This week on Shirt Show, Dylan sits down with Jared Granberry, the VP of Sales at ROQ. Jared brings a long, rich history to the table, having grown up in his family business, GSG. In this episode, the conversation goes far beyond standard equipment specs to explore leadership, family business dynamics, and what it truly means to be a real human being in the print industry.
Jared shares his career journey, which began at age 16 working in the GSG warehouse, cleaning floors, and stretching screens. He details the painstaking process of scaling a multi-location distribution business and the emotional reality of eventually selling it.
BUILDING SYSTEMS AND CONFRONTING REALITY
Growing a print business often feels like autopilot until a major reality check hits. Dylan and Jared discuss the common financial pitfalls that catch young entrepreneurs off guard, from fast-and-loose bookkeeping to mismanaging cash flow during peak seasons. Jared reflects on a pivotal moment early in his career when his family vehicle was repossessed due to systemic gaps in backend tracking, forcing him to completely restructure his approach to business finances.
Implementing structured workflows like those found in Profit First can transform an operation. Jared explains how he learned to clear order-specific expenses, material costs, and supplier bills on the exact day revenue came in, ensuring that any remaining balance reflected true, usable funds. By prioritizing essential operational costs upfront, print shops can protect themselves against seasonal downturns and avoid trailing debt.
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THE VALUE OF EXPERT CONSULTATION OVER TRANSACTIONS
In a depressed capital equipment market, it is easy for suppliers to simply take orders and push shiny objects. However, Jared advocates for a consultative approach where vendors actively evaluate a shop's space, labor requirements, and financial health before recommending a purchase. Navigating the delicate balance between buying gear for a short-term job and investing in the seven-year trajectory of a print company requires objective analysis.
Many manual printers assume that expanding production requires a massive physical footprint or a storefront property on Main Street. In reality, addressing internal pre-press bottlenecks often unlocks substantial hidden capacity. By integrating automated darkroom tools like an automatic screen coater or a Computer-to-Screen (CTS) imaging system, shops can reduce setup times from an hour down to minutes, allowing a single press to maximize daily output safely.
THE REALITIES OF BUSINESS TRANSITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS
Operating a high-output distribution network of ten branches highlighted the importance of a structured workflow that can survive personal crises. From sudden family health challenges to logistical disruptions caused by severe regional weather, clean data and accessible systems protect a team from chaotic operational halts. Jared notes that running an organization as if it is constantly prepared for an audit or acquisition naturally enforces cash flow discipline and risk mitigation.
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COMMUNITY, GENTLE CHEERLEADING, AND TRUE CONNECTION
Stepping out of daily operations to attend industry events like Thread X, the Stalls POD Conference, or regional demo days can feel intimidating, but the personal rewards are clear. Building relationships with fellow decorators, creatives, and even direct competitors helps break the isolation that often accompanies business ownership. Jared encourages owners to push past social anxiety, share their failures openly, and engage in genuine peer-to-peer dialogue.
Whether navigating complex manufacturing schedules or developing internal tools based on real user feedback, the print community thrives on shared knowledge. Taking ten minutes a day to empower employees to customize their workspace or eliminate physical layout bottlenecks fosters a healthy, proactive shop culture. In the end, treating staff, peers, and clients like real human beings is what transforms a simple print operation into a lifelong legacy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Data shields your passion. Tracking daily production metrics and settling material invoices immediately protects cash flow from seasonal volatility.
- Optimize before you expand. Automating your darkroom setup with a CTS system or an autocoater fixes pre-press bottlenecks and maximizes your current press capacity.
- Document your systems early. Clean books, standardized processes, and organized customer databases ensure your shop can run independently during life transitions.
- Step away from the press floor. Showing up at industry conferences builds an extended professional family that offers real support when your business hits a wall.
- Listen to the operator. The most impactful equipment innovations and shop hacks come from real printers evaluating day-to-day workspace efficiencies.