Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

n this episode, we explore how print shop owners can apply "Unreasonable Hospitality" principles from Will Guidara's acclaimed book to transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary customer experiences. Learn why emotional connection matters as much as perfect execution, and discover practical ways to stand out in a competitive industry.

Looking to close out this year strong and set your print shop up for success in 2025? This comprehensive annual checklist covers everything you need to review, plan, and optimize your custom apparel business for the year ahead.

Nathan from Relentless Merch shares the complete journey of launching Atonal Headwear - from investing in inventory before making a single sale, to losing 4,000 hats to mold, to building a headwear brand while simultaneously running an print shop with 48 employees.

n this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce and Steven sit down with Miles from Miles T-Shirts (Springfield, IL) — a 25-year print shop owner who built a wildly successful niche business serving disc golf, apparel brands, and national clients.

This week on the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce and Steven break down every major moment from PrintHustlers Conf 2025 — live from Chicago. From AI tools that are reshaping production workflows, to Alex the Economist’s data-driven outlook for apparel decorators, to social media advertising insights that every shop needs… this episode is packed with takeaways you can apply immediately.

In this episode of the PrintHustlers Podcast, Kyle Robinson from Print My Threads shares how his shop transitioned from traditional screen printing to a DTF-powered hybrid model — and why that move led to record profits with a lean 9-person crew.

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with Kevin Oakley, co-founder of Stoked on Printing and MerchLoop, to unpack a story every print shop owner should hear.

This week on the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce Ackerman and Steven Farag break down the biggest news in the branded merchandise industry — the Inktavo and OrderMyGear merger.

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce and Steven take a new approach — cold-calling three shop owners in the middle of their day-to-day hustle.

Steven shares insights from his visit to AS Colour’s New Zealand HQ, diving deep into their culture, automation, and leadership approach. Learn how founder Larry and CEO Clive transformed AS Colour into one of the most respected blank apparel brands worldwide — from automated warehouses to customer obsession.

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce, Steven, and Brett visit Stahls’ HQ in Michigan for an exclusive look inside the brand-new SF1 Fulfillment Facility — powered by Fulfill Engine.

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Stevenand Bruce sit down with Brett Bowden—founder of Printed Threads and programming lead for the 2025 Print Hustlers Conference—to talk shop.

What if your shop could do the same volume of work with fewer employees—and you didn’t have to answer every customer email yourself? In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with John from The Graphic Hive in South Williamsport, PA to talk about implementing lean manufacturing, using AI to streamline front-office tasks, and how his real estate strategy helps the business thrive.

In this solo episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce introduces a powerful mindset shift for business owners: the Signal vs Noise framework. If you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin in your shop, this episode is for you. Bruce breaks down how identifying your “signal” tasks—the high-impact activities that actually move your business forward—and eliminating “noise”...

What does it take to grow a print shop 4X in just four years? Matt Pasut, owner of Team Outfitters in Sarnia, Ontario, shares how he went from running a marketing agency to scaling a decorated apparel business by blending smart systems, Printavo, AI tools like ChatGPT, and deeply rooted community branding.

Thinking about selling your shop one day? This episode is for you. Steven and Bruce sit down with Professor Jeffrey Kurtz — their former business school instructor and now a seasoned business broker — to unpack what it really takes to sell a small business like a print shop.

Are you using AI in your print shop… or are you about to get left behind? In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Steven Farag sits down with Matt Marcotte (ScreenPrintGPT, Sound & Fury) to break down how AI is transforming every department in your shop — from sales and marketing to artwork and operations.

In this solo episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce shares 15 hard-hitting business lessons inspired by the book Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (the founders of Basecamp/37signals).

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with Kevin Watson of Good Ink and Michigan Awesome to talk about one of the boldest moves a shop can make — scaling down to grow smarter.

What happens when a dream merger turns into a business nightmare? In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, Leeah Calvert of 918 Design Co. shares her incredible story of merging with another print shop — only to discover that their CFO wasn't telling the full story!

In this episode of Behind the Signs, we’re joined once again by Lee Stuart — screen printer, content creator, and now the founder of Rogue Transfers. Lee opens up about the mental health struggles he’s faced while growing his business, how he’s building systems to run his shop without him, and why he changed his mind about Direct-to-Film printing.

In this Print Hustlers Podcast episode, Justin Lawrence of Oklahoma Shirt Company reveals the human-first systems that helped grow his shop. From humble beginnings printing in a hallway to running a massive operation, Justin shares how emotional intelligence, team empathy, and dialed-in systems were the real growth levers—not just marketing or machinery.

In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with Justin Moore of Barrel Maker Printing and LivePrinting.com . Justin shares the raw, behind-the-scenes journey of building a powerhouse print shop—including how live printing became a massive revenue stream, why Profit First has guided his daily financial habits for 8 years, and the reality of launching side projects like Second Chance...

DGI Apparel—the “Expedia of blanks”—just got shut down. So what happened… and what does it mean for your shop? In this solo Print Hustlers Podcast, Bruce and Steven break down the surprising shutdown of DGI Apparel, a software that allowed decorators to compare prices across major garment manufacturers. The platform had to close its doors—leaving shops with fewer sourcing tools and big questions a...

ThreadX just wrapped—and Steven’s back with a full recap of what went down. Hosted at Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort, ThreadX 2025 brought together shop owners, CEOs, and thought leaders for an intimate and powerful weekend.