Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Ortiz.
Hi Marina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
How One Trucker Hat Changed My Life
If someone had told me two years ago that I’d own a mobile trucker hat business traveling all over Texas, I would’ve laughed.
I was already the owner of Marina’s Lash & Hair Studio (and still am), a business I had poured my heart into for years. Then life changed. After my divorce, I found myself learning how to navigate life on one income while providing for my son and myself.
I wasn’t looking for a handout or a shortcut. I was looking for another opportunity—something that could help financially, but also something I could genuinely be passionate about.
Then one day at a UT football game, I noticed a woman wearing a trucker hat covered in patches, all blinged out! (It was totally my style.)
It wasn’t just a hat.
It had personality.
It told a story.
I remember thinking, “Where did she get that? I have to have one.”
That curiosity sent me searching… and the searching found me!
I knew nothing about “hat bars.”
The first places I found were out of town, and honestly, I wasn’t impressed. The quality wasn’t there, so I waited.
Not long after, I saw a flyer that a local hat bar was going to be setting up near me. I went, picked out my hat, chose my patches, and met Caryn, the owner—who has since become a friend and mentor. I’m especially grateful for her support, encouragement, and willingness to share her knowledge throughout my journey.
While we were talking, she casually mentioned that her hat bar was helping pay for her daughter’s college.
That sentence never left me.
Driving home, I kept thinking…
“Could I do this?”
Not because I wanted to copy someone.
Because I saw an opportunity to build something for myself.
I made my hat on Friday.
Saturday, I was ordering hats.
Presses.
Patches.
Shelving.
Everything I thought I’d need.
My family and I spent the weekend throwing around business names until finally… we all agreed on:
ATX Trucker Hat Bar.
We all knew this was it!
Monday morning, I filed my DBA.
There was no business plan.
No investors.
No guarantee.
Just faith… and a whole lot of Amazon orders.
Originally, I wasn’t planning on having a mobile business at all.
The idea was to bring the hat bar into Marina’s Lash & Hair Studio as another service for my salon clients.
I still sell premade hats there today.
But before I could even make that happen, people started asking…
“Will you come to us?”
So I did.
I packed everything I owned into the back of my SUV.
Tables.
Displays.
Thousands of patches.
Heat presses.
Hats.
Extension cords.
Bins.
Anything I thought I might need.
Looking back now, I laugh because I probably packed three times more than necessary.
My friends became my crew before there really was a crew.
My boyfriend helped.
My friends helped.
Nobody complained.
We were figuring it out together.
Looking back, none of us really knew where this business was going—not even me.
Today, some of those same people still work events with me. The difference now is that I get to pay them for their time, and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
Every weekend felt like an adventure.
We’d drive somewhere new around Austin.
Sometimes we’d have an incredible event.
Sometimes we’d barely make enough money to cover expenses or even vendor fees.
Sometimes it was pouring rain.
Sometimes we’d be sweating in 105-degree Texas heat.
But every event taught me something.
One of my first bookings came from a friend who trusted me enough to let me set up at her house.
Then another friend hired me for a bachelorette party in San Antonio.
I remember thinking…
“Someone is actually paying me to drive to another city to do this.”
That felt huge.
Markets slowly turned into birthday parties.
Birthday parties became school events.
School events became corporate events.
Corporate events kept getting bigger.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that…
I stopped thinking of myself as someone with a side hustle.
I realized…
I had built a real business.
But I still wanted more.
I didn’t want to be known as someone who just did markets.
I wanted to work with event planners.
I wanted schools.
I wanted hotels.
I wanted conventions.
I wanted high-end private parties.
I wanted companies to think of ATX Trucker Hat Bar whenever they wanted to create an unforgettable guest experience.
So I started introducing myself through social media.
Sending emails.
Following up.
Networking.
Showing up.
Posting videos.
Learning.
Improving.
Investing every dollar I could back into the business.
Little by little…
Today we’ve been trusted by schools, nonprofits, resorts, corporate clients, event planners, conferences, employee appreciation events, and venues across Texas.
Every single event still reminds me why I started.
Not because of the hats.
Because of the people.
Watching complete strangers stand around a table helping each other choose patches…
Watching grandparents design hats with grandchildren…
Watching coworkers who barely knew each other suddenly laughing together…
That’s the magic.
The hat is just what they take home.
The experience is what they remember.
Sometimes I think back to that woman at the UT football game.
She’ll probably never know she completely changed the direction of my life.
What started as curiosity became hope.
Hope became a business.
And that business has become one of the greatest blessings of my life.
The crazy part?
I still feel like we’re just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Building a business from the ground up has definitely not been a smooth road.
One of my biggest challenges was learning everything as I went. I had no background in the event industry or running a mobile business. Every market, every private party, and every corporate event taught me something new. There was a lot of trial and error.
Financially, it was also a challenge. I reinvested almost everything I made right back into the business. Every new banner, display, tablecloth, heat press, patch, hat, and piece of equipment came from believing in the long-term vision, even when I wasn’t sure how quickly it would pay off.
There were long days loading and unloading my SUV by myself, setting up in the Texas heat, working outdoor events in the rain, and wondering if I’d even make enough to cover my vendor fees.
One event, in particular, still stands out. A local radio station invited me to be a vendor at a large event with thousands of attendees. The booth fee was originally $1,000. I explained that I couldn’t afford it, and after some negotiating, they lowered it to $300. I took the chance. I worked a 12-hour day, and by the time it was over, I hadn’t even made my vendor fee back. I was exhausted, frustrated, and for a brief moment I remember thinking, “I don’t even want to pack all of this up. I just want to leave it here.” Of course I didn’t, but that day taught me that not every opportunity is the right opportunity, and sometimes the biggest lessons come from the hardest days.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was that growth doesn’t happen overnight. It happens by consistently showing up, learning from mistakes, listening to customers, and continuing to improve.
Looking back now, every obstacle helped shape the business into what it is today. Those challenges taught me resilience, patience, and confidence. They also remind me not to take any opportunity for granted.
As you know, we’re big fans of ATX Trucker Hat Bar. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
ATX Trucker Hat Bar is a mobile custom hat experience that brings creativity, connection, and unforgettable memories to every event we attend. We specialize in interactive hat bar activations where guests design and personalize their own trucker hats using a wide variety of premium patches, chains, pins, and accessories.
While we love celebrating birthdays, bachelorette parties, and private events, our specialty has grown into corporate activations, employee appreciation events, conferences, schools, and large-scale experiences. We’ve had the privilege of partnering with businesses, event planners, schools, resorts, and organizations across Texas to create engaging experiences that leave a lasting impression.
What sets us apart is that we don’t just customize hats—we create an experience. Every setup is designed to look polished and professional, and every guest receives personal attention while creating something that’s uniquely their own. Whether there are 20 guests or 300, we want every person to feel like they’re our only customer.
One of the things I’m most proud of is how far this business has grown in such a short amount of time. What began as an idea has evolved into a trusted business that continues to grow through relationships, referrals, and repeat clients. Seeing clients invite us back year after year is one of the greatest compliments we can receive.
We’ve had the privilege of partnering with organizations such as the Moody Center, Travel Texas, Texas County & District Retirement System, Travis Club Community, and AVES Animal Hospital, along with many other businesses, schools, and organizations across Texas.
At the end of the day, we’re not just pressing patches onto hats—we’re creating conversations, bringing people together, and giving guests something they can wear long after the event is over.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.
When I started ATX Trucker Hat Bar, I didn’t have a business plan or experience running a mobile event business. I simply took the first step and learned as I went. Every event taught me something, every mistake made me better, and every challenge pushed me to grow.
I’ve also learned that not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Early on, I said yes to almost everything because I was trying to grow. Over time, I realized it’s just as important to know which opportunities align with your goals and values as it is to work hard.
Most importantly, I’ve learned to trust my vision. There were times people questioned whether I needed the banners, displays, or all the little details I invested in. But I believed presentation mattered. I wanted people to see a professional business from day one, and I’m glad I stayed true to that vision.
If I could leave anyone with one piece of advice, it would be this: Don’t wait until everything feels perfect. Start where you are, keep showing up, and let each step teach you the next one.
Pricing:
- Private Parties: Starting at $350 (10-person minimum)
- Corporate Events: Custom quotes based on guest count, location, and package selection
- Host-Paid Hat Bar: Packages starting at $25 per guest (volume pricing available)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ATX Trucker Hat Bar
- Facebook: ATX Trucker Hat Bar
- LinkedIn: ATX Trucker Hat Bar
- Other: Atxtruckerhat@gmail.com
