bookmark business to another work at home mom.

To this day I continue to raise my son and grow my golf business. I’ve learned how to juggle everything to be able to be a successful business owner and still spend time with my son. PLUS raise awareness for this disease and hopefully encourage other men and women who have disabilities to start a business of their own and not to give up on life and dreams.

The game of golf is rich with stories of overcoming adversity and the strong will of individuals to persevere! I am proud to know Diane Gracely and the fact that she represents the American Dream of standing up for herself and digging in to fill a need in the golf industry is just wonderful.

For more information on Kewl Tubes visit http://shop.back9promotions.com/

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