In Good Company: A Story Worth Keeping
Behind the scenes of our first customer story with Katie Duncan and Callum.
Today marks the first photo shoot for a project I've been looking forward to bringing to life for quite some time: In Good Company, a series dedicated to the people who have been part of Hansen's story.
Our first feature is especially close to my heart. I'm spending the day with Katie Duncan, a friend I've known since our university days, when we rode together at Brock. Since then, she's been a bridesmaid at my wedding, I've been her horse handler at hers, and our children have grown up alongside one another. It's the kind of friendship that has evolved through so many different stages of life, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to tell a little more of her story.
But there's another very special member of the family joining us today: Callum, the horse Katie received as a birthday present when she was twelve years old. She's now thirty-six, and he's still very much a part of her life.
He's the only horse she's ever owned.
Over the years, Katie has adapted her riding goals to suit the horse she has, rather than replacing him to suit the goals she's developed. I think there's something incredibly special about that decision. In a sport where we're often encouraged to look toward the next horse, the next level and the next opportunity, Katie's story is a reminder of what can happen when we choose to grow alongside the horse we've already committed to.
And, as it turns out, that same philosophy has carried through to her relationship with Hansen.
A Collection With a History
Katie has been a Hansen customer for more than fifteen years. As we prepared for the shoot, she pulled out pieces from her personal collection dating back to 2011, giving us a glimpse into the different stages of both her equestrian life and our business.
Going through her archives has been one of my favourite parts of this process. There were products I hadn't seen in more than a decade, alongside familiar prints and designs that brought back memories of earlier collections. Each piece has its own history, and together they tell a story that goes well beyond the products themselves.
There's a lovely symmetry between Katie's relationship with Callum and the way she's built her collection over the years. Both reflect a willingness to invest in something, care for it and allow it to become part of a much bigger story.
That's something I want to explore more intentionally through Hansen. We talk a lot about design, presentation and the details that make a product special, but I also want to talk about longevity. I want to show what it looks like when our products become part of someone's life at the barn, travelling with them through competitions, changing routines and different chapters of their journey.
For this shoot, we'll be photographing Katie and Callum with some of her original Hansen pieces, highlighting how these products have remained part of her world over the years. We'll also be capturing their story together, including the rather wonderful fact that Callum, now in his late twenties, is a senior horse she can share with her own young children.
I can't think of a better illustration of what it means to build something that lasts.
What In Good Company Is Really About
As I look at where Hansen is going, I find myself increasingly interested in the people who have actually used our products, lived with them and made them part of their own equestrian stories.
There's no shortage of beautiful photography in the equestrian industry. Professional models, carefully styled campaigns and polished imagery all have their place. But I want to explore something a little different.
My vision for In Good Company is to build a roster of real Hansen customers who can represent the brand in a way that goes beyond appearance. These are people with genuine connections to our products, their own experiences to share and stories that deserve to be told.
I want to know how they use their Hansen pieces, what they've held onto over the years, which products have become part of their routines and what keeps them coming back. I want to hear their experiences in their own words and capture the lives they're actually living with horses.
For me, this isn't simply about collecting testimonials or finding another way to create marketing content. It's about building a more meaningful relationship between the brand and the people who have supported it.
Hansen has been around long enough that many of our customers have their own history with us. Some have been buying our products for over a decade. Their collections reflect changing tastes, different horses and years of memories. I think those stories are every bit as interesting as anything we could create from scratch.
And I want to give them a place within the brand.
Behind the Scenes of Our First Shoot
Although today is the first day of shooting, the preparation actually began about six weeks ago.
We started by approaching Katie with the concept, then worked with Justina, our photographer and Art Director, to develop a mood board, establish the visual direction and build a shot list around Katie's story. We spent time looking through her Hansen archives, selecting the pieces we wanted to feature and discussing how best to bring the different elements together.
There was plenty of practical planning, too. We arranged the necessary permissions and paperwork with the barn, met to discuss equipment, backdrops and lighting, and worked through wardrobe options to make sure everyone felt comfortable with the direction.
We also decided to divide the shoot into two parts. The first would focus on Katie and Callum, their story and her collection of original Hansen pieces. The second would feature them as models for our current catalogue, giving us imagery to use across the website and social media.
Last night, I went through the current collection, selected the products we wanted to photograph and packed everything up, including a director's chair for Katie during the interview portions of the day. We also finalized our interview questions, making sure they would give her the opportunity to tell her story naturally, in her own words.
And, because I'm a mother and apparently incapable of leaving the house without provisions, I packed a cooler full of snacks, fresh fruit and iced coffee for the team.
The weather looks almost perfect: overcast, comfortable and, most importantly, not windy. After weeks of planning, it's finally time to bring everything together.
I'm particularly excited to spend some time with Callum again. He's such a gem, and the opportunity to photograph him with Katie and capture the life they've built together feels like a privilege.
The Beginning of Something Bigger
I see this first shoot as a pilot for a much larger project.
Over the next couple of years, I want to continue introducing the people who make up the Hansen community, highlighting their individual stories and showing how our products fit into their lives. I want our imagery to feature real customers, and I want the stories behind those images to be just as genuine as the people in them.
Katie and Callum are the perfect place to start. Their story speaks to commitment, adaptability and the value of building something that lasts. It also reminds me that the most meaningful things in our lives aren't necessarily the ones we replace when our circumstances change. Sometimes, they're the ones we choose to keep investing in.
That idea feels particularly relevant to Hansen.
Our products are designed to be used, cared for and carried through the years. But the people who use them give them meaning, and their stories give us a much richer picture of what this brand can be.
I'm excited to share Katie and Callum with you, to revisit some pieces from Hansen's history and, most importantly, to introduce a project that puts our customers where I believe they belong: at the heart of the brand.
Because the best stories aren't always the ones we create ourselves. Sometimes, they're the ones we've been fortunate enough to be part of all along.
Welcome to In Good Company.