Today we’d like to introduce you to James Robinson.
James, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I enjoy wearing fedora style hats. In 2022 I wanted to start a small business creating hat bands for fedora hats. I thought about creating the products and selling them for $20 each. I had no paid experience in fashion design, however I’ve been complimented on my fashion style and I have over 30 years in graphic design. So I figured it would be easy. I would be just transferring my digital and print design skills over to fabric/material design. The start of this business was not easy at all.
I made a few hat bands for the hats that I owned. I received good feed back. Unfortunately, there was a major obstacle in this future business endeavor. It was taking me too long to create the hat bands. Sometimes it would take me an hour to an hour and a half to create the hat bands. That was entirely too long for $20. I looked around Youtube and Instagram for inspiration and tips to create the hat bands faster. One day I sent a DM to a guy on Instagram who showcased hats with nice hat bands. I asked him for tips for creating hat bands. He was not forthcoming on what to do. Nevertheless, what he did tell me changed my entire course of action. He told me that he customized hats and hat bands were just part of the process. He continued to tell me that his hats sold for $400. In my head I yelled “400 dollars. Wow!” I quickly decided to pivot and not just focus on hat bands. I did some research and found out that some hats by other creators sell above $2,000. I knew what I needed to do next. I had to find some hats at wholesale prices and learn how to sow.
About six months later, I was able to find some fedora hats for a low wholesale price and I took my first sewing class at the age of 52. A few months later I did my first pop up sell at a local art show in Dallas: Chocolate and Arts. My plan was to sell my hats for $50. A few people stopped at my booth. They liked them. One person said that $50 was too expensive. Shortly after that disappointing comment, another person said, “Is that all? He gave me $100. That gave me a new outlook on this fledgling business I was starting. I had to quickly learn who my target audience was.
I continued to customize hats and do pop up shops. It was still taking me a long to create the hat bands but I was making more than the originally planned $20 for the hour plus time it took to customize the hats. Then I found a mentor in McKinney. She has been doing millinery work (hat making) professionally for decades. I invested hundreds of dollars for a few hours of training in sewing and other skills needed to become better at this new exciting craft. What I learned from her within those few hours cut my production time by 60-75 percent. I became faster and more knowledgeable over time.
Fast forward a couple years later. Kats with Hats sells hats al over the United States. People in the north Dallas area recognize my brand. My hats have been worn by celebrities and everyday people. Now, our hats range from as low as $75 and as high as $300. We are still learning and growing the business. Earlier this year we did $8,000 in sales in one day. That was super motivating. It was a clear indication to me that I wasn’t wasting my time and that Kats with Hats, LLC is here to stay. We are certain that we know what we are doing and we have received the public’s stamp of approval.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. At our first pop up sell. I was told that $50 was too expensive by one person. Then a few minutes later another person told me that my prices was too low and he gave me twice what I was asking: $100
In the beginning, not knowing how to sew, how to design faster, how to lower my overhead and how to price my products was a huge barrier. I paid for classes, watched thousands of hours of YouTube videos about business, business mindset, and self motivation to help me improve.
I’ve put hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars into a business that I had no prior knowledge of. With the support of my wife and mother, I’ve kept at it. The business struggles with online sales but has done well with in person sales.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My professional career has been in IT. I am a senior User Experience/ User Interface Designer. I have over 25 years in the IT field. I started off as a graphic designer. Then I transitioned to a graphic designer/web designer. My my most recent roles have been in User Experience/ User Interface Design. My field is a high salary occupation. Because of the salary from this occupation, I am most proud of my ability to provide financial support to others who have started business and needed financial assistance to get started. What sets me apart from others is my willingness to help other succeed. I am not selfish. I believe that if one person in my circles wins, we all win by association.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m not sure if what I’ve received was luck. I would categorize it as divine intervention and guidance. I have strong faith in Yahweh. I pray daily and ask for His favor and guidance. People have come into my life and helped me in areas that I couldn’t have done on my own. I often wish that things were moving faster and that the money was flowing like a river. I have to remember that things take time.
Pricing:
- 75 for our entry level product
- 300 for our high end luxury product
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katswithhats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katswithhatsllc/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katswithhatsllc
