Impressions - May/June 2024 - 39

up to do what he does best, which is to
interact with his customers.
Another one of Caldwell's skills is building
relationships with his fellow profesionals.
Whether it's his screen-printing contractor
or his embroidery contractor, as is the
case with his customers, he works hard to
become " part of the fabric " of their lives.
By way of example, one of the organizations
he does a lot of work with, for
example, was once hosting the governor for
a meeting. As part of the job, Caldwell not
only made up a high-end work vest with
the organization's logo on one side and the
governor's name on the other, he delivered
a vest to the governor in person and also
helped with the event's setup.
" Showing up early and actually helping,
staying late to clean up shows all the key
people, the ones who get things done, that
I am one of them, " Caldwell says. " I am part
of their team. Laster on, when they need
decorated apparel and products, they know
who to call-me!-every single time. "
Complementing this kind of hands-on
service, Caldwell also has a unique approach
to the kinds of products he donates or gives
away to existing and potential customers to
help drum up more business, i.e., premium
products as opposed to run-of-the-mill.
Granted, some might find the tactic an
extravagant one. However, Caldwell has
learned it pays off in the long run.
" I leave it at their office with their people,
and then I walk away, " he says. " There's no
pitch, there's no sales, nothing. Sure, it's a $54
vest for me out of pocket. But that's worth
it to me, particularly when it turns into an
order for several thousand dollars more of
that same premium product later on. "
Beyond that Caldwell says, " I make it
really easy for customers to get [decorated
apparel] off their plate. I provide some ideas
and do a digital mockup and give them
actual physical samples. This makes them
feel a lot more comfortable and gives them
super-high confidence that they're ordering
from somebody who knows what they're
doing, does good work and is on their team
as a branding partner.
" Until they work with me, " he adds, " they
don't have a branding partner on their team.
All they have is the Internet. Being able to
talk to somebody who understands their
needs, explains what will best meet those
needs and educate them is priceless. "
For his best customers, Caldwell will also
typically repack all their products into one
or more of the plastic storage totes he buys
in bulk. The response he gets when he delivers
orders this way is dramatic. As he is
making the delivery he also makes a point
of letting his customer know he will be
back to get the totes later on: yet another
DC Mad Hatter's current production
space in Chicago's Bridgeport Art Center.
Photo courtesy of DC Mad Hatter
reminder of his above-and-beyond approach
to customer service.
Another tactic he always uses is slipping
a business card into the pocket of each and
every garment as he folds and loads them
into the totes. That way no matter who ends
up with the product, they know where they
can order more. He feels so strongly about
doing business this way, he once unpacked
an entire tote after he realized that he forgot
to include his cards.
As for the results, Caldwell not only has
a thriving business on his hands, but his
customer list these days reads like a kind of
" Who's Who, " including President Obama,
the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sting, the Isley
Brothers, Boyz II Men, The Obama Library,
ComEd, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Rainbow
Push, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom
Ricketts, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, multiple
mayors of Chicago, state representatives and
state senators, comedian Bernie Mac, and
basketball star Magic Johnson.
That said, never one to rest on his laurels,
Caldwell is also now working on growing
his businesses in the construction sector.
" It is a completely underserved market, "
Caldwell says, noting his strategy in this
case includes becoming actively involved in
the organizations he's targeting. Examples
include the Hispanic American Construction
Industry Association (HACIA) and
Black Contractors Owners and Executives
(BCOE). In this capacity, he serves on many
of those same committees that will allow
him to generate the most visibility for his
business. When one of these groups hosts a
fundraiser or a golf outing, for example, he
makes a point of providing shirts.
Per Caldwell: " The shirts are an in-kind
donation. I put the event name on the shirt
along with the name of organization. Because
I am donating the shirts, I include a
DC Mad Hatter logo on the shirt as well.
In exchange for these shirts, my company
is listed as an event sponsor on all the event
materials, on the event website and on all
the signage at the event. "
In addition, Caldwell says, " I become a
part of the planning of the event. Because
I'm a vendor that's making that organization
look good, providing them a service they
can't afford and have no other way of getting
done effectively, what usually happens
after the event? First, the client gets a lot of
accolades, and they're very happy to get all
that positive attention. Second, I get instant
business by default because people ask, 'Who
did the shirts?' And they say, 'The guy with
the funny green hat. Oh, that guy? Yeah, that
guy. Really? Yeah, that guy.' "
A lot of work? Absolutely, but it can also
be a lot of fun, especially for a people person
like Caldwell. And the results speak
for themselves. DC Mad Hatter has come
a long way from selling shoelaces that you
do not need to tie to running a $500K
business selling embroidered and decorated
apparel in his 25-plus years in business. " I've
enjoyed the journey, " says Caldwell of the
road he's on. " No regrets. " 
As the founder of the National Network of Embroidery
Professionals (NNEP), Jennifer Cox has worked with
thousands of embroidery- and decorated-apparel
business owners to help them build successful businesses
for over 25 years. NNEP supports members
with services, savings and programs designed to help
their members find customers, keep customers, and
make money. To learn more go to NNEP.com.
May/June 2024
P.39
http://www.NNEP.com
Impressions - May/June 2024

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