Always a country girl at heart Felicity Brown didn’t plan on becoming a milliner.
The idea of setting up her Millinery business came to her when she was working on cattle and sheep stations in the remote outback of Australia. Horse races were the highlight of the rural social agenda, the women working these stations were busy mustering stock or working in the yards right up until the event, having little time to source any headwear.
With little to no access to retail stores or the internet, Felicity altered the girls’ hats and offered them something special to wear. After moving to Broome, the ladies living remotely continued to contact her for hats.
Felicity decided to study the trade and set up ‘Hats by Felicity.’
Hat’s by Felicity has won many accolades, being the first Australian milliner to showcase on the runway of New York Fashion Week, featuring in several magazines, and a documentary ‘MadHattan from the Kimberley to New York’.
Felicity has grown Hats by Felicity and continuously upskilled her trade of millinery through the Australian Hat Academy while retaining her product niche of using hand-collected feathers and south sea pearls grown in the waters near her hometown of Broome.
Felicity’s philosophy on life is: give and grow and have a go. Her energy and positivity are infectious and she embraces every day with excitement – and a huge, magnificent smile.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
“I have a selection of favourites, for different moments in time (or the day) .. but a favourite for his never-ending, unstoppable energy, passion and advice is Tony Robbins.”
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
“Freedom and permission to take action on an idea.”
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- Learn how to create your own website, don’t pay an absurd amount of money for someone else to create and have control over the site.
- You can (and will) achieve the highest of goals and wildest of dreams.
- There are other ways to raise capital than taking out credit cards and loans – spend time researching what’s out there for you.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
“Do it! Understand that it’s not going to be easy (if it was easy, everyone would do it) but to just have a go, and do it. “
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
“Online skills, particularly social media and if you are creative, be skilled enough to have good control over your website and online store. Know that self-care is one of the most important skills to develop and maintain, regularly and know your clients and customers; know what makes them tick, what they love and what they don’t love, their restraints, their confidences and insecurities.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
“My ideal business is online and on the road, it’s coming to your region, your community and your home. My ideal business is me, my products, my services and my team. And it’s not just about the millinery and the hat, it’s about women from rural, regional and remote Australia, and these women feeling confident, inspired, fabulous and great. And of course, it’s about their men and the kids too.
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
“Being a Member of HerBusiness Network solves the problem of isolation and lack of connection with like-minded ideas women, who I can brainstorm with, get excited about progressing creative ideas with; and who I can help and who can help me.”
Learn more about Felicity Brown and Hats By Felicity today.
