It’s wheels up for KC flight attendant-turned headwear designer: Heavy Head takes flight
May 7, 2022 | Amelia Arvesen
Jaclyn Heupel had a gut feeling early in the pandemic that she would eventually get furloughed from her job as a flight attendant with American Airlines.
Jaclyn Heupel with American Airlines crew members
Brainstorming ideas for a side gig to help her pass the time led Heupel to a sewing machine and fabric. Watching YouTube videos brought experimentation with materials. She settled on an accessory she knew well: headbands with a hand-sewn twist.
Soon, Heupel formally launched Heavy Head, her very own headwear and clothing line.
“They always say find a problem and solve it, and then you’ll find a business,” said Heupel, describing her journey to the venture, which debuted in December 2020. “I just never knew I would turn my obsession for headbands into a business.”
Heupel, a Kansas City self-starter, has so far handled every aspect of the business herself — from filing the LLC to creating her website and logo to hand-sewing each headband.
But despite the extra work on top of her flight attendant job, which has picked back up since Heavy Head launched, she’s loved all the learning that comes with being an entrepreneur and making products she’ll actually wear, Heupel said.
Click here to shop Heavy Head.
Her obsession with headbands dates back to growing up playing volleyball.
Jaclyn Heupel, Heavy Head; photo by Rhodana Snider
“A really weird fact about me is I’m insecure about my hairline when I wear my hair up,” she said. “I just always wore headbands. That was just my accessory of choice.”
Not just any stretchy fabric will suffice though. Heupel discovered a polyester-spandex blend called peach skin that doesn’t slip off her head like many other headbands on the market. She sources her fabric from suppliers in Los Angeles and Miami, and while she currently sews every headband by hand when she’s on a break from flying and home in Kansas City, she’s exploring small-batch manufacturing to make the process more efficient.
“I know people really really love that aspect of my business, but I can only sew so much in an hour,” she said.
If she signs a contract with a manufacturer, Heupel plans to produce the staple products and continue sewing limited edition products by hand. One of her products — the Elastic Tie Headband, a cross between a headscarf and a headband — is patent pending.
Heupel is adamant that Heavy Head headbands are for every occasion and every identity, not just bad hair days or female-identifying buyers.
“If it’s a lazy day, I have a headband on,” she said. “If I’m going out, I have a headband on.”
Click here to follow Heavy Head on Instagram and here to stay updated via the brand’s newsletter.
Heavy Head can be found locally at KC Tiny Greenhouse and is expected to make an appearance in early June at the Wichita ArtFest at Riverfest Pop Up Market.
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Rx Savings secures $18.4M funding round, nears 2 million members
An $18.4 million funding round is the prescription Rx Savings Solutions needs to expand its fight against a crippling, yet common ailment, said Michael Rea. “Everyone in the nation has the same problem — high drug costs — and most people don’t know there are options to save money,” said Rea, founder and chief executive…
Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?
In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…
FCC head: Repealing net neutrality will boost innovation, investment; startups disagree
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to eliminate regulatory rules that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with consumers’ access to web content. FCC chairman Ajit Pai announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the regulatory body will vote Dec. 14 to repeal 2015 Obama-era regulations. That regulatory model, referred to as Title II,…
Bitten by Disney sharks, Roy Scott beats the odds with Healthy Hip Hop
When a potentially life-altering business deal suddenly vanished, Roy Scott didn’t get mad — he got funded. “Disney thought they were going to snuff us out, but all they did was put gasoline on this fire,” said Scott, founder of Kansas City-based H3 Enterprises (Healthy Hip Hop). Rewind. Starting his company with a live performance-based…