Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always wanted to put silly things on my own shirts. It’s fascinating that you can communicate with total strangers from afar. The shirt you wear and the design on it give people a glimpse into your inner workings. And being able to make someone smile without saying a word is priceless. I was waiting tables in Houston and wanted to learn to screenprint. Being a hands-on learner, I asked around local supply shops if they knew of anyone that might teach me. “Go see Juan at New City,” I was told. Juan is a super nice man that was willing to show me the ropes. He saw my enthusiasm and curiosity about learning and genuinely cared to teach me when I wasn’t cleaning his shop or washing his screens. In 6 months, I picked up what took him 15 years to learn.
Life happened, and I moved back to El Paso in 2010. I was recently sober from drugs and alcohol and had lots of time on my hands. A friend from a meeting mentioned he had some screen printing equipment in storage, so w/my parent’s help, I purchased an old press and dryer for $1200 and set it up on the back porch of their house. The next few months were spent learning vector software watching free online videos 8 hours a day. I also started printing a few silly designs of my own, mostly 12-step related to jokes. Things like “My Sponsor Can Kick Your Sponsor’s Ass” and “You Will Intuitively Know Where The Coffee Is” (a play on one of the AA Promises that is read at every meeting- “You Will Intuitively Know How To Handle Situations That Used To Baffle Us”) 12-step meetings were known for being breeding grounds for coffee addicts.
After selling a few shirts at our yearly 12 step convention, I heard that the International AA Convention was coming up in a few months in San Antonio. Sixty thousand people from around the world were projected to be there, so my mission was clear, print like a mad man and see if this thing works. I spent the next three months printing thousands of shirts to my parents’ amused skepticism. “Just trust me,” I kept telling them, not the sort of thing you want to hear from a newly sober alcoholic.
San Antonio was a hit, I sold over 2000 shirts and got an incredibly good response from people. Watching people walk by my booth, read the designs, and LOL was extremely satisfying. I told myself that even if I didn’t sell any shirts, it was worth it just to see the smiles on peoples’ faces. Luckily the smiles were usually followed by sales. My parents, who had seen me filling up the living room with boxes and boxes of shirts, also experienced people’s amazing reactions to my designs. That event definitely brought us closer.
After that, I launched and managed a recovery-related t-shirt site. Eventually, I started to get inquiries about printing shirts for local events, teams, businesses, etc. and that started to take off. After a year, I moved into my own small studio where I lived and printed. Business was good, I got a couple of big clients that appreciated my OCD/attention to detail. Who knew that one of my character flaws could turn into an asset?
A few years later, I met JJ Childress, a young entrepreneur that had started Proper Printshop. They were known for being the “cool kids,” they hosted parties and had ping-pong tournaments as a way to build their market share. I was known for not missing deadlines and great printing. When I heard they were shutting their doors, I decided to purchase their name and asked JJ to stay on part-time to help w/the business. We operated like this for a year, then JJ came on full-time as a 50/50 partner.
In three years, we brought our total sales up from $100,000 to over $1 million. A lot of hard work, thinking way outside the box, and a good amount of risk-taking. Luckily my days as an addict prepared me to “Ready, Fire, Aim” with many of our projects. We did things like hosted free vegan cooking classes and a project called Art en Vivo, a weekly live poster printing event featuring a new artist each week where the public could participate in the printmaking process. These weren’t money-making ventures, but they created a buzz in our community. We hosted bands and live shows at the shop, creating more community engagement. When the tragic shootings happened in Aug of 2019, we sold El Paso Strong shirts and were lucky enough to donate $160,000 to the Shooting Victims’ Fund. It was amazing to see our community come together and help in any way they could, even a $20 shirt at a time.
We almost didn’t make it through Covid and are extremely lucky to still be here. We’ve pivoted like many businesses to try and keep the doors open and are deeply grateful for all the support we’ve gotten from the community we care so much about.
Proper Printshop – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We’re known for top-quality printing and embroidery, not missing deadlines, and giving back to our community every chance we get. As they say in 12 step rooms, “you have to give it away to keep it,” or as our friend Snoop Dogg says, “ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have some.”
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me, is the ability to bring people up with you while you bring yourself up. It’s the ability to look at oneself honestly, flaws and all, and make strides to improve. It’s the ability to ask for help when it’s needed, to not think I can do it all on my own.
Contact Info:
- Address: Proper Printshop, 1120 E. Yandell Dr. El Paso, TX 79902
- Website: www.properprintshop.com
- Phone: 915-887-8351
- Email: orders@properprintshop.com
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
