Taking a deep breath of fresh air through our noses and out our mouths, and discussing optimism. Also, really just checking in on each other, and answering listener questions. Topics of discussion include: tattoos, employees leaving, used presses being worth the journey, optimism, maturing, if you could go back, health, group chats, Bon Jovi, movies, and cucumbers.
Mario Diamore has made quite a splash in the Instagram world with his screen printing reels, and has already amassed over 100K followers in a relatively short amount of time. But he's still a one man show (for the time being), and has really carved out a path for his business through cultivating a list of clients that he can truly collaborative with, instead of chasing every lead that comes his way. Topics of discussion include: Moving, Uber driving, prioritizing verbal communication, laced edib...
As a concert photographer on Warped Tour, Brendan Stearns learned branding and marketing firsthand from his tour mates. When he put the camera down and returned home to Chatham, Cape Shark was born. Topics of discussion include: Retail branding, finding your margins, losing drivers licenses, leaving the family business, stickers, pop ups, moving, back surgery, and Adam Sandler.
We were so stoked to nerd out with Ray from Avient. We haven't had a proper schooling on the pod in awhile, so sharpen your pencils and sit up straight, we're dumping a 5 gallon bucket of ink straight into your dome. Topics of discussion include: Why so many brands, why so many white inks, the history of plastisol, pantone matching, underbaking hacks, and what the future holds for shirt paint.
What started as a high end clothing brand from Chicago, has not only grown into a massive producer in the entertainment industry, but has also just expanded their operations to the coast with a brand new location in Daytona. Growth is the goal, and Rich Santo is the 'Systems Engineer' mitigating the growing pains, and keeping the family business as efficient as possible. Topics of discussion include: Prioritizing Technology, The Daytona 500, working with family, partnering outside of your comfor...
After serving 8 years as an Army medic, Tyler Adams' military career was cut short when he sustained a severe back injury from a car bomb in Iraq. When he returned to Utah, he found a new home with Black Rifle Coffee Company. Since joining the BRCC crew, Tyler and his team of veterans and refugees have successfully brought their merchandising in-house, and are now operating the best smelling print shop in the world. Topics of discussion include: Backup cams, tag bot, transitioning from outsourci...
Black Dog Printing is the black sheep of Richmond, IN. Jon and his crew have been making noise in their town by turning the local news into satyrical shirts, and let's just say not everybody thinks it's funny... but we sure as hell do. Topics of discussion include: shop visits, valuing culture vs data, idiot signs, emotional backpacks, Jim Jones, failure, and whether or not it's better to fake it til you make it, or be honest.
While they may act like they've been wingin' it since '07, Monster Press has made a name for themselves in this industry, and it wasn't by happenstance. Will & Ziggy are the modest duo behind Monster, and their operation is well thought out, and fueled by a genuine desire to be better. Topics of discussion include: Defining your roles, setting standards, tagging, hiring, working in auto pilot, forced growth, CTS probs, taking on too much stress, and Wife Swap.
By definition, Johnny Cupcakes is a cult classic. Where they lack a blockbuster level of brand awareness, they excel in having fostered a diehard fanbase who just... gets it. And if you don't get it, you probably weren't supposed to in the first place. If you're familiar with the world's greatest fakery, put on some sweats and snack on some nutritional yeast popcorn with this old favorite. If you're a first timer, here's your chance to join the club. Topics of discussion include: The value of en...
Bridging the gap between the buzzing city of Santa Barbara, and the calm rural town of New Cuyama (a short 2 hour drive away), High Desert Print Co. is making shirts happen, and Garrett Gerstenberger wouldn't have his operations running any other way. Topics of discussion include: the pros and cons of having separate production and sales facilities, logistics and couriers, integrating into a small community, industry wide bippage, running skeleton crews, projects, Island View Outfitters, trustin...
Maybe it's just that we're all back home after a bunch of travel, or the fact that Garrett is such a damn good conversationalist, but gosh darn it this one felt GOOD. No matter how many big steps he's taken with his business already, Garrett is yet again deciding between taking another big leap forward with Pine Print Shop, or maybe just sitting tight for awhile and increasing his efficiencies with the space and equipment he already has. Who better to weigh in on such a decision than top tier pr...
Day 2 at ISS Long Beach 2023 with half of our hosts, Summer from Gildan, Jessica from colorPOP Print Studio, AP from Denimrush, and a whole gang of BoD members!
We are down on the show floor at ISS Long Beach 2023, and we are joined by guests: Mitch Heiman, Chuck Ward, Kevin Freeman, Tony Diaz, and Aaron Draplin.
Ellen Tucker is the VP of Revenue & Expositions at PPAI, and she was kind enough to hold our hands through this crazy idea that printers can actually expand into the world of promotional products. Turns out it's actually not as daunting as we've always thought it to be. Topics of discussion include: Playing injured, Mr. Vegas, the first steps to take in getting into the promo product game, the supply chain behind promo products, why we should consider expanding outside of screen printing, sa...
Garrett Cole decided to buy a print shop instead of going to college. Now with a full DIY education under his belt, he's rebranded, gone auto, and is moving into a bigger and better space. Topics of discussion include: Cocaine Bear, pursuing a niche, the low barrier of entry in the garment decorating industry, training first hires, mind maps, sheets, and hot wieners.
We got together with James Baker of The Tipping Point, and Terry Curry of Ottawa Custom Clothing. They are running their own businesses under the same roof, and while it may be unclear at times where one business starts and the other ends, their goals are shared in pushing each other forward. Topics of discussion include: Navigating partnerships, AI art, press teams, OSHA projects, possibly expanding into embroidery, improving work environments, and the singular redeeming quality of Ottawa....
Merry New Year! Can't move into the future without taking stock of the past, so we're recapping this past year's challenges and achievements, on both shop and personal levels. What did we learn, and how will we take these experiences into the new year? Topics of discussion include: Gains, walking, travel, whether or not Andy has truly ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton, stepping away, choosing to grow or scale back, and shop resolutions.
Happy holidays from us to you, and a Merry Sickmas from Dilly! Our gift to you is this big shiny knowledge dense conversation we got to have with Jeffrey Paul from Youngone. He works at a laughably larger scale than us, and generally has to commute to the opposite side of the globe, but since he dumbed his vocab down to a first grade level for us, we found that his story is not only valuable to hear, but relatable even to the smallest printer. Topics of discussion include: Fever Dreams, Dylan's ...
Tis the season of the Christmas bippage, and while the number of incoming orders may be dropping, some team members happen to be dropping too thanks to the flu. But while we're doing our best to persevere these end of year challenges, we got to turn all those bad feelings into good feelings when we zoomed our way over to Sweden and had a great conversation with Carl Persson from Hart Tryck. Apart from being our number one Swedish listener, he's had a hell of a journey getting his shop off the gr...
We caught up with Sterling Maynard of Old South Print Co. and we got right into it with him. Did manage to pedal back a bit and get his story though, and how college led to his success, but not necessarily from his degree. Topics of discussion include: Press support, employee turnover, being a boss, double dipping, greek life, Old Row, safety data sheets, OSHA violations, holiday plans, and Guy Fieri.
After most of us have finished giving thanks with our families over a nice American turkey dinner, we'd like to give extra thanks to Josh from Lancaster for having a do-over with us and making this podcast happen. Practice makes perfect though, and we had a better conversation in the end, with great debates and insight into the paths we take as small business owners. Topics of discussion include: Honey Baked Ham, best time to hire, new equipment, importance of progression, working with your spou...
Allison Lupski is an international businesswomen operating Custom Crew Wear in Fort Meyers, FL. She's still cranking prints out while her family and community are working through the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, counting their blessings, and cracking open mich ultras. Topics of discussion include: In-laws, Thanksgiving, delegating, fancy laminated cards, preparing, rebuilding, Christmas in pajamas, Alone, and thick soup.
Brandon has recently gone all in on running his own shop, and he's gone straight for the auto. After years of printing at another shop, and some time traveling around the country and printing at other shops, he's diving head first into self employment. Topics of discussion include: What it took to leave his job, traveling printers, water based ink, hiring, goals, and hair traps.
Ever since a traumatic and scarring incident in 4th grade gym class, Dom Rosacci has been on the path to change the print game for the better, and leave the planet in better shape than he found it. Enter, Superior Ink. Of all the episodes of Shirt Show, this is by far the ripest. Topics of discussion include: Pigeon homicide, what to do in a slow down, whale clients, Allmade, sustainability, top shelf analogies, hiring the homeless, content creation, and conversations between pine trees.
This episode is a big one for us, so we're happy Kevin & Summer could speak with us on behalf of Gildan, and we're stoked to bring this insightful conversation to you all. Topics of discussion include: Learning and working in new cultures, pantone matching, how to pronounce GILDAN, board of decorators, predicting trends, tear away tags, tubular vs side seams, American Apparel, Comfort Colors, pigment vs reactive dyes, and sustainability.
We recorded this episode on the show floor at Print United in Las Vegas. Joined by a bunch of our favorite people attending the event, sharing what we're eyeballing, and having a good time. Topics of discussion include: Equipment, finishing, lobster claw games, connecting with the print community, DTF, the value of pokemon cards, and screen printing summer camp.
Not every printer buys the first shop they've ever seen, but Mykel Lamar is not your average printer. With printing always being a side hustle of Mykel's throughout his dancing career, he's switched to printing full time and has turned his neighborhood shop around for the better as ECG Graphics. Topics of discussion include: Baseball, video SOPs, security systems, stolen cars, guerilla marketing, growing into the new age of marketing, first prints, and Dahmer.
Scott Hedbloom of Elite Ink started printing with his siblings in their hometown of Davenport, Iowa when they saw an opportunity to provide a local service to their community. Now facing some big changes, we had a great discussion with Scott on his shop and what the future will hold for them. Topics of discussion include: Screen racking, tagging, long lost sons, virtual assistants, chasing big accounts, wowing your customers, hibachi, and the distance between your nipples.
The Do-Over. We record this podcast over the internet, and technology has a way of sucking sometimes. So with a few hours of our time and good conversation lost, Pete Shaulis was kind enough to sit down with us again and record an episode for real this time, out of the kindness of his heart, and his love for all of you. Topics of discussion include: Hurricane Ian Printer Fund, stamping, managing art, whether or not Gary V is worth listening to, managing people, premium contract printing, buying ...
All your favorite screen printing podcasters at once, recording on the show floor of ISS Ft Worth 2022. BIG shoutout to Jared of the Golden Boys for making this happen as smoothly as possible, I can only imagine the shit show that would've been sent my way to edit without you💀 - Love Chad
