From Golf to Headwear

(written by founder, Kristen Rue for her hometown magazine)

Hi Canterwood friends! This is Kristen Rue and I want to share about a new chapter in my life and how I got here.  Those of you who know me, are familiar with my passion for golf and all of the hours I have spent training on the Canterwood golf course.  A quick recap for the many of you who do not know me.  I played collegiate golf for WSU and then after graduating I pursued golf for three years professionally.  I competed on the Symetra Tour my first year, but it was not until I played on the Australian Tour in 2017 that a new passion started brewing. 

Playing on the Australian Tour was one of the best experiences I could have asked for.  I met a fun community of girls, saw the Great Barrier Reef, held a koala and ate tasty foot.  However, the most unexpected thing I got from the experience was a new idea. 

Since high school I have consistently worn a hat on the golf course and I never thought much of it.  One day I started wishing that my hats would do certain things.  Such as a higher messy bun and better sun protection around the eyes.  For the record I am very into anti-aging and sun protection!  I decided to only pack a visor to solve these needs for my trip to Australia.  The visor had a wider brim and I was free to do whatever hairstyle I wanted, which always resulted in a high bun 90% of the time.  I found out quickly that the visor was a poor choice because the top of my head kept getting burnt.  The sun is definitely stronger in Australia! So, this my friends is the thought process and the problem that go me thinking about a new kind of hat.  Once that would protect my hair and head from sun damage and allow the opportunity to style my hair any way I like. 

The way my parents responded to my idea when they first heard about it encouraged me to start the process.  Without hesitation they supported me and pushed me to think larger.  We all agreed if this is a hat I want then maybe other women would want it as well.  If the conversation had gone differently with my parents I am not sure I would be where I am, and that is ready to launch a company!  It has been over a year since that conversation.  Some of my favorite things I have done during that time have been writing a patent, improving my design and sourcing fabrics. 

My favorite detail on the hat is the logo.  I have notebooks on notebooks of awful logo ideas I had created.  Eventually after months of changing the logo I finally settled on one. However, it turned out the factory was unable to do my design cut out in metal the way I wanted.  When the rush of frustration passed, I remember thinking, ok well here is an opportunity to make it better.  I believe I made the logo a lot better and most people are surprised to hear I designed it.  I am surprised to after knowing what draft one, two and three, etc, looked like!  I want to remember this mindset and let it be my go to thought process anytime an obstacle arises.  The logo will be my reminder to react to unfortunate events as possible opportunities instead of obstacles. 

Inside each hat, Refresh, Uplift and Embrace are stitched.  Not only is this an acronym of my last name but it is the lifestyle I want TrueRue to represent.  I want these hats to be a reminder to refresh yourself, so you are able to uplift and embrace others.  It all starts with taking care of yourself first and then you can share all your love with others. 

I am thankful I get to share a small peek of how TrueRue was started with you. It has been fun to see my idea become tangible. 

Your support in getting the word out about TrueRue would be very much appreciated! Please share with your friends, give as a Christmas gift or treat yourself with one.  I look forward to the day when I come across a stranger wearing a TrueRue hat.  they would not be a stranger for long! 

Follow TrueRue on social media to stay updated on our launch date.  Or leave your email on the website to receive details about the launch

truerueathleticwear.com

please email info@truerueathleticwear.com for any other questions!