We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sabina Sood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sabina below.

Hi Sabina, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

In October 2016 I had the idea of creating a stylish, waterproof, wide-brimmed hat that was usable poolside and IN the pool. I had a girls getaway planned and looked for a hat like this to purchase and couldn’t find one. So, I decided to make it myself.

Personally, I had never made anything in my life, so I assumed I would need to find a local hat-maker to work on the idea. I was managing my own 7-Eleven store at the time and making good money, so I allocated a large budget to have a prototype made. One hat-maker never replied, another stopped returning my calls after the first meeting… then I tried a wetsuit company because i planned to have the hat made from neoprene. They also were not interested.

Finally a small sew shop in an industrial part of San Diego called National City, agreed to make the first prototype. I supplied the neoprene material and a sample hat and didn’t hear from them for 2 months. Then, they called to let me know my sample was ready but when I arrived no one really interacted much. They barely looked at me. I paid $60 and they gave me a box with the first hat.

My first prototype was a total disaster because it was more of a hood… like the kind of hood they might put on you during the French Revolution as you approached the guillotine. But, I didn’t care. I was so excited that my idea was coming to life… becoming something tangible. I took it home and tried some ideas to fix it… basically to prevent it from completely obstructing your face. I even took it in the community pool to try it out. I gave the sew shop a couple small changes to make and again waited a whole month for the next prototype. When I saw the second hat, and how much work was still left to do… and how much time I was losing waiting for the sew shop… It was then, 6 months after my initial idea, that I decided I would have to make the hat myself otherwise it would never happen.

So, I was still very sure that neoprene was the material I would use but unfortunately I didn’t know how to sew or even have a sewing machine. There was a specialty neoprene sewing machine available for about $5,000 but thankfully I decided to wait on that purchase. I hired a woman to give me private sewing lessons but after our 3rd lesson, she suddenly announced that she was moving immediately. 7 years later, I still don’t know how to sew.

I placed a large order for more neoprene material but it never arrived. I called the company and they couldn’t explain why it didn’t get shipped. In the meantime, while I was waiting for the neoprene, I had another idea for a pool accessory that called for a different kind of material… a kind of foam which I ordered in about 5 different thicknesses. The foam arrived within a couple of days and when I was examining it, I suddenly had the idea that the thinnest variety might be suitable for a hat and that it was lightweight, soft and waterproof. I immediately cut the material into 3 pieces and used tape to form a hat. It was perfect.

That was a miracle moment for me as I am still using the same material 7 years later. The neoprene, thankfully, never arrived.

Sabina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been wearing hats since I was about 31, upon the recommendation of my rhinoplasty surgeon. I always had challenges finding a hat that I liked. Straw was itchy to me so I used canvas hats. But they lost their shape quickly and were nearly impossible to clean. So, after a few weeks, it looked like I was wearing dirty rag on my head. Also, I couldn’t use them in the pool. So, I set out to create a new kind of hat that would solve a lot of challenges by using a totally different material. In the beginning, I considered myself an inventor… creating a new product to solve a real-world problem.

7-years later, I have tried to incorporate every practical feature possible into my hats including:

Adjustable, stretchy fit (because everyone has a different sized head)
Washability
Uv-resistant to fading
Insulating meaning it won’t get hot or make you sweat
Soft and Flexible
Floats and is Waterproof
Keeps its Shape
Lightweight
No itch
Sweat-absorbing
and finally
Wide-brimmed for sun protection.

And, while these features are all great… what I realized is that what made women primarily interested was the “look” of the hat. And, this is why over the last 3 years or so, I have slowly transformed from inventor to designer. The core features of the hats haven’t changed much but the looks have.

Wearable sizes, wearable colors, elegant decoration… these have been my primary focus lately and where I have made the greatest improvements… The collage decoupage hat bands that I started using in 2023 totally elevated the look of the visor hats and transformed them from plain and sporty to elegant.

I don’t believe anyone else in the world is using hat bands like these. My material, smooth and non-porous, is perfectly suited for a clean and permanent attachment of the bands.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There were so so many challenges in making my hats. The first hats I used for a photoshoot looked amazing but were hard as helmets. It took me over a year of modifying my manufacturing process to make the hats softer. Then, I had to spend another year making my process repeatable and consistent. I think it took about 4 years before I could make two hats the same.

And, finally, after 5 years and hundreds of failed attempts, I made my first batch of 20 white hats that I felt were good enough to sell. It was fall of 2021 and I set out to a touristy area of San Diego called Balboa Park with a table and a hat rack, intent on selling my hats for $99 each.

Later I joked that my display had Covid because everyone stayed 6 feet away. No one, and I mean no one was interested. So, I tried a different location, again the same… another location, same reaction. Finally, after trying to sell my hats all over San Diego, even adding more colors like lipstick red, royal blue and black, and there were no sales.

So, I decided to pause selling and created a market research survey. I took 5 hats in different colors and styles and approached women in various places to ask their opinions and get their feedback. It was pure torture but absolutely necessary. I started discovering patterns and making a list of things to change with the hats… and voile, I finally started selling a hat or two…

My hat designs today are directly the result of the feedback I received from customers and women at markets. Listening and then adapting have been critical to my journey.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I had the idea for my hat invention, I was about 10 years into an unhappy marriage and an unfulfilling career as a 7-Eleven Franchisee. I saw the hats as a way to escape from an artificial life… a new start.

But change is scary, so when I started working on the hats, I assumed I would always do it on the side… as a side-hustle and continue to operate my lucrative 7-Eleven store as a my primary career. Month by month, my store started going downhill… partly due to the new Japanese Franchisor and partly due to government regulations and other factors like inflation. I was working longer and longer hours, graveyard shifts, doing heavy lifting and earning less and less. I constantly worried that I would get injured or robbed while working alone at night. I had two small children at this time and it was severely challenging my ability to be a good mother to them.

At the same time, my passion for my hats was increasing and soon, I was dreaming of working on them full-time. The better they got, the more enthusiastic I became that this was my true calling.

Around 2018, 7-Eleven Japan forced all the store owners to sign a new contract with two options: 5 years at the same profit split with NO option to continue ownership or a 10-year contract at a substantially reduced income. I chose the 5 year option which was very scary because it meant that I would have to sell the store… there was no going back.

But, things became so bad at the 7-Eleven that I didn’t even last 5 years. I put my store on the market after 3 years and had an offer right away which I accepted. I also began divorce proceedings around the same time… and so, 6 months later I had a no marriage, house, or 7-eleven store and I was so happy. I could finally put my full focus on the hats (and being a good mother).

The divorce was amicable and we were able to come to a mutually beneficial financial agreement that has allowed me financial security to pursue the hats… and that was critical. I am self-funded and trying to do as much myself as possible to save money until the business grows to the point where it can support me. It takes a lot of patience and faith.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shayabrims.com
• Instagram: @shayabrims
• Facebook: Shaya Brims

Image Credits
@creative_visual_images Scott Hall @lasvegasswimweek @photoginlv Roger Tally @randramoreproductions