SHIRT SHOW SHIRT SHOW

We sat down with Joe and Dawn, the power couple behind the fire fighter owned and operated, E2 Embroidery. This is a first for our podcast as they are members of both the CWA, and Allied Printing unions, and they were kind enough to share their story with us, as well as educate us on what it's like being a union laborer shop. Topics of discussion include: Raising employees, battling heat, rapid growth, union labor, USA made goods, never having enough space, supplemental contract printing, if this is the annual slow-down or a recession, and "retirement".

There's more to the print life than dialing in your screen printing processes and efficiencies, you've gotta sell the damn shirts too! So we have sales wizard Kevin Baumgart here to help us all pump these sales numbers up to the moon. Topics of discuswion include: Order conversions, speed to lead, handling new customers, the power and fear of phone calls, QPRs, role playing, outbound strategy, and negotiating without racing to the bottom.

AAAAAAAAAND... ACTION! We're talking with Erik Naftal, the man behind Action Engineering, the best screen printing accessory manufacturer in the game. He grew up in this industry, and has only ever had his sights on continuing to push it forward. Topics of discussion include: Supply chain, high sales and low profits, investing in efficiency, trial and error, RandD, where their ideas come from, challenges in developing new products, and what their biggest flop was.

Andy and Dylan are out in Indianapolis with Jake and Leena from Becker Supply Co. doing our first ever field recording. With their relationship started in a print shop, and eventually they got married, started a family, and opened a shop of their own. The power couple behind Becker Supply Co. are only continuing to go up from here. Topics of discussion include: Separate retail and production spaces, being picky with clients, office romance, getting your brand off the ground, transitioning your side hustle to your main hustle, staying inspired, and selling out just a little bit.

Hayden Barker is more than the owner of Hometown Printed Apparel, he's the king of perseverance. With a list of adversities and obstacles over a mile long, Hayden's story is a reminder to us all that hard work and persistence can get you through almost any hardship. Topics of discussion include: Grocery store renovations, purchasing print shops, equipment failure, health emergencies, small town employment, fire, flooding, electrocution, and the power of Linkedin.

We sat down with THE Mark Coudray, and boy did we get learned. This industry OG has developed an unsettling amount of processes and standards using his super brain, which stems from his radioactive childhood. Thankfully, Mark has always and continues to use his abilities to change our industry for the better. Topics of discussion include: Applying Math/Science/Engineering to screen printing, sharing trade secrets, Profit First and The Catalyst Program, equity arrangements, inverse effort, and how history says screen printing is on its way out.