Get ready to hit the ground running in 2025! In this annual planning episode, Terry and Aaron share fresh, unique strategies to help you prepare for your most successful year yet. As planning geeks, they’ll guide you through actionable ideas to improve your processes, set impactful goals, and elevate your business in the new year. From reviewing 2024’s lessons to implementing innovative tools and forward-thinking strategies, this episode is packed with insights to inspire growth and change. Whether you’re fine-tuning your current plans or looking for creative new ways to push forward, this is a show you don’t want to miss!

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!

Your business’ SVPs—Strengths, Values, and Passions—are the foundation for long-term success. When aligned with these, you can move from feeling overwhelmed by daily operations to gaining clarity and control.

Take the SVP Business Alignment Assessment

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Why was the letter E the only letter to receive a gift from Santa?

The rest of the letters were Not-E (Naughty) 

Thanks, Ramona McKee 

Bonus: During Christmas, there are only 25 letters in the alphabet

Yep, No L (Noel)

Last year…

Terry: Stop and take a deep sigh of relief. You made it through the worst business interruption in decades. How can we use this experience in 2024 and beyond?

Aaron: Sustainability Initiatives: In 2024 the customer’s priorities are changing. Sustainability is no longer a buzz marketing term, but a requirement to a lot of our markets. The buyer has increased awareness and demand for eco-friendly and ethically produced apparel. Understanding what that truly means to your customers is crucial. 

Terry: It’s time to implement 52/15 Training. A new year and a new approach to education in your shop.

Aaron: Customer-Centric Approach: I believe 2024 is going to be a good year, but I think it is also going to be a cautious year. Election year, lots of unrest in the world. Decorators must make decisions based on their unique business foundation. Decorators need to be very clear about what their reason and values are, who exactly their ideal customers are, and what specific internal challenge they can solve for their ideal customers. So take some time to look at how you interact with your ideal client.

Terry: Take a look back at your 2023 expenses. Compare them with 2022, and beyond, maybe your last healthy year before covid. Everything costs more now, and we can’t expect inflation to turn into deflation.

Aaron: Become a Goal Getter. Planning and goal setting go hand in hand, but I’d encourage you to make 2024 the year that you become a goal getter instead of a goal setter.

Terry: Cut your losses… processes, employees, equipment, customers…

Aaron: Your Support System: If you ever want to get into an unending argument with me, try to explain to me why you believe that success is something you can do alone and that you are independent and don’t need any help. Success is a team sport. And one of the most important things you can do to ensure success in 2024 is to be intentional about your success team. 

Terry: Now let’s look at some new ideas for 2025 to plan for success. 

Terry: Looking for new business for 2025? Build promotional packages for your neighbor businesses.

Aaron: Implement a Weekly ‘Business Health’ Check-In: Choose one consistent day and time every week to pause and assess key metrics, like production efficiency, expenses, customer satisfaction, and team performance. Build a habit of proactively addressing issues before they grow into major problems.

Terry: Time for a Trade Show. I’m always surprised when I meet decorators who tell me they’ve never been to a trade show. There are lots of new technologies and products in the past year or two. Plan to go to a trade show this year and see what’s new, face-to-face.

Aaron: Clarity + Confidence + Action = Business Success.

-Clarity comes from alignment, perspective, and intention.

-Confidence comes from surviving a risk

-Action only comes once we have survived a risk to gain confidence and that action also brings more clarity (success leaves clues)

The practical application of this is to flip the script, instead of squinting for more clarity, summoning up more confidence, and then tip-toeing into action. I’d suggest your plan is full of actions, taking as many as you can, letting those actions give you more confidence by celebrating all the successes and allowing the confidence to give you more clarity on the next steps. I’d first invite you to take action on the SVP Business Assessment I have been talking about. OSG.link/svp As our friends at Nike would say, JUST DO IT!

Terry: Clean Slate for your production floor in 2025. Are you limping and struggling with equipment that is past its prime, making production more difficult and time-consuming? I’ll use a screen print shop as an example.

Aaron: The Next Step of a Goal Getter – Last year we talked about the difference between a goal setter and a getter. Someone who achieves what they set out to do. This year it is time to go even deeper. Get EXTREMELY specific with your goals, create cue-based plans, make goal pursuit fun, stay flexible, build social support, and take consistent action.
-Is your goal specific? Can a 3rd party easily see if you are or have reached your goal? 

-Cue Based = Formula goal. What is the process to get there?

-Make it FUN – Have to v Get To

-Flexible = Grace

-Social Support = Masters of Success

-Consistent Action – Action even / especially when you don’t feel like it.

January 9th and 10th, 2025 – Goals to Reality. https://oursuccessgroup.com/goal-to-reality/

What are you doing to plan your 2025 and your business?

We serve up bite-sized tips for our #regulators to instantly spice up their decorated apparel business. Just like the perfect wing sauce, these quick tips can transform your business experience, adding flavor and depth to your operations. Each video in this playlist is a nugget of wisdom, carefully selected for its potential to bring immediate value to your work. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started in the decorated apparel industry, dip into our ‘Secret Sauce’ for insights that can help you soar.