If there's one true thing in life and business is that nothing ever stays the same; companies and businesses are always evolving. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll talk with Cole Lundstrom about the evolution of a career and business. He's the only guest on this podcast I've invited back for a second interview, and the reason is simple, the lessons he most recently learned with his former company, Shirt Agency, has pushed him into a new direction with a new idea called merch troop. This ...
Jan 08, 2025•32 min
If you were in the deco network ecosphere, you're probably well aware of Zach Dewhurst; he's everywhere with that software. But did you know that he also runs his own decorated apparel company and has roots that go back years? In this episode of Success Stories, we'll focus on that. We'll explore his background as a decorator and entrepreneur and chat about how he sees things as his presence is global. So get ready!
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 107
On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll chat with several Draw the Line Tees members. This nNew Jersey-based company is a Christian faith, biblically based company that is creating something unique and original with its approach to business. Owner Tracy Smith and her team Jahfar Gaines, Teona Pagan, and Zabaidah Gaines will share how they use live activations, fashion shows, and other ideas to celebrate their faith and build a business.
Dec 11, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 106
In today's success stories podcast, we're going to explore the concept of wanting to do more to be better and not to be satisfied with the status quo. Who better to discuss this topic than Atlanta-based McKenzie Brackett. He's been in the decorated apparel game since 2015 and has always strived to get better and do more. He runs his shop The Shirt Company of America that way, but has recently entered the shop software game with DecoGro. On today's show, we'll peel back the layers and find out wh...
Nov 27, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 105
On today's Success Stories podcast, you are in for a fantastic treat. Nicole Pape with Embellishr is going to join the show. Ang guess what -- she's the real deal folks! With a background in operations and running a shop, she knows what works and what doesn't. That led to an opportunity in equipment sales with ROQ US which also led to her branching off into her own company. If you haven't met Nicole yet, get ready to have your doors blown off. If you've known Nicole, you already know what I'm ta...
Nov 21, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 104
If there's one person who is quietly churning out amazing entrepreneurial ideas to help people in the decorate apparel and promotional marketing spaces, it is our guest today, Tony Wavering. Tony is fantastic at gathering information, analyzing the situation, and then building something that capitalizes on an opportunity to help and serve others to make their work smoother. He is absolutely not afraid to put in the work and get the best people to help him along the way. On today's Success Storie...
Nov 06, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 103
Do you need more sales? Is your marketing not up to stuff to generate interest in leads? If that sounds familiar, then today's Success Stories guest Bill Petrie with Brandivate will be just the ticket. For years, Bill has been actively helping companies succeed in educating the promotional products industry with his blend of humor, unique perspective and clarity of thought. He is one of the industry's leading sales thought leaders. This episode is one you're going to recommend to your staff and ...
Oct 09, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 102
Many people talk about growing their business into success, but on today's Success Stories podcast, we'll talk to a young entrepreneur who is doing that literally. Zeke Chapman owns Magnolia Loom, a completely vertical operated apparel business in Georgia. This company is unlike any other you may have heard of. It sources the cotton from local farmers, mills the fibers, spins it into yarn, creates the shirts, dyes the garments, and then ultimately prints the shirts. How does that happen? We'll l...
Sep 25, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 101
100 episodes, we've hit our bingo card milestone! And with this episode, you are in for a real treat. So Jason Peters, with S&S Activewear, is on the show today to chat about his career and also thoughts regarding the industry. Jason's been around the block, and he's been in the industry for over 25 years, holding various production leadership and consulting roles. Currently, he's the manager of the Embellishment Solutions team at S&S. So what does that mean? What does he think about the...
Sep 11, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 100
It's time for another episode of success stories today. We're thrilled to have Charlie and Nathan Belz with us, and they're not just any couple, they're the dynamic duo behind Impress Designs in Carrollton, Texas, with a sprawling, 90,000 square foot facility, they've taken the decorated apparel world by storm! Join us today as we dive into their story from the family legacy to the innovative spirit that drives their business, you're not going to want to miss this one.
Aug 28, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 99
On today success stories podcast, we'll discuss the world of headwear with Ty Kain of Crafted MFG in Denver. Ty is an expert on headwear trends and decoration styles. So if this is your jam, you're going to want to perk up and tune in embroidery, PVC patches, DTF -- he's done it all since 2016 and we're going to talk sales, decoration techniques, and, of course, tons of other stuff.
Aug 14, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 98
How is your sustainability program? Well, we all talk about the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. One apparel decorator has expanded that mantra to new heights. I'm talking about Alex Eaves with Stay Vocal. His company is a Green America certified reuse apparel brand. Stay vocal uses apparel, and creates new products for its apparel line. And we'll learn more about what Alex is doing with his company, and how you can maybe rethink ways you can incorporate new sustainable ideas into your busi...
Jul 24, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 97
Many people in this industry dream of building something special. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll chat with James Bowens with Print Villains in Booneville, Mississippi about just that. James has been in the industry for a bit and has started sold and started over with a few businesses. And today we're gonna chat about inspiration sales, the importance of getting great employees, and much more. So if you're building something along those same lines, this is one episode that you don't wa...
Jul 10, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 96
They say it takes one to know one. Well, we'll prove that theory today as JJ McCampbell is our guest on the Success Stories podcast! JJ has been helping shops with their artwork, separations and screen printing for decades, and has quite a number of shops go to person for any type of separation. On today's show, we'll chat about art, dialing in processes, and maybe even some future stuff, too. So stay tuned for a great show that you don't want to miss!
Jun 26, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 95
Sometimes you bump into people on the same wavelength as you. Today on the Success Stories podcast, we'll chat with Christie Shellenberger and Jeremy Ray, with Rock Hill Screenprinting in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Rock Hill Screenprinting is the sustainability minded shop, and Christie and Jeremy have a great industry podcast called Last Call for Plastisol. We'll get into both of those topics and more on this episode. So get ready to have fun discussing exciting things with these two dynamos!...
Jun 12, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 94
It's easy to say that sales are the lifeblood of any company. Without a steady stream of sales and new customers, most businesses will wither and die. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll head deep into the often turbulent sales waters with one of the best - John Morris, Vice President of Branded Demand Marketing for Total Technology Solutions Group. John has staked an industry reputation that's hard to beat, and has over 25 years of leading and winning in the sales game. So buckle up for a...
May 29, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 93
There could be a few twists and turns on the road success. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll chat with Jeremy Parker with Swag Space, who has dreamed up develop sold and started over a few times with his businesses? How do you launch a company, good sales, hire the best people learn from your mistakes. Jeremy will guide us through those questions and more based on his career on this episode of Success Stories. This is one you're gonna want to listen to probably a second time. So grab a c...
May 15, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 92
Are you ready to get down and dirty and dig into the real things that you need to be thinking about when it comes to marketing your business? If that's true, then today is your lucky day as we have none other than Jay Busselle the self proclaimed "Taco King" and marketing champion for the industry. As the Marketing Director for Equipment Zone, he is a treasure trove of great ideas, and excitement in ways to get your brand to resonate with your ideal customers. So buckle up buttercup, as we land ...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 91
One of the things that I've always enjoyed is talking about art with our other artists. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll wade forehead deep into some tasty art ways with my friend Jon Anderson with XLNT 3D Art. Jon has been designing amazing t-shirts for years and now, he applies his craft to something completely different: courtroom graphics for trials. So, t-shirts, courtroom exhibits, it's all a design project for Jon! It's gonna be a great show as we'll discuss design, inspiration, ...
Apr 10, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 90
It's rock star day at the Success Stories Podcast! Today, you will be lucky enough to hear all about Johanna Gottlieb, the powerhouse sales force, who lives in the windy city of Chicago. She has been a staple in the promotional products industry for a long time, and is a force multiplier for any organization she touches. On today's show, we'll learn about Joe's journey, her thoughts on education, selling and maybe even how to do things differently to stand out. So buckle up buttercup, it's time ...
Mar 27, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 89
If you've read any business books in the past few years, you'll know that a lot of them advise you to do things differently. Well, our guest today on the Success Stories podcast not only does things his own way, he authored a book to outline what he believes in, and why it should resonate with you, too. Of course, I'm talking about Ryan Schraffenberger with Promotions Guy! On today's show, we'll find out what it's like to be in a sales nomad. Focus on sustainability first, and take a Jerry Magui...
Mar 13, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 88
On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll chat with Joe Ortinau now with Ortinau Art in Pemberville, Ohio. Joe has a unique spin on running a t-shirt shop. From wearing flip-flops daily to his viewpoint on creativity. He has built a great business in his corner of Ohio. So how does he think about creating someone's new favorite shirt? You'll learn about that and more on today's show. So grab some coffee, get a pen and some paper and kick back as we dig into what makes Joe's shop a success....
Feb 28, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 87
On today's Success Stories podcast, the guest is none other than Nashville's own Adam Tanaka. Adam is a thought leader, consultant, and merch specialist and he's also an entrepreneur with several businesses to his name. On today's show, we'll chat with Adam about his origins, building companies, and you're gonna want to know this to future of merch. This is one you don't want to miss!
Feb 14, 2024•48 min•Season 4Ep. 86
You're in for a real treat on today's Success Stories podcast! Cole Lundstrom with LA-based ShirtAgency -- is on the show! Cole has been the driving force behind the success of this business since its inception in 2012. Want to know how great a shop Cole has? Well, brands like Bella + Canvas and NextLevel film their marketing videos in his shop; so you could say the team at ShirtAgency does things the right way and you'd be correct. This episode will talk to Cole about his origins, evolving his ...
Jan 24, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 85
Let's talk sales. And if you want to truly talk sales, let's chat with one of the best in the industry, Tim Gibson, Tim has held major sales roles and some of the top apparel companies in the industry. So what makes a great salesperson? Where do leads come from? How do you keep customers coming back for more? We'll get into all that and more with Tim's unique journey through the industry on today's podcast. So get ready to take some killer notes!
Jan 10, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 84
What is it like to design and print for the big boys? On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll speak with Kim Cartano, who has worked with Team Edition apparel, also known as Footlocker for over two decades. Kim will share her story, some process ideas, and what she's excited about in the future of apparel decorating. This is going to be a good one so get ready!
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 83
One art term used for decades in the decorated apparel industry is simulated process. This technique separates an image into spot colors to build the correct colors and simulate the usual four-color separation process. On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll speak with Dave Gardner, who invented and perfected that technique. We'll go to art school today and chat about other ideas too!
Dec 13, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 82
On today's Success Stories podcast, I'm delighted to have the one and only Scott Fresener on the show! Scott was instrumental in bringing DTG technology to the industry. He wrote the book "How to Print T-shirts for Fun and Profit!" And is an expert in separating art for printing. So buckle up campers, we'll have a fun episode today!
Nov 22, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 81
On today's Success Stories podcast, we'll talk to Matt Reese with Blk Ankr Originals about his career in Maryland: the self-proclaimed sailing capital of the world, and now he has established a foothold in the Annapolis area. Matt does things his way and has a unique spin on keeping local businesses loyal to him. And we're going to learn all about that and more. So stay tuned!
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 80
Are you a fan of sports apparel? Want to know the secrets behind building something for a brand? Well, you are in luck! As today on the Success Stories podcast, we'll be speaking to Mariellen Auer with Custom Apparel Stores about just that. Whether you're starting a brand growing a brand or working with sublimated apparel, Mariellen can help you. Let's find out how she got started her philosophy of working and more on this episode. So let's get ready to have fun, kick back and hear how this expe...
Oct 25, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 79
