Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

"We try to tell a bigger story than just 'screen printing.' Is it a good route? I don't know, but it's worked for us." We interview Lucas and Joe from Rowboat Creative (one of Chicago's most unique screen printing businesses) at Impressions Expo 2020. From getting a new shop dog that just wandered in off the street to purchasing an M&R Digital Squeegee, 2019 was a huge year for Rowboat Creative. Read the full interview and learn more about Rowboat here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/rowboat-creative-at-iss-2020 But just because Rowboat has been successful doesn't mean it's been easy. Lucas and Joe have crafted one of Chicago's most iconic screen printing brands – but they do much more than just print shirts for super-famous music acts. They do experiential branding, highly customized events, stage sets, secret projects they can't even disclose...and just about anything else. They are experts at making ideas into reality. After 13 years of grinding it out as hardcore screen printers, Lucas and Joe have a lot of empathy for people in the industry. “I think everyone who’s a long-time screen printer knows exactly where I am right now. So we are trying to make it better for the upcoming crew,” Joe said. Rowboat’s team celebrated some major wins in 2019: Their employees stepped up and took the Rowboat mission to heart. “We’re going in the right direction. People have bought in. They are hyped to represent the company.” Their focus on internal processes started to pay off. “When you get your first Speedball kit in your basement, you’re not thinking about HR and paperwork and training.” They got an English Bulldog, for free. “He just walked in the shop and stayed. Now he’s ours. Jablonski!” They held a surprise engagement party at their shop. “Steven Farag got engaged at our shop. Wait, nevermind, that was definitely the biggest moment! We’re hosting weddings now!” It’s been a treat to watch Rowboat grow and evolve this year. Read more here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/rowboat-creative-at-iss-2020 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 #screenprinting #printlife #dtg #screenprintlife #printavo #printhustlers #embroidery #branding #marketing #sales #chicago #musicmerch #merchandise #merch Follow our Soundcloud! New podcasts every week!

What's the biggest mistake screen print shop owners make? They focus on the wrong things - or worse, they're just not focused at all. The screen printing industry is a challenging one. Every time you print on a shirt for a customer, you're taking a small risk. There's a lot on the line. Read Bruce's thoughts about focusing on your screen printing shop here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/focus-i... Bruce from Printavo sits down with Steven Farag from Campus Ink for another episode of the PrintHustlers podcast. They have a candid conversation about how difficult it is to focus when you own a growing business. What's the biggest downfall for most screen print shop owners? It's a lack of focus. This happens several ways: - Owners are spread too thin. They're answering too many questions, causing extreme distraction - Owners are doing tasks they're not good at. Worse, they're stuck doing tasks they don't even like - Owners are not focused on high-value tasks. They're really busy...but not doing things that will actually help improve the business - Owners are focused on short-term fixes and problems. They're just trying to get through the day – not focused on achieving long-term goals Screen printing is a notoriously difficult industry. There are genuine barriers to growth and improvement. From garments suppliers, low margins, misfit customers, challenging employees, and a lack of industry standards – there's no lack of headaches. Here's the biggest takeaway: you don't have to be everything to every customer. And you shouldn't try. Screen print shops thrive when they focus on the right customers, the right message, and the right goals that will propel them forward. If you can summarize your focus for the next year, you'll be armed with a powerful tool to help you understand what you should do next. It makes every decision along the way that much easier. Read the full article: https://www.printavo.com/blog/focus-i... 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 #screenprinting #printlife #smallbiz #smallbusiness #growth #printhustlers #printavo #screenprintlife #ryonet #powertheprint #customprinting #dtg #embroidery Subscribe! New podcasts every week!

If you're a screen printer like Justin Lawrence, you need a giant eagle holding a squeegee dripping with ink. Where? On your ankle, of course! We interview Justin from Oklahoma Shirt Company at Impressions Expo 2020 while he gets a tattoo at the Ryonet booth. He's no stranger to tattoos, but Justin's a trooper and answers our questions about his screen printing business with ease. 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