One negative shopping experience set Alex Samuels on the path from a thriving career in commercial real estate to running a multimillion-dollar hat company. On a vacation in 2020, she had what she described as an “absolutely terrible” experience at a custom hat shop. The shop owner was dismissive, the promised complimentary drink was a Dixie cup of tequila, and the expensive hat she purchased didn’t fit properly. In other words, her memento of the trip was ruined.
The experience nagged at her. Each time she tried to put on the ill-fitting hat, the negative memory came rushing back. “I figured I’d have to go get a new hat,” Samuels remembered. “But my husband said, ‘Or you can open your own hat store here in Nashville. ” That suggestion was the catalyst for what would one day become Rustler Hat Co.
The journey had a unique set of challenges, though. For starters, she had no retail experience and knew nothing about making hats. What she did know was that she wanted to make high-quality, well-fitting hats, and offer her customers a great experience. Potential suppliers quizzed her on aspects such as height, brim length, and materials — all of which Samuels knew nothing about at the time. Supplier after supplier rejected her, leaving her with a store lease and no hats to sell.
After a while, Samuels secured a supplier who agreed to help her find her way — “I think he just heard the panic in my voice,” she said. Finally, she was ready to go.
Her initial goal was modest – selling two hats a day to break even. Fast forward to opening weekend, Rustler Hat Co. sold 250 hats, and Samuels never looked back. Over the past few years, the store has become a Nashville institution, with customers ranging from bridal parties to Fortune 500 companies and professional athletes — all turning to Rustler Hat Co. for an unforgettable bespoke experience.
Samuels didn’t expect this explosive growth, especially because Rustler hasn’t invested in any paid marketing. Square tools helped Rustler handle their explosive growth and empowered the team to grab every opportunity.
The challenge: Bringing a personalized experience to offsite events
Samuels hired a lot of employees who, like her, lacked retail experience. The ability to connect with people mattered more than ever given her previous hat shop experience. But this inexperience meant that Rustler needed easy-to-learn systems.
Samuels needed a point-of-sale (POS) system that catered to the personalized customer experience she wanted to create. The experience centers around a 45-minute appointment with a personal stylist. The stylist guides the customer through the entire experience of creating the perfect custom hat. Guests sit around a bar, enjoying a drink, while stylists shape hats to their specifications. “The whole point is to have the team spend time with our guests, creating that special experience,” Samuels said.
With 250 hats sold during opening weekend, Rustler’s 1,300-square-foot storefront was immediately “busting at the seams,” Samuels recalls. This became even more apparent when a Nashville golf club asked Rustler to come create custom hats for a corporate event.
A question started to bubble up: How could Rustler handle offsite events with a small team? The challenge surfaced again when a consulting company approached Rustler about supporting a corporate event for 600 people. The team had only a week to source enough hats and transport everything to Dallas. “Our director of business operations was shaking her head no,” Samuels recalled. “But I said yes because I knew we could figure it out.”
The solution: Tools that provide flexibility and confidence in managing large-scale inventory
To help handle events, Samuels adopted new processes and tools to make managing events easy and seamless. She expanded her investment to a Square Stand so that her business could be as flexible and nimble as needed. “We take seven or eight Square Stands [to events]. They’re already on the operating system and ready to go. So it allows us to be flexible and to take on as much as we can because we know that we have protection and we have Square helping us as we grow,” explained Samuels.
As a result, Rustler could capture the magic of the in-store experience on the go — without needing to grow her staff before she was ready. With tools that are synced and connected whether she’s in-store or in Dallas, inventory also became less of a daunting challenge. Managing a 600 person event in Dallas might require 600 hats and all the accessories and customizations for each one. Not to mention the fact that she needs to reassess her stock count for when the event is over.
The built-in inventory management features with Square offer her real-time stock updates so she never runs low on items unexpectedly. She can also simplify purchase orders and manage her inventory in bulk so she’s always prepared for a large event. “The ability to manage inventory for different locations on Square has been huge for us. Our store is a small space so we transfer inventory from our warehouse a couple of times a week,” Samuels said. “And with outside events, we’re always transferring inventory to and from locations through Square, and that has probably been our biggest help.”
Inventory management involves more than just transfers. Rustler needs sales data to inform decisions on what styles, colors, and accessories to carry to help keep customers engaged and coming back. “Square does a really great job of creating real-time reports that show us what our customers want, what they’d like to see more of, and what we could pull back on,” Samuels noted. Rustler runs those reports “two or three times a day” so she always has her finger on the pulse of her business.
The impact: Sustaining rapid growth with a nimble team
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the business we’ve been able to create,” Samuels said. Rustler had enough success in its first year that Samuels quit her full-time job. “Two months after I went full-time, sales went through the roof,” she said.
Going all in on Rustler with one comprehensive platform has also unlocked a deeper level of confidence in her business. “The Square app is crucial for me,” Samuels said. “I know that thing like the back of my hand.” With confidence in aspects like her inventory management and her checkout process, she and her staff can focus on showing up and delivering an amazing customer experience.
That focus has been Rustler’s secret to growing without spending money on marketing. “Whether it’s in the store or at an event, people love the fun environment and community feeling we create,” Samuels explained. “If you provide your customers with what they’re looking for and beyond, they’re going to tell everybody for free.”
By offering a one-of-a-kind experience, Rustler has generated significant word-of-mouth and organic marketing. “Early on, we ran an event at a conference for social media influencers. Fifty influencers with millions of followers were posting about us all evening. It was honestly life-changing.” Similarly, other influencers from all over have come into the store to film their experience on their own accord, building on Rustler’s ability to capture word-of-mouth marketing.
Now, Rustler Hat Co. is on its way to becoming a household name near and far. “We’ve done events for probably half of the Fortune 500 companies,” Samuels noted. As the events side of the business continues to pick up (and takes Samuels and the team as far away as the Bahamas), Samuels is focused on the next layer of growth that feels the most organic: Rustler’s online store.
For Samuels, Rustler Hat Co.’s online merchandise line will be a way for her to extend the experience to customers who can’t quite get to Nashville or have yet to make it to an event. “I want to see this through and see how big we can make this and make Rustler touch people all over the country.”
