t-shirts & printing
My first job at 15 was in a screen-printing shop. By senior year, I was the lead graphic designer, responsible for ordering supplies and managing the print-setup of each order. At 18, I asked my parents to co-sign a $7500 loan to buy my screen-printing equipment and start my own business. Since then, I've gained a lot of experience in the print industry and have designed over 10,000+ graphics for apparel, book covers, magazines, posters, vinyl wraps, event displays, promotional products, and more.
Experience GAINED
b2b & sales
business management
print design & industry
B2b & sales
After starting a screen-printing business at such a young age, I quickly realized how crucial sales and marketing were to growing my business. Attracting customers was challenging. From past experience, I knew businesses and schools frequently needed t-shirts, so I began advertising to them. Gradually, I gained clients through word of mouth and print advertisements that I mailed to local businesses. I even created a my own radio jingle and traded shirts for airtime on the largest regional radio station. Within a year, I became profitable, but I also discovered that collecting payments from customers was a stressful challenge.
business management
Owning a business involves many tasks, like leasing a space, ordering supplies, attracting customers, and paying taxes. I also had to hire and manage employees. I learned a lot about management and enjoyed my time with my team. Even if I couldn't pay them well, we had fun creating, playing, and printing together.
a good manager doesn’t rule, but celebrates the team’s success
print design & industry
CMYK vs Pantone. Vector vs bitmap. 300ppi vs 150ppi. All of these are basic terms in the print industry, so knowing how to use them can be pivotal when setting up brand design files and graphics for print. Below are mockups of products that I’ve created and sent print files for.
