Do you know that you have a bird on your head?

Has our company literally gone to the birds? Is it time to throw in the towel? These are questions that I am being faced with as I write this blog. I would love to say that I have all the answers but as Sue and I spent the day yesterday at water's edge at the beautiful Nonamtum Resort in Kennebunk Maine a few more questions began to flood my mental cavity.

A new lid is born! - "Green" Recycled Bucket Lid

Last week we were at a craft show in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Sue and Woz took the first day and Cathie and I the second. For the first time in Little Hat history we had multiple request from men for adult bucket lids. Sue called and thought the we really needed to find some fabrics that would work for men, something not already out there. Since the inception of The Little Hat Company, Bill Page has been asking us to design him a comfortable hat that he can wear out in the yard working. He already has a Powderhouse Hill Kozy Kap and wanted something for the summer and spring.

Sue has also been wanting to introduce a green line of lids since last year. She was thinking organic fabric would be the best route. Well last night Bill Page pulled a rabbit out of his hat, well actually and old shirt out of his closet and our new line of "Green" Recycled Bucket Lids was born. When I got to their home with my sewing machine he was excited to share his idea. We cut out the pattern pieces for the outside of the lid from his old favorite button up shirt and began sewing together the first green lid - I was going to use a new piece of lining when Sue came up with the fabulous idea of using one of his favorite Timberland t'shirts that had seen better days. Perfect! The Recycled Bucket lid felt like a pair of favorite old sneakers - a perfect fit and soft to the touch. The cotton t'shirt lining is perfect for a hot day in keeping you cool and the sweat away from your brow. Bill Page was so excited we snapped some quick candids and posted them on our Little Hat...Big World blog!

We are excited to launch our new "Green" Recycled Line of Bucket Lids and ready to take on your one of a kind custom orders. We just need you to send us your button up shirts or favorite skirts, jeans, dresses, things that you are not ready to be rid of but have seen better days. Our new line of "Green" Recycled Lids are perfect for Father Day gifts, birthday gifts, family vacations. When your family members wear our Bucket Lids it makes them easy to spot in a crowd.

Send us your clothing and the size of the lids you would like to be made. Use the sizing chart under bucket lids at The Little Hat Company. All one of a kind creations are $24.95 shipping included.


The Little Hat Company
1 Meadow Lane
South Berwick, Maine 03908

207-384-0080
friendlyperson@thelittlehatcompany.com

We are looking forward to creating your one of a kind lid! Reach into the back of your closet and recycle your wardrobe into your new favorite golf lid, beach lid, saling lid, gardening lid, stroller lid, and keep the sun out of my eyes lid!

Who Said That?

Okay to set the record straight no matter what the other little hatters say I am not the only one in the company who is quick to give things away. One of my more "brilliant" campaigns to give first time buyers 50% off their first online orders "halfoffhat" has actually been a great thing to jumpstart our newly launched website TheLittleHatCompany.com. I took a lot of heat in good fun of course but it has proven to be effective. We've had a great percentage of customers reorder after they received their initial 50% online savings. (halfoffhat)

Since we let go of our bricks and mortar I have seen some sparks of giving coming from unpredictable places and it makes me very happy! Of course your aunt from down south should absolutely not pay for her hat! I would be embarrased. And when the moment tells you to give a hat to someone in need who normally wouldn't need a hat- DO IT!! We've been given so many huge gifts since we opened our doors it is so important that we always remember to pay it forward. The most common question I hear "Are we making money?"

I know better than anyone the definition of a cash flow statement and how when followed it is simple to make money. I also know that life is not always about the money and eventually with hard work and faith it will come back to you when you least expect it. For now we are so thankful for our daily orders and knowing that our hat business is still growing. It is growing because you are helping us spread the word. It is you who is remembering our name when someone talks about a baby shower they are going to and it is you who is willing to spend more than $8.00 on a beach hat for your child knowing that it was made in our country, perhaps even your state and town. (South Berwick, Maine)

Recently someone was so generous and took our hats and hand delivered them to Selma Hayek and her daughter. She watched as Selma tried them on her daughter and she was gracious enough to let us know that Selma said she "loved them". We've come so far in three years and through so many challenges but I know in my heart that The Little Hat Company is not finished and has a long path in front of it. I know that we have the most amazing group of people and talent (Hanna Bulger, Good Girl Graphics) working with all of us little hatters that no matter what the outcome we have already succeeded in business. We are doing what we love, with people we love, and producing an amazing line of sun hats and winter hats in the United States of America!

So...if anyone you know is looking for a hat for any age or season please let them know about our Company and that you have a secret for them. Order your first hat online and receive 50% off when you use the online coupon code "halfoffhat". We are so thankful for all of your thoughts and help and literally say thank you for each order we receive.

I came home to this email tonight -"We say it out loud...believe that it will happen...get excited about it...and voila! I LOVE LITTLE HAT!!!

Did I mention that I'm STILL IN? "

How could I ever want to work someplace else! To my most favorite peeps thank you for sharing the same dream with me...one day it will pay off and I will be there to present the BIG HUGE OVERSIZED check to you! NO laughing or crying and absolutely no touching me!! You all deserve to have the Big World at your feet and I hope to help get it there for you.

XOXOX

There's always one in the crowd - pictures recovered from NYC

Linda just dropped off some pictures from last October and Cathie scanned them late last night. We had such a great time with Off The Wall Promotions and meeting the crew of The Today Show. It was good to unwind a bit from the everyday craziness of growing a small business into a national brand.

Linda, Jen, Sue, Deb, and Cathie (order of appearance in picture)

Okay so there is a lot more to the story and yes we are in a famous bar, Channel 4, and we laughed and laughed and laughed mostly about nothing but this is a family site and Goonies never Tell.

Our favorite New York City experience - meeting Dara Brown, anchor MSNBC.com

Usually it is the unexpected moments in life that are truly the most fun and interesting. We had just left the Today Show and were very excited that we had been able to go back stage and get a tour of the control room-We even got to meet Joe Michaels again. After shopping for the kids in their gift shop we were headed back to the hotel when someone came up from behind us and asked us where we had gotten our hats. Even though it was October the wind had already turned cold.

The woman said she loved our lids and wanted to know where she could get one. It was Dara Brown, anchor of MSNBC.com. We told her our "story" and gave her my hat. We had already given out all our extras back at the Today Show. She thanked us and said she had to catch her train. She was incredible kind and gracious. She is in the middle with the pink and brown checked lid.

New York is such an incredible city. Anything at anytime can happen if you let it and are open to good experiences.

The Little Hat Company loves the Miranda Collection!

So gone are the days of making sure the toy store is covered and all the shifts are full and hello to the craft show circuit - Thank you Cathie McCoomb. "Goonies Never Die" they just change directions. One of our favorite things about doing Craft Shows in New England is seeing our new friends from The Miranda Collection, Kristen, Jon and Kristen's sister Cheri.

Kristen creates the most fabulous jewerly and has a spirit like no other. We found ourselves setting up next to them at the Wells, Maine show and then after talking for a while realized Kristen went to school with my husband, Steve.

They fell in love with our hats and we fell in love with their jewerly! I am very lucky to have gotten her last star fish pendant which I haven't stopped wearing since I purchased it from them. Sue P fell in love with a bracelet that she still has her eye on.
http://www.themirandacollection.com
http://www.thelittlehatcompany.com

Summer Tradition Arts & Crafts Festival - Wolfeboro New Hampshire

Sue and I just got home from our first day at The Summer Tradition Arts & Crafts Festival on the campus of Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, Maine.

The campus was beautiful, right on lake Winnipesaukee. We set up the booth under the main canopee. A lot of moms bought matching Beachcomber lids with their little ones - Very Cute!! http://www.thelittlehatcompany.com/Beachcomber_p/beachcomberkids001.htm

Sewing, Sewing, Gone......

Our great friend who just happened to be the fastest stitcher in the history of The Little Hat Company has moved on to greener pastures. Amy and her family has the amazing opportunitiy to move close to family and bring their three boys up on Nantucket Island in Massachussets. Amy is one of those breaths of fresh air that you come across in life and you thank God for meeting them.

She is strong, brilliant, creative, super hilarious, and takes no merd from anyone. She poured her heart and soul into Little Hat Company to help it get off the ground and we will forever be thankful for her time and energy. I had to laugh when she facebooked me and asked if we had any beachcomber's hanging around...she wanted to promoted The Little Hat Company on Nantucket from the beach and once she and Bill got settled in with the kids.

We miss her already. Most of all it is Amy's courage to face adversity and any obstacle in life with vigor and determination to get through it. Last year when training for the Pumpkinman Triathlon in South Berwick she had a horrible spill on her bike - broken bones - the works. Amy perservered with three young boys to not let it get the best of her. She is my idol and inspiration. I will think about Amy daily and since she happens to be moving to my favorite spot on this planet I will be stopping by now and then to stay in touch with her.

I'm so excited for the Manchester family and know that there life will be filled with happiness, love, and excitement. The Little Hat Company knew Amy for her sewing, sewing, sewing and will be sad that her and her machine are gone. I will miss Amy for her relentless energy and gumption to tackle everything in life head on.

Ode to Debbie Knowlton - Seamstress/Designer Extraordinaire

There is one chapter of The Little Hat Company story that has yet to be hit upon in our original "storylog", it is the story of Debbie Knowlton and how she came to be a little hatter as Cathie McCoomb affectionately has named us all. Apparently when Sue and I had first opened the store on Lower Main street in South Berwick, Deb had her eyes on us. Little did we know.

I remember Allison coming into the store and introducing herself and showing me her beautiful key rings - which I loved and we sold out of, had to take orders....Allison also made me write down a name of someone local who loved to sew and I should meet. At that time I pretty much dismissed it because I couldn't even think of how I would make payroll to bring someone in from the outside to make hats for us. Well as Deb tells the story she stalked us with phone calls for about six months - I must have been in a zombie state of mind because I have no memory of the phone calls or the stalking as Deb refers to it.

Deb came on board under another local stitcher and the rest is history. Since then she has designed countless hats for all ages and is still sewing for us and now part owner while we rebuild and restrategize the direction of the company. We were hit pretty hard by the economy and almost lost the ship but the group of us remaining standing have refused to give up and even without pay are making it all happen again - this time on the Internet as being our main focus. We have also begun doing juried craft shows to pay down the debt and who would have thought that it would be working? NEVER give up when what you do makes you laugh, you don't get nauseau thinking about doing it, you working with people you care about, and most importantly you have a product that people are have sought out - making that extra effort to find what you produce.

Deb Knowlton is an amazing asset to the company and another piece that makes us complete. She knows what she is doing and has such a high level of respect for her craft that it makes our hats all the better. She is known for answering her door in her fuzzy pants (if she's sewing) aren't we all?

I have never had so much fun and felt as proud about what I am doing as I do now with The Little Hat Company and the amazing team working together to build an empire...an empire of hats. How ridiculous does that sound until you stop and think that LL Bean did it with a boot, Ben & Jerry's did it with a dish of ice cream, Breathe Right did it with a nasal strip (band aid for the outside of your nose, and Stonewall did it with a jar of jam. The Little Hat Company is doing it with a hat...say that three times fast and please forgive the late night blogging dialects.

Here's who we are in a nutshell - The Little Hat Company determined to build a National Brand

Little Hat...Big World Blog follows the growth of a cottage industry business run by stay at home Moms who are determined to build a national brand while creating a micro economy in their hometown. They have shipped to five continents, North Pole Alaska, met folks of the Today Show, appeared in the print version of Yankee Magazine, won awards for their website on Volusion but yet to receive onslaught of traffic...it's almost comical. Everything is in place - the people that come to the site buy hats but there are under ten visitors a day. Go Figure - they are the underdogs who refuse to give up and are determined to build a National Brand before their last children reach college. It's a hoot! Also check out their original storylog.

Good Girl Graphics and Melange Design Studio - Pepperlands in South Berwick, Maine

We had a fabulous wrap up, celebration, now let's keep moving forward meeting at our favorite place to do business in South Berwick, Maine - Pepperlands. I would say it is the town's best watering hole except that would be not doing it justice. Pepperlands has local flavor, supreme food preparation, and with a hint from Kendra amazing and unexpected food combinations.

Hanna, Megan, Sue, and I met there once again tonight to keep the web and business moving in the right direction. One of our comments or thoughts we had thinking back over the last three years was Libby's positions during the photo shoots for the company of which she is the logo. In the first group photo on Ogunquit Beach done by Donnie Kelley, Libby is the only one not cooperating. All of the kids are smiling, happy, looking into the camera lens and Libby is crawling away exiting stage right trying to get away from the photo. We all started giggling when we realized that in this years shoot with Jill Brady at New Castle Commons - three years later, Libby is the only one not looking at the camera and of course not wearing one of our popular children's sun hats. How funny! or maybe not so...

It reminds me of the Beatle Album where (weird analogy I know) the Beatles are walking across the road in different costumes some not wearing shoes and acting like its perfectly normal. Lib has almost made up her mind that she is going to act perfectly normal at all photo shoots and give you a glimpse of her inner strength to not always go with the flow and do what the group is doing. Let's hope she puts a hat on though for the next shoot.

Sue and I feel so fortunate to be working with Hanna and Megan and we have to do a huge shout out to Abby of Abby Chic florist. It was her insistance that we work with Hanna in the first place even though I was hesitant. It was one of the best things we did! Wait till you see what she is doing for our tradeshow booth. The woman is amazing!! and knows her graphics. She is also realistic in working with clients on their true life limitations but never believes you shouldn't look or act big, even if you are a "little" company. We know that we have created some of the very best baby, children, and adult sun hats and Hanna of Good Girl Graphics is going to help us every step of the way in building our national brand. EXCITING!! more exciting that it is happening in our hometown of South Berwick, Maine.

From Children's Sun Hats to now including Adult Sun Hats - The Little Hat Company was featured in Hat Life

THE LITTLE HAT COMPANY GETS THEIR HATS IN THE DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS GIFT BAG
The Little Hat Company owner Jen Houghton
The Cog Hat (above) was featured on NBC’s Today Show. It was in gift bags given to Daytime Emmy Awards nominees in NYC.
We want to honor a small hat company for their tenacity and drive to stay in the forefront of fashion. South Berwick, Maine hatter Jen Houghton, whose company is called The Little Hat Company, has been making news for getting her Cog Hat in the Daytime Emmy Awards gift bag (and on the Today Show).
The reason this was so bittersweet is that Houghton’s store was nearly forced out of business earlier this year because of a federal lead testing law for children’s hats.
The Little Hat Company made 160 "Cog" hats (short for incognito). The reason the hats were called “cog” is because their purpose is to allow celebrities to hide under their hat.
The gift bags were featured on Thursday's "Today" show on NBC, and one of the items hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb picked out was the Cog hat.
”The Little Hat Company’s dream is to become a national hat brand for children and adults. There's no better way to achieve that than by having celebrities use her product. We produce every hat in South Berwick, Maine and are proud to offer our hats at a price that everyone can afford,” said Houghton.
Houghton was going to make children's hats for the gift bags, but made adult hats instead because of a federal law requiring lead testing of all children's products. After an outcry from small business owners like Houghton, who said they couldn't afford the expensive testing costs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission delayed enforcing the law by a year.
The company’s original saying was “Put A Lid on Your Kid” because they only made hats for babies up to age three. Demand grew quickly for older sizes and adults started wearing their big kid sizes, said Houghton.
They also made fleece hats for the commissioning of The USSNH submarine in Portsmouth NH. “The commander saw the lids for kids and asked us to make adult ones for his grown children.”
Then they were hit with the CPSIA. “We were unable to afford the third party lead -phthalate testing for our children’s hats. It would cost $2000 to $3000 for each batch of hats – no economy of scale for a small start up. I am going to Capitol Hill June 2nd and 3rd to speak on behalf of small retailers and manufacturers.”
To contact The Little Hat Company:Email: friendlyperson@thelittlehatcompany.com 10 Portland Street South Berwick, Maine 03908Phone: (207) 384 - 0080

Pumpkins sprout up early at The Wells Craft Show in Wells Maine

Libby and Anna came to Wells, Maine to check out The Wells Craft Show this past Sunday.

Wells Craft Show, Wells Maine - Adult Beach Hats fly out the tent

The Little Hat Company started with the need for a beach hat for my little one and now during the past three years its been with the thought that if kids are outside for any length of time "Put a Lid on Your Kid". Then our next summer lid for kids was a bucket lid for older kids who were trying to squeeze on a hat made for a three year old. Deb created our most recent summer lid last summer, the beachcomber lid. Then the strangest thing happened. Adults were screaming for us to make them some in the same vibrant fabrics we use for the kids. Who would have thunk it? Don't know but we are running with it. Apparently not fast enough. Within the first two hours of the Wells Craft Show, our adult beachcombers sold out! Deb who is our top sticher/designer is having a HUGE and I repeat HUGE Knowlton family reunion at her house this weekend so we will go back with the promise that our Adult Beachcombers are available online - The Best Adult Beach Hat made in South Berwick, Maine We are biased and as far as I know right now we have the market cornered in South Berwick on baby, toddler, tots, little kids, big kids, and adult winter and summer hats. Did I tell you that in less than a month we have shipped to six states alone. It is all very exciting watching this little company, powered by moms and very cool women start to build up momentum. THANK YOU for all of your continued support and thank you for buying your hats online.

Our Little Logo Learns to use potty and ride a pony in the same month!

So Libby, our original logo and the reason for the season of The Little Hat Company has a way of doing things on her schedule. She walked at 18 months, she said her first sentence very late, and at 3 1/2 years she is finally using her little potty (often not always). At first I thought she might be a late developer but then my doctor said,"Jen, look at her, the light is on." She is very smart, aware, and has a will power equal to mine at age 30.

This is our week of potty training in a nutshell - undies, then loads of accidents. Undies - then Libs runs upstairs and puts her own pull up on. Undies - then Libs changes again into pullups, Undies - she pees on the potty then on the couch. Can I tell you the shape of my couch cushings after so many washings in one week?

Our moment of brilliance is inventing yet another fairy -The Pullup Fairy, who will visit this evening with a pullup for night time and a small treat if Libs used the potty chair during the day. I know what you are thinking and believe me I'm right there with you. My first two children Aaron and Anna were quick and eager to reach milestones. Libs ignores that they exists and suddenly one day on her time she instantly embraces them like a Master.

Did I tell you that at just about three years old she decided that she wasn't going to wear summer hats anymore? That is why she is so blonde. Please don't share that tidbit, but know that she still loves our kozy kaps and loope lids when it starts to get chilly out.

"We are the little hatters"

Remember when you were little and when you colored you always went in for the same crayon - if you couldn't find it at first you would search your box or tin feverishly until you cam up with it? Mine would often become a little nub very quickly and I still always wanted that crayon. I think that in this crazy, chaotic, scheme we call life there is comfort in having things and people that just seem to fit surround us.

The Little Hatters of The Little Hat Company have become my favorite crayon. Oh I'm sure some might say I need therapy but what is wrong with surrounding yourself with the perfect colors to color your life? I have never laughed so hard in my life or cried in the company of people as much as I do now. Living is messy and living is simple.

The greatest gift is that these new lessons of friendship and trust are spilling over into my family life and teaching me the importance of balance and trust.

Sue rocks the crowds at The South Berwick Strawberry Festival 2009

EJ Hersom/Staff photographer Attendees browse vendors' offerings Saturday during the Strawberry Festival in South Berwick, Maine.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090628/GJNEWS_01/706289874

If you look really closely down the right hand lane of the walkway, you'll see a bright blue tent among the other white canopies. If you squint with one eye closed you'll see a woman wearing a pink shirt with a light sage green Cog hat by The Little Hat Company. Well that is our infamous Susan Page meeting and greeting the people at The South Berwick Strawberry Festival.

We had a fabulous day! Sue, Cathie, and I set up the tent around 7:00am after staying up to 2:00am sewing, tagging, organizing, and packing for the next day. Procrastination? Maybe or lets just say that restructing the company and changing the direction of the huge ship Obama keeps talking about has kept us a little busy this summer. Anyways if we seemed a little tweaked it was most likely due to lack of sleep from the past few weeks.

Every adult lid Sue put on to promote our new lines of Adult hats was literally sold off her head. We have now deamed her our best and most valuable hat stand in the company. Cathie took post at check out table, she was the most efficient at cashing out and making sure we collected emails for our online newsletter. Sue and I helped keep the hats separated by sizes and helped fit little and large noggins with the proper sizes. We loved seeing old friends and making new friends in the tent. I can't wait to see pictures of everyone wearing their new lids. There was a run on Beachcomber Lids for babies, toddlers, tots, little kids, big kids and adults. We almost sold out with just a few remaining at the end of the day.

A special thank you to Mr. Morrison for purchasing us a strawberry shortcake and for the South Berwick Fire Department for grilling up the very best burgers and franks. Delicious!! What a great festival we are already looking forward to next year!

ONE More Thing!!

When starting a business, do something you love and the very best people will be attracted to what you are creating. I don't know how it works, I count my lucky stars everyday for the amazing people that are involved in LHC and also for our far reaching customers.

Listen to the advice that seems the most cornyish... it works. The principles apply to all business. There always has to be value on both side, create something you can commit to and are willing to stand behind, do something you love, be willing to say yes 99.9% of the time but know when to say no, trust your gut, it's nobody's business but yours, remember to dot your i's and cross your t's, social marketing takes a lot of time but it does pay off, someone had to create the very first ripple, never let them get you down, go to the throne not the phone, failure doesn't exist, it's only a frame of mind, sewing is not for sissy's - just ask Deb and Cathie about toggles and cording one day.

People ask me for advice on starting their businesses all the time. Really it comes down to a few things. You get out of it what you put into it, you know your business more than anyone else, and goonies never say die. Just ask me.

If you can't work with your friends then why work?

Have you ever noticed that when you get a group of friends together and you take on a task it never ends up seeming like work?

When I started Little Hat it was me. Very lonely at first and then my sister and mom would jump in and help when I got large orders or needed to have the kids somewhere. Then there came Sue and shortly after Barb. I really didn't know either of them from a hole in the wall other than they had girls in Anna's class with Mrs. Sullivan. (love her) Then came lots of people in and out of Little Hat I am very thankful for all they contributed to the company. Then Somehow Kim, Deb, and Cathie came in all at once followed by Woz and Amy. They became our main stitching team well with the exception of Woz, but now Woz cuts and does just about everything when needed. She is the hole filler for Little Hat. Then some more special people that we loved and had a great time with and then when we weren't hiring someone for the store (sales were starting to dry up) in walks Emma.

All of this to say that these people have pretty much changed my life forever for the better and I honestly can't imagine my life without them. I would give up Little Hat in a second before I gave up any of my new hatter friendships. We laugh together till we pee our pants, we cry together when one of us is hurt, and we laugh at each other when someone needs a reality check -"it's usually me". We dig down deep together when we hit rough patches with the business and believe me there have been some doozies and then we clink our glasses and toast the good times, usually at Deb's house. Frank is by far the best wine steward in South Berwick. Everyone toasts except Emma of course.

Tonight when I need a gut check I picked up the phone and called two little hatters, when I received some great news about the business I picked up the phone and called little hatters. I know I might be exaggerating what these girls mean to me but I have to tell you that I came to Little Hat from a place of being a "loner". I'm not usually a joiner and don't often like large groups. I used to feel vulnerable around women who knew to much about me...now I feel blessed. So my advice to you is find the people you can laugh, cry, and be yourself with and then either start a business with these peeps or make sure you apply where they are working.

You can't even imagine how productive you can be when you are around people you like and especially when they like you back. Life is too short not to dream big and dream things that work for your favor. You don't have to exist in an office where you just don't click, no matter how much money you make. I was there and it was nauseating. If it hadn't been though I never would have been motivated to start my own business.

Life is funny when you stop thinking about it and live it. Thank you for reading my thoughts and thank you for buying hats from The Little Hatters. And one special note to a dear friend I stopped by and saw today...you know you were truly meant to be friends when you can reconnect in an instance. I LOVE your hair by the way and I'm so very proud of how you are growing your business and creating your very own legacy for your children. Namaste my friend!!

He who must not be named -

I finally turned my sewing machine off - I know Cathie is still sewing, just received an email from her. Steve (in picture) put the dinner dishes in the washer and put the girls to bed. I have a crick in my neck from talking on the phone with Sue about who she could forward our most recent newsletter to without it being inappropriate...I said if you have said hi to them on the street send it. I'm not sure she appreciated my dedication to making sure everyone in the world knows about the Little Hat Company.

We received another online order tonight, shipping to Berwick, Maine. I love Berwick. That's two hats going to Berwick just today. Believe it or not it is another adult Beachcomber lid. Wow!! We'll have to change the name of the company soon. Anyways, we are all exhausted from getting ready for Strawberry Festival, making hats for a last minute photo shoot that Hanna has asked for images to be incorporated into the new site and I just about to go watch some t.v. and I found an email that was tucked away into a special folder in my outlook. It is from he who must not be named. I wanted to share it because it is these little pieces of inspirations that we receive every now and then that keep us inspired and in belief that we are creating a national brand right here in South Berwick, Maine.

This email was from a friends husband. WOW again she is a lucky ducky!

"I can actually say I have a tear in my eye! This is great news and I must say your tireless energy and entrepreneurial spirit is going to make big things happen. It is just amazing the things that have happened over the last year and I really hope we now get killed with orders. Congratulations!"

Just keep believing, Just keep moving in the direction of your goal, and just keep hanging around people you want your kids to be like when they grow up and nothing can go wrong in the long run.

What happens when a group of eight wears the same hat?

"Hey, Where'd you get that hat?" - we heard this question over and over as the eight team members proudly wore our Cog hats all over Washington D.C. for the Avon walf for Breast Cancer this past May. We walked with 4 new members this year and next year we plan to walk in NYC. I have to say that wearing the same hat had its positives- it kept the rain off our face, it made it easy to find others when you lagged behind or got ahead while talking, it created a great shield when you didn't feel like talking anymore, and it was a great conversation starter when you met someone new.

There are three little hatters in the picture but there is a lifelong group of friends gathered in front of the monument. On a side note my Dad carried a woman up the stairs of the monumnet more than sixty years ago on a bet from some of his Navy Friends. My Dad has been gone for a very long time but it is cool to think that he would be very proud of what The Little Hat Company has become and maybe just maybe a little proud of his daughter and team Laffalots!

Leaving Your Comfort Zone Behind...Forgetting it even exists.

What happens when five Little Hats cross numerous state lines and end up in NYC? They dress up as scarecrows, meet an MSNBC Anchor on the street, are introducted to the anchors of The Today Show, cry, laugh a lot, cry some more, ask to be in Martha Stewart's TV audience, fall asleep in the audience after being frozen to the bone, have a drink in the Russian Tea Room, stand on a roof top overlooking the skyline with some new friends, go shopping in Target (Sue & Linda) have their picture taken on the street by a woman with a huge lens, be on national tv more than once, meet the Director of The Today Show and the amazing crew behind the scenes - Brian, decide that while they love the experience of being in NYC for Halloween they love returning home to South Berwick, Maine even more. Our little hat company has taken us on many journeys outside of our comfort zone and we've decided that sometimes you have to just push forward and forget about your comfort zone, well at least for a weekend.

The Story of Little Hat can't be told without the History of Hanna.

Good Girl Graphics, South Berwick Maine - I still remember exactly where I was when I first found out about this local company and having to meet Hanna. Abby said that her designs were amazing and that she wanted to meet me. My first thought was that I wouldn't be able to afford a professional designer in our second year of being in business.

If I've learned anything in the past three years is that don't try to figure out and spend all your time on the how's...it's most important to know "what" exactly it is that you want and also why do you want something. Is it for a good reason. Is it going to improve the value of yours and others lives?

Hanna understood what I was trying to create from the very beginning. She listened to our thoughts and ideas and our feelings. She spent time on getting to know our company and how we felt about it before she began sharing her ideas and what she could do with our logo, catalogs, business cards, web presence, ads, hang tags, stickers, and gift certificates. She even worked with me on our first html coupon for Main Street, South Berwick.

Building a brand for a new company or revamping an old one is so important. Think of first impressions and what they mean when meeting someone for the first time. It really comes down to trust. When you are shopping on the internet for an uncommon item you know in an instant if you are going to trust a new website with your credit card. Hanna understands this better than any graphics person I have ever worked with in business. No matter your size, Hanna knows the importance of putting your best foot forward and conveying a clear message to prospective customers about your product.

Hanna is a professional. She will make sure that every detail is perfect before going to press. She is a detail person and I'm not. This is why I am so thankful for everything she does for The Little Hat Company.

Give Hanna a call!

Hanna Bulger

Good Girl Graphics

207-384-2545 Phone

207-384-4145 Fax

94 Old Fields Road

South Berwick, ME 03908

I've spent most of my life looking at the big picture...I've forgotten to take advantage of the closeups

Ever since I was a child I would look at the world with a wide angle lens. That included myself, my family, my town, and my world. Some where along the way I forgot or never learned how to check out the amazing close ups that life has to offer. Sue and Cathie found this picture of the Youth Crew from the Houston Avon Walk for breast cancer.

When Sue first started talking about how she wanted the Youth Crew to wear our hats this year I began spinning the picture of hundreds of kids wearing our hats across the country and how Avon would be greatful for the donation and perhaps it would be a huge stepping stone for our Company. What I failed to see until I was sitting in the hot tub with my three year old was the close up shot. Libby had both arms wrapped around my neck. She was as close as possible to my face with me still being able to open my eyes. I started looking at her eyes and the beads that she had put in her hair and started thinking how beautiful they were on their very own. The colors of her beads were magnificent and glistened from the reflection from the water. Her eyes looked so deep and lovely it touched me in a way that has never before. Usually when I look at my children I see their lives as a whole, what they are doing in school, how they are doing in activities, and what they are going to eat for dinner. I never stop and take a long look at the closeups until now.

I opened this picture and saw the one wearing our bucket lid. Then I thought about the one 's experiences admist thousands of others in Houston. I thought about the one lid being a part of that intimate circle of joy and celebration as they knew they had all been part of something huge. Then I thought of the one little town where the hat was made by one person who had sewn on the one black and white label that read The Little Hat Company South Berwick Maine. WOW! It's always been cool to view life as a big picture with a wide camera lens, now I know how deep that picture is and the zillions of pixels that are waiting for just a second of your time. It's good to stop in the thick of things, take a deep breath, and spend a moment with lifes greatest closeups.

Being in business is a state of mind

We all have our ideas of what being in business is going to look like and what determines whether or not we are successful. In the beginning there was a basket of hats, literally. This basket represented my proud achievement of bringing something to life from an idea. It was one of the strongest feelings I've ever had in my life. I can remember being little not even ten years old thinking I just needed something to sell. Now as I'm typing this it sounds sort of contrived. Honestly I can picture myself in my freshly painted lilac room in Spofford looking around for something to spark and being able to make something that everyone wanted. My dad had his own plumbing business when I was really young and I had thought that the world needed a bubble shower. No one took me serious and I must have not either because I let the idea drop.

Sue and I would often talk about our expectations for the business when we were working out of my dining room and our cars. We would make plans on the phone in between getting our kids things they needed or breaking up a tiff. Barb has always been the biggest dreamer and will always be a part of hitting the home runs for the company. I can remember sitting at my machine till 2 or 3 in the morning thinking that soon we would have enough sales that I would be able to have someone else make the hats. That came soon enough and before long we had a team of stitchers and some dedicated people figuring out the anxieties of manufacturing domestically, in South Berwick. I will be forever thankful to them and one day soon will show them how much they did for the company and its growth in the beginning. Then there came Deb, Cathie, and Kim F. They came all at once although Deb had said she had been stalking me for almost a year wanting and knowing she would be a part of The Little Hat Company. Well Deb along with the others have become a major piece of the company and the reason it is going to become a multi-million dollar company in the next couple of years. As the company grows and reaches out across the globe through direct sales it will always have its home base in South Berwick. There will be changes but it will always be a place to come and be a kid and not worry about breaking something or saying the wrong thing. It will be a place to come and play and talk about stuff - good stuff.

I'm looking forward to the day that we will purchase another building for manufacturing in town. It will be an existing building close to home that we will renovate and create an atmosphere where people like to come to work and are able to bring their children to the daycare facilities. My favorite vision comes from something Sue said, " just imagine us all sitting around in the office getting stuff done. Jen will be on the phone and we will be laughing and creating mischief" I love that work is going to be fun for us all. I love being on the phone and Sue loves creating mischief to make people laugh and feel good. Business is a state of mind. It is your attitudes and perceptions that formulate the recipe for how its formed and how its built custom to your likes and desires. Make it exactly how you want it - commit - and then experience it being exactly how you pictured it in your mind.

It's easier to give up than to continue to push through.

If my Mom knew that I was using her picture she would be very frustrated with me. My mom is one of the most humble, secure, faithful, strong, intelligent individuals I have ever met. We are coming up on our third year in business this June. From the outside it may look as though it's been a walk in the park. A lot of great press, a busy little store, and a killer website that has literally shipped our hats all over the world.

I am the first to say we have had an unbelievable journey with amazing stops along the way and it is far from over. What I want to tell you about are that just like every other businesses we have experienced some road bumps that have caused us to doubt, reconsider, reorganize, rethink, restructure, and finally reaffirm that we are in this for the long haul. Sue has been the backbone of the company in the perspective that she has the most undying faith that we will succeed. Brian has recently come into the realm of Little Hat in one of those unexpected ways. He asked us if his group in Business School could do a case study on Little Hat and create our business plan. He has been asking for hard numbers, facts, and strategies. That's not how I usually role. I am a dreamer, eternal optimist, believer in everything being possible, and incredibly emotional.

Yielding to Brian's questions has made me take a second look at some of the major roads bumps we've encountered. They all brought doubt and uncertainty but as we maneuvered our way through and over them they brought experience and a stronger sense of determination to make Little Hat prosper and do what it is meant to do for us and our community. One of the first people I always go to when the doubt starts to consume me is my mom. I'm sure there are many to come but when we get to the next one my mom's words will be the same, "It's easier to give up Jen then it is to push through - Don't stop moving forward till you absolutely are forced to stop". It always comes down to being your choice to decide to stop of not. Decide what matters to you, create your own picture of your future, own how you are going to better yourself and your community, and then push through. I promise you it won't be easy but the feeling of accomplishment and gratitude on the other side are well worth it. I know you can do it.

When did we become a toy store?

Sometimes your best intentions never turn out to be what you thought they might. Our intent on renting a storefront was really to move production "hat central"out of my dining room and into another space. Somehow our little hat store quickly became filled with toys. None of us had merchandising or retail experience but we didn't worry about the details so much. We were excited and wanted our little store to be that best that it could. One thing I learned from a mentor early on in my career was to "always own who you are, when you are, where you are". It's not to say that you shouldn't dream of bigger things because you most definitely should but live in the moment and be who you are, when you are, where you are. If you can't afford mahogany shelves for displays -it's okay do the very best with what you have at the moment and treasure it. Believe me your willingness to be grateful for what you have in the moment will go a long ways towards attracting the future you are dreaming of and holding onto for your goals. I was listening to someone talk about the importance of "doing". It's good to dream but some point you have to start doing. May I suggest baby steps in the beginning? And honestly some days I wake up and have no idea what I am doing but I put my heart in the right direction and start working towards something, whether it is crossing an item of my to do list or reaching out to a colleague I haven't spoken with in years.

I guess the most important thing is when you set a goal don't become too attached to it. Work towards it but if you gutt leads you in a slightly different direction follow it! And one day you might wake up wondering when did we become a toy store?

First attempts are often not your final product.

You can almost read it in Libby's eyes as she tries on one of our very first stabs at our "Loope Lid". Just like the Stroller Lid the loope lid came out of necessity from the urgence of my good, one of my most gracious friends, Diana. I love that with all my heart. She also by fate became my friend just about the time Little Hat was starting. She volunteered on her day off to be my private birthing nurse. What more could a very large pregnant woman ask for?
It was the first winter season for Little Hat and Dianna, mom of four, needed winter lids. She kept calling and I kept putting her off for shear exhaustion. Finally at her demands I grabbed a dinner plate out of my kitchen cupboard and created the curve for the very first loope lid. I went ribbon crazy and placed a loop at the top for mom's to insert their finger and be able to pull the lid off their babies heads when their hands were full. (From my single mom days) The original loope lids weren't always cut on the bias and had ribbon sewn around their brims so they didn't have the most amount of stretch but don't you worry in a year or so Deb Knowlton will have come into the picture and taken care of most of the design issues with the lids. I can't wait to get to that part of the story. In the beginning, know that these are your first attempts and they won't always be perfect nor will they be your final product. Just make sure that you are doing something that you will be able to stand behind and almost like a parent nurture it in all the right places so that one day it will be able to flourish without you.

It's all in the details.

I found some velvet fabric with gold brocade during the holidays and decided to make some stroller lids out of it for holiday hats. I put them in our store the same weekend as the Women's Holiday Art Sale. A nice woman from Wells ordered two and she picked them up that weekend. She called and apologized for being picky but she could see some stitches at the base of the cap that weren't sewn in when the hat was lined. I apologized profusely and said I would deliver two new ones to her home in Wells. When I got there Monday with two new hats she stretched the cap and again could see a part of the stitch from the lining. I was screaming inside but knew that I had to make this right. She handed back the two new hats to me and I told her I would deliver again the next day. I did and I had stretched them as hard as I could to make sure she wouldn't see anything. When I delivered the third set of hats to her she said thank you. I told her to keep the other two because to the normal eye they were two beautiful hats she could donate to her church. She asked me for my autograph. I was stunned and left feeling bewildered. I really didn't understand what had just happened. It was a true lesson for me to remember as the business grows, success will always be in the details. I am human and make a ton of mistakes and often let people down, I'm sure of that. The only thing that I can do is to keep trying to move forward and to learn from my mistakes so I don't repeat them in the future.

Don't ever doubt for even one minute -

I think it was sleep deprivation in the early days that kept the doubt away. Libby was a baby, Anna was in Kindergarten, and Aaron barely in Junior High School. People I have never met in my life before were calling and stopping in to say they had read about the business and they wanted to be a part of it. I was open to anything and everything. I guess looking back a filter of some sorts is always needed but with that said - life happens and then you adjust. I have learned the most about myself as a person from being a part of The Little Hat Company and meeting so many new people. It has forced me to come out of my shell and decide who I want to be when I grow up. It hasn't always included my most graceful times but I'm learning.

My most favorite memories come from our first Christmas Season down on lower Main Street. My very dear friend Joyce was another who volunteered to help out however she could. Her husband came in about a week before our town parade and asked if we had a float. That was all it took. The Lebel Family single handedly put together the most beautiful magical float in one weeks time. Joyce, Ginny, and I made 26 matching hat and scarf sets for kids who wanted to be a part of the float. Joyce said the morning of the parade kids that she didn't even know where being dropped off at her house. A year later I was chaperoning for one of Aaron's class trips at Sturbridge and a girl came up to me at the bathroom and said she had been apart of the float for Little Hat. I had a moment. Pure Goosebumps.

Our little store was hopping for our first season and the day of the parade I remember looking over at Sue when the float went by and the Gagnon Family had made up flyers about the store and were passing them out to the crowds, and smiling with tears in my eyes. I knew at that moment that The Little Hat Company wasn't about me, Sue, Barb, or any one of us. It was going to be much bigger than I could ever even imagine and I promised myself that cold holiday evening that I would never doubt myself even for one minute.

Nothing is ever black and white

My dining room quickly became production for the making of the hats. I had piles of fabric, spools of grosgrain ribbon, and finished hats spread around the entire room. My sewing machine found its permanent home on the table and it wasn't very long before it stopped being put away every night. The cutting was the hardest for me. It just seemed so monotonous. I can remember thinking a lot "what am I doing?" My good friend who bought the first few hats took me to the next level of wholesale. She asked Jody at G'Willikers if I could show her the hats. Diana had offered me a spot for a local fair on one of their families properties so I was building up stock and had 18 hats. WOW!! G'Willikers took them all.

The word starting getting out that there was a woman in South Berwick making children hats. The local weekly did a feature article and called us South Berwick's very own "Baby Boom". I know had people stopping by my house to buy a hat. They were friends of a friend. I'm such a rule follower and knew that I needed a commercial space. I had no money other than what was created from hat sales but for some odd reason it didn't seem to be a limitation for me. Libby and I went to pick up Anna at school and we ran into Tim. I had met him at the baseball fields, our sons were on the same team. I knew that he had commercial property in town. I told him I needed a space and I didn't have any money. To my absolute shock he said he had some storefronts and we should go see them later that day.

I can remember calling Sue and saying, "Hey what do you think about owning a store?" I don't remember how she responded. When I showed her the space I think she almost fell over. It was loaded with trash "literally" heavy equipment that we would have to find a home for, more trash, and things that don't even have a name. It smelled too. It was going to be a lot of work to get it to the point that we could use it as a store. It was only cosmetic - cleaning and painting.

Barb had called us around that time after reading the article in the weekly papers. She was in love the idea and wanted to be a part of the business any way that she could. So there were the first three of us starting off on an adventure and we barely knew one another. We spent many a night and day hauling out trash and scrubbing and painting all based on the feeling that something big was taking place. Barb was all about the hats being on Oprah one day. Sue just believed. I had an overwhelming amount of energy and just kept pushing forward.

So how did we come up with the rent, the deposit? We didn't. I told Tim we would clean out the space and bring it back to life, it had been empty for three years in exchange for a deposit and rent until after we had opened. The first months rent would have to come from our sales. We opened on November 17th, 2006 down on lower Main Street. Friends and family came out of the woodwork and would just show up to help paint, clean and assemble bookcases and toys. It was one of the most amazing times in my life. Nothing is ever black and white, there is always more than one way to accomplish a task and the less obvious paths usually are the most fun. It involved a lot of hard work and one very scary near miss where if the bakers oven had fallen one inch closer I would have been in serious pain. Sue is still holding her breath till this day. Ask her about that one...Some how in that very scary moment we found a way to laugh once we knew we weren't hurt. Actually Sue thought I was dead. We did wake up the neighbors - that probably felt worse than anything, she wasn't very nice.

If there is something that is tugging at you, a feeling that you need to do something out of the realm of your ordinary life take baby steps forward and never stop thinking for a moment that it won't happen.

Things happen suddenly and without limits.

I remember making the very first hat (s). Out of frustration I had given up shopping at the outlets and gone to the local fabric store with baby Libby. She was only three months old. I had no idea that this one decision of making her hat would change my life forever. Someone once told me that change happens suddenly and without any limits. Looking back over the past three years I get it now. When I was sitting at my machine it felt like I was supposed to be making this hat. The weird part is it didn't feel as much like it was just for Libby. I ended up buying enough fabrics to make a few hats. I don't like to shop so when I do I usually buy more. There were two things that happened next that cemented the beginning of The Little Hat Company. I had something inside of me that wanted to share these new creations. I didn't feel vulnerable about my creations like I usually do, I felt proud and wanted to start telling people about them. I still had no thought of starting another business at this time.

I made up as many hats as I could with the fabric I had purchased. I put them in a bag and brought them with me when I dropped Anna off at a Maine Stars practice. I was hoping to catch my friend Bobbi. By chance, she was in the parking lot when I pulled in and I asked her to come over to my car. Her eyes lit up when I showed her and she told me that she loved them. She asked if she could buy a few for some baby gifts. The following weekend our family had been invited to a birthday party at the Page Home. Anna had become friends with Katherine and I had spoken with Sue a few times at pick up and at dance but we barely knew anything about each other. If I only knew....just kidding Sue. Believe it or not I am a shy person. It's hard for me to go to parties where I barely know people. I think I told her that I wasn't feeling well and I ended up giving baby Harrison and Sydney one of my hat creations as a gift. Sue came up to me in the parking lot at school the following Monday and told me that they loved the hats and her Mom thought that I should sell them.

And there you have it. One simple action can put you on a course that will change your life forever.

Chapter 1 - Little Hat Storylog

It always takes more than one person to accomplish anything great. There is usually a front person who everyone identifies with an act or accomplishment but I am here to tell you the story of the many many individuals who have gathered by chance or fate to create little hats. I will admit that I was the first person in, the first one to sew a hat, the first person to create a name for the company, and the first person to believe in little hats but I am not the only person. We will be celebrating our third year in business and I still have to stop and pinch myself every time something extraordinary happens.