Episode 212: Overcoming Obstacles with Jeremy Siegers, Sharp Mill Graphics

Welcome to Skucast, the podcast for entrepreneurs in the promotional products industry. Skucast shines a light on our industry's best work, features maverick personalities, and discusses what's really involved in running a modern promotional products business. Skucast is the official podcast of Common Skew.

I graduated from college, had my degree. At this time, I'm fully disabled. I get around on a little mobility scooter, so I can't walk anymore. I'd roll in on interviews on my scooter. Every single HR person I met with would literally stick their nose up at me. They didn't want to have anything to do with me. All they saw was liability. He's going to be taken off work all the time. He's going to be on medication. And it was horrible.

That's Jeremy Segars, the owner and president of Sharp Mill Graphics. Jeremy was born with muscular dystrophy. By his sophomore or junior year in high school, muscular dystrophy really began to take its toll on Jeremy. This is his story about struggling to find his place in a world that did not easily welcome him, eventually overcoming obstacles by creating his own path, which led to the start of his entrepreneurial journey. And the founding of Sharp Mill Graphics. Sharp Mill is a nationally and 100% certified disability-owned business. They help their clients meet supplier diversity goals while driving a surface-to-surface impact that is as practical as it is powerful for their brand. You know, we love to bring to light not only inspiring stories, but unique voices with different perspectives to unpack their experience. One of the simplest paths to honor our differences, celebrate diversity, and embrace different viewpoints is to simply listen to each other's stories. But there are two stories here. One is a story about Jeremy's journey, and the other is the story of the signage world. Signage has always been a bit of a dark horse in the branded merchandise arena. But as we've been sharing lately, signage, print, promotional products, apparel, they all fall under the purpose of brand expression. So we talked with Jeremy about what that means and how important it is in the scope of the branded world. Hi, friends. I'm Bobby LeHew. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Common Skew's Bree Redmond, who many of you know and love. Bree was recently promoted to product manager, where she will be pivotal in helping connect the high development work we do and then translate and release these new features to the community. Bree introduced me to Jeremy, and that's how we ended up here today. Thank you, Bree, for your amazing work. This episode is brought to you by Commenscue, the work-from-anywhere platform that powers your connected workflow, enabling you to process more orders and dramatically grow your sales. To learn more or begin your free trial now, visit commenscue.com. Now, here's our chat with Jeremy. Back in 2002, 2003, when you were first looking for a job, tell us what that was like.

Yeah, well, you know, in high school, all my classes, you know, you have elective classes, you know, you got your general math, your science or whatever. All my elective classes are all art classes, whether it's ceramics, drawing, you know, woodworking and whatnot. And, you know, at that time I was— well, I was born with muscular dystrophy, you know, so— but it didn't really progress until, you know, I got into high school. You know, probably about my sophomore year, junior year, I, you know, stopped being able to walk up the stairs. I had to start taking the elevator. So you know, looking at the big picture of things, coming time, like, I'm going to graduate from high school, you know, what am I going to do? You know, I love doing art. But at the time, it's like, what, this type of art, there really isn't no money in this sort of art, you know, drawing and sketching and whatnot. So thinking big picture, you know, if my muscular dystrophy progresses, what can I do physically? What can I do? I'm thinking, well, computers, you know, there's, I can sit at a desk, I can work on a computer. So I'm looking at computer schools. And so I end up going to DeVry University, you know, for computer networks. And, but before, you know, in that progress from high school to college, we had a family friend who owned a sign shop. And friend of a friend, he's just like, hey, you know, he's talking to my father, And he's like, hey, you know, Jeremy has some art background. He was, you know, he took some art classes. And my dad told him, he's like, yeah, you know, he took some art classes in high school. Well, my son is in college, you know, I need some extra hands at the shop, you know, doing some work. You think you'd be interested in coming in part-time, you know, helping us out? So my dad asked me, like, yeah, I'll give it a shot, you know. So, and I go work part-time, I walk into the shop and it's, I'm just like, whoa, like this is, this is commercial art. This is, you know, they got screen printing presses, they got digital printers, they got all this big fancy equipment that they make commercial graphics, commercial signage that businesses need, you know, and it's, I saw it, I'm like, this is awesome. You know, I loved it and You know, I went to work every day. I was running a screen printing press, doing, you know, big signage for campaigns, you know, when a campaign comes around. And I love doing it. And then they were teaching me some other stuff and it was a lot of fun. And I was using my artistic background, my skills, and putting it to work on a bigger scale, on a commercial scale. And I was probably there about 6 months. And then one day, you know, I'm going and they're like, Jeremy, you know, owner's son's name is Jeff. Jeff's coming back from college and he's gonna come back and work for us. He's like, well, we don't need you anymore. I'm like, oh, I was, I was like, oh man, I was so bummed. And I'm like, oh man. So, uh, you know, I go home that night. I'm like Damn, like they let me go. Because I would come home from work and always so excited to tell them a story. Oh, I made this today. I made this today. We did this for this company. So next thing you know, I was like, you know, I just, I love that job. You know, when you're a kid, you have so many different types of jobs. And that was like a very fulfilling job. That wasn't really work. It was fun. You know, you get to actually make something. You you see a finished product and then you go drive around town or whatever and you see it and like, oh, I made that! I helped make that! And it's— it was super cool! Even till this day, I feel the same way. So one thing leads to another. I get on the internet and I just start doing a little bit of research. I end up finding a distributor company for signage and graphics, you know, distributor that they sell vinyl, they sell printers, they sell everything you need. To be in the sign business. So one Saturday, me and my dad, we go to this open house and all the big names are there, all the big printers, all the big manufacturers. And next thing you know, I'm coming home with a little vinyl plotter, a couple rolls of vinyl, some software, and I start self-teaching myself everything. You know, I do it at nights, on weekends, and just self-teaching myself how to make stuff. Nothing big, nothing crazy. It's more of a hobby more than anything. And as time goes on, you know, I have my grandfather, he was in the wrecking and excavating business with big Caterpillar tractors and everything. And he heard through the grapevine, he's like, Jerry, I heard you got some sign-making equipment. He's like, what do you think about lettering some of my tractors? Like, I don't know, Grandpa, you know, I'll give it a shot. And next thing you know, I'm letters, tractors, and one thing leads to another, you know, more people are coming in, more people are coming in. And next thing you know, I'm making a car payment with my little side business that I got going on.

Right?

So then it comes time, you know, I'm gonna go to college, I go to DeVry University for computers. And I'm still— I'm making a car payment, paying for insurance on the side. And I'm able to basically work my own schedule, because I'm my own boss. At the time, so I can still focus on schoolwork and work and make money at the same time. So the ultimate goal was go to college, get my degree, and get a job, you know, with my degree, and then still have my other business at the side. So I can have two incomes coming in, it would be perfect, perfect world, you know, I have two incomes coming in, everything would be great. So now comes time, you know, I graduated from college, had my degree. At this time, I'm fully disabled. I get around on a little mobility scooter. So I can't walk anymore. So I would roll, I'd roll in on interviews on my scooter. Every single HR person I met with would literally stick their nose up at me. They didn't want to have anything to do with me. All they saw was liability. He's gonna be taken off work all the time. He's gonna be on medication. And it was horrible. I'd go home from every single interview, I'm like, telling my mom and my dad, like, nobody's gonna give me a shot! You know? I interviewed for a good solid year, interview after interview after interview and nobody would give me a shot! So in that, during that time, I'm still continuing to grow my side business that was built around me, built around my abilities and so after a good solid year, I sat down with my parents like, guys! I'm just gonna run with this. You know, I'm gonna continue with this business and continue growing it on my own and basically make my own destiny. And that's what I did. You know, 20 years later, still doing it.

So fast forward to where you are now, Sharpmail Graphics. Now give us a quick rundown of the kinds of services and products that you provide, going from Jeremy in high school carving out signage, you know, probably with an X-Acto or something, all the way to where you're at today. What does that expansive services look like?

Well, nowadays, you know, I help coordinate the selection, the design, the production, and fulfillment, you know, of top-notch printing, promo, display, and signage products. In a nutshell.

Yeah. Sharp Mill Graphics, why the name?

You know, I want to, you know, thinking of, uh, you know, going back, you know, I first started, me and my dad were partners in another company, and he was getting older, he's gonna retire. I wanted to take things to the next level and build a business around me, you know, my abilities. So Sharp Mill Graphics, I wanted something that was just unique, brandable, and something that you go on Google and you can just type in, you can type in Sharp Mill, boom, I'm up right then and there. There isn't no iterations, there's nothing close to it. And tagline is look sharp at every angle.

Love it. It's really great branding.

Thank you.

I'm thinking back to 2003 when Jeremy's out looking for a job, and for these disabled-owned requirements that companies have now, I mean, the world has changed dramatically.

Oh, it's changed. Talking before we hit record, before we record, the world wasn't made for you.

I told, I told you, you know, my dad was in a wheelchair, so I understood that the world was not made for him either, um, back then. So how does, how does your perspective help these corporate clients now?

Well, there's a big pool of people like me, whether you're disabled owned, whether you're minority owned, whether you're a woman owned, just you don't even own a business. You're just disabled, a woman, or a minority just looking for a job. Yeah, there is a giant pool of people out there that are untapped, you know, and these companies need to start looking at those people because they're talented. And a lot of them, they, they're mentally stronger, you know, they've overcome adversity in many ways. And so when it comes to stressful situations, for instance, people like me, we've, we've gone through a lot, you know, so we're mentally stronger and have a bigger mental capacity to handle tougher situations or, and then to be creative and to be a real asset to any company.

Yeah, you have so much to teach us. What is DOBE certified? What does that mean to your clients and your team?

Adobe is an abbreviation. It stands for Disabled-Owned Business Enterprise.

Okay.

That is a certification through an organization, a national organization called Disability:IN, which is the one and only organization out there that certifies companies that are disabled. You have to be 51% ownership, and you have to be, you have to be the brains, you have to be the sole person. You know, you can't say, um, I'm disabled and I want to own a company, and then it's someone else running the company, like there are with many of the other ones. Like, like a women-owned company, for instance, where it's in the woman's name but it's the, it's the husband that's actually running the company. You know, that's It's very— they do their very due diligence with that. The certification process is very rigorous. We've had site visits, we had to show paperwork, we had to do audits. I do get an audit every year. It's pretty rigorous, but it's well worth it. I'm glad they do that, you know.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

So Jeremy, with your unique perspective, you definitely see the world through a different lens than others do. And I think you alluded to that earlier when you're talking about maybe seeing a barrier or challenge where another person might not but I also feel that that might open up to opportunities where other people don't see them. So, you know, I'm just curious, what do you think, or how do you think you see the world that might be starkly different from how I see the world?

Well, you know, it's, you know, the world, it's not really designed yet for people with disabilities. You know, they have ADA, you know, the Americans with Disabilities Act, which, you know, does a lot for people with disabilities. But there's a lot more that still needs to be done. You know, I can— if I go to a restaurant, for instance, do I have to— I have to know, is there a ramp? Can I get in the doors? Is the restroom— is it accessible? Is it accessible enough where I can get in on my mobility scooter, or can I get in there with my big power chair? Is there 3 feet in between every tables and chairs? You know, if there isn't 3 feet, I'm not gonna be able to fit through there. I'm gonna be asking people, hey, excuse me, excuse me, can I get through? Can I get through? Of course, everybody's happy to move. But it's the fact that I need to ask them to move, you know. But I mean, it's just the perspective. It's just, it's, there's a lot, you know, it's, but you know, it's, it's getting there.

Jeremy, I'm reminded, as you mentioned, I'm reminded when I sit in my, lay in my bed in the morning and moan about having to get up, I don't feel like getting up. I'm reminded of my dad having to, like, lean over pull himself over into his wheelchair, put on his prosthetic legs, and go pick up his crew and go to work. Just like you said, overcoming the adversity and the skills you have to navigate the world. A tremendous talent pool of folks that have proven through hard work how to thrive. It's just so inspiring.

Yeah, you know, the, uh, the, the process, you know, from start to finish, to get ready in the morning, take a shower, get dressed, go to work, and I mean, it's, it's a lot, but I mean, it's, it makes you stronger at the end of the day, you know?

Yeah.

And I don't feel, I don't feel sorry for myself. I don't want nobody feeling sorry for me. Yeah. You know, it's just, that's not how I roll, literally.

Yeah.

Rolling on wheels. That's not how I roll.

That's not how I roll.

Yeah.

Yeah. Sense of humor too. That's, that's getting you through, obviously. Go ahead, Bri.

So I was just gonna say, I don't want to dwell too long on a personal note. But Jeremy, I love that you've shared an experience with what others can see as a visible disability, let's call it. And then there's also the invisible disabilities that come as well. So I just think it's great for listeners out there, whoever's kind of pondering that, that there are ways to see things that can be, you know, a barrier for somebody in your case who's in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter. But there's so many different ways that we're able to open and accommodate to others as well. And, you know, so kind of on that note, it seems that through COVID, as we've discussed, you've grown more comfortable sharing your experience with others. And it seems that that may not have been the focus before. So I'm curious, what prompted that shift for you to focus on disability? And what does that mean to you?

Yeah, well, in my personal life, I've always been an open book, you know, for years. I'm outgoing, I'm personable. You know, when I roll into a room, I'm the first guy— well, first of all, I got eyeballs burning a hole through me because people see me and they, they want to stare, you know. But I'm the first one to say, hey, how's everybody doing? You know, the first one to introduce myself and command the room. That's just how I am in my personal life. But then being busy with business and everything, I never had the opportunity and the time to think about how could I take this, you know, and transfer it, you know, to the business side. So that's why I never did it. But then, you know, COVID comes. The world slows down, then it, you know, it gives me plenty of time to think. Like, alright! How can I take what, you know, the person I am and the inspirational person I am and relay that more into the business world? And then COVID gave me that time to do that. We had what? We're still in it but I mean, there's a good year there where it's like, okay! Tons of time to sit down, think about it, reflect and come up with a plan. And that's what I'm doing, trying to do and working on doing that more in the new year. I have a new website coming up. I just updated my social media. So it's, it's a work in progress. I'm gonna keep rolling with it.

You know, I really do love, Jeremy, how comfortable you are with speaking about it. You're an open book. I'm going to share a very quick story for me.

Go for it.

Last week we're in the office, we're meeting with the team, we're going out for a team lunch, and my teammates asked, oh, if we sit at the restaurant, do you guys want high tops or the low seats? I have chronic blood clots in my leg, wear compression stockings. I've gone through a period of being on disability. You know, mobility can sometimes be an issue. I have to sit somewhere where my leg can at least be at a 90-degree, if not elevated. So I don't tell that to people though. I just tell my team, oh, I don't wanna do the high tops. Let's sit at the low table. And sometimes I can see, you know, ah, the high tops are in the better area, and, You know, personally, I don't have the courage to tell people why. And there are times that I will find that I put myself in what is an uncomfortable scenario just for the sake of not broaching on that subject. So I just have so much appreciation again for the courage that you display regularly.

Yeah. You know, it's just people that you're surrounded with, you know, your circle, your friends, your coworkers, they want to know you as much as possible, you know? So if you're able to share that. And that's just one more thing that they're— they know about you. I mean, I'm sure they care about you and, you know, they want to know. I mean, if— that's why I'm an open book, you know. I want people to know instead of me trying to hide stuff and whatever. It just— there's too much other stuff to worry about in this world other than worrying about hiding stuff, you know? It's like, the more you know about me, the more we can get out of the way, and the more you learn about me and You know, the world's a better place. Like, for instance, for me, you're talking about the tables. I actually prefer the high-top tables. I can't sit at the high-top tables, but I roll my scooter, my power chair right up to them because they're countertop height. So it's easier for me to sit at a countertop height as opposed to trying to lean down into like a, you know, lower seat.

Yeah. Can you teach us about your expertise a little bit? So signage has always been sort of an adjacent industry to promo in the past, but we've seen this alignment or the, even this approach where folks are more agnostic about the product and more concerned about what the purpose is. So you mentioned your mission about helping brands look sharp. And that to me is a mission that undergirds everything that you're doing. So you got into promo. And so you're more focused on the overall brand expression. What did you learn from that experience?

Yes, I actually have another tagline. I am the multi-surface branding authority. Multi-surface, you know, being print, promo, signage, and displays. See, at the end of the day, you know, whether it's any of those, they're all relative, they're all similar. It's just the different— it's a different medium and a different substrate. That's it.

Give me an idea, Jeremy, of like the product and category that you tend to work in the most. Like, is there a category that you like in the promo world? Apparel is 30 to 40 to 50% of their book of business? What is it like in your world?

Large format printing, you know, decals, printed signage, you know, rigid substrate printing, then you get into the nicer higher-end signage, like for lobbies and, you know, conference rooms that are, you know, made out of— actually, they're fabricated out of either aluminum, acrylic, fabricated steel, or they're, you know, they're painted. So yeah, I mean, there's a mix, you know, it kind of depends on what you really want to focus on. But those are what I really like to do. Yeah, I don't— I stay away from the, um, you know, the smaller items, you know, it just— it's not, you know, my cup of tea. You know, I like dealing with bigger projects, bigger clients, and what, you know, what their needs are.

Um, do you tend to work with more corporate clients or small business, or is it mixed?

A lot, a lot of, you know, medium-sized, 50 to 500 employees, to, you know, large corporations. Not necessarily the small business because it's just— that's not what I'm marketing towards, you know. Yeah, the smaller businesses don't— they don't care about supplier diversity, you know. They don't— they just— it's not in— it's not in their minds, you know. Hopefully as time goes on, they, they learn about it and they want to support it, but right now I don't really think they care about it. So we'll see, you know.

With those larger corporations, then you're mentioning supplier diversity. How does diversity impact your entire supply chain? What does that look like start to end?

How does it affect my supply chain or their supply chain?

So is that impact— that must be important for you too, as you look around at the people you work with. You tend to, like we said, see the world through a different lens. And so you must also work with suppliers that you tend to align with philosophically as well.

Yeah. Yes. A lot of, you know, getting into promo, actually the promo industry, they are very, a lot more, um, responsible, I guess you can say, you know, they have give-back programs, you know, they're socially responsible. The sign industry, it's not, and print, I mean, they're not so much on the print side. They do have a lot of processes that are environmentally friendly. Like right now, I can see, you can see right behind me, my, my big digital printer back there. That's a big HP. Latex printer, so prints on latex ink, you know, which is water-based. So I mean, it's environmentally friendly. So when it comes to stuff like that, you know, there's nothing going in the environment. You know, the materials it prints on are, you know, can be recycled. But the give-back programs and stuff like that, that hasn't really made its way to our industry yet. It's up to the individual company whether or not they choose to, you know, do something like that. And with me wanting to have a giveback program because it's just, I empathize with other people like me who are disabled. You know, I don't— I say I don't walk in their shoes, but I do roll in their tire tracks.

Right. What is that giveback program, Jeremy? What do you do?

You know, I give back to organizations that help people with disabilities. There's a number of them. One of them is MDA, which is the Muscular Dystrophy Association, because that's what I have. But Easterseals, they are a school that helps people with developmental disabilities. And there's some other ones that aren't necessarily for disabilities. I like a couple of the give-back programs, I think SWEETA, and a couple other ones. One gives back to Wounded Warrior Project. Another one gives back to Build Homes for Soldiers. I have to really look. Yeah, that's cool. I'm learning, I'm learning all this in the promo as I'm setting up the new website and everything. Right. You know, choosing, you know, what suppliers I want to support the most because they do have a giveback program.

Yeah. And I love that that's a criteria for you. That used to not be a criteria.

Right. Actually looking at— I was looking at— you got the nice little feature on Commerce SKU where you can look and see, you know, you look on each supplier and you can look and see what their, what their little giveback is. Like, all right, I like this.

So, Jeremy, I'd love to know just with the criteria for what you're looking for in partnerships with your suppliers, the relationships that you want to build with clients, the giveback programs that you're involved with as well, how do you think all of that kind of energizes and revitalizes your team? What does that mean for them?

You know, it means a lot, you know, to do good in this world. I mean, if you can do good by being good, giving good, it's the way to go. You know, there's just, uh, it feels good to do good, I guess you could say. You know, in my eyes, what I've overcome and continued to overcome and, you know, empathize with others like me, I mean, it's just, you know, it feels good. I can see it through, you know, their eyes, and they can look at me. You know, one of my clients, actually, you know, Easterseals is a client of mine as well. I give back to them. I've been to their school, you know, I've been in their halls with, with the kids that go there and seeing, you know, what they deal with. I mean, they're— they have mental disabilities, I'm physical. So I mean, my brain is strong as can be, you know, but it's just, we have different disabilities, but we relate at the same way, you know, it's a common, you know, understanding. Like one of my favorite TV shows is, it's called Little People, Big World. It's on TLC. It's about, you know, family with their little people. And there's nothing to do with me. I mean, they have their own obstacles, I have my own obstacles, but I can relate to them. I mean, I'm fascinated by them, you know. Yeah, yeah, I've been watching that show since the very beginning.

I love that. Jeremy, I'm real curious. What would you say to that Jeremy Siegler going around in 2003, looking for a job, can't find a job, has no idea that someday he's going to be where you're at today? What would you say to him in case there are other entrepreneurs that find themselves in a seemingly impossible situation and they want to build something for themselves? What would you say to them?

You just have to give it a shot. You have to try it. You can't get anywhere if you don't start. You know, luckily for me, you know, I had a lot of inspiration. You know, my father is an entrepreneur, my mother is, my grandfather is. So I had them backing me up. They never let me get down on myself. You know, if there's days where I was, you know, down in the dumps, they're just, pick yourself up, let's go. You're not going to feel sorry for yourself. If you want nice things in life, you have to work for it. You just got to do it. You know, just get started. There's plenty of people out there that can help you. Heck, you can email me, call me, you know what I mean? I'm happy to offer some advice or tips, you know?

Yeah, yeah.

Like, I don't know if you've ever seen the movie Joe Dirt. You got to keep on keeping on, you know?

Yeah.

So, Jeremy, how would you encourage other entrepreneurs to enrich the lives of others? So being invested in their well-being, serving rather than just providing a service.

You know, getting involved, you know, getting involved in your community, you know, build relationships. You know, I got started at a young age. My father, he was a volunteer basically my entire life. He volunteered for a local festival here in Tinley Park, Illinois, and he did all the planning, the organization, ran this whole festival. They drew like 10,000, 20,000 people, you know, every year, but he planned all year for this festival.. And I used to go with them from being a young boy, you know, I go with, I help out, you know, you got big amusement tents, and you had to basically lay all these out in a big giant parking lot where they're going to go and get tape measures out, measure everything. So where it's going to go, I would go with and help them out. He instilled that in me to be a volunteer and to give back to your community. And I started doing that at a young age and as I got older and, you know, you build relationships in the process because you don't have to get paid for everything. Getting paid is, you know, a byproduct. If you can do something to give back and the byproduct is, hey, if you own a business, hey, you get remembered. My father, he owned his own company and the byproduct of him volunteering is he got work from it because people remember that, you know, because he's built relationships along the way. And I've been doing that ever since I learned from him. So, yeah, you know, just, just get started, you know, in the community, whatever organizations that you're passionate about and see how it goes.

I love the— you don't have to get paid for everything, right? And the fact that when you get involved, that's where you really do make deep connections. You bond over those particular experiences, those emotional experiences, and it becomes a much deeper bond than just business.

Yeah, you know, a lot of young, you know, a lot of young kids nowadays, you know, I remember when I was in high school, I mean, you had to do volunteer hours, you know, in order to graduate. I don't know if they do that anymore. But when I was younger, I think we had to get like 14 hours in high school or something. I was getting that like, like every week, you know, just helping out my dad and being a legit organization, you know, sign off on my hours here, you know, and then I turn in hundreds of hundreds of hours. To the counselor, like, oh man, Jeremy, you do a lot of volunteering. Like, that's, that's what I know. That's how I was raised, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I love it. Jeremy, thank you for your example to us. And I don't mean that just in the sense of your story and your journey, but your business, your business all around, your business is such a great example of what amazing branding and a real purpose-driven mission can do. And the fact that you tie all that into a life well lived speaks such volumes to us. So thanks for being an encouragement to us. Thank you all for joining us.

Thank you. And, uh, thank you for your time. Thank you for asking me to be a part of this. It was a pleasure talking to you guys, and, uh, look forward to, uh, being a part of Common Skew for a long time.

Thank you, Brady, for joining me too.

All right, my pleasure.

All right, guys, bye-bye.

Take care, guys. Thanks so much for tuning tuning into this episode of SKUcast. Be sure to keep up with our latest content by subscribing to SKUcast on iTunes or to our blog at community.commsku.com. Until next time, friends, thanks so much for listening.