What happens when the thing you love most—your sport—starts to feel like the thing that’s breaking you?

In Episode 8 of Athletes in Sports, Peter Follese (CEO of National Insurance Brokers) tells a story that will hit home for a lot of former athletes: the identity shift after high school sports, the pressure of college, and the “now what?” moment when the plan falls apart.

Pete calls himself a “college golf dropout,” and he doesn’t say it for shock value. He shares the real emotions behind it—confidence, comparison, frustration, and eventually a breaking point that made him walk away from golf entirely.

And then… years later… he built a career, built a business, found his way back to the game, and now uses golf as a relationship-building tool that fuels his work, his health, and his purpose.

If you’re a former athlete trying to figure out how to win in the business world—or you’ve ever felt like you lost your competitive identity—this episode is for you.

The pressure nobody prepares you for

Pete grew up in Forest Lake, Minnesota and played competitive high school golf. He even took 6th at state, and like a lot of athletes, that success came with confidence.

Then he accepted a small scholarship to play Division III golf at the University of Minnesota Crookston, and reality hit fast.

College golf wasn’t just “harder competition.” It was the full combo:

New town, new teammates, new environment

Trying to keep grades up

Feeling disconnected from the community that shaped him

Watching others thrive while he struggled

Pete describes it as losing his sense of self—and his golf game started to spiral right along with it.

And then came the moment that changed everything: a match back home at Forest Hills with a friend who was loving college golf… and beating him.

Pete went to the range afterward, shanked three balls, and snapped every club in his bag over his knee.

Not a metaphor. Every club.

Then he quit golf for years.

For anyone who’s ever felt the weight of expectation—especially after being “the guy” in high school—Pete’s honesty here is powerful. Because it’s not about golf.

It’s about identity.

Reinvention: from golf to restaurants to business

When golf ended, Pete didn’t instantly “find his purpose.” He took a path a lot of people take when they’re trying to survive and reset.

He got into cooking, bartending, hosting—working crazy hours, living on a restaurant schedule, building relationships and a new kind of confidence.

And here’s the part former athletes will appreciate: he didn’t lose his competitive advantage… he just relocated it.

The same things that make athletes great—reading people, working hard, responding to pressure, caring about the team—showed up in a different arena.

Eventually, Pete got tired of the grind of working 6–7 days a week and feeling like he had no life outside work. That’s when a family connection nudged him toward a new lane: insurance.

At 22 going on 23, he made the jump.

And he realized something quickly:

Insurance is service. It’s listening to people’s needs and responding with solutions.

That’s not far from the hospitality world—just with a different uniform.

Golf comes back… as a business superpower

One of the coolest moments in this episode is when Pete explains how golf re-entered his life—not as competition, but as opportunity.

He saw someone in insurance getting invited to play golf during the workday with clients, and it clicked:

“How do I build a life where golf isn’t something I squeeze in… but something I can use to build relationships?”

So he pieced together a bag of old clubs, started again from scratch, and rebuilt his game.

Fast forward: Pete is now a scratch golfer (0.0 handicap) who plays a lot—and he’s intentional about it.

Because golf, in his world, isn’t just a hobby. It’s trust-building at scale.

On the course, people drop their guard. You see how they react when they hit a bad shot. You learn who they are when things don’t go their way. And conversations happen naturally—without the pressure of a conference room.

For former athletes trying to understand networking, this is a masterclass:

Relationships are built through shared experiences

Trust is built when people see you under pressure

Business often happens after connection—not before it

The Broken Club: competition + charity + community

Pete also co-founded The Broken Club, a golf group built around a simple idea:

Create competitive, high-quality golf events that still give back.

Instead of the typical scramble format, they run more competitive formats (two-man teams, playing your own ball, side games, handicaps), and they use the membership and event model to raise real money—supporting kids through golf (in partnership with First Tee and the In Sports Foundation).

The “broken” part? It’s a clever play on “broker,” but it’s also symbolic: breaking old clubs, breaking barriers, and using golf as a way to open doors for kids who might never otherwise step onto a private course.

And Pete’s vision goes beyond Minnesota—he genuinely believes this concept could scale nationwide and impact thousands of kids.

The real CEO advantage: health and mental fitness

One part of the episode that surprised a lot of listeners: Pete doesn’t talk about success like it’s only hustle.

He talks about health like it’s an asset.

He shares how migraines became a wake-up call, how he changed routines, and how fitness (and even therapy) became part of his performance plan.

For athletes, this will feel familiar. The best don’t just train their skills—they protect their body and mind so they can keep showing up.

Pete’s message is simple and strong:

You can’t build a business (or a life) if you don’t take care of the machine.

Takeaways for former athletes entering business

If you’re a former athlete trying to figure out your next chapter, this episode delivers a few big reminders:

Your sport taught you more than skills—it taught you who you are under pressure.

Reinvention is normal. Even quitting something can be part of your path.

Business is a team game. Community matters. Relationships matter.

Networking isn’t a script—it’s shared experiences and trust.

Your health and mindset are competitive advantages.

Pete’s story isn’t “perfect.” That’s what makes it worth hearing.

It’s real.

Listen to Episode 8

If you’ve ever felt lost after sports…
If you’re trying to turn competitiveness into a career…
Or if you want to build something of your own…

This episode will light a fire.

Episode 8: “From College Golf Dropout to CEO: Pete Follese’s Back 9 Journey”
​🎧 Listen now on Athletes in Sports wherever you get podcasts.