09/06/2026
Long post warning. But worth it!
Today something really incredible happened to me, it just goes to prove that there are still good hearted people out there.
I’ve been on a weight loss journey that I haven’t been very public about. Last June a friend and I made a goal to lose the baby weight after having 2 babies each and getting our pre baby bodies and minds back!
Over the last year I’ve lost a touch over 60 lbs and went from a size 12 to a size 3 in jeans.
Not only did my pants size shrink, but so did my head and hat size. Something I never thought would have happened! Last year before this journey my husband treated me to a new felt cowboy hat from Pendleton Hat Company for my birthday.
This was my very first cowboy hat that wasn’t a hand me down. I chose a perfect Hickory Colored Beaver felt. Perk shaped it perfectly, added a modified brick crown. This thing was GOLD!
Fast forward to today, I took it out of the box to take it back to Perk for a little tune up before for the stock horse show next week. I put it on… and too big! Like sizes too big.. I was heart broken but I was like, “I can shim her up and it will be okay!” I took it in anyways and asked for some shims and Perk looked at me, looked at the hat. He said you can’t have this many shims.. there was 6.
He read my card that he put into my hat that he does for all his hats he makes. It has my name, the hat size, type, brim, crown, and date it was made. Mine read June 2025.
Perk took my hat and took the info card out asked one of his employees to grab a brand new hat off the wall in the next size down. Perk sized a new hat, shaped it and gave it to me for free! All while fitting me in his busy schedule today.
If that’s not customer service, I don’t know what is! We had great conversations, lots of laughs, we both even cried. Not lying. Perk is so knowledgeable and such a hand when it comes to hats.
Perk said something today that really stuck with me. He said, “What’s wrong with the world today is that we don’t slow down, the world is so used to fast, cash in, and cash out. Take it back to how it was in the 50’s and have that conversation, take the time and get to know your customers.” And that’s exactly what Perk Perkins at Pendleton Hat Company does! He slows down and spends quality time with each and every one of his customers. You do not leave there feeling rushed.
Perk didn’t have to give me a new hat. He didn’t owe me a favor. But he did, he did because he truly loves and cares for his customers and the relationships he builds while working on those hats. That’s exactly what we did today was share stories and built that relationship. He understood the journey of weight loss and how hard it can be, mainly the mental challenge’s it comes with.
I want to say THANK YOU to Perk and Linda Perkins at Pendleton Hat Company for such a great experience and for teaching me to slow down in my every day life and create those friendships and relationships with my customers as well. Life is too short.
I’m forever grateful.
