Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Holtman.
Kelli, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Gusto Graphic Tees was formed out of a need for personal creativity but mostly because I got a BIG PUSH from my Dad, and I am forever grateful. I had been working at the same graphic design job for 12 years, very burnt out and feeling uncreative. I wasn’t happy where I was professionally but I also wasn’t taking action, not until I had a vivid dream of my dad, who had recently passed away. In the dream, the message from my Dad was, “Go For The Gusto Kelli, make yourself happy, do what you want to do because life is short!” So, that’s what I did, my wife and I took a few screen printing classes and we loved them! They sparked something in me that made me excited and feeling creative again. We made some designs, I mocked them up in photoshop, sent them around to a few stores, I had no idea what I was doing and by a miracle got the best response ever that gave me the ability to quit my job and start screen printing Gusto Graphic Tees as a full-time gig. It’s been such a wonderful experience and I’m so thankful!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve had my struggles and still have struggles but I’m learning every day. Learning the screen printing process was very intimidating to me, the process is very technical and so much can go wrong with every different phase of the process. The learning curve was big but with lots of practice and so much support and guidance from my wife, I’m feeling like a real screen printer now. We also had to figure out how to screen print from our home, from setting up a dark room, wash out booths, t-shirt boxes filling up our kitchen, to the humidity in the air, it was all a big learning curve.
Personally, my biggest struggle is having the confidence to say, “I’m doing this, this is me”, showing up at markets, just putting my self out there in the world, I definitely struggle with this.
It’s been two years now, I’ve had a TON of help along the way, I’m still learning every day and loving the adventure! I’m forever thankful to my Dad for the push that he knew I needed and for all of the support from family and friends, mostly my wife.
Gusto Graphic Tees – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Gusto Graphic Tees is a creative company, we design and hand screen print t-shirts. We are a small online shop based in Austin, Texas. You can also find us selling our t-shirts at local farmers and makers markets around Austin.
Our designs include unique state pride t-shirts, tanks, stickers, and buttons. Our state designs include Louisiana and Texas because both states have a little piece of our hearts. I’m originally from Louisiana, I’ve been in Texas for 27 years now and my wife is born and raised in Texas.
We try to design different, so much of what you see is done over and over and we want to stand out as being something new and fresh. We want to design t-shirts that we would want to wear and WE DO wear them, they are all I wear. Oh, and our t-shirts are so soft too, we print our designs onto Bella+Canvas tri-blend t-shirts!
I’m proud of being able to do this single every day. I’m proud that we do it all from the graphic design, screen printing, marketing, social media and whatever else gets thrown at us. Small businesses have to do it all and we should all be so proud of ourselves.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I’ve never been the type of person to make goals for myself, I have never even made a New Years Resolution list. I think the biggest success for me personally is that this is something that I’m actually thinking in terms of a goal. I want to keep doing this, I want to sit and make a goal list, I want this company to bring soft t-shirts to everyone. I also really find success in the fact that I’m feeling creative and inspired again. I’ve found freedom in doing what I love and that’s a success for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gustographictees.com
- Phone: 512-417-2971
- Email: gustographictees@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gustographictees/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GustoGraphicTees/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GustoGraphicTee
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/gustographic/
Image Credit:
Thomas Garanzuay, Manuel H Gonzales Jr
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