My Carhartt Coat

My most cherished wardrobe item is an old, beat-up, oil-stained work coat bearing the classic Carhartt label. When I really want to be the full measure of a country boy, my Carhartt jacket and my work boots tell everyone I belong on my tractor in Lanark County.

I’m sure there are advertisements for Carhartt’s full line of work clothing, but they’re rare, low key, modest. That’s because Carhartt doesn’t really need to advertise in the media, their fiercely loyal users do it for them. The discrete label on every jacket, coverall, sweatshirt, or sweater is a beacon to the world that the wearer is the real deal, an honest to goodness craftsman, farmer, contractor, or operator. If you’re wearing Carhartt, you’re skilled, determined, tough. You’ll get the job done, and done right.

All who wear Carhartt share in the glow of their reputation. Their brand is our brand and our brand is their brand. Carhartt has created an army of partisans who wear the Carhartt uniform, and when that uniform is finally in tatters, will buy another one just like it. And this stuff is not inexpensive.

Carhartt has a lesson for all of us who are professionals: they have created not only a brand, but a legend, and an army of partisans who modestly (or not) brag about their gear. Imagine, if you are a lawyer or an architect or a sales professional, that your clients actively brag about you. Imagine that using your services is a mark of prestige. Imagine your clients’ friends and associates asking if they’d be kind enough to hook them up with you.

I’ve no idea how Carhartt achieved this blessed status, perhaps it was just luck, but this much I do know: every Carhartt garment is significantly “overbuilt”, that is, the fabric is tough and durable far beyond that of most competitors. The stitching is not subtle but doubled and tripled to never give way. These garments are brutally tough, and it’s not unusual for a garment to be passed down through generations.

These same principles apply to all of us in the professions. The lawyer who delivers “above and beyond”, who knows their subject matter backwards and forwards, and possesses the instincts to achieve optimal results, time after time, will soon have this army of missionaries. Ditto for the physiotherapist, the HVAC pro, or the software engineer.

The mediocre do not develop armies of disciples – only the best do. So the trick, obviously, is to be the best. And being the best can only happen when you live in the centre of your Giftings, and focus on your craft with everything you have.

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