Meet April Selman | Hatmaker and Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with April Selman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Our largest personal growth happens when we let go of our comfort zones and decide to take risks. We have started and re-started more times than I can count. We’ve lived and built a off the grid home in Chile, decided to give that up and moved to Argentina to start a restaurant and work with an international development. Sold everything and packed a suitcase and moved to Mexico. Then started over again by starting our latest business while living in Colorado. When the pandemic hit, it shook our business and our business model completely. We really looked at closing our business or risking it all and spending more money to relocate to be better situated for our business. If we hadn’t made that decision a year ago, we would likely be out of business right now but because we risked it, we are thriving. Each time we let go of our comforts and move in to a big unknown, our growth personally and usually business wise grow exponentially.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My husband and I have owned a few small businesses but when we came in to Hat Making we found our home! Hat making has allowed us artistic expression in a functional, wearable art Creating quality lifetime pieces and not throwaway products is something really important to us. We’ve had so many lessons I can’t even recall them all from working with employees, marketing, production and business values have all been items in growth. Keeping close to our values of quality versus quantity has been a huge decision in our business, lending us to know everything we sell is our heart and soul.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Sedona is amazing and full of adventure. There are dozens of hikes, bike rides, and so much more that even just driving around you are struck with the beauty of the area. I’d love to say we know them all but we have only lived here a short time and being a business owner and parents, we get to see our workshop, school, and our retail in uptown. So my suggestion would be shop a little in Uptown and Tlaquepaque, each morning get out for a large or small hike – even if you go to a vista and just sit, and try any of the amazing restaurants.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Small business is a hard business when banks won’t talk to you when all you have is dreams. Region 10 in Colorado listened and set us up with a business mentor even when we didn’t have a business. They have supported us in guidance and finances and even cheered us on when we moved to Arizona if they hadn’t, we would not be here today. Their team has been amazing to work with and the reason we won the Colorado Small Business of the year.

Website: https://www.truewesthats.com/

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