Claim OwnershipPrintavo PrintHustlers Podcast
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Discover amazing stories & lessons from fellow shop owners and industry leaders. Hosted by Bruce Ackerman and Steven Farag
421 Episodes
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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” can help you reclaim your time, boost productivity, and avoid burnout.
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 Totes.
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 about the future of tech in the industry.
Steven also shares a detailed, honest guide to starting a screen printing shop in 2025 with just $10,000—what gear to buy, what to avoid, and how to actually build momentum without overextending.
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.
Is your screen printing shop running you… or are you running it?
In this episode, we sit down with Michael Richman, certified EOS implementer and Fabric.Ink coach, to talk about why so many shop owners feel stuck—and how the right systems can help them get unstuck. Michael shares lessons from building and selling a custom manufacturing business, the real-world application of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), and how to stop working in your business and start working on it.
What if the secret to business success isn’t hustle—but calm?
In Part 2 of our conversation with Andy Rudman of Shirt Kong, we dive deep into the emotional and practical evolution of running a shop for 16+ years. From legacy and burnout to customer service as marketing, Andy shares raw, honest lessons that every print shop owner needs to hear.
🎧 Topics Covered:
• What Andy wishes he knew on day one
• The power of “We’ll do better next time”
• Marketing budgets vs. customer experience
• Identity and burnout as a business owner
• The difference between sprinting and resting seasons
• Building a calmer company (and why it matters)
Whether you’re just starting or deep in the grind, this episode is a blueprint for building longevity in business—with less stress and more purpose.
What’s holding your shop back from the next level?
In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with Andy Rudman, owner of Shirt Kong, to talk candidly about the real challenges screen print shops face when trying to grow—from leadership mindset to hiring strategies and building sustainable systems.
Andy shares:
• Why most owners wait too long to let go
• What he learned from merging with another company
• How to think about exits and partnerships
• Lessons from managing 50+ employees
• Why trusting your team isn’t optional—it’s essential
This isn’t fluff—it’s hard-won insight from someone who’s been through the chaos of growth and came out on the other side.
If you don’t know your shop’s profitability until it’s too late… you’re not alone.
In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we sit down with Nick Gowerluck, founder of PrintProfit.com, to break down the exact numbers every print shop owner needs to track—no fluff, just real data that can change your business.
Nick shares:
• The “contribution margin” method for real-time profit tracking
• Why chasing sales isn’t always the answer
• What your cash flow snapshot should look like weekly
• How shops (from $200K to $500M) are using Print Profit
• Why most dashboards are useless—and what to do instead
Whether you’re a one-person operation or managing a 30-person team, this episode gives you the profit playbook to grow smarter, not just bigger.
In this episode of the Print Hustlers Podcast, we’re joined by John Gibbs, founder of Logo Daddy Graphics, as he shares how he built a $3M+ print shop that doesn’t rely on him to operate day-to-day. From designing a business that supports his lifestyle to hiring the right team and maintaining profitability through market shifts, John gets real about what it takes to scale and step back.
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