How I've made multiple six figures since covid hit by learning to solve my own problem and then sharing the solution with others.

(A thread.)

In April I had to find a way to move an in person conference online. The content and presentations were in the bag, Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams all had standing options. The little things were the challenge: the swag, the entertainment, the engagement.

The world was on pause, but we weren't.

I lined up a DJ to spin in between sessions, which people loved.

I called up an old friend who is an award winning trivia host (seriously, it's a thing), and she planned a whole 5 rounds catered to this event's clientele.

Folks ate it up.

But how to do swag? Who needed a branded iPad case if everyone was staying home? Business card holders too were out.

A vendor called me with the idea to do a logo on a face mask. Very on the nose (pun intended) for the times we were living in.

Pro mask or anti mask?

Who cares.

It was relevant and could easily fill our swag boxes we were sending out to clients (along with photo "booth" props and banners) to be used during the conference. Which were a big hit with people's kids and huge on social channels.

But how to fulfill them all?

Had plenty of promo companies sending me mask samples, but no one was set up to do printing on them yet.

Enter almighty Amazon.

A specialty craft printer for $299? https://www.amazon.com/Silhouette-Bluetooth-Cutting-Autoblade-Software/dp/B07VLB3627

4 hours of YouTube videos later I realized I could print my own htv (heat transfer vinyl) logos, by lifting the design from an image online in the software that came with the printer.

So I tried it, found it taking me hours just to print 100 logos and the "weeding" or creating negative space in the vinyl, took even longer.

Not a viable solution.

Back to Amazon the Cameo went.

Enter a printing fulfillment center in Arizona, who does most of the fulfillment for printed apparel for CustomInk, VistaPrint and college sports teams.

Super helpful folks, sent them 100 masks via UPS to try printing on.

The good news? The mask fit their existing machinery.

The bad news?

They needed more than one pass on each to get the color saturation up, and the masks would move around, making it hit or miss.

They couldn't get a predictable process down that was repeatable.

Cool. Awesome. Another avenue that wouldn't work.

So I start calling all of the print shops I know. These guys mostly do promo t shirts, bags and wraps, but maybe they could help in getting me the designs printed. The owner of one shop in the East Village, that's been around for generations, words to me were basically, run!

Not one to listen to reason, I found a team in Miami that could do full color iron on's. And a team in Michigan that could turn around vinyl prints for pressing too.

https://www.stickeryeti.com/usa_en/ 

https://www.versatranz.com/contact 

Back to Almighty Amazon.

One of the printers I had made contact with told me they had success using a baseball cap heat press for customizations. Just that they couldn't figure out the design part yet.

Found this gem which I had in two days. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0043H9FMU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Ordered logos from both companies I found.

Then got to work pressing.

One mask took me roughly 20-35 seconds to make, depending if iron-on or heat transfer vinyl. Quickly made a few hundred over a couple of hours.

Got the masks done for this event.

Got them to our swag distributor who was doing our favor box distribution.

And waited.

Event came and went.

Masks were a hit.

People loved the branding, and wanted their company's logo on masks too.

Before long, I'm being asked to talk to BNI groups all over the country, as well as food brokers. Folks who were finding ways to still do business during lockdown.

Orders have been steady ever since, mostly by referral and consistent re-ups.

Is this forever? Of course not.

But what is?

I have had $2-5k days during a pandemic on a side hustle, which is amazing to me.

Even if this all ends tomorrow, I'm good.

Churches, dentists, restaurants, real estate agents, food brokers, teachers, local city commissions, you name it, folks want 2020's version of a business card of their logo on a face mask.

Pretty crazy, especially when I can get the masks for so cheap still. Importers from Asia on both coasts have a constant supply in rotation.

Profit margin is pretty steady at 65-70% too, depending on the logo design/material preference.

What a time to be alive y'all.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

If I can be of any help, drop me a line.