We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Franklin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

The biggest risk i’ve ever taken is starting my own business. It turned out to be one of the best decisions ive ever made. It has forced me into lessons I would not have experienced optherwise. The experience has forced me to bet on myself and exercise another level of determination and discipline. It has its ups and downs but the negatives will always be positive as long as you can make them in lessons learned. I started my business as a custom hat-maker in 2014 after spending over 5 years working and apprenticing at one of the oldest hat-makers in NYC (and the industry). I left with an exceptional amount of wisdom and passion for the craft and its history. I also gained a bit of knowledge about the industry and the business but when starting your first business there will always be a bit of surprises no matter what you think you may have learned in the past.
The risk I had taken was now taking form as I navigated through creating something from scratch. I partnered with some of the most talented people in the creative field, Samantha and Aaron Edwards, founders of The Charles group. They helped me craft the dream into a vision, mold it into something tangible and voila, B.M. Franklin & Co. was born. The first few years were tough as I tried to figure out having a part-time job and a being a “business owner”. Eventually I would take another risk and quit all other jobs and bet on myself, my time and the business. We graduated quickly from working out of an apartment, to a small 300 sq/ft space and currently an 827 sq/ft retail space. So, id say the risks weve taken are trending in the right way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Brandon Franklin and I am the owner of B.M. Franklin & Co., a custom hat and accessory brand based in Buckhead Village, Atlanta. I started making hats in 2009 for one of the oldest hatshops in NYC and the country. It took me a few years to physically start making hats but the time prior to that allowed me to fall in love with the history, process and craft. B.M. Franklin & Co. is a full service hatshop that offer repair and renovation services as well as custom and ready-wear hats and accessories. We also offer a workshop that we call The Art of Hatmaking which walks our guests through the history of the craft, tools, materials and live making of a piece. Once the demonstration is complete we offer quick consultations and with that comes a 20% off gift certificate for your first custom hat. Our approach to the craft and experience we provide is what sets us apart from most hatshops. The education we provide will change the way one thinks and sees headwear after they visit our shop. Creatively, the possibilities are limitless. We aim to get a detailed understanding of who our client is and that allows for us to tailor pieces specifically to people of all walks of life and features of face and head. These are a few things we are most proud of when it comes to our range of products and services.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

At B.M. Franklin & Co we manufacture most of our products and that happens to be the lure of our business. I learned how to make hats over a decade ago the way they were made over 150 years ago. Ive since taken this knowledge and craft and have turned it into a business. We do have various vendors who provide us with accessories, caps and things that need to be cut & sewn. Our main product which consist of brimmed hats and headwear made from fur felt or straw. We manufacture all of these pieces in house by hand. Custom and read-to-wear pieces always litter our workbenches and we wouldnt have it any other way. The most valuable lesson i’ve learned about manufacturing your own product is that you need to be extremely dedicated, meticulous, and disciplined. If any of these pillars collapses so does your reputation and subsequently your business.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

We have a few different steams of revenue within our craft and that ranges from products to services. We offer a range of Repair and Renovation services which plays a significant role in our business in addition to the custom services we offer. Our ready-to-wear program also plays a great role. One of the newest streams has come in the form of what we call an experience. The Art of Hatmaking is a two-hour dive into the craft, including live hatmaking demo, drinks, history, fun and fashion. Lastly, we have a wholesale business that is slowly starting to form into a business in itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bmfranklinco.com
• Instagram: @bmfranklinco
• Facebook: BM Franklin & Co

Image Credits
Tom Kubik Hope Wright Chuck Marcus