Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Welborn
Hi Derek, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has many layers. I’ve been in full-time ministry since 2010. I’ve been married to Jill for almost 12 years and have two kids… Jaymes (7) and Gray (3). We’ve been in Austin for 7 years and we’ve been pastoring LifeFamily Downtown for the past 3 years. LifeFamily Downtown meets at 3Ten ACL Live, right in the heart of the city.
In 2020 I was diagnosed with a severe case of alopecia – an autoimmune disease that causes your hair to fall out. That year I found myself in a pretty dark place as I wrestled with my identity. Ultimately, out of desperation and embarrassment, I started wearing hats. Then one day, I was sitting at my house looking at the hat that I had been wearing everyday for a year, and the question came to me… “Could I make these?”
I love creating. What I love most about hat making is taking something in such a raw form and turning it into something beautiful. My inspiration comes from living in Texas. I love the western cowboy, vintage americana, southwestern style. Each hat is crafted and sewn by hand. Over the past couple of years God has put some amazing people in my path to help me get my hat buisness started up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Challenges of building a church downtown is that it’s a very transient city. Lots of people in and out.
Challenges of building a small business is not knowing what i’m doing, time, etc
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love style, creating, and learning new techniques by trial and error. Hat making is an art. I learned by watching videos of hat makers on youtube and instagram. I had no formal training. Each hat is unique. I love that I get to wear my hats at church… people know me as the pastor that wears hats. lol
I’m proud of where the brand is going. This fall we will be launching a small line of boots to go along with the hats. The brand went from Saints Hat Co. to now Saints Western.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
N/A
Pricing:
- Hats Range from $450-$750
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saintshatco.com/ || https://life.family/locations/lifeaustin-downtown
- Instagram: @saints_western || @life.family.downtown
