If you haven’t tuned in to Shirt Show yet, stop what you’re doing, grab your earbuds, and hit play. Seriously.
Hosted by Dylan Gilligan of Upstate Merch, Shirt Show is an industry podcast built for screen printers, by screen printers. It’s honest, funny, scrappy, sometimes emotional, and always packed with insights you won’t find on a YouTube tutorial. And yep - we’re proud to say Ryonet is now an official sponsor of the show. But let’s get into why that actually matters.
The Real Talk You Didn’t Know You Needed
Episode 266 is a prime example of why Shirt Show hits different. This time around, Dylan (with guest host Nick from Forward Printing) sits down with Brad from Industrious Print Studio—a name you might recognize from a previous episode, back when he was at AWOL. Now, he’s running a new shop, under a new name, with the same passion and clients—but a whole new perspective.
Brad shares the behind-the-scenes of stepping out of a business partnership, starting over from scratch, and rebuilding his screen printing business with intention. It’s vulnerable, insightful, and loaded with moments every shop owner can relate to—from imposter syndrome to hoodies in July.
What You’ll Actually Take Away
Shirt Show breaks that mold of corporate podcasts. Here’s what you actually get:
- 👉 Shop Therapy: Unfiltered convos about burnout, hiring, scaling, failing, and getting back up again.
- 👉 Real Workflow Tips: Like how to pivot from manual or auto, or how to hack your reclaim system when you're down to bare bones.
- 👉 Sales Talk That Doesn’t Suck: Cold walks, rebrands, merch pitches, and turning your local pizza joint into a legit apparel brand.
- 👉 Community Vibes: Guest printers, real stories, and DMs turned friendships. It’s not just a podcast, it’s a community.
RELATED: PRINT SMARTER NOT HARDER: SOP'S, WORKFLOW HACKS & SHOP TRUTHS
Why It Matters Right Now
With the industry shifting post-pandemic, and shops either scaling down, pivoting, or starting fresh, having honest, grounded conversations matters more than ever. Brad’s story in this episode is a wake-up call and a pep talk all in one, especially for owner-operators navigating growth, change, or reinvention.
He talks openly about walking away from gear, splitting a business, and still managing to land on his feet with family in tow, a baby on his back, and a press in a hallway. It’s scrappy. It’s inspiring. And it’s real.
More Than a Podcast
Shirt Show isn’t just background noise. It’s where real printers go to learn, laugh, vent, and grow. It’s for the shop owner who’s burned out. For the manual printer trying to scale. For the creative looking to level up. And for anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re the only one struggling to get a six-color job on an eight-color press.
We’re proud to support it and even more excited to recommend it. Because this industry thrives on knowledge-sharing, honesty, and connection. Shirt Show delivers all three, every week.
Start Listening
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📺 Watch full episodes: YouTube.com/@ShirtShow
TL;DR?
If you print shirts, Shirt Show is your people. Go listen. Join the Discord. Share it with your crew. And if you’re listening while on press, tag them in your story and let them know. They’ll appreciate it—and so will every other printer who finds the show because of you.