Empowering Small Businesses with Custom Merchandise

This chapter explores a transformative service that allows small businesses to create personalized online stores for branded merchandise, managing everything from design to shipping. It highlights the importance of sourcing quality materials, maintaining a competitive edge, and strategic hiring practices as the business grows. Additionally, the chapter discusses innovative marketing strategies that elevate brand visibility and engage communities.

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#422 How do you grow a t-shirt hustle from your parents’ basement into a $6 million brand? Today’s guest, Tom Rauen, did just that! As the founder of 1-800-Tshirts, Tom shares how he scaled his custom apparel business from a local screen printing startup into a national brand — without relying on paid advertising. Hosted by Brien Gearin, this episode dives into how Tom partnered with his mom as his first employee, figured out when to wear multiple hats versus hire help, and used outside-the-box marketing stunts (like breaking a Guinness World Record) to fuel viral growth. You’ll also hear how he uses personalized customer service, branded online stores, and high-quality swag to help small businesses turn merch into a profit center. This is a masterclass in scaling, branding, and customer experience!

What we discuss with Tom:

+ From basement startup to $6M brand

+ Partnering with his mom early on

+ Scaling to 42 employees

+ Navigating hiring and delegation

+ Acquiring the 1-800-Tshirts brand

+ Creating branded online stores

+ Turning merch into a profit center

+ Prioritizing customer experience

+ Unique marketing stunts and PR

+ Competing with big players like 4imprint

Thank you, Tom!