A Kings Road boutique, a local postie and ‘Page 3 of The Sun’. How The Fedora Consultancy got its name.
In today’s digital age, where everything is so accessible and interconnected, your personal brand can often be the most valuable asset you have. With that in mind, I would encourage you to think about what makes you stand out – whether it’s your passion, your skills, or even the quirky details that make your story unique. Here’s mine…
Back in the early 1990’s I wanted to buy a hat
A subsequent trip to London saw me on the Kings Road trying to buy something I knew very little about – other than it should have a brim size somewhere in between a trilby and a cowboy hat.
I walked into a quirky boutique where I was greeted by a genial chap who clearly knew that people didn’t buy hats every day of the week and was adept at sizing up customers and their requirements. He looked me up and down, thought for a few seconds, lent over the banister and shouted down into the basement ‘Black fedora, size 7 ¾, now!’
A few seconds later a black fedora came flying up the stairs – literally. The chap caught it, put it on my head and said ‘£75 please.’ Couldn’t argue with any of that, how he’d gone about it or the fact that it was about double what I was thinking I would have to pay. Sold!
Fast forward a couple of years and because I’d be wearing the hat almost continuously, I became known as ‘Jon the Hat’, a name that followed me up to Shropshire when I moved here. Back then though, whilst in Sussex, a friend sent a letter to me, and on the envelope he just wrote ‘Jon the Hat, Arundel.’.
Back in the day, the town I lived in was one of those where everybody knew everybody, especially in the pubs. This included the postmen/postwomen. The letter from a friend was delivered the next day…
The story went round the town, somebody heard about it, and it ended up being reported in The Sun newspaper – on page 3, normally the page of that newspaper that was less interested in the clothing worn by people.
The hat was and remains the best thing I ever got sold, and the name of my business was always going to be something to do with that. And Fedora is now 20 years old and yes, I’ve still got the hat!
Taking your brand personally
One thing stands clear: personal branding is powerful. In a world full of noise, the story we share about ourselves, the image we project and the authenticity we bring to our work matters. My journey, from a buying a hat in a London boutique to becoming ‘Jon the Hat’ among my friends has been shaped by the experiences and stories that surround me. It’s these little personal touches that help form our unique brand and set us apart.
I’d say embrace it. Your personal brand is yours to define.