Meet Nathan Dealy | Founder of Sol Saguaro

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Dealy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea of Sol Saguaro started when my dad and I (Nathan) went on a golf trip to Scottsdale, AZ back in early 2020. We had a goal of playing 90 holes in 3 days. After each day, we would always have the same issue – having to go back to the hotel to shower and change into a new polo before going out for dinner and drinks. This was because of the type of golf polos we wore; they were thick with stench and sweat from baking in the desert sun all day. This started my hunt for a performance golf polo that fit all my criteria. I wanted a polo that was breathable but not so thin that it was see-through; moisture-wicking and cooling; and had a design that showed off my personality just enough that I could wear it to work without being embarrassed. In the end, I couldn’t find a polo that checked off my list; so I decided to make my own! The name Sol Saguaro itself pays homage to that golf trip in 2020. Sol – meaning sun in Spanish, and Saguaro – the famous cactus that lines the fairways of all of the Arizona golf courses.

When my wife and I started our journey to create the perfect polo, we had no idea what we were doing. I spent all my free time drawing and revising designs while reaching out to various fabric manufacturers. After months of getting fabric swatches that didn’t fit my dream, we found Fabric to Finish; an NYC-based consulting firm that specializes in clothing product development and management for independent designers. We spent almost a full year working on product development and finally launched the first batch of inventory in January 2023.

Sol Saguaro golf polos have subtly bold designs with an athletic fit to help golfers achieve their perfect swing. The premium fabric is woven with titanium which creates a moisture-wicking and cooling function to prevent odors from soaking into the fabric as well as being UPF 50+. We are starting out small with five designs and only selling online and at markets but have goals to branch out into stores in the future.

As I became an entrepreneur, I learned a lot about myself and what it takes to start a business. I realized that being decisive with my decisions is the most important thing. Decisiveness creates momentum and even though I might momentarily move in the wrong direction; if I keep moving, I can easily pivot to a new idea. Like a train, the energy it takes to change directions is as small as changing the tracks but the energy to get going from a full stop is daunting. The most challenging part has been growing the brand name and getting customers which we are currently working on by improving our social media presence. If you asked me three years ago where I wanted to be now, I would have never guessed that my dream to find the perfect golf polo would conclude with starting my own company. It has been a life-changing accomplishment and I can’t wait to see where this brand goes in the next three years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I studied mechanical engineering in college and have worked in engineering and supply chain positions for the last 5 years. I would have never thought I would be moving into fashion/design work. Creating designs has become somewhat of an outlet from my day job. While engineering deals with the strict confines of procedures; I have found that the free reign of drawing is extremely relaxing. I can get lost in my golf polo designs for hours.

My engineering background has helped me in two main ways with starting Sol Saguaro. The material properties behind the Sol Sagauro fabric are what I am most proud of. The fabric was created specifically to fulfill our high standards of durability, comfort, and quality. We looked at plenty of fabrics but chose the final fabric because of its UPF 50+, quick-drying function, and the fact that it prevents odors from soaking in. The analysis portion of Sol Saguaro has also been pretty easy to adopt because of my technical background. With that being said; as Sol Saguaro grows I would love for this to become my full-time occupation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friends were coming into town for the weekend, after work on Friday night I would take them to Vector Brewery for pizza and beers. Saturday we would play a round of golf at Texas Star Golf Course. From there we would grab a sandwich at Eatzi’s and finish the night off hanging out at Truck Yard. The next morning I would take them to White Rock Coffee for the best coffee and pastries in the area and then we would finish off the weekend at a Dallas Cowboys game.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first shout-out would have to be my newly married wife; we have been dating/engaged throughout this whole process and I quite honestly wouldn’t have gotten the ball rolling without her. My second shout-out is Fabric to Finish for helping me organize my thoughts into a cohesive product line with all the fine details I hadn’t thought of (ex .button shape and thread colors). Lastly, I want to shout out Ashlee Ann Marketing for helping to display our vision on social media and for all the hard work that she does with market analysis.

Website: www.solsaguaro.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solsaguarogolf/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/solsaguaro

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sol.saguaro?_t=8bOWhMpcz99&_r=1

Image Credits
Victoria Nabours – White Desert Photography