The Range | Season 3 | Episode 1 - Mullys: Friendship First

Send us Fan Mail Season 3 of The Range opens with an honest one. Host Ari Ratner is joined by his Mully's co-founder and longtime friend Chris Houghton, making his third appearance on the show, to talk about why they're closing Mully's, at least for now, and what they learned along the way. Chris has been on The Range twice before: the intro episode, and the Season 2 episode about launching Mully's, their golf-inspired beverage brand. This time they sat down to talk about closing it, at least for this season. The Range is about golf and entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship isn't always the highlight reel. Ari and Chris talk through what they got right, what they got wrong, and the decisions they'd make differently. That includes betting most of their focus on a THC beverage while federal rules were changing underneath them, leaning too hard on a sales partner, not spending enough time on direct sales, and how much their time and capital really mattered. They also get into the part that mattered most to both of them. Before they started, they agreed their friendship came first. It still does. For anyone thinking about starting something, especially with a friend or in a regulated space, this one is worth a listen. Topics covered: \- What Mully's was supposed to be, and what they got right from the start \- What they got wrong: time, focus, and being in different cities \- Building around a THC product while the rules kept changing \- Holding on to the original strategy too long, and whether Range Finder was the better bet \- Relying on a sales partner instead of doing the selling themselves \- Capital, runway, and how much skin in the game really changes your behavior \- Going into business with a friend \- Regrets, lessons, and whether Chris would do it again Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:30 Season 3 starts, and Chris's third time on The Range 01:49 What Mully's was supposed to be 03:57 What they got right 05:23 What they got wrong 07:21 Betting on the THC side of the business 11:23 The biggest challenge: time and focus 15:18 Did they hold on to the THC strategy too long? 18:14 What they should have obsessed over: sales 19:21 Capital and runway 22:45 When Chris knew it was time to close 24:15 Chris on wearing the entrepreneur hat 28:25 Going into business with a friend 32:02 Would you do it again? 33:45 More or less interested in entrepreneurship? 35:22 Skin in the game 38:03 What they hope to remember 39:20 Walking off eighteen with their heads held up A note on timing: this was recorded on October 1, 2026, while federal rules on hemp-derived THC beverages were still changing, so some details may have changed since. Guest: Chris Houghton, co-founder of Mully's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrischoughton/ Earlier episodes with Chris: The Range: Intro Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429904/episodes/16209310 Season 2, Episode 9 - Mullys: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429904/episodes/17896074 Read the story and get each new one in your inbox: https://therangegolf.club Listen and follow The Range: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-range/id1782962002 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fFYZLzmvMvcXC1LPktk98 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRange-Podcast Instagram: @therange\_pod   TikTok: @the.range.pod   LinkedIn: The Range Podcast #TheRangePod