A ShowHorse.Co Exclusive | written by MIA MENDOLA
It started with a little white lie, but all for a good cause. 15-year-old Barbara claimed she was 16 to apply for a job at a western store. The store was opening in the mall, and like any other cowgirl, Barbara was looking for money to keep up with high school rodeo. There, Barbara met David, a hat shaper who inspired her with his craft. The rest was history.
Becoming a “hat Barista,” Barbara took hats, cleaned them, and then handed them off to David. She watched him shape the hats, learning from his technique. One night, David left work early, giving Barbara the duty of shaping hats for the first time.
She continued on with her skill, working booths at trade shows, rodeos and livestock events to gain experience. She paid her way through college, shaping hats and eventually worked for various western outlets after college.
Her talent grew as a hat shaper and a businesswoman. This led to an opportunity in 2006 when competing at a western pleasure show on the west coast.
Barbara’s trainer mentioned Animals R Us was for sale. They traveled with their trailer to different horse shows, set it up, and sold any grooming, bathing or riding equipment you could need at a horse show. She saw Barbara’s potential as a businesswoman and the need for a hat shaper at the western pleasure shows. Barbara took a leap of faith and purchased Animals R Us. In addition to the selling show supplies, Barbara added hat shaping to the mix.
From here, it was a long road to become Barbara’s Custom Hats. She put in years of work, traveling to shows, 
transforming poorly shaped hats. Her big break came 3 years ago at the Pinto World.
After expressing interest in attending the Pinto World to Dale Chavez, Barbara was given the chance to be the hat sponsor for the show. “They gave me the opportunity. Nobody knew me back there. ”
That chance turned Barbara’s Custom Hats from a west coast nobody to a nationally known somebody.
“The line I had was out the door and around the corner.” Her success at that show gave Barbara the reassurance that this is where she belonged.
Since then, Barbara ‘s Custom Hats has become known all over the country. What has kept business growing is her loyalty to her customers and strong relationships based on trust.
“People like to shop with people that they like to do business with. If people feel like they are being taken care of, they will come to you. They know I will take care of them. I will jump through hoops to try and make it right. If I can’t fix the problem, I do whatever I can. I make sure that if we buy a hat, it is a quality hat and I am going to sell you the right hat.”
The relationship Barbara fosters with her customers comes with great customer reviews. Clients come to her in times of crisis and Barbara never lets them down.
Barbara received a call from a concerned country music singer. A dog had chewed on his lucky hat and needed it for an upcoming concert. He had heard Barbara could help, so he reached out to her. Barbara immediately met up with him and fixed the hat. In the middle of the concert, he said, “Hey y’all if any of you need a hat done you need to go see Mrs. Barbara.” This shows Barbara’s loyalty to her customers has built a strong brand name.
So what makes her hats different? Barbara looks at each customer individually and creates a hat right for them, their trainer and the show pen.
“Every trainer has a particular shape. What makes me different is that I take whatever is in style and custom fit it to the customer, the shape of their face and who their trainer is. Trainers know they can send their customers to me and when they leave my store they are going to look the part.”
It has been a long road to success, and Barbara knows her customers have gotten her to where she is today.
“People who have supported me from the beginning are the ones that support me now. I owe it all to the loyalty of my west coast customers, and Bryan Keith who has helped me on the road.”
Visit www.barbarascustomhats.com to view Barbara’s show schedule!
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