Advertise on podcast: SHIRT SHOW

After 10 years of printing and running e-commerce out of his garage, Jacob Bennett of Agenda Printworks is finally getting out of the house and into a retail location. We talk through the growing pains and evolution of Agenda, and how he aims to take things to the next level without losing his DIY spirit. Topics of discussion include: Surviving the service industry, going from printing for others to building his own brand, emotional attachments to merch, alternatives to outbound sales, CRM strategies, finding fun in constraints, prepping, the perks of not working from home, helpful tools, beater cars, and slow burns. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Whether you’re printing analog or digitally, the difference between a great shirt and an okay shirt is probably hiding somewhere in your art seps. Mike Hoey is here to help. Topics of discussion include: joining the dark side of the industry, finessing DTF, living in a print shop, the harsh chemicals of yesteryear, artists vs. production artists, optimizing your prints at the RIP level, specialty inks, applying corporate processes to small business operations, client stakeouts, burying your feelings deep deep deep down inside, hot market disasters, and Nic Cage. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

While AI slop is bleeding into every facet of the industry, shops like Cast Iron Print Works are proof that screen printing with integrity isn’t going anywhere, and it’s on its way to coming at a premium. Josh & Wes join us to talk about what it takes to protect the craft without getting left behind. Topics of discussion include: Timbo’s art direction pivot, slop probs, where we draw our lines in the sand on AI, gig posters, the reality of transitioning into in-house merchandising, high standards and accountability, balancing creative and production, culture shifting toward premium art and printing, the value of identity, making peace with our wardrobes, finding the right clients, switching shop management platforms, shop layouts, and Aaron Sorkin. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

THE KING HAS RETURNED. A lot has changed in the last six years since Scott recorded a proper pod with us, and let’s just say his processes and approach to his business and life have aged like a fine wine. You’ll find this conversation opens up into a beautiful bouquet. Topics of discussion include: optimizing the shop, SOPs, taking lean manufacturing too far, bringing DTF in-house, output capacity, the hardcore hack, buying back your time, the AI slop bottleneck, fighting for sanity, quality of life, and psychopathic holiday cheer. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Jed's journey with Stakes Manufacturing has been a wild ride, and he's busier than ever. Now 4 episodes into his new podcast Raising The Stakes and fresh off the release of his book INKclusivity, it’s safe to say he isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Topics of discussion include: travel, podcasting, building and selling a print-on-demand business in the music industry, brokering licensing deals, getting into on-demand apparel, the absolute insanity of 2020, bad investments, scaling to survive, embracing the chaos, INKclusivity, the positive impact of hiring employees with disabilities, incorporating new technologies, and dissecting Forrest Gump on a deeper level. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Daniel is basically a print scientist. He’s got a lab, he’s constantly testing decoration methods on Stanley/Stella apparel, and he gets to make cool shit along the way. But more importantly, he’s an advocate for printers, helping bridge the gap between the people making the garments and the decorators actually putting ink on them. Let’s frickin get into this one already! Topics of discussion include: New drivers, Dylan’s MASSIVE TV show opportunity, early printing days, testing print methods, big corporations getting into printing, getting folded by a press, joining Stanley/Stella, creating a garment from start to finish, 100% cotton heathers, imposter syndrome, helping decorators troubleshoot, the disconnect between manufacturers and decorators, why not all organic cotton is created equal, dischargeable garment dyes, the vibe shift between screen printing and print on demand, being present, and Kaiju. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Kayla McGarry is the Group Show Director for Impressions Expo, and she’s here to tell us how she found her way into the trade show world, what goes into putting on an event of this size, and why you don’t want to miss the inaugural Manifest professional conference with MADE Lab at Impressions Expo Dallas. Spoiler alert - WE’LL BE THERE! Topics of discussion include: working in the trade show industry, traveling, how your approach to attending events changes over time, increasing focus on education, the social aspect of a trade show, the state of Impressions Atlantic City, teaming up with MADE lab on Manifest, vetting exhibitors, rites of passage, Impressions magazine, awards and friendly competition, workshops, and the casino walk of shame. Impressions Expo Dallas Discount code: ShirtShow50 for 50% expo pass 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Cassie and Christina from BELLA+CANVAS join us to talk about where the brand has been, where it’s going, and why things feel new and exciting again. Cassie shares how she found her way into the industry and takes us through her 18-year journey with B+C, while Christina gives us the perspective of someone coming up on two years with the company during a pretty major new chapter. Topics of discussion include: how lessons learned at early jobs can follow you through your career, trade show etiquette of yesteryear, educational campaigns, company culture, curating your offerings, B+C shifting gears with more modern garment styles and weights, their biggest garment expansion yet coming in 2027, printer resources, and our inability to do laundry properly. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

After 30+ years of Maxis Screen Printing, John Mack is calling it a career, but he’s clearly not done printing just yet. We talk about what 50 years of printing experience has taught him, what’s worth passing down, and how to know when it’s finally time to walk away from the shop. Also, wtf does walking away even look like? Topics of discussion include: evolving your processes over time, teaching screen printing and coaching football, passing the torch to your children, sketchy processes from the early days, camaraderie at industry events, knowing your numbers, lessons learned, the benefits of a fixer-upper shop, shop disasters, knowing when to retire, defining your own success, and Tombstone. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

The Stampinator is one of those pieces of equipment that seems to get either high praise or absolute slander, with very little room in the middle. We’ve been asked about it enough times that we figured it was time to go straight to the source. Jeff from Slant joins us to explain how the Stampinator came to be, what it was actually designed to do, and how shops should be using it. Lon Winters is also here for emotional support, firsthand testimony, and to keep things appropriately screen printy. Topics of discussion include: diving deeper into the craft, the OG Stampinator, sharing ideas with your peers, different applications and techniques, figuring out whether the stampinator belongs in your shop, keeping customers happy, and hot market printing. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Shawn Sckoropad of Printeez is back on the pod! Because running a successful print shop wasn’t complicated enough, he’s recently moved his family from Canada to Florida as the first step toward expanding Printeez internationally and building a global production operation. Shawn has never been one to shy away from a challenge, and this one has come with plenty already. Topics of discussion include: moving from Canada to Florida, the real cost of acquiring customers, finding your niche, jumping into POD, 24-hour turnarounds, knowing when it’s time to upgrade equipment, entrepreneurial delusion, and Robin Wright. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Dennis and the crew at Axelrad are artists printing for artists, but don’t mistake the DIY punk-kid ethos for a fear of spreadsheets. Between tracking production data, experimenting with new decoration methods, and testing unconventional schedules, they’ve figured out how to move faster without turning the shop into a soulless factory. Dennis is pushing Axelrad into the future while protecting the humanity that makes this craft worth doing in the first place. Topics of discussion include: coming up in the DIY scene, the barrier of entry to professional screen printing, problem solving, hiring, transitioning from contract printing to direct to customer printing, managing rapid growth, cross training, tailoring metrics to goals, working with artists who prioritize quality, exploring new decoration methods, valuing human interactions, and Truman Capote. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Michael Fader loved printing enough to pack up his life, move across the country, and see just how far he could take it. After reading a few signs the universe threw his way, he’s now crushing it as the General Manager at Pacific Sportswear. Topics of discussion include: four-day workweeks, gatekeeping, justifying expansion, running a digital squeegee, doing way more than your job description, shop visits, cross-country moves, ADHD superpowers, rescuing misprints, and the defense of a deeply misunderstood villain. 🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Michelle has always been on the forefront of this industry. From the frontiers of special effects and digital printing, to the fringes of AI. Well nearly two years have passed since she discussed this new and emerging technology with us, and now she’s here to teach us how to wield it ethically and efficiently. Topics of discussion include: print architects, how Michelle integrated AI into her health battle, ethically navigating AI generated art, having conversations instead of giving prompts, AI autonomy and guardrails, building AI tools for screen printing, experimenting cautiously, and Juno.

The band dude to merch dude pipeline is alive and well! Nate Skinner is the longtime Operations Manager at Relentless Merch, and after years of dealing with the chaos of artist merchandise firsthand, Merchcast was born. A platform that helps artists and shops forecast sales, manage inventory, and avoid a whole lot of unnecessary headaches. Topics of discussion include: tornados, college degrees, the madness of band merch, four-day workweeks, developing Merchcast, sales forecasting, using the platform outside of the music industry, leveraging AI to be more human, and finally ditching the walkie-talkies. MERCHCAST: https://landing.merchcast.com/