Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie Cole.
Hi McKenzie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hello! My name is McKenzie Cole and I am the owner of Bougie Brims. We are a custom trucker hat bar where friends can customize hats, bags, and koozies with patches and accessories. We love offering the hat bar for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, girls nights, church groups, and office gatherings! We bring the party to you for your next event! We also offer custom orders through our social media sites.
I am a lover of all things trendy, especially accessories! I was shopping at the mall one day and purchased an adorable UT themed trucker hat with all the patches and accessories. The more I wore the hat and got compliments on it, the more I wondered if I had the eye for design that would be successful.
My husband and I both work for the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office full time. He is a Lieutenant and I am the Director of Mental Health Services. We work in a very high stress environment and I’m always looking for ways to de-stress and remember that there is still good in this world. I decided to take the leap and start Bougie Brims as a way to connect with my community, offer meaningful product, and provide my husband and I with a source of joy in creating custom pieces for our customers! It truly has been nothing but fun meeting new friends, connecting with other small businesses, and providing custom pieces to happy customers! While I love my full time job working with mentally ill inmates, it comes with great waves of discouragement and obstacles. Bougie Brims has been both a source of income and a source of happiness for my family. I so appreciate each person that has supported us in this adventure!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business not knowing if it will succeed or fail is always scary. You invest time, money, and efforts in to something you have no idea what will be the outcome. I am very blessed to say that our family, friends, and community have been AMAZING in supporting us. With every social media share, business card handed out, or purchase made we have seen nothing but success and for that I am so very thankful. I know challenges will come, no one is exempt from them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My full time job is the Director of Mental Health for the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. I have been with the Sheriff’s Office for over 4 years and am so blessed to be in the position I am. We average between 800-1,000 inmates. My main job duties are coordinating the care for mentally ill inmates housed within the jail making sure they have the care they need. I am in the process of developing a mental health care team. This team will include 2 new positions including a psychiatric nurse practitioner and an additional social worker to enhance mental health care services within the jail. When I began my career in social work, I never imagined I would work within the walls of a correctional facility. Now that I have been in this field, I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I am blessed to be able to help one of the most vulnerable populations. I am most proud of my efforts in developing the upcoming mental health team. This required me to apply for additional funds and present my ideas to the Sullivan County Commission. They voted 100% unanimously in favor of granting our Sheriff’s Office the funds to expand our mental health team. This team will be assembled and working sometime this summer! I am very proud of these efforts to continue to improve services for those truly mentally ill individuals who have no other advocate.
Bougie Brims on the other hand is something I am so proud to have started. I had a dream and a vision. Seeing it come to life and be successful is one of my proudest moments yet. It gives my husband and I a break from the stress of Sheriff’s Office life and to provide additional income.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Connecting with other small business owners has been crucial! Taking advice from seasoned individuals is priceless. We have such a wonderful circle of business owners in my community who are there to truly help each other, learn what works and what doesn’t, and be there to encourage each other!
Pricing:
- Hat + 1 Patch = $25
- Hat + 3 Patches = $35
- Belt Bags: Starting at $30
- Additional accessories $1 – $5
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bougiebrims423/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Bougie-Brims/61573175617290/
- Other: Email: bougiebrims423@gmail.com
