Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Owlcat
Hi Bobby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
“In 2013, I left my job as a baker and decided to go back to school. During this time, I was training for obstacle course races and wanted a custom shirt. The online prices were steep—$35 for a simple design—and I needed a cheaper way. So, I built a screen-printing press out of wood, following a YouTube design. It was basic, functional, but definitely had room for improvement.
Over the next few years, I juggled school, a career, and this growing interest in t-shirt design. I was always thinking about new ideas, what would look cool, funny sayings, designs for friends. I didn’t have a fancy setup, but it was what I talked about. I acquired a heat press, set it up in my apartment, then a spare bedroom, and eventually a screen-printing machine in the backyard shed. It was great to make custom shirts for myself, but I was always striving for better quality. Screen printing was messy with my small setup, so I focused on heat pressing, which had its own limitations. I learned how to get the right product and did it as a hobby for friends and family.
In 2021 I was forced to leave my job due to a rare illness, VHL, which caused tumors to grow in my cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. It was hard. I was left without coordination in the left side of my body and my eyelids unable to hold up on their own leaving me blind for 6 months, without holding my eyelids open with my fingers. I was in bed for 6 months, half motionless while my wife would push me in a wheelchair to radiation treatments every day at 5am out of town, Eventually a new drug was released and within those 6 months the tumors began to shrink and I started to receive my abilities back.
I began recovery after this ordeal, and it was not easy. During my recovery, I dove back into what I enjoyed: t-shirts, graphics, all the skills I’d been developing. With equipment at home, I spent time learning and refining. I would join a gym where my consistency and hard work would develop the character OwlCat. OwlCat represented my tough fight to get back to normal.
So, in 2023, I founded OwlCat Clothing Co. People ask, ‘What’s an OwlCat?’ An OwlCat is a fighter—wise and cool. It represents the spirit I had to find within myself when I was weak but determined. OwlCat isn’t a success story; it’s the journey. Because isn’t that the fun part, anyway?
We’ve expanded to other apparel and skills, including embroidery, digitizing, hats, laser engraving, and sewing leather patches. The idea is to be as self-sufficient as possible. If you control manufacturing, you control the price. We are small and taking what we make and reinvesting it into the business. So far, I have been on a rabbit-hole learning hats and leather patch sewing. Along the way, I have picked up many skills including physically learning the equipment to mentally learning the software, all this in search of a great quality product.
So many people have been helpful to me along this way, and it’s been a fun road to go down.
At OwlCat Clothing Co., we make custom apparel for customers who want unique, quality designs that grab attention for their business or event. We offer ‘wearable billboards’—custom art for your business, strong enough for everyday work shirts. Also, if you’re looking for that 1 of 1 design, we got you too. We’re looking forward to introducing new products and ‘Featured Brands’ on our website, OwlCatClothing.com.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2020 and 2021, I faced a fight for my life. I have a rare illness, which led to multiple brain and spinal cord surgeries, and left me without use of my left side and with impaired vision for six months. I went through six weeks of brain radiation and chemotherapy. Eventually, things stabilized. I was weak and underweight, dealing with a blood clot and pulmonary embolism from being bedridden. I went into fight-back mode, working to rebuild my body.
Business challenges have been competing with the larger, established companies who decorate apparel. They can get items for free it seems like at times and offer a better price. I’ve been refining the process and making connections in the business and have been able to knock the prices down a bit, I’m proud to say. I have to find a way to stand out. One of the ways is creating interesting designs that are out of the box. My experiences from failures and wins gives me the knowledge to be your “t-shirt concierge” knowing the way the different shirts fit, loose or tailored.
Equipment challenges have been having to learn on multiple platforms and disciplines like embroidery, sewing, printing, screen print vs. DTF, leather engraved vs embroidered. With a passion for this, it makes it easier to accept the challenge with a good attitude and curiosity.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I basically transfer graphics onto different materials using machines and computers. Yes, we do shirts, hoodies but I’ve been really getting into the hats and love doing custom graphics ads for businesses. Imagine a comic book window where there’s shattered glass in a home. A woman screams from inside the home, picks up the phone and calls for help to the glass repair company. Then I turn that into an impactful graphic with your glass repair company name and contact info to be worn by your workforce or sold in your merch shop or even be seen on social media. The way the graphic tells a story is very interesting to me.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think there are risks that make sense to take and some not to take. But overall, I’d say that risk-taking is necessary, especially in entrepreneurship. Yes, I’ve had failures from taking risks, even lost belief in myself, only to have that belief restored in the next good job.
If I talk about risk, I can talk about how I left my job as a baker, because I knew if I gave myself a chance I could make more money. I bet on myself, graduated and doubled my income. While working at that job, I got sick and had to leave. I got better and returned to work. After the near-death experience, I couldn’t honestly sit at a desk all day knowing that what I really wanted to do would take time to build and if I wanted it to be successful, I would have to dedicate my time to it. I left that great job that I took a risk to get, that I worked so hard to get, because I believed in myself and I believed in taking another risk.
But belief can be unstable like waves. I would say make an educated decision, look at the factors, all your responsibilities, and if what you see tells you yes, have the courage to take that risk. If it never comes, it never comes. At that point of being an entrepreneur, everything is failing, should you double down and continue the risk or stop and return to your safety net? If you believe in God like I do, then you will believe that God will always provide.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://owlcatclothing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owlcatclothingco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlcatclothing/
Image Credits
All designs are original. Advertisement is to Classic Glass & Mirror used with their permission, original design from OwlCat.
