Screen Printing - December 2019/January 2020 - 17

RON AUGELLI
Owner/CEO | We Talk Shirty | wetalkshirty.com | Blakely, Pennsylvania | Age: 35
WHAT LED YOU TO ENTER THE SCREEN
PRINTING INDUSTRY?
I first got into the screen printing
industry when I went to order shirts
for an event for myself and my friends.
I was taken aback by the cost of
ordering the shirts, and I figured that
printing shirts might be something that
I would be able to do better myself for
less money. I researched how to screen
print, and soon learned how to make
T-shirts out of my college apartment.
It didn't take me long to realize that
this would be a great opportunity to
supplement my income. Within two
years, I was working for myself.
CAN YOU SHARE YOUR PATH FROM
WORKING INSIDE YOUR COLLEGE APARTMENT TO HAVING A TEAM OF 14?
When I first started my business, I was
working full-time and trying to do it parttime. It took a little bit of encouragement
from my wife and a business associate
at the time, but I soon realized that if I
really wanted to do well, I had to do it
full-time. I pushed forward full-steam and
began devoting 100 percent of my time
to sales, art, and screen printing. Within

one year, I had taken on one full-time
employee to help with production.
We soon outgrew that location and
had to move to another location. Within three years, we moved to a facility
that would allow us to house an autopress. The auto-press increased our
order fulfillment ability and production, and within nine months we were
moving again to purchase another
auto. Our newest location has allowed
us to grow to the point where we have
14 employees.
WHY IS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Education is what took me out of
making shirts in my college apartment to where I am now. I have always
embraced the opportunity to learn,
whether this meant looking at videos
on YouTube, taking classes, joining
support groups, or going to tradeshows. I realized quickly that in an
industry like this, education and training is imperative to stay on the cutting
edge. I'm learning how to automate our
print process and continually striving
to get better every day.

YOUR NOMINATION FORM MENTIONS
YOU HELP OTHER SCREEN PRINTERS IN
THE AREA WHEN THEY ARE IN NEED. CAN
YOU EXPLAIN THE REASONING BEHIND
THIS/WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
The reality is that our industry requires
us to work with people that some
might assume are our competitors.
Whether it involves sharing trade info,
working with different embroiderers,
or troubleshooting problems with
equipment, we perform best when
we work together instead of against
one another. This industry allows us
to learn from one another and work
together so our clients ultimately
get the best product. Collaboration
is good for everybody. As a consultant,
I like to bridge the old-school shops
with today's technology and
marketing strategies. When invited
to other shops, I evaluate their
process, supplies, time management,
and workflow. I then analyze all of
the collected data and come up with a
framework to help the shop improve.
With minimal investment, I have
helped several shops increase their
profit and productivity. 
DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020

17
http://www.wetalkshirty.com
Screen Printing - December 2019/January 2020

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