Talking Shop with Joe Kramer

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather for our industry. Since February 2013, The 2 Regular Guys have been the first and the most listened to garment decorating industry podcast on this planet! We are humbled by all of you tuning in each week. We work hard to bring you information that will make your business better, and our industry better. Take a look at our incredible weekly guest list and you’ll understand where this industry goes for news, interviews, and the heartbeat of garment decorating. Thanks for listening!

News

• Recently the good people at the Apparelist put out a resource naming their Top 10 Influencers in the decorated apparel community, and we here at the 2 Regular Guys made the list. Joining a slate of incredible decorators and previous guests of the show (as well as our intrepid producer Erich Campbell), we were featured along with a description of how we got here and where we want to go as a little timely advice.

Dad Joke –  Did you know my horse is an insomniac?

It’s a real nightmare.

Talking Shop

Joe Kramar has been in apparel design and development for more than 27 years and has an extensive background in embroidery, applique, screen printing, graphic design and all the aspects it takes to move a customer’s dream into a production-friendly environment. Having created astounding apparel designs for massive brands, he now brings his considerable expertise in corporate identity, graphic design, and premium branding to his new role as the head of Operations, Development & Design at AMB3R Creative. Welcome to the show, Joe!

Aaron: Tell us a little about yourself and how you started the industry.

• I learned to draw in Church
• Built computers in 1994 for fun – led to graphics
• Graphics led to making fake IDs in high school
• P.E. Coach inspired me to go into graphics
• Hired and fired from a local newspaper editorial department – hated it
• Worked for a local screen printer, embroidery, letterman jackets, vinyl wraps, banners, sticker & surf-skate retail business
• Went to school for Graphic Design – Art Institute
• Got hired as a Screenprint & Embroidery Technician for Abercrombie & Fitch – global support and development specialist
• Got to help build an entire development facility for A&F – now known as Building R – the ultimate chemistry set for every development aspect of the apparel industry
• I CAN talk a little about the A&F documentary but I don’t have a lot of juicy things to say about it – mostly the documentary is about fluff for the questionable atmosphere CEO Mike Jefferies created
• Why I decided to join the podcast…

Terry: Tell us a little about where you think the industry is headed.

• The industry is dying – less artists are emerging into the industry than I’ve ever seen.

Aaron: Let’s talk high end decoration. What is it and why should our listeners understand it?

• The perceived value of higher-end decoration techniques and how to sell them properly to customers

Terry: Let’s talk misprints and mistakes. How have you dealt with them in your career?

• Embroidering over mis-printed shirts – I feel like I’ve developed a career from this…ha ha – repairing mistakes

Terry: Where are decoration trends headed today?

• Decoration Trends General

Terry: Share with our listeners what decoration techniques have inspired you over the years.

• Decoration techniques that inspired me over the years – pics to share
• Different types of embroidery techniques – several pics to share

Terry: Where can our listeners find you out in the world?

Aaron: Are there any surprising trends you can share?

• Surprising trends to share with people – open discussion

Facebook Live Video

#5Things

5 Mindsets you Must Develop for Success

From Aaron Montgomery

1. Abundance Mindset – If you focus on what you don’t have, you will continue that path. Focus on what you do have and see how that grows.
2. Become a Priority Manager – Most people think they have a time management problem. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, so our real problem is doing the right things at the right time.
3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone – Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. Your comfort zone is driving you insane.
4. Take Action – You have all the information you need with our show and other learning opportunities. It’s what you do with that information that counts. What are you going to implement from the show today? What action are you taking?
5. Take 100% Responsibility – The second you start blaming, complaining, commiserating, making excuses, and only focusing on the problem is the second you give away all your power. Taking 100% responsibility is the most empowering thing you can do for success.

Be Part of #5Things

If you would like to present your 5 Things, five quick points on any subject whether it be advice or five instructional steps, we would love to hear from you. You can come on the show and present them yourself, or we will share your list with our listeners or even play a recorded video of you sharing 5 things. Whatever is easiest. https://www.2regularguys.com/5things/

Other Events

• The Half – 11:30 AM CST every Friday. Erich Campbell and Aaron Montgomery. 30 minutes of Q&A. And this is the one time in Erich and Aaron’s life that 30 minutes is 30 minutes. Tune in at www.liveosg.com. See past episodes and support the show – thehalf.club.
• Complete Screen Printing Business Course with Atlas Screen Supply in Chicago starting August 27-28, 2022.
• Complete Screen Printing Business Course with Equipment Zone in Franklin Lakes, NJ starting September 10-11, 2022.
• Complete Screen Printing Business Course with Workhorse Products in Phoenix, AZ, starting September 17-18, 2022.
• Complete Screen Printing Business Course with Atlas Screen Supply in Chicago starting November 5-6, 2022.
• Master of Success Inner Circle – The next level for people who are serious about their success. Bi-Weekly Mastermind Groups on top of the industry-leading business training.
• Aaron’s “Small Business Saturdays” #SBS Every Saturday. Check out the Podcast version at SmallBusinessSaturdaysPodcast.com
• Demystifying Next Level Digitizing Make your machine embroidery bolder, more beautiful, and more valuable to customers while making the digitizing process faster and easier. Online Training from Erich Campbell
• Understanding Emblems Digitizing, Production, Styles, and Sales of Patches. Learn from Erich Campbell about digitizing for emblems including small detail tips, creating your own borders, as well as execution for stitching, and more. Online Training from Erich Campbell
• The Take-up with Erich Campbell – Fridays at 2:30 Mountain Time
• Your Style Guide Your Style Guide is a critical recipe. When all of the ingredients are combined, they create a powerful brand that is aligned, consistent & memorable! eBook by Jay Busselle

Trade Shows

• Graphics Pro Expo Long Beach, CA – August 4-6, 2002
• Graphics Pro Expo Charlotte, NC – September 16-17, 2022
  • START HERE Academy – September 15, 4-8 p.m., in Room 219 at the Charlotte Convention Center
• Sublimation Summit Peachtree City, GA – September 22-24, 2022
• Everything Embroidery Market Myrtle Beach, NC – September 22-24, 2022
• Impressions Expo Ft Worth, TX – September 30 – October 2, 2022
• Printing United Las Vegas, NV – October 19-21, 2022
  All dates and events, subject to change

Please support our sponsors!

Our Success Group – Business Training, Consulting, and Support – Use the code 2rg to save on Monthly or Annual Membership plans.

This show is for the listeners, so please ask us questions or give us some topics you would like us to discuss. Contact us via our Facebook Page if you have any events or upcoming items related to our industry that you would like us to bring up on the show. Also, make sure to interact/follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather for our industry. Since February 2013, The 2 Regular Guys have been the first and the most listened to garment decorating industry podcast on this planet! We are humbled by all of you tuning in each week. We work hard to bring you information that will make your business better, and our industry better. Take a look at our incredible weekly guest list and you’ll understand where this industry goes for news, interviews and the heartbeat of garment decorating. Thanks for listening!

Screen Printing: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own T-Shirt Business

Direct-to-Garment: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own T-Shirt Business

Buy the e-Book for only $4.95

Scheduling & Estimating Production Time: A Guide for Garment Screen Printers