Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

Graphic Elephants’ Lon Winters spoke with us about pushing your print shop’s workflow to the next level. He will share a further look at how your culture and workflow combine to impact your bottom-line on July 23rd at PrintHustlers Conf 2020. Lon told us the success of a screen printing business relies on thousands of variables. He said that “[t]here is a magic balance of controlling the variables and still being creative that is critically important. I will go into more detail during PrintHustlers Conf [...] But ultimately, the key is beginning to start to wrap your head around the right variables.” The right variables for success: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-lon-winters One of these variables? The culture of your company. Through years of experience, Lon has found a crucial fact about the culture in any business: “We can’t teach culture. The only thing we can do is identify it.” The difference between day-to-day positive or negative energy in the print shop can completely transform the business. “Usually, that attitude comes from the top down. When there are internal things that a business owner has to look in the mirror about, that [crisis] is when you’re in a position to reevaluate,” Lon shared. During unsettling times, it’s easy to have disappointing and upsetting conversations. But according to Lon, it is also the perfect time to recognize flaws in your workflow – and strive to become a better business. “It’s key to create a sense of ownership. We really push on that constantly. If you take pride in your own work space, it will reflect on how the rest of the operations set up,” Lon added. Join us on July 23rd to hear more about the variables that Lon Winter believes will set you up for success. Reserve your space here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-lon-winters Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

It is easy to burnout as a screen printer. From hiring employees, reaching hard deadlines, and everything in between, this is a challenging industry – and balancing family, friends, and hobbies on top of it seems practically impossible. To prevent burnout, Clinical psychologist, Dr. Sherry Walling tells us there are some important things we should devote our focus to. Having spent her entire career focused on the mental health of entrepreneurs and business owners, and sharing her expertise primarily in her Zen Founder Podcast, (https://zenfounder.com) we asked Dr. Sherry Walling to join us at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 for a meaningful conversation about turning your business into a product that you are passionate about. Reserve your spot here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-dr-walling Dr. Sherry Walling shares how to find a happy medium between your career and personal life to provide an environment for better mental health. So should you just balance work and life? “Balancing is a tricky term, because it implies there is equal emphasis on everything. The thing I like to focus on is work-life integration,” she tells us. In order to have work-life integration, you need to start with articulating the difference between your spaces. By interacting with what you value the most in each of your spaces, it’s easier to build a healthier lifestyle. “When you look at all the things on your to-do list, all of the things that have to do with growing a thriving business, what brings you deep joy? What is an interesting problem to solve? What is most meaningful? Give the bulk of your attention, time and energy to those things.” “I am looking forward to hanging out with all of you in July. It will be cool to see how we can set up a really great event online.” Join us during our two day live-stream event for insights into finding your happiness: Dr. Sherry Walling’s masterful presentation will set the foundation for a shift in your perspective. Reserve your spot at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 here: https://www.printhustlers.com Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

Wear Your Spirit Warehouse’s Ali Banholzer turned her screen printing hobby into her livelihood despite traumatic family hardships. She will speak PrintHustlers Conf 2020 to share with us how she pivoted her business into the viable and successful print shop it is today. Get your tickets to see Ali here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhu... Her husband was blessed with success in his career as an Air Force officer. Their family of 4 felt like they were on cloud 9 until 2014 when her husband experienced a grand mal seizure. By November 2016, he passed. After grieving, it was time for Ali to find a way to push her screenprinting business forward after moving back and forth between commercial space and working from home. “I started hustling to grow the business. We rapidly outgrew our space within a year. Before COVID hit, we were on a fast trajectory up,” Ali said. Despite these challenges that life has thrown at her, she’s become stronger as a business owner thanks to her can-do attitude. Instead of shutting down during coronavirus, Ali asked: “What can I do to become an essential business?’” Ali was able to find the key to success for her company. With an emphasis on the foundation (processes and procedures), she built a culture that values her employees first. “If you can look at the intrinsic and non-monetary benefits in hiring, two things happen. You get a different niche of employee who wants to be there because of those intrinsic benefits, not because of money, and you build loyalty,” she said. Ali has repeatedly found ways to flourish in times of distress. She will join us at Printavo’s PrintHustlers Conf 2020 on July 23rd to share how she used her strength and passion to build her business. Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

SHIRT KONG’s Andy Rudman runs one of screen printing’s most interesting shops. We invited him to PrintHustlers Conf 2020, and now he’s giving us a virtual shop tour on July 23rd. “I have this idea of a live shop tour,” he told us. “I was really excited about being in person at PrintHustlers Conference. I know from being there last year it was so cool, and the energy that’s there, so we'll bring some of that to the web.” Join us at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 (it's free!): https://www.printhustlers.com Andy discussed the ups-and-downs of running a screen printing business during a turbulent period of change. When he started Shirt Kong, he’d place an ad in something called a “phone book.” Soon, he’d have to adjust to new technology: “Marketing shifted to Google, and we spent time trying to educate ourselves on this new thing called SEO.” But marketing is not Shirt Kong’s biggest asset: it’s their unique and ability to tell a fascinating story. Their remarkable Instagram account is a prime example: a t-shirt screen printing shop with 12,000 followers? “We’ve grown with word of mouth, referrals and SEO. You have these customers and it starts to snowball,” Andy said. “I started sharing our shop’s day-to-day story. I thought that was real. If anyone was looking through Instagram, they’d see...this is a real shop. And they’d identify with it. It worked.” Andy posts pictures and videos to the Shirt Kong Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shirtkong) that pull the curtain back on their busy operation. Get your tickets to see Shirt Kong's shop here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-shirt-kong Just as Shirt Kong was hitting their stride and expanding into a 12,000 square foot facility, coronavirus hit. “We expanded at the perfect time,” Andy joked. But it’s been an opportunity to take stock of what really matters. “I’ve spent so much time here at the shop. I love this place,” Andy said, “but family and friends are where it’s at. I probably need to spend a little more time away from here, as soon as we’re out of this mess.” Andy will join us at Printavo’s PrintHustlers Conf 2020 on July 23rd for a live shop tour of Shirt Kong. Featuring two days of live-streamed presentations to arm you with the resources and knowledge you need to survive 2020, PrintHustlers Conf 2020 is free and open to all. Reserve your space now: https://www.printhustlers.com Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

Reinvention! We rarely have time to pause and create the business we want. This time is an opportunity to create the leadership, processes, and financial plan that you've really wanted. Are you changing your print shop during this slowdown? Do you have a plan for the regular winter slowdown? Here's some effective ideas for how to improve your screen printing business: Implement Profit First. Allocate those percentages, go back through your books! Listen to his talk again: https://www.printavo.com/blog/profit-first-full-presentation Finally tape off your shipping and receiving department. Some shops even have their shop physically laid out like their Printavo account! Refine your QA process. Create videos and training documentation to help people make better work. When people return to work, they've got an easy-to-follow set of instructions. Start getting 100% downpayment. Now you can update your terms & conditions! Do you want to do artwork in-house? Or maybe outsource art to a company like GraphXsource? Figure out a process that works better for you. And if you want to dive deep into what it means to really work on your business, check out this article: https://www.printavo.com/blog/working-on-your-screen-printing-business Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

Homestretch Sportswear in Ohio saw a webinar about Printavo Merch and decided to give it a shot. "The outcome was unbelievable. We had such amazing community support," Kelly from Homestretch told us. Can a small town still raise money with online stores? How can you grow outside of your small town as a screen print shop? With 2 locations in two small towns in Ohio, Homestretch has recently adopted Printavo Merch and quickly made more than $60,000 in sales. "We took it upon ourselves to stay focused. Before this, we would say, it'd be nice if the world would stop for a moment. So what did we always want to take the time to do? We've just started checking that list," Kelly said. Their local Chamber of Commerce helped to promote the stores and Homestretch to local businesses. By knowing their local networks of businesses, "They heard about us from different angles at the same time," Kelly said. "They just send their logo, email that to Homestretch, and we add them onto the store," Kelly told us. "I didn't expect it to take off. But it was crazy!" They've spent years wrangling with Excel spreadsheets and struggling to take orders for their yearly team packs, but now it's much easier to create stores and accurately ship and track orders. "We always get complimented on our individual bagging, just the convenience of it – be sure you're catering to those businesses." Homestretch Sportswear has pivoted and adapted to a new era in screenprinting. We're thrilled to have their back and help them keep pushing through! Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf (online!): https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

In this surprisingly candid interview, Ryan Moor from Ryonet and Allmade tells his wild story about creating, selling, and pivoting his business to sell face masks. Should screen printers sell face masks right now? Ryan answers this question (and many more). Ryonet and Allmade pivoted quickly to designing, selling, and distributing Allmade’s unique Allmask during the early days of the coronavirus crisis. “The production facility in Los Angeles was a madhouse,” Ryan told us. “The economics of making a profit selling a high-quality mask are difficult. It’s less fabric than a t-shirt, but the small hand movements involved make it labor-intensive.” Read more about Ryonet here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/mask-adventures-with-ryonet Ryan has the inside scoop on what’s going to happen next with the brand new face mask industry. This is a can’t miss episode of Printavo’s PrintHustlers podcast. Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

Get It Got It LLC is a small mom-and-pop shop in Pennsylvania. After having a baby on March 13th, Courtnee Wampole returned from the hospital to a totally changed world. Courtnee tried Printavo Merch online stores after sales dried up during the pandemic. Using her connections in her local Chamber of Commerce and from previous sales to her local school district, she successfully pitched Merch stores just by sending links to a few example stores. Check out the Printavo blog for more stories and tips: https://www.printavo.com/blog/running-merch-stores-and-having-a-baby "We saw online stores purely as a long-term play, thinking 3-6 months down the road. I wasn't expecting anything to happen right now. We pay our $99 now and maybe it turns into just one $1,000 order down the road – that makes it worth it. I just didn't expect it to pay off right away." After the district sent the link to students and teachers, she immediately had thousands of dollars in sales through her Merch store. "We don't know how to make a website, or make online stores. So we really couldn't do it without this tool right now," Courtnee told us. Courtnee has tons of practical tips. Her story of perseverance, a little luck, and a lot of hard work is both fun and inspiring. From getting on the local radio and newspapers to having a gameplan for running online stores, Courtnee shares a ton of interesting insights. Thanks and congratulations Courtnee! Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo Check out the Printavo blog for more stories and tips: https://www.printavo.com/blog/running-merch-stores-and-having-a-baby

We join Cedar City House of Print for a candid interview about their upstart screen printing business in Tennessee. They've sold Allmade's Allmask face masks, custom t-shirts, and other merchandise to fundraise for their community – both after tornadoes struck their area and during the pandemic crisis. They've found clever ways to keep generating revenue, including using Merch stores to let customers buy online. That's a testament to their can-do spirit! This husband-and-wife duo have a creative approach to marketing that lets them leverage their small size. The secret? They lean on Facebook, their community, and super personal customer service. They recently held an all-day live printing event...on Facebook Live! It drew several hundred viewers and helped them make sales throughout the day. Check out their Merch store selling Allmasks here: https://cedarcity.printavo.com/merch/allmasksale/ Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

We sit down with Danny Sweem from The M&R Companies for an honest conversation about screen printing, DTG printing, and where the entire textile printing industry is heading for 2020. Learn more and see amazing pictures of M&R HQ here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/screen-printing-will-survive Located just miles from Printavo's Chicago offices, M&R is a trusted partner for thousands of print shops across the world. Their Roselle manufacturing facility is a giant operation that produces equipment for a worldwide market. M&R's famous blue screen printing presses have a reputation for lasting decades. Now, they've taken the leap into digital and hybrid printing with their Digital Squeegee and Maverick products. But the global pandemic represents a huge speed bump for the textile industry as a whole. We discuss M&R's future, what's in store for the industry, and much more in this episode of the PrintHustlers Podcast. Q: How did you become M&R’s CEO? “Rich Hoffman (M&R’s founder and legendary CEO) called me during 2018. Our companies were having a dispute, so I thought he wanted to talk about that. He said, ‘Are you sitting down? Would you like my job?’ So after some meetings, I convinced the equity group that owns M&R that I could have the job.” Q: What’s up with the new Rebel screen printing press? SHIRT KONG is always posting about it. See pics of the Rebel here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/screen-printing-will-survive “The pandemic screwed up the launch,” Danny jokes, “But if I say too much, Thomas Trimingham [M&R’s Director of Marketing] will strangle me.” The Rebel is a new press that M&R has pioneered during the past year, with legendary screen print shop SHIRT KONG getting the very first model. “It’s a niche between the Sportsman and Gauntlet screen printing presses,” Danny says. He adds: “Once the stay-at-home order is lifted, we’ll show them to you on the show floor at M&R HQ here in Illinois.” Q: What do you say to screen print shops that are discouraged right now? “People still need t-shirts,” Danny says. He offers a positive look into human psychology: yes, this event has changed the world. But we still want to be part of our tribe, and t-shirts are a big part of how we signal that to each other. “The t-shirt is a personal billboard. You don’t put on one that you don’t believe in, that doesn’t reflect your personal attitudes and outlook on life.” But things will be tough over the next year. “Our industry was hit harder than most. We’re just above the cruise and airline and hotel industry. Baseball, football, soccer, schools, the whole thing has been impacted. But it will start coming back. Retail will be the first channel to get product out through.” Just like we’ve noted, M&R sees that print shops have stepped up and used their creative grit to power through this entire mess. Danny’s final words are a dose of realistic optimism that we all need: “People have been wildly creative. Masks, gowns...I was on the phone with a customer printing a huge number of masks and gowns. You’ll see new things come out of this. The industry will not die, it will not go away. Batten down the hatches, survive the next several months, and we’ll have new ideas and thoughts. We’ll be more creative than ever, the industry will be stronger than ever in a year from now. I promise you that.” See inside M&R's factory in Illinois here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/screen-printing-will-survive Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at PrintHustlers Conf: https://www.printhustlers.com Check out Printavo Merch: https://www.printavo.com/merch Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/printavo