Screenprint and embroidery. Custom apparel.
I did not want to work for anyone else.
We are fast and we give white glove level account management to our customers.
High Points: Growing from 0 to 15 million in annual revenue over the years. Finding, helping and supporting long term employees. Helping business partners become financially dependent. Providing for my family. Being able to learn life lessons by owning a business with employees, partners, vendors, customers, challenges and rewards. Low points: Most of the basic ADHD entrepreneur challenges: Growing 50/50 partner relationships and then watching them break over unaligned ambitions. Losing money because we scaled up operation flaws when we scaled up revenue. The headfake that comes from poor accounting. Putting green people into important positions w/o support because I am inherently cheap. Bank problems, vendor problems, financial problems.......employee problems. Serious problems. Ransomware and COVID have not been a walk in the park.
Humility. Vulnerability. FOCUS. PATIENCE. How to make a plan. How to execute a plan. How to prioritize. I leaned how to better communicate with people. Lastly, I am learning how expensive "risk" is even if you never pay a dime for it.
A conversation with my father in law.
My score mentor helped of come to terms with the fact that I am a naturally unfocused communicator.
She is ruthlessly focused. She listened and figured something about me out and then got to work. The business was not going to get fixed unless I got fixed.
Start it when you are young and broke or old and can afford to lose what you put into it. Be VERY WARY of 50/50 partnerships. Don't put green people in charge of important unsupervised responsibilities. Don't be every contractor's first customer. Save money for a rainy day. Hire slow, fire fast.
