We had the good fortune of connecting with Lil Grizz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lil, what do you attribute your success to?
I would have to say that this is a multi-faceted answer.

First and foremost, Lil Grizz himself is such an engaging personality. He had built up a huge network of customers and potential customers with a history of 40+ years crisscrossing the country selling hats at living history events. These same potential customers were just becoming comfortable with social media and online shopping at the time that we took our business online and Lil Grizz came “off the road”.

Secondly we made the decision early on to hold to traditional, non-mechanized techniques in our business to create a uniquely traditional niche item.

Finally we made a point to present ourselves untouched in live videos and YouTube videos to give the viewer the sense of being right there in our shop with us.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Every hat from HatsByGrizz is custom fit for the specific customer. Generic hat sizes vary by 3/8″, however, we build to the 1/8″. Each HatsByGrizz hat is also hand blocked from the felt cone. This means that it gets hands on, individual attention from a stage earlier than most. Most hat makers start with a pre-blocked capeline. This means that the felt has been given a starting shape on a machine at the felting factory. We prefer when possible to start at the earlier un-blocked cone stage so we have total control of outcome. Finally, each HatsByGrizz hat is hand shaped both on the crown and brim according to the customer’s wishes. While our hats may not be as pristine and carbon-copy as off the shelf hats, we have a much broader range of skill and finished options. We offer over 150 styles in our online shop and can also copy old family photos or hats of a favorite movie character.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in a very rural setting not a city. However there are beautiful formations to visit in Northwestern Kansas such as Monument Rock and Castle Gardens. There are local winerys such as Wahlmeier Family Vineyard in Jenning, Ks, and Shiloh Vineyard & Winery in WaKeeney, Ks. There is a exceptional restaurant in the small town of Hoxie known as the Elephant Bar & Bistro. There is also the local 110 Bar and Grill in Norton, Ks, which is the home of “beer, buddies, & burgers.” There are local families who have been farming the area for generations as well as entrepreneurs such as the Otter Manufacturers who developed a process to build a bulldozer blade which can be attached to a farmer’s tractor. There are amazing places and people here in Northwestern Kansas…. they just have a lot of distance between them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our shoutout goes without question to our hat family… our customers!!! When someone buys a hat from HatsByGrizz, they become a part of our Legendary Lil Grizz Hat Family! We actually do consider each and every one a family member. We encourage each one to stay in contact with us. We celebrate their successes and pray with them through times of crisis.

Each hat is custom made for a specific customer. We often make them videos of the process along the way. Many come back for other hats after their first. We often later make hats for weddings of children and then for young grandchildren of our hat family members. We love seeing multiple generations of a family wearing their HatsByGrizz hats!

These same people then promote our hats in a manner that we could never pay for! We in turn also advertise their small business at various times over the year as well.

Thus, you can see that our Legendary Lil Grizz Hat Family is truly the secret strength of our brand.

Website: Etsy.com/shop/HatsByGrizz

Instagram: Instagram.com/hatsbygrizz

Facebook: Facebook.com/HatsByGrizzMadeWithJoy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuLJCgRSHbUMqTdQcuycfFw

Other: Facebook.com/legendaryhatfamily Pinterest.com/hatsbygrizzllc

Image Credits
Mizz Grizz (Joy Morris)

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