Sophia Steglich, owner of Buffalo Brims in Thayne, stepped into the SVI Radio studio to discuss the details of her hat business, which has been named the August Business of the Month by the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Follow Buffalo Brims on social media at the below links.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buffalobrimswy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569554634125

(0:00) Into this hour’s guest interview segment (0:02) and our monthly Star Valley Chamber of Commerce discussion, (0:06) and that means our Business of the Month. (0:09) And joining me live in studio, Sophia Steglitz. (0:11) Today, Sophia owns Buffalo Brims, located in Thane, (0:14) and they’re being recognized (0:15) as the Business of the Month for August (0:17) by the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce.

(0:19) Sophia, good morning, how are you today? (0:21) Hi, thank you for having me. (0:22) Absolutely. You’re doing good.

(0:23) Absolutely, well, appreciate you stepping in studio. (0:26) Congrats on being the Business of the Month. (0:28) I think the reason the Star Valley Chamber (0:30) wanted to recognize you is because what you do (0:33) is so unique, and at the same time, (0:38) it takes a little less skill, (0:41) and I just love what you have going on.

(0:44) So tell us about Buffalo Brims. (0:47) What do you guys do? (0:48) All right, so we do kind of a lot. (0:51) Everything from top to bottom.

(0:53) So we do a lot of cleaning, reshaping, (0:55) and refurbishing of hats. (0:58) So we do a lot of that. (1:00) That’s kind of our mainstream.

(1:02) But we have slowly gotten into the custom. (1:05) So now I’m able to make custom hats (1:08) fully to your head from top to bottom. (1:12) Not just getting a hat and shaping it, (1:14) but getting a blank and stretching, pouncing, (1:18) sizing, making custom brim plates, (1:21) and doing it all, hand sewing.

(1:23) So it’s been fun. (1:24) That’s incredible. (1:24) So how did you get into this? (1:26) How did it all start? (1:28) Well, I am a horse girl at heart.

(1:31) I’ve been showing and riding horses for a long time, (1:34) so we’ve always had to have nice, clean hats, you know? (1:37) And so I would always travel to get mine cleaned, (1:41) and then by the time I got home, (1:43) they’d be stuck in their box, steamy, (1:46) and they’d come out wavy. (1:48) So I’d have to kind of learn YouTube (1:52) and mess with mine at home for show day. (1:55) And then I was lucky enough to work with Marilyn Hartman, (1:59) who her and her husband started Jackson Hole Hat Company (2:01) way back in the day.

(2:04) And then I actually went and took a private down south (2:08) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, (2:09) with a gal who has a company, Gray Collective. (2:13) And that is where I went down and learned (2:15) how to make custom hats from start to finish. (2:18) Wow, so it was just a personal need, right? (2:21) It was a personal need, and I feel like, (2:24) yeah, you have Jackson, (2:26) you have a few stores in Idaho Falls, you know? (2:29) But we need it here.

(2:31) Yeah, absolutely. (2:32) So how long have you been open for business? (2:35) Not very long, you know? (2:36) But it’s been thriving, been doing great. (2:39) I’ve only been, my door’s only been open (2:40) about a year and a half.

(2:41) I’ll hit two years in November. (2:44) Okay, so at what point did it go from (2:48) I need to get my own hats taken care of (2:50) to I really think I can turn this into a business? (2:53) That walk us through kind of that transfer process. (2:54) All right, a little crazy.

(2:56) I actually ended up with my space first. (2:59) This was a plan for maybe later in life, you know, (3:02) when I had everything else put together, you know? (3:06) But here we are, and I’m so thankful. (3:08) I’m so thankful that I don’t have to work (3:10) a regular nine to five.

(3:11) I’m only 23, so I’m pretty thankful (3:13) I get to live the dream now. (3:15) That’s awesome. (3:16) But so I ended up with the space, (3:17) and then just kind of started working (3:19) and pushing and networking, like I said, with others.

(3:22) I actually found that gal in Albuquerque (3:25) through social media. (3:27) So, and then just networking ever since. (3:30) And so it’s been amazing.

(3:32) Doing a few hat bars, a little bit, (3:35) and so that’s been fun. (3:36) Okay, awesome. (3:37) Speaking with Sophia Steglitz this morning, (3:39) owner of Buffalo Brims located in Thames.

(3:41) So tell us how people find you. (3:43) Where are you at and where are you located? (3:45) So I am a landmark person. (3:48) I am right across the highway from the post office (3:51) in Thame, 391 North Main.

(3:54) Perfect. (3:55) And do you have an online presence, (3:57) social media, obviously, right? (3:58) I do not have like an online landing page, (4:00) but I do have a social media. (4:03) I have an Instagram and Facebook at Buffalo Brims Y (4:07) is where you can find me.

(4:08) Perfect. (4:09) So you mentioned this all kind of started (4:11) from horse showmanship, right? (4:12) It was something that you were into, (4:13) something you were doing. (4:14) What about just the average person out there (4:17) that maybe isn’t into showing? (4:20) Tell us what products and things that you can do (4:23) just for the average person (4:25) that just wears normal cowboy hats, right? (4:27) Right, right.

(4:27) Anybody can wear a hat, right? (4:29) It doesn’t have to be full cowboy. (4:31) It can be dress. (4:32) It can be a nice going out hat.

(4:36) It can be a flat brim hat. (4:38) There’s all sorts of things. (4:39) And it’s all based on what you want, you know? (4:42) And luckily, I have many materials that I can work with (4:47) to make that happen, (4:49) whether it’s a real stiff hat (4:51) or maybe it’s not so stiff (4:53) and it’s a little bit more of a dress hat.

(4:56) Okay, very cool. (4:56) So really you cater it to whatever the needs are (4:59) of the person that’s in the store, right? (5:01) Totally, totally. (5:02) I try to do my best for sure.

(5:04) And what do you have in stock? (5:06) I mean, if someone comes into your store, (5:08) what do they see when they walk in? (5:09) Right, so I do have a few hats that I have made (5:12) that I do have on my floor. (5:14) I do have a little boutique side of things (5:16) that I have given local artisans a place (5:18) to display their work (5:21) because not all of us get the opportunity, you know? (5:23) So I’m happy to have that (5:25) as well as a few like secondhand hats per se, (5:31) hats that I’ve gotten in, (5:32) that I’ve cleaned up and refurbished (5:35) and they are now on my floor as well. (5:37) But as far as making hats, (5:40) as of right now, I’ve been ordering my blanks (5:41) as people come in.

(5:43) So that does take a little bit of time. (5:46) Most everyone’s been patient with me, which is amazing. (5:51) And then as of right now for like summertime, (5:54) I do have a palm hat line called Sun Body Hats (5:58) and they’re amazing.

(5:59) Very cool. (5:59) So all kinds of different products, (6:01) variations, styles, varieties. (6:03) Sophia, where do you see this going in the next? (6:05) I mean, you mentioned it’s only been a year and a half.

(6:08) So it’s kind of been, (6:08) you’re in that whirlwind stage right now still, right? (6:11) So, but now that you’ve started to settle in a little bit, (6:14) what do you see yourself doing (6:15) with this five, 10 years down the road? (6:18) I hope it’s massive. (6:19) I hope it’s big. (6:21) I hope everyone has a hat on their head (6:24) and when they say, where’d you get that? (6:26) It’s Buffalo Brims, you know? (6:28) And I also hope it maybe lets this be home base (6:31) and maybe I am able to travel a little bit.

(6:34) We’ll see though. (6:36) I don’t know. (6:36) Time will tell.

(6:37) One day at a time. (6:39) Very cool. (6:40) Love it.

(6:40) Well, it sounds like you’re off to a great start. (6:42) So Buffalo Brims located in Thane, (6:44) right across the street from the post office, right? (6:47) Tell us where people find you on social media. (6:50) Facebook and Instagram at Buffalo Brims W-Y.

(6:55) Perfect. (6:55) Sophia, thanks for your time. (6:56) Anything we missed about Buffalo Brims (6:58) you wanna mention today? (6:59) Ooh, I don’t think so.

(7:01) But if you need a new lid, come find me. (7:03) Love it, absolutely. (7:04) Sophia Steglitz, Buffalo Brims in Thane, (7:06) the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce, (7:07) August Business of the Month.

(7:09) It’s the weekday wake up this morning on SBI Radio.