If you told me ten years ago that my profession would have anything to do with sewing, I would've laughed you straight out of the room.

I didn't have the patience, or interest to try something so out of pocket for me.

This whole thing started from a desire to tap back into the creative side of myself. As a kid, I always gravitated towards the arts. Drawing, Music, Photography. Things that made you feel something. At essence, if it doesn't make you feel something, then is it even art?

I started trying different mediums in 2017, glass blowing, clay throwing, knowing it would be something with my hands.

I walked in to an old rodeo hatter shop and saw a vintage hat hanging on a wall and asked if they would recreate that look and if I could watch. Immediately, I was hooked and knew I was going to figure out how to do this.

The next year was dedicated to just that. Figuring it all out, sucking at it mostly, but to my own benefit, some of the most unique approaches I've developed came from trying to cover up my fuck ups early on. If there's a mistake to be made in this craft, I've done it.

I knew I wanted this to be more than a vanity project, something that aligned with human connection and empowering others. That's where the "Telling your Story" concept came in.

Every other hatter made it about themselves. I wanted to make it about the person wearing the hat, and create personal connection to their piece. So I named the brand TROVADOR in 2019 — singer songwriter, storyteller, in Spanish; because everything is sexier in Spanish.

This approach and craft has changed my life in the most incredible way, mostly because of the people I've had the opportunity to meet. I'll tell you this — I'm just getting started.