Catching back up with Zach as he and his crew are developing a way to bring fun and competition into the industry, and they're calling it the Print Masters Throwdown. Topics of discussion include: Creed, Oasis, waterbed camp, finding your role in the industry, curveball and virtual challenges, burnout getting in the way of growth, viewer voting, the productivity and time management that comes with working from home, and the storytelling behind content.

After a brief hiatus on the high seas, Dilly has returned with tales from his time away and newly reinforced fears for the future of humanity. As a good screen printing podcast does, we do eventually talk shop, this time with Alex Haug of Twin City Tees. A lifer by trade, our discussion naturally begs the question: Was it all worth it? Topics of discussion include: Prepping, interfering with production, personal sacrifices for business gains, covering customer mistakes, customer phone calls, having a sense of accomplishment, and shirt forums.

After a 4+ year recording streak, Dilly missed his first episode of Shirt Show. But who better to fill his shoes than 40 year old celebrity guest host Nick Wood? We put together a hot episode with Mr. JG of JG Graphics, a full time firefighter and shirt head. Starting from the ground up with his brother and a self made press, Jared has successfully scaled over the last few years and has kept a level head throughout the process. After all, shirt happens, but it isn't life or death like the firefighting biz. Topics of discussion include: sketchy flash dryers, managing growth with SOPs, empowering your team, hiring attitude over talent, hard conversations, leadership perspectives, giving back to the industry, and delicious cantaloupe balls.

What is an exit strategy, when do we need one, and do we even need one at all? We put our heads together with Bruce & Steven, and our mind amalgamation provided a rich conversation filled with plenty of questions, a few answers, and just an overall good time. A good time that would never touch on anything too personal, or even think about hitting a little too close to home for any of us, in any possible way... Topics of discussion include: Choice produce, popped screens, S&S acquiring Broder, DTF/DTG fulfillment, defining exit plans, choosing whether or not your business makes a profit, life outside of your business, reverse engineering an exit plan, merging shops, succession, divesting, therapy, and burning your business down.

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Dive into our episode with Michelle Moxley, where the conversation takes us from her adventurous summer road trip in an RV to the forefront of AI in the creative industry. Michelle, who made a notable shift from screen printing to the digital design space, shares her insights on integrating AI into your shop and the transformative power of generative art.

Topics of discussion include: Dilly’s ladder mishap, Starlink, navigating the ethical gray areas of AI-generated art, AI disclosure and regulations, the rise of autonomous agents, and even a bit of stir fry. Tune in for a mix of industry insights, practical advice, and unexpected stories from Michelle’s eclectic career and beyond.

Free Cheese Prints has come a long way from their humble punk roots, but their business aspirations remain grounded, and complimentary to the lifestyle Tate & Reesa want to lead. A rare quality among entrepreneurs, Tate & Reesa's ability to prioritize a healthy work/life balance over blindly scaling their business provided a very refreshing perspective. Topics of discussion include: Stresses, image capture beta testing, spelunking, vegan and government cheeses, doubling down on printing through sobriety, cautious growth, time management, ideal customers, Point Break, traveling, business credit cards, and nonstick pans.

Back on the pod, we've got Gabe from MAYB TMRW. This time with a timely topic to discuss, painful customers. Who are they, how are they created, and what are we to do about them? Topics of discussion include: Iced tea intervention, battling heat, bucket hats, new presses, sticker mule, Tenacious D, being personable, QR codes, and eggs.

Jeremy Panda is the mad scientist behind Peace & Cotton. Sure they have multiple locations and offer many services, but they are constantly pushing their boundaries and keeping things fun and interesting with their live print activations. That really caught our attention and we were stoked to get a peek behind the curtain and understand a bit of the method behind their madness. Topics of discussion include: Bad ham, facebook’s impending comeback, leaving the band life for screen printing, Niagara Falls, raves, Camping, trying new things, leaning into your branding, making lines not boring, and quesadillas.

Back on the pod is Mr. Jared Mendelewicz, of AKT. Originally based in Florida, they are now expanding a second location out west in Nevada. We’re catching up, we’re talking expansion, and getting into the nitty gritty of their fulfillment and full package merch services. Topics of discussion include: Farmers tans, puzzles, memes, M80s, Applebee’s, business negotiations, Two Decades of Merch, and fireworks.

Fresh out of a business partnership, Wayne Sherman is pushing Ohio City Screen Printing's boundaries with his fiancé by his side. With a long list of print shops in his employment history, Wayne has a strong self awareness with his operation, and is dialing in exactly where he wants to take it. Topics of discussion include: Hydroponics, hawk tuah, insurance, doing before thinking, bank robberies, setting a 5 year plan, shifting to water based ink, and working through adversity.