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- Brand Sauce | The Print-on-Demand Newsletter | EP #80
👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand Episode #80, where swag meets culture.
If you order swag for your company, or simply want to stay up to date on the latest workplace trends, you’re in the right place.
Let’s Dive in!
NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
🍸 Recruiters are sourcing talent everywhere now: According to a recent HR Dive report, more than half of hiring decision-makers have found candidates outside traditional work settings, and 84% said those off-the-clock interactions led to strong hires. Grocery stores, airports, concerts, even bars. As AI floods recruiters with applications, companies are leaning harder into human connection and real-world chemistry to find standout talent. Source.
🤖 AI pressure is officially a CEO-level problem: A new global survey of 900 CEOs found that 80% believe their role could be at risk if AI initiatives fail by the end of 2026. Even more interesting? Many leaders are less worried about adopting AI too slowly and more worried about betting on the wrong tools entirely. The conversation is shifting from “Should we use AI?” to “How do we lead through it responsibly? Source.
⚽ Personalized merch is moving at stadium speed: Stahls’ just secured an MLS licensing deal to power on-demand jersey customization for fans and on-field applications. Between sports, streetwear, and print-on-demand continuing to collide, personalization is quickly becoming the expectation, not the upgrade. Fast-turn custom merch is officially entering its prime-time era. Read more.
🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout-out to the winner from last week, Sean Thimas, who scored the Glamper Lantern Speaker from HPG. We’ve got another giveaway below!
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Employee birthdays shouldn’t feel like another admin task…
In this week’s video, we break down how smart teams are automating birthday recognition with custom-branded online swag stores that let employees choose gifts they actually want.
The result? Higher engagement, stronger culture, better retention, and zero manual coordination for your team.
Perfect for remote teams, global workforces, and fast-growing companies looking to make every birthday feel meaningful.
P.S. We have a special gift for the next 3 people to schedule & sign up for our $1/mo plan! Trust me, you won’t regret it…
WEEKLY GIVEAWAY
Giveaway Alert: Screen Saber Computer Monitor Light Bar
💡 For everyone whose desk setup gets progressively darker and more cursed by 4 p.m., this week’s giveaway is the Screen Saber Computer Monitor Light Bar, which features five color temperatures, three LED brightness functions, a timer, and an easy clip-on install.
Details:
1 lucky reader will score a Screen Saber Computer Monitor Light Bar branded with their company logo.
Winner announced in next week’s newsletter.
👉 How to enter:
Watch our YouTube video of the week here and answer the pinned comment in the comment section
P.S. Last week, we only had 7 people enter the giveaway valued at $150+. The odds are in your favor!
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
🤝 Meet Tic Solutions
TIC Solutions delivers turnkey engineering, inspection, and testing solutions that help organizations maximize safety, reliability, and operational performance. From planning and design to execution and long-term asset support, their team combines technical expertise with rigorous quality standards to help clients manage risk, stay compliant, and keep critical operations running smoothly.
📣 Our Collaboration
We helped Tic Solutions build a merch experience that matches the range of work its teams do in the field and behind the scenes. With services spanning testing, engineering, inspection, geospatial, buildings, and technology, rope access, lab services, and training, the brand needed a store that felt broad but buttoned up.
🤝 Connect With Tic Solutions
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
To all the moms reading this, Happy Mother’s Day.
The older I get, the more I realize something I never fully understood as a kid: being a mom isn’t just a role, it’s a constant state of care.
It’s waking up before everyone else, already thinking about the day ahead.
It’s carrying a quiet, invisible checklist that never really turns off.
It’s falling asleep at night replaying everything, what got done, what didn’t, and what tomorrow needs.
It’s the kind of responsibility no one fully sees, but you feel it every minute.
Because it’s not just about getting kids to school or making sure homework is done. It’s wondering if they’re happy. If they feel included. If they’re struggling and not saying anything. It’s thinking about their friendships, their confidence, their future, all at once, all the time.
And most moms aren’t just doing this at home.
They’re doing it while building careers, solving problems at work, showing up for teams, answering emails, while a part of their mind is always somewhere else… with their kids.
School alone can feel like a full-time job, with assignments, events, reminders, forms, and spirit days that somehow always sneak up on you. Then come the activities. The practices. The games. The car rides. The snacks.
The constant question of: am I doing enough… or too much?
And in between all of that, there’s the home. The meals that need to be made, even when you’re exhausted. The groceries. The laundry. The small details that make a house feel like a home, details that don’t happen by accident. They happen because someone is always thinking ahead.
And then there are the moments that matter most, the birthdays you plan so carefully, hoping your child feels special. The holidays you create magic for. The traditions you carry forward. The memories you’re building, even when you’re running on empty.
It’s a lot. It’s more than a lot.
And yet… You keep showing up.
Not because it’s easy. Not because you always feel appreciated. But because you love your kids in a way that doesn’t have an off switch.
When I think about my own childhood now, I see it so differently.
I remember coming home from school and dinner just being there. I remember playing sports, sometimes two in a day, and never once wondering how I got to practice or who made it all happen. I remember holidays that felt effortless, a house that always felt full, and vacations that felt like pure joy.
What I didn’t see was everything behind the scenes.
I didn’t see the exhaustion. The planning. The sacrifices. The moments my mom probably put herself last so we could come first.
I just felt the result: love, stability, care.
And now I understand, that was the work.
To my mom, thank you for every invisible thing you carried. For every moment you made feel easy, that wasn’t. For every time you showed up, even when you were tired.
I see it now.
And to every mom reading this:
If no one has told you lately, what you’re doing is extraordinary.
Even on the days it feels messy.
Even on the days you feel like you’re falling short.
Even on the days no one says thank you.
Your kids may not see it all right now.
But one day, they will. I promise.
I love you, Mom
Ross
Not following Ross & Brand Sauce on social media yet? Let’s change that. Click the links below to stay connected for fresh ideas, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive updates 👇
⏪ Previous Episodes
In Print-on-Demand | EP #79, we cover how Hasbro’s $600 animatronic Grogu is pushing merch into premium, experience-driven territory, why S&S Activewear’s partnership with Legends signals a bigger shift toward elevated athleisure swag, what upcoming events from PPAI and SHRM say about where the promo and HR industries are heading, and why new research from McLean & Co. shows growth and development matter more than compensation when it comes to engagement. Plus, we’re giving away the Glamper Lantern Speaker. We also highlight how Simplus is using its Brand Sauce company store to centralize merch into one polished, wearable, and easy-to-manage experience. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal reflection on step-parenting and the reminder that people do not remember titles, they remember who showed up for them.
In Print-on-Demand | EP #78, we cover Gap’s Hoodie House taking over Coachella, why useful merch still wins according to new ASI data, what the PPAI Leadership Conference signals for the industry, and why recognition continues to outperform compensation when it comes to retention, plus we’re giving away Accousticks Wireless Over-Ear Earbuds. We also highlight how Get Air is using its Brand Sauce company store to centralize merch into one clean, on-demand experience that keeps everything consistent, simple, and easy to scale across locations. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal moment at Get Air with his kids, where they connected his work to a place they love, a reminder that what we build as a brand often shows up in real, meaningful ways.
In Print-on-Demand | EP #77, we cover new data on the power of swag and why 83% of recipients feel more appreciated, what most companies still get wrong about employee recognition, Coachella’s merch shift with BELLA+CANVAS, the growing push toward sustainable merch, and what a more selective labor market means for hiring today, plus we’re giving away JBL Soundgear Clip Open Ear Headphones. We also highlight how PDS Optical is using its Brand Sauce company store to create a clean, on-demand merch experience that makes browsing, ordering, and brand consistency feel effortless. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a meaningful reflection from his kids’ Jog-a-thon, reminding us that gratitude, respect, and perspective are often passed down through simple, human moments that stick.
In Print-on-Demand | EP #76, we cover swag fulfillment delays flagged by Advertising Specialty Institute, new data showing AI is increasing employee workload, how discovery is shifting with AI (via The Verge), and why tangible rewards outperform cash when it comes to real engagement, plus we’re giving away a 3 Fold Charger. We also highlight how Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. is using its Brand Sauce company store to create a seamless, culture-driven merch experience with thoughtful details like their “Geospatial” collection. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a powerful reminder that connection starts small, and that something as simple as inviting others to the table can help us see each other not as different, but simply as people.
THAT’S A WRAP
That’s everything worth knowing this week in promo land.
Until next time, stay saucy! 👋
– Ross & the Brand Sauce Team
Ross Greenstein, Brand Sauce CEO & Co-Founder
© 2025 On Demand Global, LLC, DBA Brand Sauce