👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand, your weekly sip of swag + HR smarts. This edition is stacked: Aldi’s surprising merch move, new trends in employee engagement, global labor news, and a giveaway you’ll want in on. Let’s dive right in.

NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

💼 Workers on the Move: Gallup’s latest poll finds 1 in 2 employees are eyeing a new job. Only about a third of U.S. workers feel engaged at work – the rest report murky expectations and low connection. Big reminder: culture and clarity matter more than ever in keeping talent. Source.

🛒 ALDI Launches Quarter Club for Super Fans: Fans said they wanted more Aldi, and the grocer delivered. The grocer is rewarding its most loyal shoppers with free groceries for a year, exclusive merch, and a spot in the first-ever “Quarter Club.” Source.

👥 HR Leaders Unite: SHRM’s BLUEPRINT 2025 event (Oct 26–29 in Louisville & virtual) is coming up. It features unfiltered conversations and hands-on workshops to help HR pros design inclusive workplaces. Check it out here.

🦄 Unicorns are Real (Sorta): Fun fact to drop in your next Zoom: Scotland’s official national animal is… the unicorn. 🦄 No joke, this mythical creature has been a symbol of Scottish heraldry for centuries. Source.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout out to the winners from last week: Shalana Johnson, and Jennifer Wright. We’ve got another giveaway below!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Brand Sauce Webinar

Nearly a decade ago, we set out to help forward-thinking companies ditch bulk orders, embrace on-demand swag, and save both time and money. The goal was simple: make branded merchandise smarter, leaner, and way more fun.

This past week, we hosted a webinar showcasing:

• How we offer better prices than the industry giants

• How our technology works

• The importance of having a company store

• All the premium brands we offer and diverse product categories

Shout out to 100s of you in our community who joined and learned about the newest innovations shaping the swag industry today. We’re grateful to everyone who attended.

👉 Want the replay? Just respond with “Webinar” and we’ll send you the recording.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

🎥 Ross' Video of the Week

Lulu Cheng Meservey, a communications veteran (Activision Blizzard, Substack), breaks down how companies can build fanatically loyal brands, almost like modern cults. In this Knowledge Project episode, she dives into narrative-building, internal culture, and the psychology of belonging that turn customers and employees into true believers.

From using authentic human storytelling to tapping the power of conviction and trust, Lulu shares how great leaders create a shared mission where people want to belong.

👉 Watch the full episode

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

🎁 Giveaway Alert: Rupt Swag Bundle

Your choice of a Rupt Swag Bundle – Chill, Power, or Travel – each packed with premium gear (worth $100+). Everyone who participates also gets early access to our Holiday Gifting Playbook.

Details:

• Lucky winners will get to pick from one of our bundles.

• Winners announced in next week’s newsletter.

👉 To enter, just answer this week’s poll below.

📊 Poll of the Week

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

🤝 Meet Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas is 100% employee-owned civil engineering firm (founded way back in 1927) that’s all about improving mobility in our communities. With over 1,800 employees across 50+ locations, they plan, design, and manage infrastructure projects.

📣 Our Collaboration

Mark Thomas came to us looking for a better way to share branded gear with both their team and clients, without resorting to bulk orders piling up in the closet. The solution? We partnered with them to build Mark Thomas’s company swag store (a private online portal just for their crew). Now, whenever they onboard a new hire, celebrate a project win, or want to thank a client, it’s as easy as a few clicks. Employees get a link to Mark Thomas’s custom store to pick a gift they actually want, and it ships directly to them.

The best part? Mark Thomas doesn’t have to lift a finger. Brand Sauce handles the inventory, printing, delivery, and everything else behind the scenes. It’s helped reinforce their culture of appreciation and made sure their brand stays front-and-center, from the office to the field. We love seeing an innovative company like Mark Thomas use swag to connect their far-flung team and partners – and we’re honored to make it happen for them.

🤝 Connect With Mark Thomas

Shoot me a note at [email protected] to get connected with the team.

WEEKEND UPDATE

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

A Little Reintroduction

In the past month, more than 500 new people have joined our swag community. That’s incredible, and I want to start by saying welcome. To those who’ve been here from the beginning, thank you for walking this journey with us. To those who are new, I’d love to share a little bit about myself and my family, because behind every brand are people, stories, and the ties that matter most.

I’m Ross, one of the founders of Brand Sauce, alongside my good friends and partners, Jason Eastwood and Ian Kilpatrick. I live in San Diego with my fiancée, Madison Miller. Some of you may know Madison as one of the first beauty creators on YouTube to reach over a million subscribers. These days, she works part-time and spends most of her time focused on our family.

Together, we’ve built a blended family that means everything to us. My son Bo (11, in 5th grade) and my daughter Maxine (8, in 3rd) share one school. Madison’s daughters, Ryleigh (6, in 1st grade) and Kinsley (4, in pre-K), share another. Four kids, two schools, lots of drop-offs and pick-ups, but one family. It’s not always simple, but it is always worth it. The joy of watching the kids grow, watching them laugh together, support each other, and become their own little people, is a gift I never take for granted.

Sometimes I think back to when Kinsley was still in diapers, and it hits me how fast time moves. In what feels like the blink of an eye, bottles and bedtime stories turn into homework and soccer practice. These moments remind me why community matters, why sharing stories and connecting with others make life richer.

People often ask if Madison and I are getting married. The answer is yes, we just don’t know when. As for more kids, the answer is no. Our family feels complete, and we’re so grateful for the beautiful chaos we already have.

I’d love to hear your story, too. If you feel comfortable, reply to this email and tell me about your family. Blended or traditional, big or small, near or far, it’s those connections that bring our community to life.

Thank you for being here, and for letting me share a piece of my world with you.

THAT’S A WRAP

Thanks for spicing up your week with us! We covered a lot. If you made it this far, you officially have impeccable taste in newsletters.

Don’t forget, our Holiday Gifting Playbook is coming out soon. Reply with “PLAYBOOK” if you want a copy chock-full of tips to ace year-end gifting without breaking a sweat. 

If you’re curious to see Brand Sauce in action or want a Holiday pop-up shop, hit us up for a demo. We’d love to show you how we can make your swag strategy smoother (and your life easier).

Until next time, stay saucy! 👋 

– Ross & the Brand Sauce Team.

© 2025 On Demand Global, LLC, DBA Brand Sauce