We recently connected with Monique Elam-Joseph and have shared our conversation below.

Monique, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My entrepreneurial path was set into life early in life. Growing up, I saw my parents in many business ventures, so entrepreneurship has always been instilled in me, My mom left a six figure job in 2011 to pursue her balloon business and has never looked back,. He decision inspired me to become an entrepreneur.

Monique, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a creative who loves fashion and art equally. One day I started to paint some of my Fedora hats because I wanted to look different. I sent one of the hats to my mother and the reviews were great. People soon inquired about where they could purchase a customized Fedora. During this time, I posted pictures of myself wearing the hats on my social media. Those posts resulted in more inquiries. As a result, I knew it was time to turn my craft into a business and thee_situation LLC was born.

I customize and design Fedora Hats. All my hats are unique meaning that no one hat is exactly the same. When I made the decision to go into business, I didn’t want the word “hat” to be in the business name because I knew that I would be more that hats.
I’m apart of a brunch group that produces themed brunches once a quarter. If one of the members is wearing a dramatic, popping outfit, we say, “What’s this situation you got going on?” In December 2019, it came to me. I’m a whole situation by myself.

I love to see people feel free and own who they are while wearing my designs.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When I first started, I used my W2 job to fund my business. That job served as an investor for my business. By doing this, I did not have to borrow money from the bank.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started sending my hats to influencers. It was a hit and miss type of situation. Some wore it and tagged my business and some did not. Sometimes you will have to loose to win. If you never give anything, you will never gain. Also, I’m my own advertisement. When I’m out and about, I always wear my hats, which draws attention. Once people inquire, I direct them to my social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: theesituation.com
• Instagram: thee_situation
• Facebook: thee_situation
• Other: TikTok: thee_situation1