Let's Taco 'Bout It

The "Future of Customization" is probably a conversation.What if the next big change in personalization isn’t another website, configurator or online store?What if you just tell the product what you want?That’s where this conversation with Angelo Coletta, CEO of Zakeke, gets really interesting.Angelo believes we’re moving toward a world where customers won’t spend nearly as much time clicking through menus and interfaces. They’ll talk to the software, describe what they want, see it, customize it and move much faster from idea to finished product.Jay and Angelo get into what that could mean for print, promo and apparel, from conversational commerce and voice to AI-powered customization, virtual try-on and a much bigger idea: print on demand may eventually become production on demand.More products. More personalization. Less friction.They also talk about the part that doesn’t get enough attention: AI can make incredibly complex things feel simple, but the production side still has to work every single time. That takes systems, guardrails and human judgment.Angelo’s goal is pretty simple: help businesses become lighter, faster and easier to work with while creating a better experience for the customer.And if the technology can give us more time to make money AND eat tacos?Jay is definitely listening. 😁Watch Jay’s full conversation with Angelo Coletta on Let’s Taco ’Bout It.www.Zakeke.com

AI Won’t Replace Relationships. It Creates More Room for Them.What if the biggest advantage of AI isn’t doing more work?What if it’s creating more time to do the work only people can do?In Part 2 of Jay’s conversation with Davis Slagle of BeeGraphix, they explore what happens when technology starts removing the friction from everyday business. Ideas become proofs in minutes. Emails get handled faster. Meetings don’t require frantic note-taking. Follow-up gets easier. And suddenly, there’s more room to actually talk to customers, build relationships and solve better problems.Davis calls AI “the human advantage.” And that idea runs through the entire conversation.They also dig into the shift from idea to invoice, why the best online stores often start with the best story, how BeeGraphix is helping its team adopt new technology without fear, and why faster technology doesn’t make the human side of business less important. It may make it more important.Because the goal isn’t to automate the relationship.It’s to automate enough of the busy work that you have more room for one.This is Part 2 of Let’s Taco ’Bout It with Davis Slagle.https://beegraphix.com/

What if the t-shirt isn’t really the product?Davis Slagle and the team at BeeGraphix still make their money selling printed goods. But somewhere along the way, Davis stopped thinking like a traditional screen printer and started thinking like a problem solver.In Part 1 of this Let’s Taco ’Bout It conversation, Jay and Davis dig into that shift and what it changes: how you price, how you use technology, how you build systems and even how you think about the first order. Because to Davis, that first order isn’t the finish line. It’s the hello.They also get into why most customers don’t really care how something is decorated, what print-on-demand may become next, how AI and better data can make buying easier, and why Davis has changed the way he thinks about growth.If you’re still defining your business by what you print, embroider or sell, this conversation might give you something bigger to think about.• Why relationships drive more than one-off orders• How BeeGraphix shifted beyond traditional screen printing• Simplifying the buying process for customers• Using systems and technology to solve bigger problems• What print-on-demand really means today• Rethinking what growth looks likeThis is Part 1 of Jay’s conversation with Davis Slagle on Let’s Taco ’Bout It.https://beegraphix.com/

Most events are built around logistics. The best ones are built around moments.

In this episode of Let’s Taco ’Bout It, Jay Busselle sits down with Melissa Haen, founder of Moments + Merch, to explore why memorable experiences begin with story, and how branded merch can help bring that story to life.

After years behind the scenes helping promotional product distributors market their businesses, Melissa launched her own company with a fresh perspective:

Stop planning events people attend. Start creating experiences people remember.

Melissa shares her Story First Framework and the question every event planner should ask before choosing the venue, building the agenda, or ordering the merch:

What story do you want people to tell afterward?

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why the story you want attendees to share should guide every event decision

• How branded merch can reinforce an experience instead of becoming another giveaway

• Why authentic connection often happens during the unstructured moments

• How to think beyond attendance numbers, agendas, and rinse-and-repeat event planning

• Why rocking the boat may be exactly what your next event needs

Whether you’re planning a conference, customer event, internal meeting, or brand activation, this conversation will challenge you to think beyond logistics and create experiences that build connection, spark memories, and give people something worth talking about.

If you’re doing the work in promo, print, apparel, or events, pull up a chair and hit subscribe.

#Events #EventMarketing #BrandedMerch #ExperientialMarketing #PromotionalProducts #CustomerExperience #Storytelling #LetsTacoBoutIt

Everyone talks about sustainability—but which certifications actually matter?

In this episode of Let's Taco 'Bout It, Jay Busselle sits down with Sara Osorio (Printing United Alliance) and Cassie Green (Apparelist) to cut through the confusion around sustainability certifications in the print, promo, and apparel industries.

They discuss:

What certifications like SGP, OEKO-TEX, GOTS, B Corp, EcoVadis, and ISO actually mean

Why certifications are about proof, not promises

How tracking sustainability metrics can uncover real business savings

What customers are starting to expect from brands

Where small and mid-sized businesses should begin

Why sustainability is no longer just a "nice to have"—it's becoming a competitive advantage

Whether you're a printer, decorator, promotional products distributor, or apparel business, this conversation offers practical insights on navigating sustainability without getting overwhelmed.

What was your biggest takeaway? Let us know in the comments.

👍 Like this video if you found it helpful.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on business, printing, apparel, marketing, and innovation.

#Sustainability #Printing #Apparel #PromotionalProducts #SGP #OEKOTEX #BCorp #EcoVadis #PrintingUnited #BusinessGrowth #LetsTacoBoutIt

🚨 AI won’t fix a broken business. It might actually help you break it faster.In this episode of Let’s Taco ’Bout It, Jay Busselle sits down with Ali Banholzer, owner of Wear Your Spirit Warehouse and co-founder of Shirt Lab, for a practical conversation about AI, data, decisions, and building a business with intention.Ali shares how she uses technology not to do MORE… but to make better decisions.🌮 In this episode:🔹 Why “data without decision triggers” is just expensive clutter🔹 How Ali reviews the 5 KPIs that actually guide her business🔹 How AI helped uncover $24,000 in software savings🔹 Why automation magnifies your systems (good and bad)🔹 The difference between working IN your business vs ON your business🔹 Why the wrong customers cost more than you think🔹 How clarity beats fear-based decision makingOne of Ali’s biggest reminders:“If you automate the problems you already have, you're just going to drive yourself to bankruptcy faster.”AI is a tool.Clarity is the advantage.If you’re building a business in print, promo, apparel, branded merch — or simply trying to make smarter decisions — this conversation is for you.Pull up a chair (and a taco 🌮) and subscribe for more real conversations from Let’s Taco ’Bout It and the Branded Merch Network.#AI #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Automation #Entrepreneurship #BrandedMerchandise #ScreenPrinting #PromotionalProducts #LetsTacoBoutIt

🚨 More isn’t always better.More orders. More customers. More equipment. More content. More grind.But what if the next level of growth isn’t about adding more?In Part 2 of this conversation with Marshall Atkinson, we unpack one of the biggest traps in print, promo, and apparel: confusing activity with progress. 👀Marshall shares insights from interviewing 88 industry leaders for his e-book, 2026 Thinking: How Businesses Will Win, Stall, or Fail in 2026, and explains why the shops winning right now aren’t chasing everyone.💡 In this episode, we unpack:🔹 Why “more customers” can actually hurt your business🔹 The shift from volume → value🔹 How profitable shops think differently🔹 Why AI & automation are changing the game 🤖🔹 Advice fatigue in the industry 😵‍💫🔹 The power of clarity, positioning, and intentional growthThis one goes deep. 🔥If you’re in print, promo, apparel, merch, or branded marketing… this conversation applies to you.To connect with Marshall, visit: https://marshallatkinson.com/

Most shops think they’re partners…But customers still see them as vendors. 👀In this conversation, we unpack:👉 Why transactional businesses struggle👉 What separates vendors from true partners👉 The identity crisis happening in print, promo, and apparel👉 Why the old “volume model” is breaking👉 What the most profitable shops are doing differentlyOne of the biggest takeaways:The shops winning right now are obsessed with understanding their customer. 🎯Not their equipment.Not their volume.Not just selling more.Their customer.This conversation goes way beyond apparel decoration. If you work in print, promo, branded merch, or any service business, there’s something here for you. 👊To connect with Marshall, visit: https://marshallatkinson.com/

AI can move faster than ever.But if everything feels automated… does it still feel human?Jay sits down with Jason Nokes to break down what’s actually working right now:• Real personalization• Smarter automation• Keeping your voice intact👉 Consistency builds marketing momentum.A quick reset if your marketing is starting to feel robotic.

Uploaded April 16, 2026

Everyone’s talking about personalization.

But when it comes to actually delivering it at scale… things get complicated. This conversation builds on the momentum from our Automate & Elevate online event—specifically the panel, “From Trend to Transaction.”

In this follow-up, Ashley Colautti from Spector & Co helps take that idea further—breaking down what’s really happening behind the scenes, what’s working, what’s getting messy, and how distributors are turning personalization into programs that actually perform. Less hype. More clarity.

Uploaded on Mar 24, 2026