Taking the Leap:
​Why I Left Teaching to Chase the Screen Printing Dream
In 2018, I did something that terrified and excited me in equal measure. I decided to turn my garage hobby into a real business. My friends thought I was crazy. My wife thought I was brave. I thought I was probably both.
The Decision Nobody Saw Coming
After twenty plus years of juggling lesson plans by day and ink stains by night, I started to wonder: What if I went all in? What if this thing that started as a $5 garage sale experiment could actually become my full-time gig? The idea was both thrilling and, honestly, a little bit terrifying.
Leaving the steady paycheck and predictable chaos of teaching wasn’t easy. There were plenty of late-night conversations with Killeen (and more than a few spreadsheets) weighing the risks. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized: I wanted to build something of my own—something that combined my love for creativity, relationships, and a good challenge.
The First Official Orders
Launching RM Custom Screen Printing out of my garage wasn’t exactly glamorous. My “office” was a folding table, my “warehouse” was a stack of boxes in the corner, and my “marketing budget” was basically word of mouth and a Facebook page. But I was fired up.
I’ll never forget those first official orders: a set of shirts for a local business, a batch of hoodies for a school fundraiser, and a run of custom tees for a friend’s landscaping crew. Each order felt like a tiny victory (and a minor panic attack—let’s be real). I triple-checked every detail, paced around waiting for feedback, and celebrated every happy customer like I’d just won the lottery.
The Learning Curve (and the Curveballs)
Running a business is a whole different kind of education. Suddenly, I was the sales team, the production crew, the customer support desk, and the janitor—sometimes all before lunch. There were days when I wondered if I’d bitten off more than I could chew (usually while cleaning up a spilled bucket of ink).
But every challenge was a chance to get better. I refined my processes, upgraded my equipment, and leaned hard into the values that mattered most: quality, honesty, and treating every customer like family. The best part? Seeing the look on someone’s face when they picked up their finished order—that’s what made all the late nights and caffeine-fueled mornings worth it.
Building Relationships, One Shirt at a Time
From the start, I knew RM Custom Screen Printing wasn’t just about ink and fabric. It was about helping people bring their ideas to life—whether it was a small business trying to stand out, a school celebrating a big win, or a family marking a special occasion. Every shirt, hoodie, or hat was a chance to create something meaningful.
What’s Next?
Taking the leap from teaching to entrepreneurship was scary, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made (besides marrying Killeen—she made me add that). The journey was just beginning. With every order, every customer, and every lesson learned, I was building something bigger than myself.
But there’s more to this story. In Part 4, I’ll share how that $5 garage sale find turned into a thriving business—and where RM Custom Screen Printing is headed next.
Thanks for following along—Part 4 is where the real magic happens! Want to know how a garage hobby grew into a community favorite? Stick around for the next chapter.
