10 Things We Would Like to See in 2025

The tradition continues! Join the 2 Regular Guys as they unveil their highly anticipated “10 Things We Want for the Decorating Industry in 2025” list. In this annual episode, Aaron and Terry will share their hopes and aspirations for the future of garment and product decoration. From must-have innovations to game-changing ideas, they’ll cover the trends and changes they’d love to see shape the industry in the coming year. And as always, this isn’t just about their ideas – we want to hear from YOU! Join the live conversation and share your wishes and predictions for 2025. Let’s dream big and work together to create a better, brighter future for our industry!

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants, lectures, or selling. 2 Regular Guys was not created for our employers but for our industry. Since February 2013, The 2 Regular Guys have been the first and the most listened-to garment decorating industry podcast on this planet! We are humbled by all of you tuning in each week. We work hard to bring you information that will improve your business and our industry. Take a look at our incredible weekly guest list, and you’ll understand where this industry goes for news, interviews, and the heartbeat of garment decorating. Thanks for listening!

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Dad Joke

Terry: What’s a spider’s New Year’s resolution?

In 2025, to spend less time on the web

10 Things We Would Like to See in 2025

What We Were Looking for in 2024

Terry: Among manufacturers and distributors I would love to see more ongoing training and support. I think we banged on this drum many times in the past, but if possible I think it got worse in 2023. What I’m talking about is the fact we are not selling and buying just equipment, we’re selling and we’re buying technology that requires proper training and ongoing support. Why do I think it got worse in 2023? Just the sheer number of new resellers in the DTF marketplace. And too many of their customers are left high and dry by their dealers. Do better in 2024 manufacturers and dealers! Unfortunately, it’s gone in the opposite direction with some companies. (613 Originals)

Aaron: Support for grassroots programs. First I just want to shout out the support I have been getting for SkillsUSA. Epson, Conde, Craft Express, Stahls, Sewingmachine.com, Artesprix for providing the prizes. David, Nick, Stephanie, Sandy, Ann, Richard, Kristin, and Mark for their help and being the judges. Also shout out to Mimiki for their support and Insta Heat Presses for their help already in 2024. Those kids are blessed to have that support, but I think we need to be greedy. These kids are our future customers, employees and maybe even bosses. Do we want uneducated and unsupported kids, or do we want to nurture them? The local schools need more support, the state competitions need more support. Open your shop to a school. Looking at the major sublimation distributors. Outside of Conde, there are notable names missing from the list. It’s not about competition, it’s about building our future. And it’s not just SkillsUSA. There are other programs or just locally in your community. – Big shoutout to Stahls for their programs and support

Terry: Maybe garment decorating is really high school and cliques happen naturally no matter what we do. And of course, we are drawn to like-minded people. Everyone wants to belong to something bigger and be accepted. But when the industry cliques are tasked with education and managing groups, I feel a lot of educators or people who have something to contribute are looking in from the outside. It’s the same type of good ole boys and girls, just wearing different t-shirts. For 2024 I’d like to see the folks who make these decisions make these opportunities more open to everyone who wants to participate. Hope this isn’t a trend. I haven’t seen any change.

Aaron: I’m going to parrot Terry a little bit, but go at it from the other side. We need more people to step up and be educators. Lots of people have knowledge to share. DAX education program as an example. I reached out to over 50 people. Got 14 responses and most of them were the same educators. The program is great, but it would be nice to have more new faces. I’m not sure what side needs to look in the mirror, the organizers or educators, but education this year seems pretty stagnant or in the case of a show like APA, underwhelming outside of a couple of highlights. 

Terry: I believe with the surprising success of DTF printing, that maybe by Printing United we will see more of the major industry manufacturers make a serious plunge into DTF technology. It’s inevitable. I think there was some level of looking down their noses at the process, and now I’m guessing there has been some scrambling to not be left behind. Let’s remember this prediction when we’re broadcasting live from Vegas this fall at Printing United. At Printing United in Las Vegas, Epson introduced a prototype of their own DTF printer. Stay tuned. And of course, Mimaki has been shipping their own machine for a while now as well.

Aaron: Better team store option. There are a few on the market, but some are overly expensive, too narrow or hard to use. Still waiting… Prove me wrong

Terry: Based on a suggestion from a friend of the show Tom Rivet at Chicopee High School, in 2024 I’d like to see the industry create pathways to careers in the industry. Tom is training high school students in garment and product decorating already, and I’d like all of us at 2RG whether on the microphones and listening in your own businesses, to think of ways to help high school and college students find attractive opportunities for careers in our industry. Aaron, I know you are deeply involved already through Skills USA, but we can all be a part of bringing the next generation of decorators forward. I actually want to talk about this further in the 2025 section.

Aaron: Bookkeeping / Accounting specialized – Its still pretty rough out there. 

Terry: I know you’re going to put me on the clock here, but I want to at last build on my 52/15 Training and make it more than just an educational concept that I teach. We talked recently on the show about how our listeners can put this concept into action in their own shops. I’m going to do more in 2024 to help facilitate this training in shops across the country and the world. Still in the works. Stay tuned.

Aaron: OK, putting ourselves on task sounds like a good idea. Now that the book is done, the next thing I want to see is a time (priority) management system for small business owners. I’m already working on it and have been using my own system for a while, but want to refine it and add some details for decorators and their marketing. I have some MOS members I’m working with on that, so before the end of the year for sure, and shooting for mid year. – Got pushed off. The MOS member went another direction and I changed my focus, so stay tuned. Maybe when Terry retires we can do it together with his production scheduling? I guess 2024 was a little dismal, so here is hoping we do better in 2025. Cheers!

And now for 2025

Terry: I know this exists in pockets of the industry, but I would love to see Printing United Alliance build a fill-in-the-blank High School and College Internship Program. If this already exists, somebody isn’t widely promoting it. I realized after I wrote this one you really touched on it last year, but I’d like to go at this from a different angle. To a day-to-day fill in the blanks guide to where to start and what to do next. Everyone probably thinks it’s a good idea, but lots of business owners don’t know where to start and it ends up as a good idea down a dead-end street. Printing United Alliance has the resources of its members to interview and build this valuable too.

Aaron: I’ll start off with something that could be seen as self-serving, but I put my heart and soul into it because I really believe it. A Focus on Mindset Training for Business Owners. Success in the decorating industry isn’t just about technology—it’s also about mindset. In 2025, we’d like to see more companies and business owners share some of their focus on revenue (make more money) and technology (how too) and realize a growth-oriented mindset is crucial. I am continuing to put out workshops, and podcasts – SBS every Saturday at Noon, and even partner up on an amazing retreat in April, so it is available. I know it, I live it daily, but not enough decorators are seeing the need. Yet I hear them all the time commiserating yet not realizing the key to o