Hi Nicole, when did you start the Fantasy Fangirls podcast?

“My sister Lexi and I started the podcast back in September 2023. 

The theme is centered around deep diving into fantasy and romance books. We do in-depth explorations of the themes and lore, sometimes spending over 13 weeks or episodes on a single novel. 

When we started out, we had no existing community to rely on, and our goal was to achieve 20 downloads in our first week. 

As it turns out, we ended up going viral on TikTok. We got 5,000 downloads in our first week and went on to hit 1 million downloads after just three months. I still tell the story like it isn’t real.”

You got that many listeners in such a short time?

“Yeah. The whole thing was a happy accident. We just wanted to start a podcast about books. 

We began with the novel Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, which was mega popular on TikTok at the time, with its various hashtags generating over a billion views combined.

When the sequel Iron Flame came out in November 2023, we were covering the first book in the lead-up to the second book’s release. Plenty of people were talking about it, but none were doing it in the deep-dive, podcast-style format that people seemed to be hungry for. 

I guess we just inserted ourselves into a trend that was already on the up and up, and things just went from there.”

What gave you the idea to sell POD merchandise?

“We’ve now curated a 134,000-person community that we love so much. We learned very quickly that they’re all kind of obsessed with bookish merch, and they would keep asking for themed items from the podcasts. 

I was an entrepreneur for five years before starting the podcast, so I knew we had to figure out how to create our own brand. Plus my sister, Lexi, has been in marketing and PR for years, so she knew how to take that brand and run with it.

After asking around, I discovered Print on Demand. The business model worked really well, as there was no way we would have had the time to order the stock and learn how to distribute it worldwide.

We liked that Printify had such a wide range of products, and the prices seemed like we could keep our items affordable. We didn’t want to price people out of the merchandise, as we knew that collecting books was already a pretty expensive hobby. 

Once we began making merch for the show, it ended up going incredibly well. It’s now one of our sources of revenue for the podcast.”

Do you have a background in graphic design?

“I don’t have any formal training, but I already enjoyed designing things on Canva, and I consider myself a creative person. 

My sister is very meticulous, and her attention to detail helps ensure the designs are perfect before we publish them.

Lately, we’ve also begun to collaborate with other people in the community who are artists. 

For example, one person we’ve become friends with designs amazing stickers and other digital art. It’s been really fun to see another person’s take on a design idea, and we now have a plethora of different designs and styles in our store.”

How did you find the learning curve with POD?

“I actually began to question why it was so easy to bring the designs into Printify and get started. I think we got the entire merch store up and running in three days. 

The only reason it took that long was because we were focused on getting the details right. If we’d have rushed, I think we could have gotten it online in 24 hours.”

Why did you choose to use a Printify Pop-Up Store?

“Unlike many print-on-demand sellers who start from zero, we already had an audience for our podcast. 

For that reason, we didn’t need to show up in Google search results or tap into the traffic of a platform like Etsy. Our potential buyers would simply be clicking on a link in the show notes or via our website.

For those reasons, we decided a Printify Pop-Up Store would be the perfect solution. We could get up and running with the minimum fuss and didn’t need to set up third-party stores with Etsy or Shopify and link them to our Printify account.”

Are there any other advantages to a Pop-Up Store?

“I love the quote, ‘If you build it, they will come.’

The nice thing about Printify’s Pop-Up Store is that it makes it simple to build a merchandise shop, and you’re not penalized if you go a whole month and only one person buys from you. That’s really important because it means you can focus on building slowly and pouring as much love and effort as possible into your products.

Another advantage is the ease of simply displaying a URL for people to click. I also like the layout of the Pop-Up Store and the fact I don’t have to design or build anything. 

The entire thing is seamless, and there didn’t feel like any hurdles getting the merch store up and running.”

What were your biggest fears when starting out?

“Our main anxieties were whether people would like our designs and that they were crisp, clear, and of a good quality. 

Like many beginners, we had plenty of issues with pixel counts and creating designs with words that people weren’t able to read. It took a lot of trial and error to get right.

It can also be stressful when you’re dealing with a global audience. We worried that customers in Australia or the United Kingdom wouldn’t get their orders on time. 

For instance, we did a Christmas sweater that unfortunately didn’t arrive until after the holidays. Luckily we have a really close and friendly community, and it was really sweet the way they handled it.

We’ve learned a lot since then, and we now know how crazy the holiday season can get, so we’ll make sure we allow plenty of time next year.”

What helped during those kinds of situations?

“Printify Customer Service has been pretty seamless. We now have a large store, and it’s inevitable that things go wrong from time to time. 

However, when I contacted the team, they always immediately reimbursed the customers or quickly organized a reprint. 

On the creator side of things, I’ve often used the chat function and been able to figure out things pretty quickly.”

How do you decide what designs to publish in your store?

“Figuring out what people want can be tough. The nice thing for us is that we already had an audience who would request new designs, so in that sense, we had it pretty easy.

Our followers would send messages requesting t-shirts and tumblers with sayings and catchphrases from the show. 

Whenever we made a new item, we’d make an Instagram reel or a TikTok video to show it off. 

The whole experience has been a lot of fun and it’s been great to see how well the merch has been received.”

How do you handle marketing?

“We mostly use our podcast to advertise our merchandise. For instance, we’ll wear our own clothing or have a mug or water bottle on display while recording. We don’t necessarily mention the merch directly, but even if we include a simple link in the show notes, we’ll get people purchasing items.

If we’re launching something new, we’ll mention it in our social media feeds. Mostly, though, we just use the podcast itself and don’t do a whole lot of dedicated marketing.

We’re really lucky to have a community behind us that supports what we do. They cheer us on and buy our products because they know the money goes directly to us, and they want us to succeed and make this our full-time job.”

What has been your greatest success so far?

“Some of the books we reviewed had some very descriptive romantic scenes that definitely weren’t PG-rated. We made a sweater that was a nod to one of those steamy scenes, and it proved to be a huge hit. 

People were telling us that they couldn’t wait to wear it to Christmas parties and be the only one in the room who knew what the design was about. It became a big inside joke, and it was insanely cool and made us so happy.

We also went to a midnight release party at Barnes and Noble for the Fourth Wing sequel, Iron Flame. While we were there, we saw people wearing another one of our inside joke shirts, and others were wearing Fantasy Fangirl logo merch. It was such a cool moment.

We were laughing about the surreal situation we were in, and then someone recognized us just by my sister Lexi’s laugh. 

We ended up giving out stickers, and it was one of those stages in our journey where we realized that we weren’t the same people as a few months before. It was really wild.”

What advice would you give for starting a creative project?

“Don’t focus on how you can get an audience of 135,000 people as fast as possible. Focus on creating the best experience for every person. 

After a while, that person will tell ten people about you, and those ten people will each tell ten more. 

Fantasy Fangirls grew in this exact way, with people sharing our videos and telling others about the podcast. It was all by word of mouth.”

What is the secret to your success?

“I think people recognized that we were doing our best to give back to our community. We were never about trying to make the most money possible out of our fans. 

That’s one of the reasons I believe we have succeeded because we’re genuinely trying to make the happiest audience in human history.

People love supporting people who love supporting people. 

We’ve always thought about what we can do for our listeners rather than what they can do for us. 

We believe that’s the secret to success, end of story.”

Hi Andrew, how did you get into POD?

“Like many people, I discovered Print on Demand during the pandemic. 

My wife got a Cricut machine and played around with various designs and techniques. We initially had the idea to start using it to make custom shirts, but quickly figured out there would be no way to scale the business if we were printing and shipping everything ourselves. 

After realizing there was no way we could scale business printing items at home, we turned to the internet and discovered Printify. Even before I started a real shop, I could instantly see the potential of Print on Demand. 

I figured that even if I didn’t make any money, I could still use POD to create cool designs and make clothing I could wear myself.”

What challenges did you face as a new seller?

“The hardest part is keeping motivated and stopping yourself from quitting. 

It takes at least 25 to 50 listings for the algorithm to take notice of your shop, and realistically, that means it takes time to make your first sale. 

Once you’ve got over the initial hurdle of selling your first item and you’ve made 20 or 30 sales, things start to get easier, and you look more authentic and legitimate.”

What made you want to sell on eBay?

“I initially started an Etsy shop, but by 2023, after using various SEO tools, I noticed that for many items, eBay listings were ranking far better. 

That realization made me consider moving to eBay, and after a great deal of research, I began testing Printify’s integration and opened a store on the platform in August 2023.

After six months or more on eBay, I think things are going pretty well. I’d even say that my sales are ramping up faster than they did on Etsy. 

Although I probably made faster progress from already having designs made up, I’d definitely say the audience on eBay is a better fit for the kind of items I sell.”

Was moving your store over to eBay a challenge?

“My biggest concern was that I’d have to recreate everything from scratch, but I needn’t have worried. In the end, I basically copied everything over from my Etsy store and added it straight to eBay.

Of course, you need to make a few tweaks, such as accounting for the different character limits of the listings on each platform, but overall, the process was pretty smooth.”

What contributed to your fast growth on eBay?

“The total volume of traffic on eBay is significantly higher for the niche I sell in. I think it’s important to point out the very different demographics of each platform. 

My wife uses Etsy a lot, and for the most part, the shoppers there are women who love craft and homemade items. On the other hand, I’ve heard that eBay is the exact opposite, with a user base of over 60% men.

As you can imagine, that means certain niches and styles work better on each platform. For my niche, which is crypto and finance, eBay seems to be a better fit.”

What are the perks of using Printify to sell on eBay?

“Printify has so many different products in the Catalog. You can find everything from doormats and candles to tech accessories. There are flags, face masks, and everything in between. The only limitation is your imagination.

Most importantly, unlike other providers I’ve worked with, I’ve also noticed that Prinitfy holds its print vendors to very high standards, cutting ties with them if the products are consistently low quality. 

This makes it easier for me to sell with fewer issues with Printify, which I think is something to be proud of.”

Has the Printify eBay growth advisory program been helpful?

“Yes, the program is very good. My Printify Product Manager, Katie, and my eBay Growth Adviser, Pierce, contact me monthly to discuss my store and any issues I’m having. 

If I have any questions about publishing designs, they’re always happy to help, and I even get advice on how to improve my listings.

Overall, the experience has been very different from other platforms. I’ve learned all about promotional listings and volume pricing, and it’s obvious that you can do a lot more on eBay in terms of advertising your store and items. 

On other channels, you basically set a daily budget, but with eBay, you can promote listings at a reduced percentage and much more. There’s certainly a lot more potential, and I haven’t even scratched the surface.

Working with Pierce from eBay and Katie has helped me a lot because they were able to show me things I didn’t even know existed. 

I’ve definitely benefited from the information I’ve gained from the eBay Growth Advisor Program.”

How is selling on eBay different from other platforms?

“As a new seller, it’s hard to fathom just how detailed eBay is and how massive the platform has grown. 

It’s very robust, and there is a vast amount of payment and customer data at your fingertips if you know how to access and benefit from it.

eBay’s analytics are nearly as detailed and comprehensive as Google’s. 

In addition, I was also shown a store newsletter feature, which I’ve only recently started experimenting with. Combine that with learning about coupons, markdown sales, and a bunch of other selling tools.”

Were there any challenges specific to eBay?

“eBay has quite a steep learning curve because it has much more detailed listings. 

For example, you have your brand, who your product is steered towards, as well as other item specifics such as sizing. 

It took a long time to get my head around the extra details, but I pushed through, and it was definitely worth my time.

In the end, I settled on a strategy of listing my products in batches. I’d list 30 different mugs before moving on to batches of t-shirts and then hoodies. 

For each set of products, I’d add all of the required information and any SEO-specific keywords related to my crypto niche.”

Does Printify’s eBay integration offer any specific perks?

When I had a couple of issues with missed shipping windows during the early stages of setup, my Prinitfy adviser Katie quickly made a note of the problem and took care of everything really quickly. 

Everything has worked well since then, and I’ve had zero issues.”

Have you altered your prices since switching to eBay?

“Overall, I’d say they’ve stayed relatively the same, with a few changes here and there. I’ve slightly increased some of my prices on eBay.

I also run a lot more ads on eBay. Around 80% to 90% of my sales are driven by advertising, and eBay takes a percentage of each one. 

Typically, the platform charges around 12% of the final value of each sale. I’ve heard from more experienced sellers that after a time, it’s possible to get those figures down.”

Do you think eBay is a relatively untapped market for POD sellers?

“I’d say so, yes. Many people don’t really consider the platform for selling things like clothing, mugs, or apparel. 

However, if you’re prepared to learn how everything works and build your brand, the potential is huge. 

It’s also possible to make any niche work if you put in the effort. After all, pretty much everyone shops on eBay and understands how the site works.

One of the best things for me about eBay is that the site offers more benefits than most eCommerce platforms. When you make a sale, you get a much better breakdown of fees, ad spend, and other fee details. 

Everything is transparent, which makes it much easier to understand your net profit from the start.”

What does it take to be a successful merchant on eBay?

“You need to have good designs and quality products. 

My best advice is to simply stick at it because any limitations from the print-on-demand business model will come from you. 

Just try to consistently create great products, and success will come eventually.

I’m doing well on eBay, but I still have a 9-to-5 job. I’m also a father with three children, so most of my work on the online store takes place in the evenings and often on weekends.”

Can you offer any personal tips for POD newcomers?

“It’s vital to keep on top of current trends. I use SEO tools like eRank, Alura, and EverBee to find the best trends and keywords. 

However, you don’t necessarily need those to do research. 

If you’re online often enough, you’ll begin to see poorly designed items that do have good themes or slogans. I’m not suggesting stealing other people’s work, but being able to spot opportunities to improve on a good idea can be pivotal to your success.

As I mentioned, my niche is crypto and finance. I had a great deal of success back in March 2023 by creating a range of products based on US financial news, such as the string of bank runs that were making news at the time. 

Obviously, trends like that tend to die down eventually, but I still did exceptionally well because I kept on top of the news cycle and got my designs published in plenty of time.”

What’s been your most inspiring and joyful experience so far?

“Honestly, I just really enjoy designing the products and getting them out there. I really like making people happy with my designs. 

It’s one thing just to upload as many items as possible and maybe just design a simple Bitcoin t-shirt, but creating something successful people love is cool and makes you feel good.

I’m not here to cheat people out of their money – I’ve eaten costs associated with wrong addresses and missed deliveries. 

I want my customers to like and tell their friends about what I’m doing. I guess overall, I just want to bring a smile to people’s faces.”

Connect with Andrew on X to learn more about his success journey on eBay.

Hi Rileigh, when and how did you start your POD journey?

“My partner and I were living in Japan and had a hard time getting part-time jobs due to the language barrier. I was scrolling through TikTok one day and discovered a video about POD. The idea really appealed to me because I’ve loved designing t-shirts ever since I was a kid in middle school.

I watched several YouTube videos and eventually opened up an Etsy Shop. That process happened while I was in Japan, but I continued building the business when I returned to the US in February 2023, despite having to work two jobs while finishing my final college semester.

I had begun putting real effort into the business by April and May 2023. After seven months of hard work, I hit 100 sales, and by the first anniversary in October, I had sold 500 items. After a successful holiday season, my total sales had passed $30,000, and I’m now starting 2024 having achieved over 1,000 sales.”

Was there a turning point where you figured out how to increase sales?

“Initially, I was putting in plenty of hours but wasn’t seeing any progress. The simple fact is that I didn’t really know what I was doing. 

I had watched hours of YouTube content on how to start a POD business, but I was creating designs for teachers and nurses, and t-shirts with inspirational quotes. 

Those kinds of niches have thousands of listings on Etsy, and there’s huge competition. It wasn’t until I started researching lower-competition, high-search niches that I began to make progress. Once I’d begun focusing on keywords and search volumes using tools like eRank, my sales skyrocketed.”

How do you market your designs?

“Funnily enough, my day job is doing marketing for a non-profit. However, all the traffic for my POD business comes directly through Etsy. 

I’ve tried using Etsy ads and working with influencers, but those tactics only helped me make a couple of sales. Most of my success has come from organic Etsy traffic, and I make 50% of my sales in a single niche.

I think the secret is working in smaller niches that people are passionate about. Once people find your designs, they’re more likely to share them with friends, family, and the wider community. 

I’ve also started an email list, which has been pretty helpful as you’re more likely to get repeat business that way.”

Do you have any advice for selecting lucrative niches?

“My best advice is to avoid designing items that try to appeal to everyone. 

Do your research, explore niches and trends that are selling well, and try to find a unique angle. 

You can even start to screenshot and save certain color schemes, patterns, and fonts that are trending and apply them to your designs.

I’ve even had success using popular phrases and slogans from oversaturated niches and applying them to completely different genres. In some cases, those designs have easily made 25 sales, so the research has quickly paid off.”

Is there a specific criteria you use when doing niche research?

“When using eRank, I’ll look for keywords and niches with less competition. 

For example, a generic term, like football shirts, might have 1,000 monthly searches but a high competition rating of 15,000. If you divide the 1,000 searches by the competition rating of 15,000, you get a figure of just 7%.

I’ll add those figures to a spreadsheet and look for favorable niches with higher percentages of people searching for items. 

Some of the micro-niches only have 100 searches per month, but the people hunting for those items are much more likely to find your listings and make a purchase.”

Does your Etsy store have a large number of product listings?

“Yes, I have a lot of listings. I think selling on Etsy is a lot like fishing. If you have more poles in the water, you’re more likely to catch a fish. 

I currently have around 3,500 listings, which dramatically increases the chances of someone finding me.

For each design I create, I’ll upload multiple listings using different Printify products. For example, I might have one design on a Bella+Canvas t-shirt and another on a Comfort Colors sweatshirt. That means that out of 3,500 listings, I’ve probably created about 800 unique designs.

Another way I’m able to upload lots of designs at once is by using templates. For example, if I was making a World’s Best Nurse t-shirt, I’d also branch out and create World’s Best Mom and World’s Best Teacher versions, too.”

Was there a point in your journey when It became easier to make sales?

“I can’t speak for other platforms, but on Etsy, it seems like the more you sell, the more the site pushes you up the listings. Positive reviews and having your items favorited can also give you a boost. 

Overall, it’s exponential. So, although in the beginning, progress felt slow – I’m sure now that I have reached 1,000 sales, it will be significantly easier to reach the next 1,000.

When you first start out, it feels insanely slow. My advice is to stick at it because one day, you’ll look back at the numbers and realize people have spent $30,000 in your shop. The whole concept is so cool, but I still sometimes find it hard to believe.”

Your hard work has definitely paid off

“A lot of YouTubers make out like POD is passive income, and that’s definitely why it appealed to me. Obviously, it can be passive in the end, but to get there, you’ll need to put in a great deal of work. 

There are people out there making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and many of them have stopped making new products. 

In the beginning, though, you need to put the hours in and invest in your business so that you see the returns later on.”

How are you preparing for upcoming holiday events in 2024?

“I’ve not been going long enough to be properly chasing holiday sales, but I’m beginning to get more prepared. For example, I uploaded Valentine’s Day designs in early January, which is still a little late, but I was only just over the hustle and bustle of my first major Q4 season.

On platforms like Etsy, it takes six to eight weeks for the algorithm to pick up on a listing and for it to gain traction. 

Right now, I’m concentrating on more evergreen designs, but I’ll still upload some items for Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July, and St. Patrick’s Day.

Most shoppers on Etsy are looking for individual items they can’t find at places like Walmart. I think that means if they’re spending $35 on a t-shirt, they’re going to want to wear it more than once a year, which is why I’m mostly sticking to those evergreen niches.

With all of that being said, it’s hard to ignore Halloween and Christmas. My biggest sales came during the last Q4 because I really focused on Halloween listings in my shop. Etsy absolutely gets more traffic in the holiday season, so you’re likely to pick up more sales in whatever niche you are in.”

Do you have any tips on how to price items?

“Don’t be afraid to set realistic prices that make a decent profit. You’ll notice a lot of $5 or $7 t-shirts on Etsy, but many of those are in children’s sizes and used as a loss leader strategy. 

Also, if you stay away from the popular genres and really niche down, then your customers will be more likely to pay more money for a unique design they can’t get elsewhere. 

When it comes to pricing specifics, I like to sell all of the different colors and sizes of shirts for the same average price. I find my average base cost and add the profit margin I’d like, so I’m still making a profit on the bigger sizes. But my 5XL is the same price as the medium, one price for all the sizes. I don’t believe people of bigger sizes should pay more for their clothes.”

Has a customer ever made your day?

“One of my customers was looking to buy one of my designs but wasn’t comfortable wearing it on a t-shirt in public. 

I offered her a 50% off voucher and told her I’d experiment with some stickers and tumblers. In the end, she refused to use the voucher and thanked me for creating the new items. 

She wanted to help a small business owner and was happy to pay full price. I thought it was so cool that she wanted to support me as a creator.”

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far on your journey?

“Keep going, and never give up. I could easily have quit after seven months of hard work, but luckily, I persevered. 

My biggest piece of advice to anyone starting out is to remember that you’re building a business. Invest as much time as you can because it will definitely pay off in the long run.”

How does it feel to hit the $30,000 revenue milestone?

“I’ve reinvested some of the money, of course, but it’s still a life-changing amount. My partner and I hope to build a school bus conversion so that we can tour around the US, and that takes a lot of money. 

POD has helped with that and also meant that I’ve been able to pay off some of my credit card debt.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s completely overwhelming to think that I’ve designed a bunch of things on my laptop that have not only earned $30,000, but over a thousand people are now out there wearing them. 

It makes me feel good and that all the hard work has paid off.”

How has Printify helped shape your business?

“The Printify Rockstars Facebook group has been the biggest help to me, especially when I was first starting with POD when I lived in Japan. 

When I had no idea what I was doing, I was able to tap into a whole community of like-minded people who were willing to share tips and teach others how to get started.

As the last Q4 season was building, Printify was holding its Amplified conference and had announced that they were going to pick three people from the group to attend. I joked with my boss that I would need time off to travel to Latvia, and suddenly, I got a message that I had been picked.

That was a huge turning point for me and my POD business because I got to meet people who had found success and made a career doing the same thing as me. 

It inspired me to know that while I was working on my computer listing Etsy products, other people out there were already living the dream.

I also realized that Printify is so much bigger than I expected. The founder started out selling laptop sleeves, and now there’s a network of people and companies behind the scenes working together so that t-shirts from my small business can be worn all around the world.

I keep reminding myself of all this when I’m punching away on my laptop and that what I’m doing is just as important as Jeff Bezos building Amazon in his garage. 

If all of this is still around in the future, I might even be showing my grandkids how to run the business.”

Daisy discovers POD and spearheads the business

For the last eight years, Brett has been involved in marketing and advertising campaigns for various corporate eCommerce businesses.   

“I’ve worked with many different corporate clients through agencies, and I’m still employed full-time by an Australian company that has its own brand,” says Brett. “I run the Facebook ads, manage the financial side of that operation, and do marketing.” 

Although it’s fair to say Brett has an extensive background in eCommerce and print on demand, he admits that he only considered opening his own POD store after his partner Daisy suggested the idea back in January 2023.

“I’m a disability support worker,” Daisy explained, “but I was searching for a job or business idea that would eventually allow me to travel without being tied down. I knew I wanted to start doing something online, and discovered print on demand after watching several YouTube videos on the topic.”

Overcoming a major design roadblock

Brett had plenty of experience in the world of eCommerce but had never sold any physical products himself. Meanwhile, Daisy had plenty of enthusiasm but didn’t understand the finer points of graphic design.

“I’d only dealt with advertising and marketing for big brands, so I had no idea what kinds of products would sell well on a platform like Etsy,” Brett admitted before adding, “My design experience was also limited to making online ads, rather than creating physical items like t-shirts.”

Daisy also admitted to not knowing much about product design and having to research and find her best designs through trial and error.

Despite those significant obstacles, Brett and Daisy enthusiastically got to work creating an Etsy shop. However, the pair didn’t sell products in substantial volumes until they rethought their strategy.

A change of strategy makes over $200,000

Although Brett and Daisy made a couple of early sales, the pair’s fortunes really began to change after they shifted their mindset. 

“I watched several YouTube videos about product research,” says Daisy. “The best one was by a content creator called Simply Shawna. Eventually, we had set in motion a step-by-step process that involved niche research, finding out what products were selling well, and that kind of thing.”

According to Brett, everything changed after implementing the techniques they’d seen on YouTube.

“In the beginning, we were simply listing whatever design ideas came into our heads. Of course, we didn’t make any real sales with that approach. Once everything fell into place, we made $400 in April, $800 in May, and around $2,000 in June.”

For print-on-demand newcomers, those are some solid sales figures. However, Brett and Daisy continued to make enormous gains, eventually reaching an impressive $205,000 in revenue in a single month.

The secret recipe for success

“The first big profit jumps came from choosing very specific niches and audiences with low competition and no saturation,” Brett noted. “We’d modify our bestselling designs for completely different audiences or add value to what was already out there. Tools like Sales Samurai and Insight Factory were also a huge help during the SEO and niche selection process.”

Meanwhile, Daisy began listing as many products on Etsy as humanly possible.

“We ensured we had a lot of volume to give us the best chance of making sales. Some stores only have a few listings, but we added around 2,000 in just eight months. At one point, I was uploading 50 listings per day. There was zero work/life balance. I basically spent six months to a year permanently uploading to Etsy.”

Experimenting with mockups

Although that sounds like a staggering amount of design work, Brett and Daisy took a unique approach to product mockups that boosted the number of listings they could add to their Etsy shop.

“For each new design, we’d list two or three identical versions but change the mockup style. Sometimes a mockup with certain colors would sell really well, whereas the same product in a different setting, with different background colors, didn’t sell at all,” said Brett.

Brett’s experience running online ad campaigns clearly inspired this split testing system. After some time, Daisy had a better idea of which mockup styles would work best and could cut back to a single listing for each product. 

“For beginners with no data, adding multiple listings of the same product can work well,” Daisy noted. 

We fully agree, and it can’t be overstated that one of the keys to print-on-demand success is mastering the art of split testing and interpreting the data that results.

Making $18,000 in a single day!

As Brett and Daisy threw around some incredible sales numbers, we were keen to hear about the pair’s experience of their first holiday season. Q4 is typically a period where experienced POD sellers make their biggest financial gains, and sure enough, according to Brett, it was a struggle to keep up with demand.

“It was pretty crazy. We were underprepared for sure. We do a lot of custom products, and managing the orders needs to be done manually and can’t be automated. One day, we received 253 orders, and 200 of those were for custom items.”

Daisy was equally shocked by the holiday rush, especially regarding fulfillment.

“We had to have all of those items designed to be ready to ship the next day. It was crazy. We have a virtual assistant, but we still had to ask a few friends to help us get the orders out. I suppose I just didn’t realize how big the business would grow. I didn’t for a moment think our sales would double, and then all of a sudden, they doubled again.”

Brett and Daisy say they were astounded by the results of a successful Q4, which is unsurprising, given that at one point, they made $18,000 in a single day!

“We were both still working at our full-time jobs. It was tough, but in the end, it worked out great. We made a huge amount of profit. However, I know I’m hiring more people when we do another holiday season.”

Overcoming self-doubt and embracing challenges

As much as we love hearing about those incredible 5-figure sales days, we must point out that it takes an incredible work ethic to get there. Brett and Daisy have worked incredibly hard on their business and faced plenty of difficulties in the early days.

“I think the greatest challenge was getting consistent daily sales. All of a sudden, it just began to happen, and after that, we just did more and more. It also took me a while to overcome the mindset that suddenly, it might just stop working,” admits Brett.

“Print on demand can definitely be stressful in the beginning. You work eight hours daily creating products and listing them, but after several months, you still don’t see results. It can be difficult to stay positive, and it’s so tempting to quit,” adds Daisy.

Brett and Daisy joked that in the beginning, they would set their phone notifications at full volume so they could listen out for the reassuring cha-ching sound that signifies a new sale. 

“When it happened, we would do a little celebration dance and try to stay motivated. Luckily, we’re now making so many sales that we have to keep our notifications muted,” laughs Brett.

Perfecting the business model

After hearing about Brett and Daisy’s incredible first year in business, we couldn’t help but ask about their experience with Printify and how it helped them grow an online business.

“Without Printify, we wouldn’t even have a business. Using Printify means we don’t have to buy or store any stock, and we never have to stress about ordering items ahead of time. Just paying for what you sell makes it so easy to get started, and integrating everything into Etsy is also really straightforward,” said Brett.

Pricing strategies and the importance of tracking

Brett and Daisy found their feet and created a template for success after watching as many tutorial videos on YouTube as possible. However, the pair want to stress that it’s essential not to just watch POD content passively but to take action and never give up.

In addition, Brett’s background in online advertising meant that from day one, he was keenly aware of maximizing profit.

“I think it’s vital for Etsy store owners to understand their finances. I see so many businesses that have no idea whether they’re profitable or not and how to correctly set prices. Understanding profit and loss is pretty boring, but it’s a really important skill.”

From day one, Brett tracked all of the profits and losses daily. It helped show the seasoned marketer whether his Etsy ads were efficient and when to pull back so that he and Daisy could divert money into different strategies.

“I have marketing experience due to my background in eCommerce advertising, and I hate the idea of running ourselves into the ground because we’re setting prices too low or not budgeting for ads correctly. I can’t stress how important that concept is to master.” 

Cheers to a brighter future

2023 has been a whirlwind of a year for Brett and Daisy, who have built a highly successful POD business while still working full-time. Now that the holiday season is over, and they’ve entered 2024, the pair have had time to reflect on what comes next. 

“Daisy would like to quit her job fairly soon. We may try working in the Philippines when we travel there. Our print-on-demand business will allow us to stay longer than we normally would, as we then can both work from anywhere on our laptops. We may also go to Thailand. We’ll have so much more freedom when we can work while we travel,” says Daisy.

Brett has plenty of ideas about growing their online business even further.

“I want to expand the Shopify side of things and get onto TikTok Shop using my existing skill set. I want to automate as much of the business as possible so that I can concentrate on marketing. I think a lot about early retirement and building wealth. You can’t really do that as a traditional employee, so I’m very focused on growing the business over the next three years.”

A lifelong passion for art

Michael attended art classes from age five and eventually went to art college. While working in an Olive Garden restaurant for 19 years, he was able to use his skills to sell artwork to supplement his income.

“I used to make oil paintings and other commissioned pieces but eventually went digital because reproducing my work made much more sense,” Michael explains.

“I had aspirations to make and sell as many paintings as possible. In the beginning, my plan was to generate an online income to pay the bills so that I could give up working in the restaurant trade altogether.”

A surprise diagnosis with a silver lining

Michael’s side hustle allowed him to cut down to part-time hours. However, an unexpected medical issue became the catalyst that would prompt him to quit regular work entirely.

“One day, I began having issues with my hip and was diagnosed with a form of necrosis, meaning the blood wasn’t flowing as it should. In the end, I had to wait six months for a hip replacement and go through rehab, so I couldn’t do anything other than work on my art every day. Luckily my business took off while waiting for surgery, so I didn’t have to return to the Olive Garden.”

The artist managed to stockpile a huge volume of designs just in time for the eCommerce boom that would take place due to COVID-19.

“I didn’t start selling online in large volumes until the pandemic hit in 2020. I was on Etsy and also had a separate printing company, but I had difficulty responding to all the inquiries.”

A family business is born

After the couple had their second child in 2021, rather than going back to work after maternity leave, Carly opted to help grow the business.

“Michael was working eight to nine hours daily and needed to bring someone on board to help with customer service. We both decided it would be best if I took on that role, working from home together,” says Carly. 

That was two years ago. Now, the couple has created a thriving and lucrative online business, combining Printify and Shopify to sell fine art prints, clothing, and much more. 

However, Carly was certainly thrown into the deep end. “After around a month and a half, I found myself in the middle of the busy Q4 period. It was pretty chaotic and also our most profitable year to date,” she admits.

The big move to Shopify

As their business grew, Michael and Carly started seeking options for long-term stability and a platform that gave them more control over their shop. After experimenting with Squarespace, the couple eventually settled on a Shopify store.

“Shopify has definitely given us more freedom,” says Michael. “I own my site and domain name, but I also know that Shopify’s customer service is fast and friendly when I need support.”

Many POD sellers worry about losing Etsy’s built-in traffic source when they consider migrating to Shopify. However, Michael is remarkably relaxed about the switch.

“Honestly, I probably spend the same on advertising as I did when using Etsy, and sometimes even less. In addition, I also get traffic and make a decent amount of sales through Shop.App.”

Shop.App is a standalone Shopify app that lets customers see their orders and shipping notifications across all their favorite Shopify stores. The platform also suggests new shops that customers might like based on previous orders. It’s a system that works a little like Etsy to help sellers gain traffic.

Printify – the final piece of the puzzle

Once Michael settled on Printify as his POD provider, he was able to migrate all of his listings into his Shopify store using the Printify Connect feature. 

“It took a day or two to get everything up and running, but overall, everything was very streamlined. Our previous provider took several days to respond to customer service inquiries, which was one of the main reasons we were keen to switch to Printify,” Michael explains.

Before moving to Printify, Michael and Carly were offering posters and t-shirts. Today, Michael says they have expanded their product range considerably.

“We now offer canvases, framed pictures, phone cases, sweatshirts, and multiple types of t-shirts. I sold stickers for a while, but the huge number of variants meant I hit Shopify’s 50,000 listing limit. Comfort color t-shirts are also very popular right now and are available in a huge variety of options, so it’s easier than you’d imagine to reach the threshold.”

Expanding to a global market

Today, Michael and Carly sell their designs worldwide. So far, they’ve had positive experiences with customers from the United States to the United Kingdom and beyond.

“I think people expect things to take a little longer since the pandemic. Back then, shipping times could be up to 45 business days, so people have realistic expectations about overseas shipping and are generally pretty relaxed about the whole thing,” Carly notes.

The importance of marketing on Shopify

Since discovering POD in 2020, the duo has overcome plenty of challenges, including promoting their business using marketing campaigns.

“We’ve had to learn how to target specific audiences using advertising. We started small and slowly began increasing our campaigns. We’ve also had to become experts at social media marketing,” says Michael. 

“We try to post across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and even Reddit. I like to have as many eyes on the store as possible.” 

Michael also uses SMS marketing to contact customers who have signed up for alerts and has also embraced email to reach a wider audience. However, with such a broad marketing strategy, the couple risk having their designs stolen. Michael is currently exploring how to trademark his designs.

“I guess it’s always going to happen, and it’s a huge problem, but I’m trying to get a trademarked logo and watermark on all my listings. Without some form of copyright, it’s incredibly difficult to have stolen design listings removed,” he explains.

Success on Shopify after years of hard work

Many creatives worry they’ll end up living the life of a financially-challenged artist. However, Michael proved that it’s possible to overcome that stereotype. Today, the couple’s hard work has resulted in some incredible sales figures. 

“POD helped us go from $85,000 in sales to $500,000 in a single year and $750,000 the year after. I want to see that growth pattern going up and up, but I’d be more than happy if the business continued to tick over like that,” says Michael.

“We’ve managed to buy a bigger family home and go to Mexico, as we never got the chance to have a honeymoon,” Carly adds.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

The couple are keen to point out that running a business is tough, and there will be plenty of challenges to overcome along the way.

“You have to be comfortable putting yourself out there. You’ll hear good and bad comments, but you just have to keep going. When I had my hip replacement surgery, it forced me to keep creating designs. You don’t have to make masterpieces, but I think it’s vital to keep practicing every day and get better at whatever you’re doing,” says Michael.

Michael explained that POD isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. “You’ll need to put in the hours while still working a regular job. There’s a common misconception about how much work it takes to launch a business yourself.”

“Ask for help when you need it. If you aren’t very good at sugarcoating things, get someone on board to deal with customer service issues,” says Carly.

Boss your business with Shopify and Printify

Overall, Michael and Carly are glad they decided to quit the corporate world and take their artistic side hustle to the next level. 

“I don’t have to ask my boss if what I’ve created is good enough, and I can choose my working hours, which is important as we have a family,” Michael reflects. 

“I think Michael was too intelligent to waste away in a corporate job. It was eating away at his soul,” Carly adds, explaining that she also gets to work on her own terms, trading her office job for an iPad.

Michael and Carly have used the combination of Shopify and Printify to build a thriving eCommerce store. If you’d like to connect with them, check them out on Instagram and TikTok and follow their amazing journey.

We hope they’ve inspired you to check out both Printify and Shopify to create your own POD success story.

Hi Alejandro, how did you get started with Print on Demand?

I initially worked in digital advertising. After noticing a big demand for e-commerce in my home country of Mexico, I started a small t-shirt store. Like many Mexicans, I’m a musician and music enthusiast, so I quickly found a niche centered around rock music and vintage designs, which I love.

Initially, I was screen-printing my designs, as it was much cheaper locally than an online service. After traveling to the US for an internship, I noticed plenty of demand for the same niche items I was selling in my home country. So, I decided to start shipping my designs internationally.

I quickly learned that despite sharing a border with Mexico, shipping to the USA wasn’t cheap, often costing twice the price of the items themselves. I knew my designs were good, but I wasn’t sure customers would be willing to pay such a high price. 

When I started researching different ways of reducing shipping costs, I discovered dropshipping and the print-on-demand business model.

What platform did you use to sell your designs?

I started selling on Etsy in 2019 alongside a Shopify website. I chose to enter the US market because it’s one of the largest in the world, and I had personal experience living there. Although I didn’t do so well initially, things began to snowball, and eventually, I started selling my designs in the UK as well.

Unfortunately, when any of my products began to sell well on Etsy, other companies would steal the designs. I tried to have their versions removed, but that backfired massively when my store was closed down.

That sounds like a huge setback. How did it happen?

Several rival stores that had stolen my designs claimed that their versions were the originals and I was the one at fault. I tried to show evidence that I’d been selling my products in Mexico since at least 2016, but that didn’t turn the tide.

I really liked the Etsy business model but decided I couldn’t risk being closed down again. I put all my efforts into Shopify but found similar copyright issues cropping up. With piracy being such a huge problem, I decided to change my tactics. By 2020, I’d found a new niche and started from scratch.

How did you manage your pivot to a new niche?

Years before getting into Print on Demand, I had noticed a trend for customized products, such as t-shirts with names printed on the back or designs for couples. Although screen printing was a cheaper option for t-shirt designs in Mexico, it would have been extremely expensive or simply impossible to make those kinds of custom designs. Print on Demand makes that kind of business idea very simple, as you can effectively create print runs of just one item. 

Of course, how you promote and sell customizable products is very different from regular designs and requires certain changes to your website. My main advantage was to avoid having my designs stolen, so I began researching how to get started.

Are custom designs complicated to set up?

While building a Shopify website wasn’t rocket science, there was a pretty steep learning curve with the custom design aspect of the store. I didn’t know how to code or anything like that, but once I joined Printify, I was able to use the API to get everything working correctly. It was absolutely magical to see the system fetching and receiving customer orders for the first time.

Because we offer customizable products, it’s essential that we have plenty of disclaimers and warnings so that we’re covered in case our customers make mistakes or don’t like the items they’ve created. We still want to provide excellent service and get five-star reviews, so we’ll do everything in our power to cancel an order if a customer has a problem. 

Today, I primarily offer custom products in the music vintage niches, but I’m exploring many different options. When it comes to customization, people want all kinds of unique, personalized items.

Why did you choose Printify as your POD partner?

I had a massive issue with my previous provider on Black Friday, the worst possible day of the year in 2022. The communication between our website and theirs broke, and instead of helping us fix the problem, they asked us to do it manually. That was a complete nightmare, and that’s when I found Printify and decided to move everything over to Printify immediately.

Are you excited for a less chaotic 2023 holiday season?

Aside from the occasional ‘out of stock’ issues that we resolve by changing print providers, we generally have a good time during Black Friday and the other holidays with Printify. I’m hoping this year will be no different. 

Despite spending a lot of money on advertising, we get the best response from our email lists at this time of the year, as we offer big discounts of up to 50% on some of our products. For people who know a musician or a music lover, a customized product makes a great gift, so we do very well over the holiday period.

Do you now sell mainly through your Shopify website?

Yes, we make most of our sales through our website, but I’m cautiously getting back into Etsy with a new store and working like crazy, creating new products each week. After my previous issues with people stealing the designs, I’m taking things slowly and thinking of ways to keep one step ahead of the competition.

When Etsy closed my last store, I was a Star Seller. I want to get back to that level of success. Although I can do little to stop people from stealing my designs, I’m determined to become the leader of my particular niche.

You currently sell in the US, UK and EU. Any plans to expand your business into new regions?

It’s important to take things slowly to avoid unexpected issues. For example, we’re only selling in the US and Europe right now, even though finding print providers in places like Australia and New Zealand would be easy. 

If I were to sell products to customers in a particular country, but they didn’t receive them on time, I’d have to deal with lots of refunds and chargebacks. When that happens, payment providers like Stripe or Paypal suspend or even ban you from their platforms, which would create huge headaches. 

What would you do differently if you started from scratch?

I’d do plenty of things differently if I could start from scratch. Initially, I only considered making certain designs or selling in particular niches that I enjoyed. Today, I actively look for new trends and watch what others are doing to help me better understand different markets. 

Entrepreneurs should always be paying close attention to what other people are doing and the trends and technologies that are becoming popular.

Any advice for Print on Demand newcomers?

Find a niche that you’re familiar with. If products are already being sold in your chosen niche, don’t worry; that’s usually a good thing. You just need to try and do better than the other sellers. 

Don’t overthink things. Get started today. Platforms like Shopify and Etsy make it easy to set up a business. With technologies like AI becoming increasingly sophisticated, you don’t need to be a great artist to create unique designs. If you don’t want to learn any design skills at all, you could hire someone on a site like Fiverr and concentrate on the marketing side of the business.

Many of my friends have asked me for a checklist on how to get started with Print on Demand. I always tell them to get a Shopify or Etsy store opened up, even if they don’t have a brand name or any products to sell. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when confronted with a list of the 1,000 steps required to start a business. In the beginning, I think it’s best to jump in with the least amount of planning.

And finally, any parting words to wrap up the interview?

I want to say thanks to my team for their amazing support. Several people are excellent at helping me deal with things I’m not good at or don’t enjoy doing. I hired someone to help with customer service, for example, and she’s very lighthearted and knows precisely how to speak to customers and keep them happy. 

It’s always been important to me to make my customers feel special and be there for them. My team are fellow music lovers who understand my mission and make it their passion as well. I’m really thankful for that.

Triumphing over adversity

Originally a pharmaceutical representative, Debbie successfully pivoted careers, opening a coffee and bagel shop which she ran successfully for around ten years.

Unfortunately, her entrepreneurial aspirations were abruptly cut short when Debbie was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer. Due to her illness, chemotherapy, and several operations followed, Debbie’s recovery was a long and slow process.

“All of that happened back in 2011, and thankfully, I’m all good now. While recovering I wrote a book about my experience, for which I won three awards. Fast forward to 2020, and spending time with my two boys made me realize I needed a job where I could work from home, so I began searching for ways to make money online.”

Discovering Print on Demand

Debbie eventually stumbled across print on demand on YouTube and loved the idea of running a creative business. 

“I was fascinated by the concept of starting with a blank item and then adding text and other design elements to it. Even to this day, I find it so rewarding and personally satisfying when customers buy my products. It’s also a huge bonus to be able to work from home and do everything in your own time.”

Like most beginners, Debbie didn’t know much about selling online when she opened her first Etsy shop. After one of her items began to get positive attention, she realized a clear direction for her niche.

“Initially, I just added a bunch of products to my shop. There was no rhyme or reason to any of my product choices. When that one item began getting attention, I just thought, ‘Oh, maybe I should do more like that.’ Today, that niche is kind of my home, and I feel really comfortable selling those kinds of products.” 

“Now that I’m a little more established, I’m focused on big ticket items from the home & living category. Those types of products are slower to sell, but the profit margins are very good.”

A trial and error process

For many readers, it may appear that Debbie knew precisely how to succeed with print on demand and simply found the courage to open an Etsy shop and start selling. However, she’s keen to point out that overnight success is rarely a reality when it comes to making money online.

“I’ve seen a lot of YouTube content suggesting you can make $10k in your first month. However, that’s not really the case. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, and you’ll need to work hard and spend time finding your niche.”

After watching plenty of YouTube videos, Debbie eventually found the Printify Rockstars Facebook Group.

“It was really encouraging. I came across lots of people in the same boat as me, and everyone there was really helpful. The community members go out of their way to support one another, and along with the webinar content, the group helped me to get the ball rolling.”

After becoming something of a POD Rockstar herself, we were keen to quiz Debbie on what she thought were the most important things for print-on-demand newcomers to know when they’re just starting out.  

….

Holiday sales

As our conversation with Debbie continued, we were interested to hear how her business performed during the all-important holiday season, or Q4, as many sellers call it. Her answer was quite surprising.

“My first Q4 wasn’t particularly great. In fact, so far my best holiday for sales were not major holidays.

Debbie explained that she had one design for a print-on-demand item that proved very popular. After that, she began adding more products that she hopes will give her a boost next time around.

“I made the decision to keep my holiday listings live all year round. Another POD Rockstar told me that she makes sales way before the holidays, so I figured, why not just leave everything running all year round? After all, my mother-in-law shops for Christmas items in June.”

By keeping her holiday-themed products listed year-round, Debbie gets the opportunity to make small, incremental adjustments to her designs. By keeping a critical eye on her products, she’s able to figure out how to keep her shop fresh and make consistent sales.

Rockstar influence

Despite now being a pro herself, it’s clear that many of Debbie’s decisions and the tips she offers newcomers were influenced by members of the Facebook Rockstars group. 

“There are a lot of knowledgeable people on there who have been doing this a lot longer than me. Those seasoned pros can really help you to jumpstart your business. On top of that, the group is just a nice place to spend time, and everyone is especially friendly and helpful to newcomers.”

And what are some of the secrets that beginners learn from the community that would take years to figure out on their own?

“Oh, I think beginners fail to understand the impact their titles and tags make on Etsy listings. I see so many examples of newcomers using very short, non-descriptive titles or sellers not taking advantage of all the cool things you can do with tags.”

Debbie explained that the group can also be a great outlet to vent about the frustrations of one-star reviews and difficult customers.

“I could explain all of my frustrations to my husband, but he doesn’t really understand how Etsy or POD works. It’s always nice to be able to go to the group and chat with supportive, like-minded people. In addition, Printify Rockstars is a great place to discuss print providers and compare samples. Overall, it’s just great to be part of a group with such amazing camaraderie.”  

Debbie’s greatest challenges

Talking to a confident print-on-demand pro like Debbie, it’s hard to imagine she ever needed the advice of her fellow POD Rockstars. She assured us that her journey involved plenty of challenges before she found the winning recipe for success.

“When I started, it was tough to find decent mockups, especially when you were selling things like unisex t-shirts that required photos of different kinds of people wearing the product. These days, however, Printify has a lot more variety, which is fantastic when you realize just how important great photos are for getting sales.”

Like other newcomers, Debbie also struggled to find the right words for her titles and tags, and she admits that it can still be a challenge to create descriptive titles that help to drive sales. 

Finding a lucrative niche

Now that Debbie has overcome the majority of the struggles newcomers face when getting started with POD, the 3-year veteran is able to reflect on the things she got right.

“I’d say figuring out my niche helped me immensely. I wasn’t really sure what direction I would go in, but luckily, I got plenty of interest from that one item and decided to continue adding similar items in the same niche. If I hadn’t made that decision, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.”

Although Debbie made a bold decision with niche selection and took action to build a business around it, she admits that she would have approached things a little differently with hindsight.

“If I could go back and do things differently, I wouldn’t have put my business together so quickly. I was so excited when I stumbled across print on demand that I rushed everything through, didn’t put too much thought into my designs, and ended up with a mishmash of products.” 

Zero regrets

One thing Debbie has no regrets about is her decision to join the Printify Rockstars Facebook group, which she believes helped immensely during the early stages of building her business.

“Many aspects of building an online business are a steep learning curve when you first start out. It was so helpful hearing what experienced sellers had to say and useful to watch Printify’s videos and webinars without relying on YouTube.”

If Debbie’s story has inspired you or you are curious about starting your own print-on-demand business, head over to the official Printify POD Rockstars group to hear other sellers’ experiences, meet like-minded friends, and find answers to all of your important questions.

It’s great to catch up with you, Jocelyn. Tell us about your background.

In high school, I was part of a vocational art program. I actually switched schools so I would be able to take part in the course. After that, I spent four years at the Ontario College of Art, which was quite a difficult campus to get admission to.

I originally aimed to become an illustrator, but between 1988 to 1990, the industry changed dramatically. By the time I graduated, people were creating digital artwork using computers, so I went in a different direction. 

I’ve been selling my painting artwork since around 1993, including fine art pieces and around 30 commissioned portraits per year.

Did you become a full-time artist after art school?

In the beginning, I worked part-time at a bank, so my art became a good side income, and at the same time, I didn’t have to worry too much about earning my entire living from painting. 

I think a person’s creativity can suffer if they’re frantic to make money rather than simply allowing themselves to be an artist.

What led to you to Print on Demand?

Back then, eBay had a section for independent artists, so I sold a fair amount of my work there. I moved towards print on demand around 2005 after seeing a business advert on a popular art forum. However, I ended up dumping the idea as the industry wasn’t fully developed and was mostly business-to-business orientated.

In those days, print-on-demand was very limited. Creating posters and fine art prints was possible, but the clothing side wasn’t very sophisticated. It was generally only possible to print very simple designs onto t-shirts, and all-over prints certainly weren’t a thing.

Of course, back then, I also had the issue that my digital camera wasn’t good enough to take high-quality images of my art to use as designs for POD. Eventually, with the help of my husband, who’s also an artist, I learned how to use Photoshop. I could then separate my design work from my regular art and expand my business by creating things specifically for print-on-demand.

What do you love most about POD?

I love that print-on-demand gives me lots of flexibility. If I don’t feel like working on the computer or have a tight deadline on a commissioned portrait, I can let my business tick over in the background.

How do your designs for POD differ from your more traditional pieces?

I often create specific backgrounds or bases that can be used as designs for POD shower curtains or other home decor items. I can also work with my own photography, hand editing, and combining images with abstract stuff like squeegee painting. I’ll squeeze paint out and make individual pieces for a hand-done look completely different from everyone else’s designs, using them as overlays for other graphical elements and things like that. 

Talk us through your design process

Although I sometimes start with a concept and create entirely digital designs for POD from scratch, I usually begin with a photograph I’ve already shot. Much of my design process is accidental, as you never know what will happen when you apply digital filters and things like that. 

Sometimes, I have a firm idea in my head of how I want something to look, but the end result is very different. As an artist, you must let things progress and be open to changing direction. 

How do you make sure your designs look exactly how you want them?

If I want to know how several of my designs for POD will look on a new product, I’ll sometimes create a single image that contains lots of little tiles, each with a separate mini version of one of my designs. That way, I can order a single product sample and check the print quality and color reproduction without ordering a different version for each design.  

Digital mockups often look different from the actual item. It takes a lot of experience and trial and error to understand what your designs will look like on the finished product. For example, you may have a design that looks great in neon green, but after ordering a sample, you might find that the printing process means that it’s never going to look the way you imagined.

Do you sell your designs on Etsy?

Yes, I returned to print on demand in 2012, resurrecting an old Etsy shop that had been lying dormant since 2008. Today, nearly everything in my Etsy shop is print-on-demand based, though I also have some digital files for sale. Having at least a couple of different mediums in a shop is important to bring in a larger and more varied audience.

Which products have brought you the most success?

I seem to have the most success with home decor products. I’d love to sell more all-over-print clothing, but I think my style might be too bright and bold for most people to consider wearing.

What appeals to you about the all-over prints?

As an artist, I like the idea of having a whole canvas to work with. It’s much more exciting to me than POD designs from simple, flat PNG files. I’ve never been a real graphic designer, so although I’m happy to bring images into Photoshop and edit them, I’m probably not doing intricate enough work to really stand out in the broader t-shirt market.

Any advice for artists who are afraid of selling out with POD?

I don’t research trends and am more inclined to create things to indulge myself. That probably makes me come across as more genuine, and a lot of my customers have commented that they love my creativity.

When people see something genuinely artistic, they’re drawn to it and tend to love it. I would never deliberately research what’s selling and try to create designs for POD to imitate it. That would be a real detriment to me rather than catering more to my inspirations and the things that I love.

Although I sometimes get a feeling that an item I have designed will be popular, most of the time, it’s a genuine surprise. All of my designs start with an idea about what I could create from something I photographed or painted.

Are there any trends artists should pay particular attention to?

Of course, it’s essential to be aware of colors and things like that, but honing in on what will be popular will never be good for a person’s creativity. I must say, though, that most artists are very aware of what kinds of images are timeless and which color palettes have fallen out of favor, for example. Constantly observing the outside world means that artists generally have a good understanding of trends.

Do you have any tips for listing items on Etsy?

I know some people are against using only mockups to represent their items. Personally, I also like to take real pictures of some of my samples so that potential customers can see the pattern in more detail and the texture of the fabric. Obviously, you can’t create unique mockups for every product in your shop unless you’re willing to build a catalog very slowly from a small collection of items.

Have you ever considered scaling your business to be more competitive?

I certainly wouldn’t have the drive to run a print-on-demand business if I wasn’t using my own creativity to make unique items. I have no desire to churn out designs for POD and simply stick them on t-shirts for a profit, as I’d feel more like a retailer than an artist. 

Sometimes I wish my art would thrill more people so that I could make as much as those big sellers, but if that happened, I’d probably no longer be creating the art I love. It can take years to build a business selling original pieces, but at least when I get a customer, I know they’re buying something because they genuinely love it.

How has Printify helped you make money from your art?

Printify’s service has proved very trustworthy and transparent. I can find all the answers I need on the forums, and the customer service has been excellent. I also appreciate that Printify asks their sellers if things are working well and how the service could be improved.

Printify has given me access to printmakers and products I wouldn’t usually have access to. Many big, high-quality printers only offer their services to businesses with large accounts. They only work wholesale and normally wouldn’t entertain partnering with a small person requiring limited or individual print runs.

What has been the biggest challenge as a Print on Demand seller?

I would say that shipping from different locations has been one of the biggest challenges, mainly in understanding how to handle returns. Sellers need to clarify that an item may ship from the USA, England, or somewhere in Asia and isn’t necessarily coming from the home location of their shop, which in my case, is Canada.

I’ve already mentioned mockups, but due to the logistics of distance selling and the need to minimize returns, you need to make sure you have accurate representations of your products to show as much detail as possible.

And finally, what’s the most rewarding aspect of running a POD business?

I love the idea of a buyer receiving my art and putting it in their newly renovated space. Many people send photos of my items in their homes, which is a joy. It’s pretty isolating to create something yourself, so it’s thrilling to see people from all over the place loving your art enough to buy it and then giving you positive feedback.

Check Out Jocelyn on Zazzle, Etsy and her clay works on Etsy. 
Follow her on IG: @artbyjocelyn.naturaldesign
and TikTok: @jocelynball.artist

If Jocelyn’s story has inspired you and you want to know more about her work, head over to her website at artworkbyjocelyn.com, or support her by visiting her Etsy shop and purchasing an original POD design.

Hi Erhan! Tell us about yourself and what got you started in POD

I recently graduated from Ege University in Turkey with a Business Administration degree. I love designing and creating merchandise with my designs. This is one of the main reasons I love my job.

I remember researching Print on Demand in early 2020. Considering all my options, I chose Printify because it’s comprehensive, fast, and user-friendly. I think our first order with Printify was in the early summer of 2020.

What type of products do you sell?

We sell various items, like t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs, and posters. We’ve also made money by selling carpets, curtains, and many different products, thanks to Printify.

What made you consider other countries?

We want to make it easy for everyone to get the designs and products we create. That’s why we created stores where anyone can find something suitable for them.

How did Printify help you expand globally?

It’s really valuable to us that Printify offers various Print Providers and products in almost every country we want to do business in.

We can process an order from Canada with a Canadian Print Provider or from Australia with an Australian Print Provider.

This way, we can serve our customers quickly and with high quality.

Did you work with a success manager when expanding globally?

We didn’t work with a Success Manager, but Printify’s interface and features already make everything easy for us without needing additional support.

We plan to work with a Success Manager when using different Printify features and for our business development.

Do production costs affect your sales in different markets?

Yes, they do. That’s why we add a shipping fee for some countries.

How do you tweak your stores for each market?

Before designing a product, we analyze the individual market, the competitors, and prices. Afterward, if we see potential, we evaluate it and enter the market.

We also compare Print Providers – their product offering and prices – to make the final decision.

What sales channels do you use?

We used to sell on eBay, Amazon, and Etsy through Printify integrations. Currently, we primarily use Etsy.

Have you faced any legal challenges when expanding internationally?

We don’t face many legal difficulties.

Once though, Etsy introduced special packaging requirements for orders in Germany. We contacted Printify to fulfill these by the book, and everything worked out smoothly.

What were your first lessons about selling to other markets?

First, learn about the needs and trends of each market.

Second, come up with individual approaches for each of them.

Third, a product trending in one market may not gain popularity in others. So always analyze trends well before designing.

Did you face any major challenges when expanding internationally?

Yes, we’ve overcome many hurdles, and we still do.

For example, when customers order from Brazil, we have to ask for their tax and phone numbers to ensure the orders don’t get lost in transit.

For our customers in Japan, we have to write their addresses in Japanese. But since we work with international shipping carriers, we must provide the delivery information in English. So we have to contact our customers and edit these addresses manually.

How did you overcome these challenges?

We always contact our customers and Printify’s Merchant Support Team to solve any problems. We love that we can count on Printify’s support 24/7 – they’re very helpful in guiding us through such matters.

What’s your biggest takeaway from selling internationally?

There are many pros and cons to selling internationally.

Some product designs may be unsuccessful in one market, but surprisingly successful in another.

Printify’s global-expansion efforts help us do it successfully and make lots of sales.

Do you have any tips for merchants who want to expand beyond their current market?

Market analysis is crucial for success because your customers and competitors in the UK and Canada are not the same. Identify different dynamics in each market to find what to sell and how to sell it.

Would you encourage other merchants to sell internationally with Printify?

Definitely! As someone who has used many POD services, I can sincerely say that Printify is more like a colleague to me than a service provider. That’s why if you want to expand internationally and grow your business, Printify is the platform for that.

We thank Erhan for taking the time and answering our questions about using Printify to unlock international markets. Learn more about selling to other countries, like Canada, Australia, and the UK, in our blog.

Jay, please tell us a little about your background

I’ve always been interested in art and graphic design. At school, I was that kid who was constantly bored in class. On weekends, when my parents weren’t ready to get up, they’d leave out paper and crayons, and I’d be all set for hours.

My boredom in classes continued into high school, and while I found many subjects easy, I always preferred drawing in my sketchbook. Once I got into old-school 80s hip-hop and graffiti-style artwork, I began learning how to airbrush.

Eventually, I started creating handmade t-shirts and selling them at school. Since then, t-shirts have always been my go-to.

What happened after you finished your studies?

I didn’t have a particular career path in mind. I worked several jobs at the same time – delivering pizzas and sandwiches, as well as working in a bar and a factory. I’ve always been a hustler who’s never satisfied working a single job. After doing this for a few years and not having much personal time, I didn’t know how to remedy the situation. 

A friend recommended graphic design as a career option, and I decided to study it at college. I dropped out early because I got a job in the field, learning more there in six months than if I’d completed my education.

I stayed in the job for five years, focusing on learning tools like Photoshop and Illustrator and leaving when I got offered to work for one of Canada’s largest publishers.

18 months in, I was managing a team of nearly 150 designers.

That’s quite an achievement! What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

When the publishing company announced layoffs, I knew my time as the youngest manager was coming to an end. I was about to get married and had just bought a house, so when a friend offered me a job in a bank’s data center, I needed to take it.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be an extremely toxic workplace.

When I left the bank, I started doing as much freelance graphic design as possible to build my own business. I worked 16-hour days doing easy tasks like making logos and business cards. 

Even when things got rough, I never regretted leaving the corporate world.

How did you transition from graphic design to Print on Demand?

My friend asked me to help him create some t-shirt designs. He had all the printing and vinyl-pressing equipment but lacked design skills.

I realized that I’d make more money if he paid me a $3 royalty on every shirt sold than charging $15 for each design.

Doing that for two years let me see the potential of selling printed garments online, and so I started my own Etsy shop. 

In early 2020, I had several niche stores on Etsy, and I was printing all of the t-shirts myself. As luck would have it, another business contact put me in touch with a homegrown printing business, and I thought to myself: Wait a minute, I don’t even need to package or ship my shirts.

Before I knew it, I’d inadvertently entered the world of Print on Demand.

But eventually, you chose to move your business entirely online with Printify?

Yes. My wife was also running her own Etsy business selling custom hair extensions. When the pandemic supply chain issues began to ruin her inventory, we began to reevaluate our situation.

We initially moved from suburbia into the countryside, but when the pandemic subsided, we decided to travel again, which meant selling all of the remaining printing equipment and searching for a print-on-demand provider to fulfill our orders.

Was the switch to a POD business a success?

Definitely! One year ago, we bought land in Belize. We plan to rent our house, drive through the States, and fully move there.

Speaking of inspiration, you’re helping others build their Etsy businesses. Tell us a little more about that.

You meet like-minded people in the POD community. I went to several meetups in Detroit and California and was surrounded by people making big money on Amazon. But they had zero experience on Etsy.

So, we collaborated on a 30-day Etsy challenge with me as their coach. Since then, I’ve taught over 800 students and made $100,000 from various courses.

I also run a YouTube channel, Jay’s Way,  and Amazon Merch on Demand about selling on Etsy.

You’re also the admin of a popular Facebook group, correct?

Yes, I run the Etsy Print on Demand Facebook group.

We have nearly 17,000 members and are still growing, with around 300 people joining weekly. All of us are there to share knowledge and build each other up.

As an experienced Etsy seller and mentor, why do you favor the POD business model?

There are no brick-and-mortar components to a print-on-demand business, and therefore no anchors.

Do what you want, where you want, and whenever you want. You can process orders at 2 AM or while in bed, drinking a coffee. On top of that, you’re making money while sleeping.

There’s no need to worry about printing, packaging, shipping, inventory management, or other logistical tasks.

Overall, Print on Demand is the obvious choice for me.

I’m also a big believer in having plenty of backup options. Working with a company like Printify means having all these worldwide print resources under one roof. It makes it easy to transition or pivot from one supplier to another.

What advice would you give to newcomers regarding niche selection?

Selecting a niche is incredibly important. One of my niche stores has around 200 items but still made $4,100 in the first half of June.

If you’ve nailed the design process, many buyers will return to a niche store and even buy gifts for friends with the same hobby. 

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but selling to everyone will likely result in selling to no one.

How should sellers approach niche selection?

First, avoid being an imposter. When we look at movements like Black Lives Matter or events like Pride Month, how many businesses are actual allies to these communities?

Many corporations simply jump on the bandwagon for a month and are nowhere to be seen for the rest of the year.

My best advice is to pick a niche that you enjoy and understand. If you can immediately think of something, maybe you just unlocked the perfect niche for Print on Demand.

What is the biggest mistake made by new Etsy sellers?

Looking at the top sellers and trying to do the same thing will always fail unless you have thousands of dollars to spare for advertising.

I’m never one to shy away from a challenge, but you must bring something unique to a saturated niche to compete.

What do you love most about Print on Demand and working online?

Working remotely online is a huge privilege, and I’ll never get sick of that notification sound each time I make another sale.

I remember when my wife and I were backpacking around Costa Rica, and all I had to do was open my laptop for two hours each day to process orders, and that was it.

I really felt like I’d made it and was living the dream.

While I know it’s possible to make good money in a corporate job, I would pay so much more in time and energy. I’m not prepared to wait another 20 or more years to do the things I want to do.