Testing products without big commitments
Print-on-demand changed how Adam tests new designs. Silk screen printing required large upfront orders, especially for complex, multi-color graphics. That made testing expensive and risky.
“There are certain things you can and can’t do in silk screen printing versus digital printing,” Adam explains. “I’ve been very strategic about where to use each method.”
Now, Adam orders smaller quantities when he wants to test products in his shop.
“Instead of having to buy 72 or 120 units up front, I can buy a 25-unit size run and test it out in the shop and see how that goes,” adds Adam.
Expanding assortment with Printful
Printful allows Adam to offer more products without needing extra space or capital. His online store carries everything, while the 180-square-foot shop shows a curated selection.
“The shop has an edited assortment because it’s only 180 square feet,” Adam says. “The only place that you can get everything is in the online store.”
This solved Adam’s winter stock-out problem. When he was in Florida, popular items used to go unavailable. Now, Printful handles fulfillment regardless of season or Adam’s location.
“I was able to set that style up on print-on-demand, and when orders come in for the missing sizes, it gets fulfilled through Printful,” Adam says. “Right away, that’s a plus to the business that I wasn’t able to fulfill previously.”
If you’re ready to grow without extra overhead, Adam’s case proves it’s possible.
A big part of Adam’s business involves community focus. His marketing strategy is simple: authentic partnerships that bring customers who share his values.
In 2017, an Instagram account called the AIDS Memorial launched. On World AIDS Day that year, Adam saw a t-shirt design he wanted to buy on their account, but he couldn’t find it for sale anywhere. A queer artist had created the shirt and given it to people in New York and LA to get attention for the account.
He tracked down the artist, then contacted the account holder in Scotland who maintains the AIDS Memorial out of kindness. The account holder wanted to sell shirts but had no time to manage them.
Adam saw an opportunity to help: “I have a little queer t-shirt shop in Provincetown. I came out in the middle of the AIDS crisis, and I will happily manage the sales, ship the t-shirts, buy the inventory, and write the checks.”
This became one of many partnerships where Adam handles sales for LGBTQIA+ causes.
Platform strategy and content approach
Adam chooses platforms based on values, not just reach. He turns down major ecommerce marketplaces and gets blocked from a few social media platforms for using reclaimed LGBTQIA+ terms that violate community guidelines. But he won’t water down his messaging for broader platform access.
He focuses on select social media platforms and local Provincetown advertising. His blog strategy combines LGBTQIA+ education with search optimization.
“I was very strategic in all of my blog posts and keywords early on,” Adam says. “I have all the search engine juice that’s been established over the years.”
After nine years of consistent content covering queer history and current issues, Adam built strong organic search presence that supports his marketing.
Creative collaborations through print-on-demand
Print-on-demand unlocked collaboration possibilities that traditional printing made too expensive. Adam’s partnership with the David Wojnarowicz Foundation shows how.
“There was a collaboration with the David Wojnarowicz Foundation this season that was costing out way too high with my printer, even though he moved to digital printing,” Adam says. “It’s an expensive graphic, but because I can do it on demand, the investment up front is a lot smaller.”
Lower upfront costs mean Adam can pursue collaborations that align with his values without the financial risk.
Adam measures success through customer stories, not just revenue. Transgender youth shop with their parents for years, then return after top surgery to try on different styles.
“I’ve had trans youth come in and shop with me summer after summer with their parents. And then they turn 18, and they’re old enough to get top surgery and come into the shop and try on t-shirts to see how it looks after surgery,” Adam shares. “It’s a really rich experience.”
The shop creates spaces for queer joy, what LGBTQIA+ in print-on-demand can offer when done with purpose. Adam wrote about one customer who sits on his shop floor every summer, reading through his collection of queer history and relationship books. She told him she wrote about joy and Provincetown in her college entrance essay, crediting how the shop helped her find her voice.
Adam carries historical LGBTQIA+ content that isn’t taught in schools alongside his apparel.
“I have a graphic that contains text that was handed out on little pink pieces of paper at gay pride in New York in 1990,” Adam explains. “It’s not something that any kid would have ever seen because they don’t teach queer history in school.”
Lessons from Adam’s Nest
Adam prioritizes community representation over rapid expansion, educating young LGBTQIA+ customers about their history while building his business.
“The number one priority has always been being an LGBTQIA+ business that gives back and represents the community authentically,” Adam says.
“I tell young queer people that every right they have, everything they have, every freedom they have, their ability to have sex and not worry about getting HIV is because queer people that preceded them fought for those rights, and we must never forget that,” Adam explains.
Adam built a thriving LGBTQIA+ business by staying true to his values while solving practical problems. Printful helped him eliminate stock-outs and expand his product range without losing the personal connections that matter most to his customers.
His approach worked because he refused to compromise his message for broader reach.
Ready to build your own print-on-demand business? Start testing your ideas today without big upfront costs.
