554: What It’s Like to Run an Action Sports Hat Company With Jimmy Hickey, Findlay Hats [Main T4C Episode]

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Jimmy Hickey is the founder and owner of Findlay Hats, an action sports hat company he co-launched out of his living room in 2013.  He started out his professional life as a commercial photographer but was still looking for something else to pay the bills during slower winter months. That’s how Findlay Hats was born. “Built for good times,” Findlay Hats incorporate a unique stampede lace feature that copies Jimmy’s childhood invention of a shoelace chinstrap that secured his baseball hat from flying off while he was rafting. What started out as an idea to fill the off season when his photography business was slow — has turned into a thriving business with over 15 employees. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• Where the idea for Findlay Hats came from (3:50)
• How to decide if a business idea is worth pursuing (8:40) 
• How to establish your brand and start getting the word out about your new business (15:00)
• What the day-to-day life is like as the 20-something owner of a growing online business (19:30)
• How seeking out creativity can be beneficial to business 30:50
• How Jimmy has been able to bring his passion for photography into building the Findlay Hats brand (35:00)
• How Jimmy was able to keep Findlay Hats going after the company faced a large dip in growth and sales (37:30)