From pastor to making cowboy hats in partnership with Brandon Lake, with Derek Welborn, founder of Saints Western

Today I sat down with Derek Welborn, and we dove straight into his story of faith during a health scare. This episode is also a reminder of how important it is to find community. And how it can change the trajectory of your life when you allow yourself to rely on them.

You can listen to today's episode at www.corymcarlson.com/podcast

In this episode, you'll discover…

Derek's story (2:10)

How community helped make this dream bigger (12:23)

How God made Derek's goal come true (21:00)

How the Lord's timing works (25:50)

Derek's Bio:

In 2020, Derek Welborn was diagnosed with severe alopecia—an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. It was a hard season, wrestling with questions of identity and confidence, and in that struggle, hats became a daily companion. One day, staring at the hat he had worn for a year, Derek asked himself: "Could I make these?"

The answer was yes.

From a kitchen table in Austin, Texas, he began shaping fur felt into something more than an accessory. Hat making became a way of creating beauty out of challenge—turning raw materials into something unique and lasting.

That spark grew into Saints. While Derek is still at the bench, measuring, sewing, and distressing every custom hat, the story didn't stop with hair loss. Thanks to treatment, his hair eventually grew back — a reminder that no season lasts forever, and that the story you're in isn't finished yet.