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

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-range/id1782962002
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRange-Podcast
Instagram: @therange_pod TikTok: @the.range.pod LinkedIn: The Range Podcast

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In this episode, Ari sits down with Jake Hoselton, co-founder and CEO of Grass Clippings and the Grass League, and Matt Erley, co-founder and Managing Partner of Old Tom Capital, for a special conversation about the next era of golf.

Jake joins The Range for the first time, following Grass Clippings’ earlier feature with CMO Pete Wilson in Season One. This time, Ari reconnects with both sides of one of golf’s most exciting partnerships - Grass Clippings and Old Tom Capital - to discuss the latest investment round that’s fueling the growth of the Grass League.

The conversation explores how a backyard idea evolved into a professionally structured league built around par-three golf, community, and culture—and why Old Tom Capital saw it as a smart bet on where golf is heading. Together, they dig into the business of building a new kind of sports league, the process of raising capital, and what it takes to align vision between founders and investors.

Whether you’re interested in startups, sports investing, or how golf is reinventing itself for a new generation, this episode offers a front-row seat to the collaboration shaping golf’s future.

🎯 Topics covered:

• How Grass Clippings evolved into the Grass League
• Why Old Tom Capital led Grass League’s latest $2.75M investment round
• The rise of “golf light” and the opportunity in par-three competition
• Lessons in raising capital and scaling a modern sports property
• How strategic partnerships can redefine the business of golf

🎧 Listen now to hear how Grass League and Old Tom Capital are working together to build golf’s next great arena sport.

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In this episode, Ari sits down with Chris Houghton, his longtime friend and co-founder of Mully’s, to reflect on the journey of launching their golf-inspired beverage brand.

From early text messages and test formulations to a production run in Chicago, Ari and Chris share what it took to turn Mully’s from an idea into reality. They dig into the chemistry of being co-founders after 35 years of friendship, the importance of honest feedback, and how communication and complementary skills helped them navigate the challenges of starting a business. Along the way, they explore the balance between personal life and entrepreneurship, the thrill of small wins, and the lessons they’ve taken from both golf and business.

Whether you’re curious about launching a brand, teaming up with a co-founder, or simply love hearing the parallels between golf and entrepreneurship, this conversation is an inside look at building something from the ground up.

🎯 Topics covered:

– How Mully’s went from idea to full production run
– The role of co-founder chemistry and 35 years of friendship
– Why feedback from friends and family matters (but only goes so far)
– The toughest challenges of launching a consumer brand
– Parallels between golf and entrepreneurship: patience, perspective, and the grind

🎧 Listen now to hear how Ari and Chris launched Mully’s—and why this milestone episode is such an exciting step forward.