thread's not dead - doITlab

They are up on (if not creating) the latest trends and really know what they’re
doing. I also keep an eye on more “corporate” companies too. I like Heritage
1981, Cardboard Robot and Glamour Kills. For me, inspiration is everything. I
can’t pull design ideas out of thin air, whether it’s for a shirt or our web store
background or whatever.
Standing Out
I never consciously thought about how I could stand out. I wanted cool shirts
that related to diabetes and knew no one was making them. I think standing
out can be as simple as just being yourself. We live in a diverse world where
every single person is unique. Take the things that make you unique and
magnify them.
I’ve tried tons of things to promote the brand. Mostly I’ve been unimpressed,
especially with paid advertising. Investing in the brand itself has actually been
the most important thing. The general idea is to create something worth talking
about. You want a person to see your work and think, “Man! I need to tell
somebody about this!” People love finding cool stuff and telling their friends
about it. What would get you excited about a brand or artist? What would you
gladly hand over money for?
At first, a solid identity is more valuable than any advertising you can buy. Investing
in your product is indirectly investing in promotion. Focus on your apparel,
or artwork, or whatever you’re working on. Make it the very best possible
and people will notice. You can focus on fun promotional campaigns once your
identity is taking shape and you’ve got some customers.
THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley
Believe in Yourself
I started in 2008 assuming
that I wouldn’t sell any shirts
and no one would care about
what I wanted to do. I started
slowly and progressed even
more slowly. I kept Cure as a
hobby for more than a year
before I changed my mind set.
I finally realized what a selfdefeating
habit all my nega-
tive thoughts were. I wish I could have sat down and said, “This is what I want,
and I’m going to do this no matter what.” I could have come up with a plan from
the start. I could have done more research, saved investment money, and time.
Instead, I halfheartedly stumbled along without conviction. If you don’t believe
in what you are doing,
how can you expect
anyone else to? Use your
“I wanted cool shirts that related desire as fuel. Let it push
you to make your work the
very best possible.
to diabetes and knew no one was
making them.” —Kelly kiernan
My main problem has
always been my mind
set. If you have negative
thoughts or a poor outlook, start by changing the way you think. Feed your
own ego. See yourself where you want to be, not where you are now. If you
want to be doing Metallica t-shirts picture yourself getting those jobs. You have
to believe it.
Get Involved
Some more concrete things you can work on right away include networking and
creating an online portfolio. Make a habit of stopping by sites like Emptees and
getting involved in blogs and forums. If you don’t already have social networking
accounts, get to it! Interact with your favorite artists and blogs on twitter
and Facebook. Approach local or independent labels and bands about doing
some free or low priced designs. Touring bands will jump at anyone willing to
help them out with good designs. You’ll build a portfolio and get your name out
there, and eventually people will start coming to you. As far as portfolios go,
I’ve seen some pretty cool stuff done on Cargo Collective. They have free and
paid layout themes to choose from. Check out Workerman or Kyle Crawford’s
portfolios. Pretty slammin.
Last Word
Instead of rambling on about success, I’m going to suggest you read “Think and
Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. The book discusses the qualities of some of the
most powerful people in history, and basically dissects success into manageable
pieces. I just read it recently, and the book has truly changed the way I
think about and live life.
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