Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

Join Ali Banholzer from Wear Your Spirit Wearhouse at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 and learn how to overcome whatever life throws at you. Her story will stun you: her husband, Air Force Colonel and Air Force One Commander Dave Banholzer, faced a grave diagnosis. Their family's life went from flying around the world in service of the President to a complete focus on the health and wellbeing of their beloved father and husband. Ali entered custom apparel as a hobby, but grew her business in the midst of tremendous upheaval in her life. We've seen everyone in our industry face unparalleled changes: from new products like masks to pivoting toward e-commerce, businesses around the US and the world have faced their challenges with grit, integrity, and perseverance. Ali Banholzer is a model for our industry to aspire to. But – and this is crucial – Ali's message isn't one that tells you just to be tougher. It's about courage and kindness. Think about how you criticize yourself: "If you wouldn't say it to your child or best friend, why would you say it to yourself?" Ali asks. If you're the critic standing in your own way, now is the time to take action. After a long struggle with glioblastoma, an invasive and deadly type of brain cancer, Dave Banholzer passed away in November 2016 – after 28 months and 3 major brain surgeries. Ali's persistence, dedication, drive, and grit are something that will inspire you to keep pushing – no matter what challenges you face. 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 #screenprinting #printlife #printhustlers #printavo #screenprintlife #dtg #embroidery #merch #ecommerce #printshop #screenprint Subscribe to the Printavo channel for more amazing interviews, shop tours, and tips for your screen printing business.

Acting like a big company, even if you're a small one, is a smart idea. Why? Because this increases sales, motivates your team, and moves the business forward. Even the people and businesses we all look up to are figuring it out as they go! Big companies that have outlasted their competition understand the game: longevity is more important than "beating" your competition. But how can a small or medium sized business get big business results? By acting like a bigger business. Here are some tips and strategies. 1. Find the right team! When you find people you can trust, you can fully delegate responsibilities and begin taking charge of your business. DELEGATE! 2. Do the things you love – and hire people to do the things you don't. Someone else can do it just as well (if not better) than you. Learn to LET GO. 3. Don't trip over a dollar to save a dime. You need to be strategic, even in the small things, to make your business really click. Know how to PRIORITIZE. 4. Spend on things that save time and effort. You'll spend $60,000 on a new screen printing press, but won't invest in software or a new computer to help your people work faster? That's not good! Big businesses INVEST. 5. Really dive deep with your team in 1-on-1 meetings. This will help clarify their mission and let you know if they're really aligned. Be OPEN. 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 #screenprinting #printlife #printhustlers #printavo #screenprintlife #dtg #embroidery #merch #ecommerce #printshop #screenprint Subscribe to the Printavo channel for more amazing interviews, shop tours, and tips for your screen printing business.

The juicy details behind SanMar's rise are in here. The biggest purchaser of t-shirts and apparel will leave you stunned: from humble beginnings in Seattle to a powerhouse multinational manufacturer and distributor in a competitive industry. Screen printing is in good hands with people like SanMar President Jeremy Lott, and you'll know why as soon as you listen to this exclusive interview. Get the scoop here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/sanmar-with-jeremy-lott Apparel wholesale giant SanMar has a fascinating story. Join President Jeremy Lott on this episode of the PrintHustlers podcast. Jeremy manages more than 4,000 employees at his family’s company – but he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “I really had to prove to everyone that I deserved it. So I worked my ass off to get here,” Jeremy says. SanMar became a distribution company after Jeremy’s dad sent every screen print shop in Seattle a letter with his customer list. “I’m not going to be your competitor anymore. Here’s my customer list. But I’d love to be your supplier,” Jeremy recounted. By staying small and developing a niche ability to source and manufacture garments like polo shirts, SanMar rose to prominence. Overcoming one of the apparel industry’s major challenges during the 1990s, SanMar strategically moved toward making their own apparel. Jeremy explained: “The power imbalance between the mills and the wholesalers was huge. We started making our own product. From private label, to sourcing – we became a real apparel company.” In the 2000s, SanMar expanded its footprint and developed deeper relationships with world-class brands. More info and truly wild stories from SanMar: https://www.printavo.com/blog/sanmar-with-jeremy-lott On pace to grow at more than 8% through 2020, SanMar – like many others in the custom apparel industry – has been hit hard by the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “But the most important time I spend is with my leadership team. That’s really what I prioritize in my day,” Jeremy says. Despite not seeing his team for more than 4 months, SanMar’s talented staff has stepped up to the challenge – without a single layoff. SanMar continues to invest in technology to lead the way toward sustainable practices. Jeremy dives into SanMar’s focused mission on sustainability, detailing how the company uses king grass to generate clean electricity for its South American manufacturing facilities. From managing 4,000 employees to re-inventing how apparel companies generate energy, SanMar and President Jeremy Lott have led the industry toward a brighter future. Printavo's blog has tons of interviews, insights, and ridiculously good articles about screen printers: https://www.printavo.com/blog/sanmar-with-jeremy-lott 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

From screen printing in a garage in 2012 to a 4,000 square foot print shop in 2020, Flash Flood Print Studios in Tulsa, OK was on-track to mature, develop, and grow. We interview May Yang and chat about everything from hiring, why they purchased their first M&R automatic press in 2018, promoting a new production manager, and writing their shop's complete instruction manual – all during a global pandemic. See pictures of Flash Flood Print's shop and read more here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/flash-flood-print-interview The story is familiar: a print shop that’s run by people that resemble multitasking superheroes more than regular business owners. “You wear all the hats when you start out, so we never had time to develop outside sales,” May said. Instead of jumping through hoops and trying to survive day-to-day, May planned to use 2020 to develop solid methods to handle training, hiring print shop employees, and even using Printavo. Despite a steady stream of sales since 2018 that's fed their new automatic press, time for experimentation and development has been scarce. “We’re trying different CRMs and apps, it’s all new. Right before this hit, we were really focused on a solid sales strategy,” May told us. See inside Flash Flood Print Studios (and see their amazing shop dog, Squeegee): https://www.printavo.com/blog/flash-flood-print-interview “Hiring is a lot of trial and error,” May said. “We have a strong culture [...] we ask off-the-wall, weirdo questions that wouldn’t normally get asked in a job interview.” So what kind of questions do they ask? “Well, one is ‘What playlist would you put on during the day?’ We won’t hire you based on your music choice, but it’s a peek into somebody’s character!” May jumped into Printavo Merch online stores to get the team back together after the pandemic. “Our store is called Rising Tide Fundraiser,” May said. “Our pitch was: we’ll help you with the design, we’ll give you this much money for each sale, we’re just asking you to promote it.” After finding the right businesses to support, throwing together some catchy designs, and quickly building a Merch store, Flash Flood Print surpassed more than $30,000 in sales through one online storefront. A huge thanks to May for taking the time to chat with us! Read more and see inside this amazing Tulsa, OK shop: https://www.printavo.com/blog/flash-flood-print-interview 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

Heard of Supacolor? If you haven’t, your print shop is missing out. Their unique heat transfers are some of the best in the industry. It’s a water based heat transfer, arriving fully cured – with no weeding or trimming required. Functionally, Supacolor is a way to tackle complex, colorful, low-volume jobs. Visit Supacolor: https://www.supacolor.com We talk to Supacolor’s Mike Modgill and Rum Walia on today’s PrintHustlers podcast. Mike’s from New Zealand, and his connection with Rum in Los Angeles stems directly from Rum’s quest to find the perfect heat transfer. I wanted to create this same type of product, but we were a few millimeters off. Mike pulled out a Supacolor transfer. ‘We’ve already made it. We’ve done it.’ - Rum Walia “You can basically extend the capabilities of your shop with a cheap heat press and some Supacolor,” says Mike. “This is a technical solution to complex problems. We allow you to say yes to more customers.” With production facilities in Los Angeles, the UK, and New Zealand, Supacolor heat transfers have started appearing across the globe. Supacolor has invested in turnaround time from the very start. After all, if Supacolor’s heat transfers can’t meet the fast turnaround times that custom printing demands, there’s no value added. So they’ve focused diligently on their process, developing a rapid-fire methodology for delivering on time. Snag a sample pack and learn more here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/supacol... “If we tell you that we ship the next day, we better ship the next day! No one cares if you’re low on mylar or ink,” explains Rum. “People want their product now. We knew we had to win over screen printers, because they typically don’t like transfers. So we started with eliminating the speed factor from the beginning.” That focus on speed extends beyond shipping: the product itself is intended to compete with screen printing a complex job. 10 to 12 seconds on the heat press is all of the time that many Supacolor applications need. “It had to be goof-proof. Just train someone to heat press right away. Speed was always key,” Mike says. Because of the unique printing process Supacolor uses, the transfers arrive fully cured. There’s no loss of opacity or quality when you use a heat press on a Supacolor transfer. “It’s thick and robust and layered, not like a normal plastisol transfer. It’s a proper old-school transfer with a new spin on it,” Mike says. Fascinatingly, Supacolor found that having an identical “kitchen” for producing and shipping their unique heat transfers isn’t the key to success. “Our Los Angeles shop was an exact replica of our New Zealand shop – machines, software, layout. But we totally forgot about the people,” Mike tells us. Where have they found the best employees? From the fast food industry! “Your typical screen printer is not going to do the things we want to do. People from the fast food industry are tremendously talented at working under pressure. They are experts at looking at screens and finishing complex orders,” Rum explains. Snag a sample pack and learn more here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/supacol... Supacolor’s heat transfers are stellar – grab one of their sample packs if you want to see for yourself. They’re truly vibrant and durable prints that maintain quality wash after wash. What’s impressed us at Printavo is Supacolor’s laser-focus on a positive outcome for their customers. Rum summarizes it well: “We look at Supacolour as an experience, not a product. For customers, employees, anyone involved. We want to leave you with positive energy and a great experience.” 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

Learn how to make your print shop a better business from "What the Heck is EOS?", Tom Bouwer – at PrintHustlers Conf 2020. Tune in here for a sneak peek. Tom described three key concepts from the book, "Traction," as “not hard to master.” Just remember: keep your goals specific, measurable, obtainable, realistic, and timely. Register (for free!) for PrintHustlers Conf 2020 here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-tom-bouwer 90 day objectives, level 10 meetings, and issue solving. What are these? They're tools to take your first step toward a better functioning shop. “Progress; not perfection,” Tom urged. All screen printing shops have taken a hit in some capacity these past few months. No matter where you are, there is no better time than now to build a new system and healthier culture for the sake of your business's future. Reflect on what you really want from your business. Tom suggests taking the time to set core values and ensure they're consistent throughout the entirety of your print shop. Setting KPIs (key performance indicators) for each individual, as well as your shop as a whole, will guide your decision making. It doesn’t need to be perfect, you just need to start with something. These numbers don’t need to be accurate, but at least they give you direction and show if you’re doing it the same way every week or doing better or worse. Tom has found the only way to grow stronger is a conscious effort to design growth into the very structure of your business. “If you don’t have scalability, you’re not going to be able to grow. Structure first,” Tom shared. Join us to hear about how EOS, scalability, and opportunity will reset your shop at Print Hustlers Conf 2020 July 23-24: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-tom-bouwer 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

Allmade Apparel has joined forces with SanMar to distribute ethically made, ecologically friendly t-shirts across the world. Designed by screen printers with screen printing in mind, Allmade’s tri-blend t-shirt has become one of the industry’s coveted products. Bruce from Printavo sits down with Allmade founders Brett Bowden (Printed Threads) and Mel Lay (SandiLake Clothing) and co-host Steven Farag to discuss this incredible partnership. Allmade is about more than t-shirts. From their Impact Calculator that shows how much water and plastic they’ve diverted through their ecological efforts to their partnership with Haitian factories that emphasize fair wages and fair treatment, Allmade has set out to make a difference in the garment and apparel industry. More than a dozen screen printers from around the world joined forces to make a t-shirt that had a story behind it – and it worked. It turns out making a t-shirt...isn’t so easy. From supply constraints to civil unrest in Haiti, Allmade’s success has come with a huge variety of challenges. Screen print shop owners aren’t supply chain gurus – or experts in geopolitics. Sanmar’s deep knowledge of distribution networks, timing deliveries, and even managing what colors and sizes to keep in stock will prove tremendously valuable for Allmade. For Allmade customers, there’s hardly any change. Orders are routed through Sanmar’s website now, which means Sanmar’s vast customer base can now access Allmade’s high-quality t-shirts. This means the Allmade team can focus on what they’re great at: telling the Allmade story. No more worrying about whether the Space Black t-shirt is in stock...it’s time for the Allmade founders to hit the gas on marketing, selling, and making an even bigger impact with the Allmade brand. The future is exciting, even if it’s precarious. While this partnership has been in the works for more than a year, Allmade found a tremendous reception from the industry at large to their brand’s story. The impact that a t-shirt company can make is surprisingly large, and Allmade is determined to do more than sell shirts. They’re making a visible impact on a large industry with a tremendous social, ecological, and economic impact. Allmade: https://www.allmade.com Sanmar: https://www.sanmar.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

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