Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. We are excited to welcome Brett Bowden of Printed Threads. Brett is an industry speaker, teacher, and writer as well as the owner of Printed Threads. They were recognized by Inc. magazine in 2015 as the 826th fastest-growing company on their list of 5000. We are going to talk to Brett about what he sees as the future of garment decoration. Brett has been instrumental in putting together the lineup for ThreadX so we are going to get a preview as well as discuss how his business is changing and what he believes is important for garment decorators in the years to come.

Sponsored by: Our Success Group

 Brought to you by: Our Success GroupOur regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

News * SGIA to Award $30,000 in scholarships. Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) is currently accepting applications through April 30, 2018, for its annual scholarship program in conjunction with the Specialty Graphic Imaging Foundation. With the continued support of donations from endowment investors and industry leaders, the program will now award $2,000 to 15 students, an increase in recipients from 2017.The TShirt Guys · 5:59 Is that Ryonet CEO Ryan Moor's voice that does your podcast intro? It sure sounds like it! :)

Future of Garment Decoration Terry: Let’s start with you telling us a little bit about your business.Aaron: You’ve experienced substantial growth in just 7-8 years. What’s the key to that growth?Terry: It’s the start of a new year and the 2 Regular Guys are all about planning and looking into the crystal ball. Talk to us about your take on the future of garment decorating.Erich Campbell · 16:49 I have seen shops marketing that boutique angle- 'hand-pulled only' - messaging can change the way processes are viewed, for sureAaron: For our listeners who are looking into their own crystal ball, what is your best advice to a garment decorator who is also looking for the kind of growth you’ve had?

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. Every year in January, Terry and Aaron take a look forward at what we would like to see in the industry for the coming year. The ideas range from new products to new techniques, to new ways of doing business. We even call out some folks from time to time. Don’t miss this lively show and listen to what the 2 Regular Guys want for our industry. Plus enjoy some new fun segments for 2018!

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

 

10 Things for 2018

1) Terry: I’d like to see more of the industry pros (not just a person with a video camera) produce how-to YouTube videos. And wouldn’t it be great if like in Twitter we could have the Verified User symbol attached that says, “This person actually has experience and this is good information.” Maybe an SGIA Verified logo would be the symbol of expertise for the industry.

Erich Campbell ·  Can't agree enough about the video thing; many groups are thinking in the same way and creating groups of solid consultants

Erich Campbell ·  It's happening in the vendor space as well, but I can see having a more independent group of experts, too.

Bruce Basen ·  Like the verified idea

2) Aaron:  I’d like to see a Sublimation Committee at SGIA. The garment committee is awesome, and they are doing some great thing with SGIA like the upcoming ThreadX and I think they have some great sublimation representation in people like Chris Bernet from Vapor. But I think Sublimation as a decorating technique of things outside of garments is growing and will continue to bridge more and more decorating challenges with things like single pass print technology and vacuum press opportunities.

Side Note - I just wanted to give a shout out to Ford Bowers and the team at SGIA. I have been very impressed with the direction of things since Ford took over and for all the staff there that has embraced his changes. You have amazing people that have been there for a while like Johnny Shell and Sondra Fry Benoudiz and Marci Kinter who continue to serve the industry and are embracing the changes. There are so many people there to list everyone, but people like Sarah Perkins who is heading up the SGIA side of ThreadX, Ray Weis, Erin Nuss and Dan Marx who are doing some amazing stuff with SGIA’s educational programs. The list goes on an on. Kudos and keep it up.

3) Terry: I think I covered this a couple years ago, but I’d love to see a reasonably priced direct-to-screen machine. Besides the film savings at about $1.00 per sheet, you would also have screens with images burned in the exact same position for all colors, and no risk of flipping the film backward.

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. This is our 4th annual planning show where we wrap up the year with some planning tips, things to look for and new techniques to improve your business. We will talk about strategies that have worked for us as well as discuss some things you should be looking at in your decorating business. We will talk technology, sales, and marketing, business planning and all thing related to operating a successful decorating business.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

 

Planning for 2018

Aaron: People - One of the things you talked about last year Terry, was change and any business is going to be looking at how they change things up and improve. One of the by-products of improving and growing is how that affects the people that are part of your business.

Reviews - Honest assessment from both sides and focus on the positives and then look at the areas that can improve.

Budgeting - Payroll can be one of the biggest expenses at many companies, and a thorough review of those expenses and how they fit in your business is needed. Do you need to trim so fat so to speak? Do you need to budget more so you can attract higher levels of employees?

Terry: Time Management in a New Year. Better management of your time will make your work life easier. Here’s an assignment that might feel like a chore but can change your whole year!”

Make a chart with 15-minute blocks, make a short note of what you did for the previous 14 minutes. Do this for an entire week, and then total up each block by category.

If you’re an owner or senior manager, getting caught up in the tiniest of details running your business is a waste of your time and talent, and is holding back the growth of your business.

Learn to delegate - easy to say, not so easy to do, especially if you have a history of micro-managing your company and staff.

Aaron: Software/Technology Stack - There is a great deal of software out there that is all vying for our business and they all claim to make our businesses better. The problem is each business and how it operates is completely different and I have never seen a company that has the identical technology stack as another. In Fact, most off the shelf software need to be tweaked and customized for your business. Have you spent the time to do that and if not is the tool really helping?

Inventory Management/ Purchasing

Marketing Automation / Business Intelligence

Terry: Sleeping Better in 2018.

Get control of your schedule. Knowing where you stand - for better or worse - will make communications with your customers and your employees 1000 times better.

I’ve done articles, seminars and a book on Estimating Production Time.

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. On this week’s show, we’ll be talking heat transfer vinyl with the folks from Heat Transfer Warehouse. Thinking about adding vinyl to your product line, or wondering what will be hot in 2018? Tune in this Friday!

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

 

Heat Transfer Vinyl and More

Terry: Can you start us off with a little background on you guys and the company. AJ, let's start with you and then Kirk give us more about HTW.

Aaron: I’m always interested in where the industry is going and how things look from others perspectives. We get to see you guys at a lot of shows, tell us what you are hearing from customers. Is Heat Transfer a growing segment in the industry?

Terry: Someone wants to get into the business, how can you help them?

Kits

Material

Late cut off times and quick shipping

Aaron: What special products are you offering and what's going to be hot for 2018?

Glitters were huge in 2016 and 2017, but we are seeing trends going towards different sparkle/flash.  More and more metallics and stretchable glitters and metallics

Terry: Beyond someone calling to place an order, how do you set yourselves apart? What services do you offer your customers to help them be successful?

We do not actually take an order over the phone. We give the customer the ability to order easily online and they can see exactly what they are ordering.

Competitive shipping rates.

Custom department for rhinestones, patterns and dye sublimation.  

SUBLI-FLock 5901 https://www.heattransferwarehouse.com/subli-flock-5901 also SubliFlok 1602 https://www.heattransferwarehouse.com/subliflok-1602 Also Subli-tex which is a twill ltwill-likeal that you can sublimate onto https://www.heattransferwarehouse.com/chemica-1603-subli-tex

Aaron: What are the benefits of using Heat Transfer Vinyl as opposed to other garment decoration methods (ie-screen printing)?

Low quantity

Personalization

Onsite printing (volleyball tournaments, running events etc)

Glitter, High grade reflectives.

No need for huge additional spaces for screen equipment, wash bays, development rooms

Polyurethane films that do not crack like plastisol inks

Terry: You have several locations, where can our listeners find you?

We service the entire US within 1-2 days

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. Coming to you live via Facebook Video as we look at a new format for the show, to not only bring you great podcast content, but some video content as well. We are going to be discussing the nuts and bolts of finding niche markets for your digital decorating devices.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

 

Unique Niche Markets for Digital Decorators

Untouched Markets still today

Pirates and Manawana

Awards - Toner

Fitting square pegs into round holes

So many times I’ve talked with decorators who want to take digital and replace “exactly” their screen printing and another method. Same products, same prints, same pricing structure.

Cheer/Dance

Expand your horizons with new opportunities

Beyond square pegs and round holes, what was holding you back in your previous decoration method? Was it minimums? Setup time? Sampling? What new opportunities will new technology offer you?

Ticket Stubs

Educating your customer

If one more potential customer says to me, “My customer won’t pay that.”!!!

Other Events

* Complete Screen Printing Business Course –Workhorse Products – January 27-28

* Complete Screen Printing Business Course – Atlas Screen in Chicago – February 10-11

* Complete Screen Printing Business Course – Atlas Screen in Nashville – March 3-4

Trade Shows

* ASI Orlando - January 3-4,2018

* PPAI Expo - Las Vegas - January 16-18, 2018

* ISS Long Beach, CA - January 19-21, 2018

* ASI Dallas - January 25-26, 2018

* NNEP Atlanta - February 2-3, 2018

* International Awards & Personalization Expo, Las Vegas - February 20-23, 2018

* DAX Kansas City - February 23-24, 2018

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. Chris Freeman will be joining our show today. Chris has a long experience in multi-machine DTG production. We’ll discuss this concept, and how this same information relates to the single machine shop. Get some great insight from someone who has been a part of one of the largest Direct to Garment Production based decorating companies in the country.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

Thank you to the Veterans!

Direct to Garment Production

Terry: Chris, tell us about your journey through direct-to-garment printing.

Started with 26 Kornits, half of them in existence. Year 1 was testing, Anajet, MSI, brother, Sawgrass, Brother is still there running.  Had the first 3 machines from Belquette, curing problems, pretreat problems, ink problems.  Anajet was early to the Ricoh game and now has real engineers.  Bob Marino and a crazy test a day.

Aaron: It sounds like your DTG experience is on the larger scale side. Does what you do translate to a smaller DTG operation?

It all comes down to control.  Garbage in garbage out.  Most problems are caused by changing situations you didn’t know where changing.  Go use the equipment at a trade show and don’t be shy.  

Terry: You’ve had your finger on the pulse of DTG for quite a while now. Where are we going from here?

Back to the future multi-station?  Single headed consumer machines?  New chemistry?

Aaron: Any surprises we should expect on the DTG front in the short or long future?

It’s not about the machine, it’s about the content and the relationship.  

Terry: What advice would you offer someone just now contemplating or just stepping into the DTG arena?

Have someone like Eric over at Scalable Press make your work for you until you make enough money to buy a decent used machine. There is so much to learn

Aaron: Talk to our listeners about your new business

Web based preflighting.

Terry: Who can benefit from this technology?

Anyone who wants to save time...

Terry: Chris, let’s shift gears completely and tell us about the work you and your wife are doing in Tanzania.

Chris Freeman is a Kentucky native, computer programmer, and Process Engineer. He is a digital printing expert with ten years of experience as an Engineering Director at cafepress. He currently operates a print production consulting business providing advice and software for the print industry. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering. He has spent his career creating unique and automated processes to address the challenges of complex short-run work.

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. Today we’ll be talking Niche Markets, REGGIE Awards, and we’ll start with a conversation on SGIA’s ThreadX with guests Greg Kitson from Mind’s Eye Graphics and Sarah Perkins from SGIA.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

What is THREADX? A new conference from SGIA that takes a high-level view of e-commerce, consumer trends, branding and more with speakers including Johnny Cupcakes and Tim Williams.

(Register now to reserve your space before it is sold out.)

Niche Markets

Corporate Events

A new market that’s been developing for a few years for DTG operators is setting up at a corp event, taking pics in front of a backdrop, and each guest takes home a t-shirt at the end.

Hedgehog Rescue

Everyone has a passion out there. Tying your business and your niche market to it makes the process easier because of your market knowledge and more fun. From Erich in the chat. “Promoting as an insider; people can see how genuine you are.”

Shirt of the Month

Justin Lawrence from Oklahoma Shirt Company. This niche came up during an interview and I think it bears repeating.

Schools, but doing a Better Job

My daughter is a Junior at a local Scottsdale HS and she was telling me about her experience getting her school shirt for the year. I’ve talked to printers during seminars who just do a better job! An idea doesn’t have to be unique, you just have to do it better.

Taking it on the Road

I met a couple in Charlotte who basically said to me, “We want to take it on the road. Can we do that with your machine?” Their daughter is in competitive cheer and they wanted to combine a business with their regular travels. My response was, “Why not?” Do you travel for your kids’ events, or maybe travel for your own events like car shows, competition shooting, or a million other passions.

Partnering with Radio Stations

Talking to a screen printer recently who talked about all the business introductions he got by doing shirts for a local radio station. Special broadcast events and backstage passes were just as important to this printer as the trade of shirts of advertising.

20 Ideas

Sit down and make a list of 20 unique concepts or places for selling garments. Don’t stop until you write 20 ideas, without judging the quality of your list.

2 Regular Guys Talking Decoration Chat Room

Erich Campbell: Good morning, guys! :)

2 Regular Guys: Welcome in Erich!

Erich Campbell: Can't wait to hear more on the topics today! Been so busy, I couldn't be live for a bit. :)

Erich Campbell: Always promoting! ;)

2 Regular Guys: Glad you got here today!

Erich Campbell: ThreadX sounds like a great idea. I hope I can make it! I think I'll be hot off a flight from DAX. ;)

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. This week we will have a special guest Co-Host, Jimmy Lamb of Sawgrass Technologies. Terry is going to be on the show floor in Charlotte at the NBM show so after kicking off the show for us and giving us an update, we are going to let him go and bring in Jimmy to help Aaron with the show. Jimmy is going to tell us about Mobile Decoration and how you can increase your business by decorating onsite. Jimmy is also going to help us introduce the #2017REGGIES and get the nomination process kicked off.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

Shoutout

Rob Hasty from Hasty Print In Mooresville, NC, a regular listener who stopped by the Equipment Zone booth to say hello.

Mobile Decorating

Let talk about Move! Make Your Business Mobile - The session you did at the East Coast Awards & Personalization Expo

First what do you think has caused the explosion of Mobile Decoration?

 

How can Mobile Decoration increase your customer base?

 

Talk to us about the Nuts and Bolts of Mobile Decoration

 

What are some pitfalls of mobile decoration people needs to look out for?

 

What else was covered in the seminar that you can share with our listeners?

Jimmy Lamb A constant contributor to both industry events and trade publications, Jimmy Lamb is also the manager of communication at Sawgrass Technologies. Learn more about Sawgrass Technologies.

2017 REGGIES

Nominations until 11/16, Voting until 12/14 - Entirely by the industry. We have no say in any of it.

 

Only industry awards where there is not a panel of people voting, this is entirely up to you the listener.

 

At the end of the year (12/15)  we crown the winners and invite each of them to join us on the popular awards show to tell us about themselves. It is a ton of fun, but also a great way to recognize people and businesses who deserve to be recognized in our industry.

Categories

* Best New Product - 2017

* Best Sales or Customer Service Representative - 2017

* Company that Provides the Best Customer Service - 2017

* Best Online Educational Resource - 2017

* Best Industry Educator – 2017 (An educator from trade shows, seminars, video or print.)

* Best Industry Trade Show - 2017

* Best Guest on the 2 Regular Guys Podcast – 2017

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. The guys welcome to the show for the first time, a true industry pioneer and leader of the 85 year old GroupeStahl organization, Ted Stahl. Ted is going to share with us his take on the latest innovations and trends in the garment decorating industry, as well as tell us about some amazing new things his company is bringing to market. We will talk Dye Migrations, Heat Press technology and his take on where the industry is heading. Don’t miss this conversation.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

News

Hanes announces the acquisition of Alternative Apparel. The announcement comes as the company releases its preliminary third-quarter 2017 results. Hanes says it has purchased Georgia-based Alternative Apparel through an all-cash transaction, valued at roughly $60 million. Alternative projects full-year net sales of approximately $70 million.

Industry Innovations with Ted Stahl

Terry: Ted, this is the first time we’ve had you on the show. This is your 85th Anniversary this year, so first congratulations. Give us the rundown of those 85 years, good and bad. Also, tell us about your journey.

Aaron: One of the things I have followed is your Great Race. Can you tell us about that program?

Terry: Let’s get to our industry. Can you give us your take on innovation in general in our industry? If you had your crystal ball in front of you, what do you think we might be able to expect?

Aaron: We had a chance to sit down with you at SGIA, and the first thing you said to me was “are you ready to have your mind blown”? You were not kidding, I was very impressed, but I want you to tell our listeners what you guys have been working on when it comes to Dye Migration?

Terry: How is this product going to be available to the market and when?

Aaron: What other innovations can we look for on the Heat Press side of your business, Hotronix? What have you guys got cooking with those

Terry: We heard you guys are tripling your capacity at Stahls. Tell us about those plans and what is pushing you guys to do that from a market perspective?

Ted Stahl is the Executive Chairman of the Board of GroupeSTAHL, a family-owned, international group of companies dedicated to providing a wide range of alternatives in garment decoration, specializing in heat printing methods. Ted is a well-known industry veteran with more than 44 years of experience in all aspects of apparel graphics, from manufacturing and marketing,

Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. Aaron and Terry are just back from the SGIA Expo that was just held in New Orleans, LA and they will share the news, the latest and greats and general happening from the show for those that could be there and maybe just wanted a recap. They are also going to welcome back to the show Marshall Atkinson of Inksoft to tell us about an upcoming event they are hosting, called MaxProfit. We might even give away some tickets so tune in to find out.

Sponsored by: SGIA.org | ThreadX - Palm Springs, CA February 25-28, 2018

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather 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 make your business better, and our industry better. 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!

Shout-out

Shoutout to our faithful listener Kesa from Kesa Kreations in Kyle, Texas

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR @atkinsontshirt is going to be on @2RegularGuys tomorrow My three favorite industry guys EVER. @TerryCombsAZ @AaronM_STL

— Kesa (@kesa1053) October 13, 2017

Max Profits with Marshall Atkinson

November 10, 2017

 

 

Speakers

Mark Coudray - pricing effectively and sell on value.

Tom Rauen - marketing your shop, building a better customer base.

Alan Howe - saving money in production & building better margins.

Marshall Atkinson - tighten up your workflow and the value of speed.

Brad Sullivan - how the right garment can add value to your bottom line.

JP Hunt - what's ahead for InkSoft and the value of the platform.

Plus a Roundtable Q&A with all the speakers.

Incredible networking with shop owners and thought leaders.

Breakfast & Lunch provided.

We have a block of hotel rooms for those that want to get here...deadline to book that is 10/20.

Sign-up

https://www.inksoft.com/become-more-profitable-maxprofit-2018/

2 Regular Guys Contest Promo

Have to want to go to the event and be able to make it.  It's at InkSoft in Tempe, AZ.

Post on Twitter "I want to go" and include the event link - https://www.inksoft.com/become-more-profitable-maxprofit-2018/ with the hashtag #MaxProfit2018 in your post.