Brian Esslinger of Black Sheep Custom Leather is originally from Ohio and had been attending design school there when he realized that he wanted to do something else. Living out of a pickup truck, Brain left school and started working odd jobs and traveling around the country. After 9 months he found himself in Bozeman, MT where he befriended a saddle maker.

Brian Esslinger (Black Sheep Custom Leather, Ohio) sedang mengikuti sekolah desain ketika ia kemudian menyadari bahwa ia ingin melakukan hal lain. Tinggal di sebuah truk dengan bak terbuka, Brian meninggalkan sekolah dan mulai melakukan berbagai pekerjaan aneh dan berkeliling negara. 9 bulan kemudian, ia sedang berada di Bozeman, MY dimana ia berteman dengan seorang pembuat sadel kuda.