By: Dennis Olson, dennis@boltpr.com

Like most avid sports fans, I have been thinking about the upcoming start of the football season pretty much nonstop these days and, over the past week, I have been participating in football pools, fantasy football drafts and even making a few friendly wagers (if gambling were legal, that is). But, for the first time this year, the dog days of summer haven’t left football as the only sport on my mind.

The difference between this year and the past 20 years for me is that I have developed a new respect for the game of golf. I have always been a casual fan of the sport and rooted as hard as anyone for Phil to win and Tiger to choke, but working with Starting Time over the past few months has really given me a new perspective of the game.

The company recently announced that it is the exclusive distributor of My mini Golf, a 19-piece indoor/outdoor golf putting kit. Although My mini Golf is a great product for people of all ages, the game really appeals to children and parents because it gets the younger generation interested in the game of golf from an early age. Children are able to play the game on surfaces ranging from carpet and turf  to tile and cement, so they can play it pretty much anywhere. I really think My mini Golf is going to help children develop their putting skills at a young age, which will really make them golfing studs by the time they hit their teens!

My mini Golf comes in a variety of fun shapes and sizes, so it’s pretty unlikely that kids will become bored with it after playing it just a few times. Plus, it’s a lot more convenient for both parents and children than loading up the van and going miniature golfing.

Like most people, I get so frustrated out on the course when my putts aren’t going in. In fact, my behavior on the course has been compared to Happy Gilmore by my friends on too many occasions to count.  My mini Golf is not just a kid’s game; it just might help me shave a few strokes off of my score. You can check the company out at http://startingtimegolf.com, http://myminigolf.us and now on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StartingTime and Facebook.

The last week of July I took a vacation and went to Chicago for a week. My trip home included various activities: a bachelorette party, a Stanley Cup grab, Lollapalooza and my mother throwing new books my direction every two seconds (to be fair, it was either do the dishes or read the book.) Some things never change. I began having flashbacks to the eight year-old version of myself trying to barter my way out of reading the Chronicles of Narnia.

So, I started in on Bringing Home The Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Handbag by Michael Tonello.  Most people who know me realize that I am more of a satirical type of person. Chick lit, is not necessarily my thing, ask my best friend Ann- she’s tried to convert me for years, having minimal success.

Suddenly I realized I was on page 50 and loving the book. I’ll spare you the book report, but it goes something like this: man is not happy in his life, man goes on a trip to Spain, man loves Spain, man moves to Spain, man finds soul mate in Spain, man starts a business acquiring and selling Hermes Birkin bags on EBay to a growing client roster, man has a personal life changing experience that leads him to re-evaluate his priorities, this ultimately leads to a game- changing business decision, man makes decision, book ends.  (Hey I can’t spoil it for you; I like Michael Tonello too much.)

As I finished this book on the plane ride back to San Diego, I realized the point Michael Tonello was making; it’s about the journey, knowing when something is right and going for it, and that life and business are never independent of one another. As much as you may try, you cannot separate them.

This story, leads me to where I am today; Bolt Public Relations’ newest office in Dana Point, California, writing this blog. I knew for a very long time that we’d be expanding into the Orange County community. I knew for a very long time that this would mean moving my life from San Diego to Orange County. But, like Michael Tonello, something deep down knew that life and business were never meant to be independent of one another. In fact, at this point in my life, they’ve never been more dependent and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I do what I love, in an industry I love, with people that challenge me to be a better communicator, thinker, writer, orator and the list goes on, daily.

Dana Point, thank you for having us. We are thrilled to be here.

Oh and for Ann, yes I see it now, I think you might be onto something with this chick lit stuff.

Well we’ve done it. Our Orange County office is officially open for business! Now we could never leave our San Diego roots, so our other office is still located on Loker Avenue in Carlsbad. But our main headquarters (if you will) is now in Dana Point. We’re now walking in every day smelling the ocean, watching surfers ride their bikes by with surfboards in tow, and hearing the late afternoon music trickling in from Hennessey’s across the street. To give you a sneak peek, below are a few photos. (As superb as my photography skills may be, I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon =) ) Please consider this an open invitation to stop in next time you’re in the area.

A photo of the outside of the building:

Here’s the entryway, or at least a corner of it (it’s quite large):

And the main seating/creative meeting area:

And Jesse’s office… she would like for everyone to note her “french doors”:

And the doors that lead out to the balcony:

And there are a whole bunch of other offices and a kitchen and a breakroom, but we’ll leave those photos to the professional photographer. Stay tuned for more (read: better) photos and news from the Bolt PR team! In the meantime, visit us at http://twitter.com/boltpr, http://facebook.com/BoltPR and at 34052 La Plaza Drive, Suite 204, in Dana Point!