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/

The differences in capabilities and offerings between a print shop and promo product shop are getting blurrier by the minute. This week we brought in Stein Shi from xTool and Bev Pennington of Soul & Grace Designs to talk about the growing crossover between laser engraving and garment decoration, and where this kind of equipment actually fits in a modern shop. Topics of discussion include: how xTool grew from education into the creator space, the plug-and-play feel of the equipment, expanding into DTF, built-in maintenance tools, real-world production capabilities, the demo program, live events, UV printing, consumables, community engagement, and Pennywise.

Check out xTool: https://www.xtool.com/products/xtool-apparel-printer-a-new-era-of-apparel-printing/?ref=mtygjlhc&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=goaffpro&utm_term=5306

The band dude to print dude pipeline is real, and the path is usually pretty predictable… but Luke took a little detour in between. Before landing at Real Thread, he built a career at Publix that gave him an outside the box perspective on this industry. Not only has it helped him thrive in his role as Director of Operations, but it also made for a great conversation. Topics of discussion include: Apparel Decoration Summit, having fresh eyes on operations, applying outside wisdom into a different industry, being an engaging leader, how culture affects productivity, overestimating your own capacity, self-auditing your life, trading one bottleneck for another, finding a balanced approach to management, utilizing AI, The Midnight, and Toy Story 5.

Building a business is a lot like going to the gym. You get stronger with every rep, and if you’re doing something wrong… you’re in for a world of hurt. Cody Klimper got into this industry through the fitness world, and his journey has been full of HARD lessons, long hours, and plenty of reps. Topics of discussion include: vlogging, international shipping, growing local business, building a fitness apparel brand, going out on his own, getting burnt by partnerships, learning screen printing and embroidery, used equipment nightmares, taking risks, working after hours, manufacturing blanks, shiny object syndrome, and people standing.

Josh NSFW Wheeler is back on the pod to catch us up on what he’s been up to for the last 5 years, how his shop has evolved, and how he’s ensuring SURVIVAL in this business. Topics of discussion include: Keeping it simple, automation, prioritizing quality, maintaining relationships, the Jerry Maguire approach, maintaining your humanity in business, Righteous Gemstones, and tRuStInG tHe UnIVeRsE.

Dave's back, and he's here to stop fulfillment from keeping us up at night. We walk through a bunch of real-world scenarios, from shops looking to scale, to shops just trying to keep their heads above water, and how Fulfill Engine can help us take back control of our business. Topics of discussion include: FESPA, social media glory days, experiential marketing, print media marketing, getting creative with printing, fulfillment headaches, failing, being supportive and collaborative with your peers, maintaining balance in your life, and hobbits.

Raise your hand if you've ever spent an unreasonable amount of time hunting down product images, making mockups, or trying to convince an online store to look the way it does in your head... same here. Seddi was originally built to create 3D models of fabrics and garments for the fashion industry, but somewhere along the way they realized their tools could help printers and decorators work smarter. Julianne and Harrison are here to share how the company got started, and how they're collaborating with printers to help make our wildest dreams come true. Topics of discussion include: auto mockups, tech packs, online stores, turning physical fabric into digital fabric, the importance of collaboration, and good old-fashioned survival reality TV.

TeeJay is a certified shirt head. Print Engineer at Pine Printshop by day, and your friendly neighborhood garage printer after hours. His enthusiasm for this craft is infectious, and while his story has only just begun, it's pretty damn good so far. Topics of discussion include: Graphic design education, 4 day work weeks, Dads, his journey to becoming lead printer at Pine Print Shop, finding out management isn’t for everybody, painful lessons in sales, learning the business beyond printing, printing with water based inks, the bandana market, gatekeepers, appreciating automation, and Mind Freak.

Jared has had a long career in screen printing, which was always the plan from the start. From growing the family business at GSG, to eventually selling the company, and now diving back into the print world with ROQ, Jared has seen this industry from a lot of different angles. So naturally… we unpacked a bunch of them. Topics of discussion include: shop scooters, business finances, growing and operating a family business, golf and business, flexible manufacturing, listening to customer input, the importance of industry events, taking ownership of your workspace, the painstaking process of selling your business, finding like-minded people, being vulnerable, good culture, and being a real person.