When Amanda Sheppard steps onto a golf course, she isn’t just playing—she’s rewriting the scorecard. Known as “Simba” for her unapologetic spirit, Sheppard founded SMBR Golf to show that two things can be true at once: sport can be polished and bold, clothing can be functional and fearless, and failure can be painful and the best redirection we’ll ever get. With the July 2025 launch of SMBR’s debut capsule, Genesis, Sheppard made one thing clear: SMBR goes beyond apparel—it opens up a new fairway.
From Hospitality and Fashion to the Fairway
Sheppard didn’t begin in golf. Her first steps were in fashion—modeling and working behind the scenes on shoots—where she learned early that clothing tells a story long before words do. From there, she built a career in hospitality operations, overseeing major restaurant openings and managing large-scale teams. That chapter taught her that experiences matter most, and that the devil is always in the details: how a space feels, the precision of execution, the discipline of structure.
“You have to go small to get big,” Sheppard said. That discipline became the backbone of SMBR: every seam intentional, every silhouette designed to deliver more than performance. It’s about creating a feeling—confidence, presence, connection. The same lessons that made her successful in hospitality now live in SMBR: empathy, precision and the courage to take risks.
Growth Through Setbacks
For Sheppard, growth has been less about big wins and more about the work in between. It has meant shifting production schedules, revising tech packs, rebuilding timelines and finding vendors who could become true partners. Every missed deadline or design misstep became feedback rather than frustration.
“Progress for me has meant staying in motion,” she said. “You absorb what went wrong, you adjust, and you keep building. It isn’t glamorous work. It’s ordering another round of samples, rewriting a calendar or sourcing fabric all over again. But those small corrections are what move the brand forward.”
What kept SMBR on track was not only persistence but conviction. Sticking to her gut and returning to her “why” created the difference between chasing shortcuts and building something lasting. Growth has come from refusing to compromise on intention, even when that required taking the longer route.
For SMBR, momentum has come from stacking those small corrections until they compounded into progress. The brand has been shaped not by avoiding difficulty but by working through it. Growth is less about shortcuts and more about the grit to stay in motion and the resolve to hold to your “why.”
Golf as a Mirror
For Sheppard, golf became more than a backdrop for SMBR—it became a mirror. It’s the early mornings when the dew hasn’t lifted, the rhythm of a swing that feels different every time, the conversations that happen when a round stretches into hours. Golf became the first sport where she could slow down without losing her edge, a space where precision and creativity had to coexist.
“Golf gives me the same feeling fashion and hospitality once did,” Sheppard said. “It’s part ritual, part performance. You show up with yourself exactly as you are that day—and you learn to adapt. Sometimes that means fighting the course, and sometimes it means letting go.”
It’s also a sport of extremes—you can shoot your worst round one day and your best the next. For Sheppard, that duality is what makes golf so human. “It shows you that perfection isn’t the goal. The real game is learning to lean in when you blow up a shot, reset, and focus on the next move. That’s life too. It’s about growth, not f lawless execution.”
Just as important, golf is a connector. It creates opportunities to meet new people with different life experiences and stories, and for a few hours, everyone is bound by something in common: the game. That shared rhythm—celebrating great shots, laughing off the bad ones—becomes its own language. And in those spaces of connection, Sheppard found the clearest inspiration for SMBR: apparel that doesn’t just perform but unites.
Introducing Genesis
SMBR’s debut capsule, Genesis, sets the tone for everything to come. The name itself is intentional—the formation of something. The collection features seven limited-run pieces, produced in Los Angeles with premium European fabrics. Every top was designed with a matching bottom, cut to flow so seamlessly that you question if you’re wearing a one-piece. It’s deliberate, minimal and sharp—built to feel like more than an outfit, but a statement. With Genesis, the first collection becomes a manifesto: small, intentional, fearless—the very blueprint of SMBR’s promise.
More Than a Brand: A Movement
SMBR is a new fairway. The lioness is the brand’s character, a reminder of quiet strength and connection. For Sheppard, clothing is only the starting point; the real mission is to build a community of women who connect, grow the game and keep shifting the narrative together. Every capsule is small, thoughtfully curated and storytelling-driven. No excess. No noise. Just pieces that carry weight and meaning. Because when her story becomes the mother tongue of the game, everything shifts.
Laying Down a New Blueprint
Golf has long been written to one script. SMBR exists to lay down a new blueprint—where women aren’t adapting to the game but shaping it. Not louder. Not softer. Simply truer.
Sheppard’s approach isn’t about exclusion, but expansion. It’s about balancing tradition with innovation, creating space where individuality and belonging can coexist. Her game, her move, her narrative.
A Fearless Future
Sheppard doesn’t want SMBR to be another option on the rack—she wants it to set a new standard. “Confidence doesn’t mean being the loudest,” she said. “It means being fluent in yourself.” Polished but bold. Empathetic but unapologetic.
The future of SMBR is about connection—creating spaces where women feel seen, celebrated and invited in. SMBR plans to expand into curated gatherings, digital platforms and partnerships that bring women together on and off the course.
“The greatest win for me won’t just be seeing SMBR on a fairway,” Sheppard said. “It will be seeing women meet each other through the brand, share a round, share a story, and feel like they’re part of something bigger.”
This isn’t rebellion. This is reality. And it’s “her” move.
Off the Course With Amanda Sheppard
Q: What’s always in your golf bag besides clubs?
A: AirPods, a pile of old scorecards I can’t throw away, sunscreen, a range finder, snacks. And if I’m being honest, there’s a ready-to-drink margarita tucked in there too… maybe two.
Q: Favorite course you’ve ever played (or dream course)?
A: Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. Nine holes run along the ocean—it’s breathtaking, and easily the most memorable course I’ve ever played.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Sharon Stone. She embodies confidence without needing to prove it. She’s timeless, but she’s never been afraid to take risks or shock the room in her own way. I admire how she’s always balanced grace with edge—it’s the same balance I aim for with SMBR.
Q: Favorite place to travel?
A: Anywhere I can bring my golf clubs and enjoy the warm weather and beach life. So far, it’s been Australia.
Q: Go-to piece from the Genesis collection?
A: The Mari Asymmetric Shirt. That one-shoulder cut is very me—edgy. I think we all have a go-to piece in our closet that we naturally always gravitate to.
