WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:04.419 Welcome. 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.199 You've found your anchor at the crossroads of power and presence. 3 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:12.199 This is Musings and Modalities. It's time to move beyond 4 00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:15.349 the noise and cultivate a legacy rooted in values aligned 5 00:00:15.410 --> 00:00:19.489 leadership and earth energy. We've evolved the conversation, bringing you 6 00:00:19.570 --> 00:00:23.230 a grounded perspective on embodying true luxury and beauty in 7 00:00:23.269 --> 00:00:26.030 your life and work. If you feel the resonance of 8 00:00:26.109 --> 00:00:37.320 truth and are ready for the shift, you are home. Hi, everyone, 9 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.299 and welcome to Musings and Modalities. I'm Tristan Stwycki, and 10 00:00:40.340 --> 00:00:43.869 I'm so excited for today's episode entitled Why Your Merch 11 00:00:43.929 --> 00:00:47.890 is Boring with Amanda Hoffman. You've spent decades building a 12 00:00:47.929 --> 00:00:50.490 life that looks successful, but you know your profound legacy 13 00:00:50.549 --> 00:00:52.750 is meant to be far greater than your current output. 14 00:00:53.070 --> 00:00:55.810 Exhaustion and overwhelm are blocking your path, and the cost 15 00:00:55.850 --> 00:00:58.840 of saying the same is too high to continue. This 16 00:00:58.869 --> 00:01:03.250 12-week one-on-one using some modality containers, the definitive strategic framework 17 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:06.290 designed to eliminate burnout and anchor you into your most 18 00:01:06.409 --> 00:01:10.870 impactful decade. This is the energetic and strategic makeover required 19 00:01:10.890 --> 00:01:14.879 to claim your next level. This includes radical clarity where 20 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:17.799 I'll design the exact blueprint of your legacy and implement 21 00:01:17.819 --> 00:01:21.500 a values-aligned strategy to build it, ensuring every action aligns 22 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:26.219 with your true purpose. This includes unshakable authority, where you 23 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:30.280 exchange the need for external validation with grounded self-trust, positioning 24 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:32.819 you as the leading embodied authority you're meant to be. 25 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.420 And this includes measurable transformation, where we dismantle the exhaustion 26 00:01:37.459 --> 00:01:41.030 loop that drains your profit, your vitality, and creates a clear, 27 00:01:41.109 --> 00:01:45.250 accelerated path to high wealth, health, and expansive relationships that 28 00:01:45.290 --> 00:01:48.280 you've been working for. With only three exclusive slots available, 29 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:50.959 this opportunity is reserved for those that are ready to 30 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:53.780 commit to their quantum leap in impact and income. You 31 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.620 can book your legacy call today at musingsandmodalities.com and step 32 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.780 into your true power. And now I'd like to introduce 33 00:02:00.859 --> 00:02:04.700 Amanda Hoffman. Amanda is the CEO and co-founder of GoToMarket, 34 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:08.969 a woman-owned branded merchandising business looking to revolutionize the way 35 00:02:09.030 --> 00:02:12.569 the world handles swag. Before GoToMarket, Amanda was the founder 36 00:02:12.610 --> 00:02:16.090 and CEO of Urban Girl Squad, the premier social networking 37 00:02:16.110 --> 00:02:18.969 group for women in their 20s and 30s in NYC. 38 00:02:19.550 --> 00:02:22.560 Amanda lives in NYC with her husband, her two dogs, 39 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:27.860 her rest, or we'll have to cut that, sorry, Emily. Three, two, one. 40 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:30.680 Amanda lives in New York City with her husband, her 41 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:34.400 two kids, and rescue dog, and loves running, racing, cycling, 42 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:35.340 and bike touring. 43 00:02:35.490 --> 00:02:36.150 Welcome, Amanda. 44 00:02:36.210 --> 00:02:37.729 I'm so excited for our conversation. 45 00:02:37.750 --> 00:02:39.849 I'm really excited to be here with you. 46 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:43.560 And I definitely had a chocolate milk before this. I 47 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.280 feel that like I'm a little, this is a little 48 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:47.039 all over the place. 49 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:49.639 Well, I'm coming out of a cold, so I think 50 00:02:49.659 --> 00:02:51.460 we're in the same boat. 51 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:53.099 We're both like in this. 52 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.750 My voice is like an octave lower than normal. So. 53 00:02:55.770 --> 00:03:00.629 Oh, good. We will raise the energy or raise the vibe. 54 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:01.150 Yeah. 55 00:03:01.780 --> 00:03:06.050 And it's so incredible that you've gone from building community 56 00:03:06.789 --> 00:03:10.349 with Urban Girl Squad to really building community with branded merch. 57 00:03:10.370 --> 00:03:12.710 I feel like there's so much overlap in this. And 58 00:03:12.729 --> 00:03:14.889 so how did you kind of see that connection? How 59 00:03:14.909 --> 00:03:17.930 do you take those same skills and pour them into 60 00:03:17.949 --> 00:03:21.590 the products that you kind of co-create with companies? 61 00:03:22.590 --> 00:03:24.990 Well, I really love how you phrase that question. And 62 00:03:25.009 --> 00:03:26.689 when you sent it to me, I was like, oh, 63 00:03:26.810 --> 00:03:29.189 that's so beautiful. I've never quite thought of it that way, 64 00:03:29.270 --> 00:03:32.479 that The goal of Urban Girl Squad was to create 65 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:36.039 in-person connections between women in a way that wasn't just 66 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:40.990 like a gross business card exchange. And now my whole 67 00:03:41.030 --> 00:03:45.349 goal with branded merchandise is to use merch as a 68 00:03:45.370 --> 00:03:49.169 way to deepen the relationships between brands and people and 69 00:03:49.210 --> 00:03:51.990 to help people connect better to the values of a 70 00:03:52.050 --> 00:03:55.229 company or a community that they're already involved in. And 71 00:03:55.289 --> 00:03:57.689 so it's interesting. It is kind of the same thing, 72 00:03:57.729 --> 00:04:01.889 but like completely different modes. And I think the best 73 00:04:02.009 --> 00:04:05.009 explanation for that is probably that Urban Girl Squad was 74 00:04:05.069 --> 00:04:08.639 born before I had kids. I created it, you know, 75 00:04:08.699 --> 00:04:11.539 starting in my late 20s, going into my early 30s. And, 76 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:14.699 you know, I was going out all the time in 77 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:16.519 New York City and I was like looking for those 78 00:04:16.540 --> 00:04:19.949 kinds of opportunities. And then I sold that business just 79 00:04:20.009 --> 00:04:23.149 before my second child was born. And my life changed 80 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:26.139 pretty radically, you know, like no kids to mom of 81 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:29.500 two is like quite a, quite a big lifestyle change. 82 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:31.720 And when I was ready. 83 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:34.300 To go back to work and create something, you know, 84 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.240 I ran urban girl squad, like my life depended on it. 85 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:41.220 And I ran it 24 seven, like wake up in 86 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:43.740 the middle of the night, write down ideas, like talk 87 00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:46.750 about it all the time, which is you know, I'm 88 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:49.079 not hating on that. That was like really served me 89 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:49.860 at that time. 90 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:51.399 And I loved it. 91 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:53.560 And then once I had kids, I was like, wait 92 00:04:53.579 --> 00:04:56.399 a minute, I'm more than just this business. And I 93 00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:58.379 want this business to be like a beautiful part of 94 00:04:58.420 --> 00:05:01.250 my life, but not the be all end all. And 95 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:04.790 so moving away from events, events are very much like 96 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:08.769 on fire all the time to something that is a 97 00:05:08.790 --> 00:05:15.120 little bit more like stable, steady, reliable, And also just 98 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:17.259 something I'm personally excited about. 99 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:18.930 I've been excited about my whole life. 100 00:05:18.990 --> 00:05:21.490 I'm always the girl in the merch shop, uh, the 101 00:05:21.509 --> 00:05:24.370 gift shop, you know, uh, I always like to wear 102 00:05:24.769 --> 00:05:28.170 the things that I feel like are, um, representative of 103 00:05:28.209 --> 00:05:30.269 the things that I love and like my identity. And 104 00:05:30.629 --> 00:05:33.629 I like seeing it on other people too. Um, you know, 105 00:05:33.649 --> 00:05:37.339 it's the ultimate conversation starter. So I, I think I 106 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:39.649 appreciate the way that you connected those two things for me. 107 00:05:40.579 --> 00:05:41.079 So glad. 108 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.980 Well, it's also because I'm also the person in the 109 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.689 gift shop. You know, I'm someone at the end of 110 00:05:45.769 --> 00:05:48.529 visiting a zoo or aquarium. I'm like, okay, like what, 111 00:05:48.670 --> 00:05:50.649 what can I get? You know, I want something tangible 112 00:05:50.670 --> 00:05:56.240 from this experience that feels still represent like represents me 113 00:05:56.269 --> 00:05:59.300 really well, but also represents like this beautiful thing I 114 00:05:59.319 --> 00:05:59.779 got to do. 115 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:00.600 Yeah. 116 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:02.819 You want to hold onto that feeling. And I think 117 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:05.199 that's what we coach companies about, right? 118 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:08.129 It's like, how do you get the people in your 119 00:06:08.209 --> 00:06:10.810 company world to hold on to the good feeling that 120 00:06:10.829 --> 00:06:13.750 they have with you and to like extend it, keep 121 00:06:13.790 --> 00:06:17.720 it longer, make it deeper, really make it work for 122 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:20.220 you for everyone's benefit, right? Like it's better for the 123 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:23.079 people who love you and celebrate your business, whether you're 124 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:25.759 like a coach, an author, a speaker, or whether you 125 00:06:25.779 --> 00:06:28.259 have a physical product or a community or even just 126 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:29.310 like a legal service. 127 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:31.350 There's still some good there, right? 128 00:06:31.389 --> 00:06:35.009 That we can turn into something tangible and make it 129 00:06:35.050 --> 00:06:37.040 a bit more meaningful and long lasting. 130 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:41.379 Absolutely. And I know sustainability is really key to your work. 131 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:44.220 And part of that is making sure that we're not 132 00:06:44.300 --> 00:06:46.620 just throwing a logo on a cheap item. That's going 133 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.579 to end up in a landfill. Like, and I know that. 134 00:06:48.459 --> 00:06:51.930 Works everything to me. Yes. Absolutely. 135 00:06:52.449 --> 00:06:54.050 And so how have you worked with brands to get 136 00:06:54.069 --> 00:06:55.589 past that kind of? Yeah. 137 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:57.899 I mean, that's like the foundation of our company. I, 138 00:07:00.230 --> 00:07:02.689 you know, I think that so many people look around 139 00:07:02.730 --> 00:07:05.189 at the merch world and they're like, this is landfill 140 00:07:05.230 --> 00:07:08.389 garbage and I hate it. And the younger people are, 141 00:07:08.449 --> 00:07:10.949 the more they hate it. Like, the hate is real 142 00:07:11.329 --> 00:07:12.870 to the point where, you know, my kids are 12 143 00:07:12.870 --> 00:07:18.209 and 14 and they despise waste in a way that, like, 144 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:21.500 our generation doesn't like it, but, like, the younger generation 145 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.220 is just, like, repulsed by it. 146 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:25.199 So, like, just the idea of. 147 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:28.779 Seeing, like, a mountain of, like, pins or, like, you know, 148 00:07:29.949 --> 00:07:33.110 a conference room full of plastic water bottles is like 149 00:07:33.230 --> 00:07:36.980 actually repulsive to people. So there's the wasteful part of it, 150 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:40.350 but it's also like the idea of like slapping your 151 00:07:40.410 --> 00:07:43.170 logo on lots of things and just like throwing it 152 00:07:43.230 --> 00:07:46.050 out into the world is like really antiquated and doesn't 153 00:07:46.110 --> 00:07:47.300 do what you think it's doing. 154 00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:49.360 So it's just a waste. 155 00:07:49.500 --> 00:07:53.680 So what we teach companies to do is think about 156 00:07:53.720 --> 00:07:56.420 what makes them special, what makes them unique, like really 157 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:00.069 harness their values and their vibe and trans and we 158 00:08:00.269 --> 00:08:03.100 translate that into branded merchandise for them. You can do 159 00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:05.899 it on your own if you are creative and thoughtful 160 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:09.899 about this. Um, but it's really just about like. Most 161 00:08:09.939 --> 00:08:12.819 people's default is the way that brand and merchandise was 162 00:08:12.860 --> 00:08:15.259 done in the 1990s, which is just like, here's a polo, 163 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.189 here's my embroidered logo on it. And like, that's what 164 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:20.990 branded merchandise is. And it's like, that's, that's not what 165 00:08:21.029 --> 00:08:23.829 it is anymore. Um, we can do it more sustainably. 166 00:08:23.889 --> 00:08:25.550 We can do it more creatively and we can give 167 00:08:25.589 --> 00:08:26.209 people choice. 168 00:08:27.269 --> 00:08:30.319 Absolutely. Especially having print on demand. It's not like there 169 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.279 are warehouses full of sweatshirts and sizes no one needs. 170 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:33.759 Yeah. 171 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:38.529 You should really not be warehousing branded merchandise unless you 172 00:08:38.629 --> 00:08:46.100 are sure that there's proven demand for something. So with 173 00:08:46.129 --> 00:08:48.639 print on demand, everything prints as it's ordered. So you 174 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:50.720 can give people, you can create a website, which is 175 00:08:50.740 --> 00:08:52.620 what we do for our clients. You can create a 176 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:55.700 website that's just like, hey, here's like a women's cut tee, 177 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:57.100 a unisex cut tee. 178 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:58.620 Here's a non-wearable. 179 00:08:59.710 --> 00:09:01.470 You know, just like a lot of options that people 180 00:09:01.509 --> 00:09:03.549 can go on and be like, I want this really 181 00:09:03.590 --> 00:09:05.889 tight fitting thing in a size small. And someone else 182 00:09:05.929 --> 00:09:08.029 might be like, I want the really loose fitting thing 183 00:09:08.450 --> 00:09:10.610 in a size large. And it's like, everyone can wear 184 00:09:10.649 --> 00:09:12.250 something that feels comfortable on their body. 185 00:09:12.269 --> 00:09:13.129 Yeah. 186 00:09:13.690 --> 00:09:16.370 And also what I've loved about our conversations together and 187 00:09:16.429 --> 00:09:21.750 our work together is that Yes, I do know my customers, 188 00:09:21.789 --> 00:09:23.669 but I know them from a service perspective. I don't 189 00:09:23.690 --> 00:09:26.429 know their shopping habits. And that's a very different experience, 190 00:09:26.470 --> 00:09:28.610 especially when you're a service-based business and you're like, oh, 191 00:09:28.649 --> 00:09:30.250 the thing I thought that was going to sell well 192 00:09:30.450 --> 00:09:32.929 actually is maybe not the top seller. And I know 193 00:09:32.970 --> 00:09:34.889 that you've gone through that a number of times with 194 00:09:35.070 --> 00:09:35.649 your clients. 195 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:36.289 Yeah. 196 00:09:36.409 --> 00:09:39.299 And really giving people a choice is a gift. To 197 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.990 say like, I don't think that I know what is 198 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.149 going to fit you or what you are going to like. 199 00:09:44.429 --> 00:09:47.070 I think gift giving on a personal level is just 200 00:09:47.269 --> 00:09:51.049 very different than gift giving on a company level. And, 201 00:09:51.149 --> 00:09:54.690 you know, when you're a small company, sometimes you blur 202 00:09:54.710 --> 00:09:56.190 the lines a little bit and you're like, well, I 203 00:09:56.210 --> 00:09:58.389 know my clients really well. And it's like, it's just 204 00:09:58.470 --> 00:10:01.600 still different from a personal relationship. So like giving your 205 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:06.470 sister a gift card is like a little cold, like 206 00:10:06.509 --> 00:10:09.809 kind of, you should know better maybe. Um, but like 207 00:10:10.029 --> 00:10:12.470 if you're a company and you're giving something to like 20, 30, 208 00:10:12.470 --> 00:10:17.570 a hundred, 200 people, Like you're not going to please 209 00:10:17.629 --> 00:10:19.549 that number of people all with the same thing. 210 00:10:19.649 --> 00:10:20.399 It's impossible. 211 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.460 So like letting them choose and by the way, also 212 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:26.100 letting them opt out and saying like, I'm on a 213 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.159 journey where I'm like not having a lot of stuff 214 00:10:28.259 --> 00:10:31.169 or like, I really love this brand and I want 215 00:10:31.490 --> 00:10:34.470 more than one thing, right? Like letting people choose their 216 00:10:34.509 --> 00:10:37.009 own adventure with this is a, is a gift, right? 217 00:10:37.899 --> 00:10:39.879 It is, especially because with the opt out, right, there's 218 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:41.830 this element that they could donate, or could you talk 219 00:10:41.870 --> 00:10:43.889 a little bit about the other options that people would have? 220 00:10:43.909 --> 00:10:46.090 Yeah. So we love to have a donate to charity 221 00:10:46.289 --> 00:10:48.850 option so that if you're giving, let's say a holiday 222 00:10:48.870 --> 00:10:51.309 gift or like an anniversary gift or an onboarding gift, 223 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:53.789 and it's like, Hey, welcome to our company. 224 00:10:53.820 --> 00:10:55.740 You know, whether they're, you know, a client or a 225 00:10:55.779 --> 00:10:56.440 team member. 226 00:10:57.100 --> 00:10:59.139 It's like here, you can get all of this stuff 227 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:02.240 that's branded and really cool. Or if you, if it's 228 00:11:02.259 --> 00:11:05.899 just not for you, let's say you're like, downsizing your home, 229 00:11:06.019 --> 00:11:09.070 or you're like going through a life transition or for 230 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:12.330 any number of valid reasons, somebody may not want your merch. 231 00:11:13.070 --> 00:11:15.210 You can say like, Hey, donate a hundred dollars to. 232 00:11:15.230 --> 00:11:18.350 You know, this charity that is meaningful to both me 233 00:11:18.649 --> 00:11:19.909 and the company. 234 00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:23.029 It's like, that feels great. Absolutely. 235 00:11:23.070 --> 00:11:25.009 Yeah. People move all the time. All of that stuff. 236 00:11:25.350 --> 00:11:28.149 Absolutely valid. Um, and so when a brand is really 237 00:11:28.169 --> 00:11:31.240 starting fresh on their merch strategy or they haven't had 238 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:33.860 one before. What's kind of the first thing that they 239 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:37.190 need to figure out to make it feel authentic? Yeah. 240 00:11:37.210 --> 00:11:39.750 So we start all of our partnerships by doing a 241 00:11:39.789 --> 00:11:42.029 deep dive on the brand. 242 00:11:42.110 --> 00:11:44.549 And I think that most people say like, oh, I've 243 00:11:44.570 --> 00:11:45.129 got a logo. 244 00:11:45.190 --> 00:11:47.950 So now I've got merch and we like to say, 245 00:11:48.049 --> 00:11:50.100 take a step back and say like, what is important 246 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:50.480 to you? 247 00:11:50.820 --> 00:11:52.940 What is your brand's personality? 248 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:53.580 Right. 249 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.340 So like, if you're like a quirky weirdo and you're 250 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:59.080 like a consultant and I say weirdo in the most 251 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:03.850 loving way. people are hiring you because you're a quirky weirdo. 252 00:12:04.129 --> 00:12:07.190 So like your merch should have that. 253 00:12:07.190 --> 00:12:10.490 Element to it. Or if you're like very serious, but 254 00:12:10.509 --> 00:12:11.509 like passionate, like. 255 00:12:11.409 --> 00:12:17.559 We have a financial planner who's a really passionate political activist. 256 00:12:17.740 --> 00:12:21.580 And so her merch is like politically oriented and it's 257 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:25.590 like anti-capitalist. She's one of my favorite clients because she's just, 258 00:12:25.789 --> 00:12:30.200 she's so passionate. And so her merch is, that, right? 259 00:12:30.379 --> 00:12:32.720 But I think people are thinking like, oh, but I 260 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:36.600 don't want to alienate anyone. They've chosen you already. They've 261 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:40.789 bought into you, your style, the thing that you're putting out, 262 00:12:40.889 --> 00:12:43.889 they have picked up already. So like your merch should 263 00:12:43.950 --> 00:12:47.960 represent that special piece. And the more you water down 264 00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:50.480 the merch, the worse it is for your brand and 265 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:53.379 for the people who get it. Now, because we're doing 266 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:55.759 print on demand and it's sustainable, you can have a 267 00:12:56.139 --> 00:12:58.720 wide variety of things. So like not everyone wants to 268 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:01.919 wear like a bold statement on a t-shirt, but some 269 00:13:01.950 --> 00:13:04.269 people might like it on a mug or they might 270 00:13:04.289 --> 00:13:06.769 like a quieter design that still reflects your vibe. So 271 00:13:06.809 --> 00:13:09.549 like having a variety of options is something that I 272 00:13:09.590 --> 00:13:10.529 always recommend as well. 273 00:13:11.490 --> 00:13:13.169 And I feel like you're really great about knowing this 274 00:13:13.230 --> 00:13:17.039 is a relationship where you're growing with the company that 275 00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:19.919 as their merch needs change. So for instance, in their 276 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:22.340 initial engagement with you, if they're like a little hesitant 277 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:24.139 or maybe not showing up fully and doing their own 278 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.879 inner work, you're still working with them year after year 279 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:29.019 as they get more bold or they get more confident 280 00:13:29.070 --> 00:13:30.789 in this space. So if you could kind of talk 281 00:13:30.809 --> 00:13:32.769 about that transformation that you've seen with clients. 282 00:13:33.649 --> 00:13:34.149 Oh, yeah. 283 00:13:34.250 --> 00:13:36.450 So like one of the most fun things that we 284 00:13:36.490 --> 00:13:38.669 do is so we launch a merch store and But 285 00:13:38.690 --> 00:13:40.649 then we work with our clients on an annual basis. 286 00:13:40.690 --> 00:13:44.149 So we see what works, which is, again, we operate 287 00:13:44.190 --> 00:13:46.590 very differently from traditional brand and merch companies that are 288 00:13:46.629 --> 00:13:49.629 really more like you buy more t-shirts, we make more money. 289 00:13:49.669 --> 00:13:52.190 That's not how we do it, right? Like we're a 290 00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:55.679 partner for you. So in that first year, we see 291 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:57.980 what your audience has responded to. We see what they're 292 00:13:58.059 --> 00:14:01.360 choosing and we see what message resonates the most. And 293 00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:03.940 it's always like a beautiful thing to see like what 294 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.100 people flock to and And we take that and we 295 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:12.059 grow that into a new line, a new collection, new ideas. 296 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:15.759 So the proof is in the pudding, essentially. If you 297 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:19.690 start off slower, but maybe you have one product that's 298 00:14:19.730 --> 00:14:22.129 a little bit more colorful or out there or weird, 299 00:14:22.190 --> 00:14:25.169 and everyone gets that weirder one, that's the evidence and 300 00:14:25.190 --> 00:14:26.850 the confidence you need to be like, okay, I can 301 00:14:26.870 --> 00:14:27.730 go a little bit bolder. 302 00:14:28.029 --> 00:14:28.870 Or maybe the other way. 303 00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:34.190 We definitely have clients where people really like the boldness 304 00:14:34.450 --> 00:14:36.830 of the person in charge. But when it comes to 305 00:14:36.870 --> 00:14:39.370 something they actually own, they really actually just want like 306 00:14:39.409 --> 00:14:42.559 something small, something simple, something embroidered and like. 307 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:45.820 All valid, right? Like there's no wrong path. 308 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.220 It's just, we like to look at the evidence and say, 309 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:53.039 what is your audience wanting? And let's build for that. 310 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:55.799 And because it's print on demand, you're not gonna have 311 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.629 a closet full of umbrellas or like weird sizes or 312 00:14:59.710 --> 00:15:01.450 stuff that is no longer in style. 313 00:15:02.049 --> 00:15:02.250 Right? 314 00:15:02.750 --> 00:15:05.570 That's actually a piece that hasn't come up yet. Trendiness 315 00:15:05.629 --> 00:15:10.639 is an important part of this. So like the style 316 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:14.299 of clothing that's like in style is going to look 317 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:18.659 really good with your merchandise. And that's like, that's really fun. 318 00:15:18.700 --> 00:15:21.559 Like if you can wear something that's like fashionable, that 319 00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:23.600 is also branded, that's. 320 00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:24.159 Like the coolest thing. 321 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:27.320 Most branded merchandise is literally just a unisex t-shirt or 322 00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:29.919 a polo. And it's like, it doesn't have to be 323 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:33.679 that way. And granted, I know I'm talking about like sustainability, 324 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:35.740 something that's trendy may only last for like a year 325 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:39.879 or two, but better that than like a unisex t-shirt 326 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.019 that gets thrown in a drawer or thrown out or 327 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:45.059 donated to Goodwill or used as a. 328 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:47.419 Rag, you know? Absolutely. 329 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:51.220 No, that makes so much sense. Um, and I know 330 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:54.559 that in addition to kind of having the storefront, you know, 331 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:58.659 you have, um, business owners wearing their own merch on stages. 332 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:00.379 So if you could kind of talk about the journey 333 00:16:00.450 --> 00:16:02.789 that it's been with that as they've been really embodying, 334 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:06.590 you know, using merch, their own merch as their new 335 00:16:06.610 --> 00:16:07.169 business card. 336 00:16:07.710 --> 00:16:10.389 Absolutely. Yeah. That's one of my favorite use cases. 337 00:16:10.490 --> 00:16:18.919 So, you know, we're all operating in crowded fields, right? Um, Authors, speakers, coaches, especially, um, 338 00:16:19.940 --> 00:16:22.659 you know, marketing professionals, finance professionals. I really can't think 339 00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:24.950 of a field that's not, it may be AI, but 340 00:16:24.990 --> 00:16:26.629 even that is crowded. 341 00:16:26.730 --> 00:16:27.230 It's crowded. 342 00:16:27.289 --> 00:16:30.610 It's hard to differentiate yourself. So I really liked to 343 00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:32.669 use one of my favorite use cases of the merch 344 00:16:32.710 --> 00:16:36.789 is to develop something that is specific to the team 345 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:41.539 or the CEO. Whoever's really producing the most content, um, 346 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:45.129 for them to wear that sort of like bold. that 347 00:16:45.350 --> 00:16:48.669 really summarizes their message, their personality and their values. So like, 348 00:16:48.710 --> 00:16:52.779 for example, I am wearing my merch mentor shirt. I 349 00:16:52.820 --> 00:16:56.580 have merch boss, swag boss, merch mentor, but like merch 350 00:16:56.620 --> 00:16:59.139 mentor is really like, I feel really good about this. 351 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.100 So I'll say in two ways, one, you'll never see 352 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.660 me online not wearing something that says merch or swag 353 00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:08.940 so that my face and those words are always associated 354 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:13.440 in people's minds. And the other thing is everything that 355 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:17.210 I am wearing is saying something about who I am 356 00:17:17.309 --> 00:17:19.170 and what my business is, right? So like, I'm wearing 357 00:17:19.210 --> 00:17:22.789 like a trendier style right now of a tank top. 358 00:17:22.849 --> 00:17:25.349 It's not like out there and crazy, but it's like, 359 00:17:26.170 --> 00:17:30.309 you kind of clock that there's, you clock the bigger 360 00:17:30.349 --> 00:17:31.950 picture of things. So this is what I like for 361 00:17:31.970 --> 00:17:34.920 my founders, for them to say, like, we have an 362 00:17:35.019 --> 00:17:37.960 author who wrote a book about the role of black 363 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.680 women in history. And we made her the shirt that said, 364 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:43.680 the matriarchs made me do it. And it's in all 365 00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:47.200 of these like, you know, African-American skin tones and it's 366 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:48.400 really beautifully designed. 367 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:50.160 And when she wears. 368 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:54.529 That, it's like, it's, I think it's a really powerful statement, right? 369 00:17:54.569 --> 00:17:57.849 It's something that people feel really emotional about and they 370 00:17:57.890 --> 00:18:01.509 feel connected to. So when you're wearing on stage, so 371 00:18:01.549 --> 00:18:04.089 like the, I, there are a bunch of use cases 372 00:18:04.130 --> 00:18:05.710 of this, but you know, we have a speaker on 373 00:18:05.769 --> 00:18:08.150 empathy and he has a shirt that says empathy and matters. 374 00:18:08.589 --> 00:18:11.130 We have another one who speaks about style and confidence. 375 00:18:11.890 --> 00:18:14.609 and we made her shirt that says trend resistant. Those 376 00:18:14.630 --> 00:18:18.250 were for their TEDx talks. It's just a really nice 377 00:18:18.289 --> 00:18:20.880 like at a glance, you can very quickly understand what 378 00:18:20.910 --> 00:18:22.680 it is they're doing and help them stand out in 379 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:23.420 a crowded field. 380 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:29.099 That's so incredible. I don't know where In our conversations, 381 00:18:29.130 --> 00:18:32.559 we'll continue, but it'll be interesting in the print-on-demand space, 382 00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:36.779 the level of customization and how far that goes, where 383 00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:39.529 it's like, oh, is it more dresses? I love a 384 00:18:39.549 --> 00:18:43.289 three-quarter length sleeve and a dress, and that's not always 385 00:18:43.349 --> 00:18:45.849 moving away from the unisex t-shirt as we think about 386 00:18:45.970 --> 00:18:49.529 other fit styles. I think that's really exciting to think about. 387 00:18:50.289 --> 00:18:55.410 Or even the moving away from ill-fitting and moving toward 388 00:18:55.450 --> 00:18:58.269 very tailored clothing that really works with you, which is 389 00:18:58.309 --> 00:19:02.619 also really lovely. So in the print-on-demand kind of space, 390 00:19:02.690 --> 00:19:05.660 as you're my expert in this, is there anything that 391 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.160 you're seeing in 2026, 2027 that you're excited about? 392 00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:07.380 Oh, yeah. 393 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:07.890 I mean.... 394 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:14.019 There's this new company that I love that's in the 395 00:19:14.059 --> 00:19:16.700 print on demand world and they have all of these 396 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:21.160 really trendy shapes and styles and they're printing on things 397 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:24.559 that I've never seen printed before. So maxi dresses and 398 00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:29.359 long skirts and tennis skirts and like baseball jerseys and 399 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:34.089 basketball jerseys and like colored tank tops and you know, 400 00:19:34.460 --> 00:19:37.130 stuff that you might not necessarily want, but it's like 401 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:39.069