Five kids, a life as a military spouse, and a move across continents – reasons enough to overwhelm anyone. But Jessica Lathrop chose to build an empire, creating multiple seven-figure brands.
When Jessica started making birthday shirts with iron-on decals, Print on Demand (POD) didn’t even exist. From crafting makeshift shirts in 2009 to ranking in Etsy’s top 1%, she didn’t just ride the print-on-demand wave – she helped shape it.
This is the story of how a mom, with a simple idea and plenty of creativity, transformed her hobby into an empire – and why she believes anyone can do the same.
Hi Jessica, tell us about your background before Print on Demand.
“I’m a mom of five, and before I started my first Etsy store, I had three kids. We decided my husband should join the US Navy, which meant moving to a new state. He was deployed frequently, so I had a lot of time when the kids would go to school or sleep. That’s when I started my first business in my spare time.
Back then, Print on Demand didn’t exist, so I made birthday shirts with kids’ names on them using iron-on decals. It wasn’t fancy at all, but it went really well. I sold them on Etsy when the platform was relatively new in 2009, and that’s how it all started.”
Etsy in 2009 is pretty early. What led you to discover Print on Demand?
“Life took an unexpected turn in 2016 when I was pregnant with my fifth child and experienced a heart attack. We had to close most of our business operations and move to Spain. That’s when I began exploring Print on Demand, around 2018.
Printify was revolutionary for me. I could take all my existing designs, digitize them into full-color versions, and continue running my business without the physical strain of production. It was exactly what I needed at that point in my life.
The beauty of Print on Demand is its flexibility. I can process orders during school hours or after bedtime, and Printify’s integration with Etsy helps automate many tasks. The key is finding the balance between personalized items that need attention and automated products that can run in the background.“
Operating a business with five kids sounds challenging. How do you manage it all?
“Not a lot of sleep, to be fair! With five kids, there’s always something happening – someone’s sick, has a dentist appointment, or needs help with homework. I had to become incredibly meticulous with my time.
But I’m an eternal optimist, so I always look at the positive side of things. You take each day as it comes. There are definitely stresses and challenges; it’s not easy. You have to put in the work and be consistent to make it through the tougher days.”
Why did you choose Printify as your POD partner?
“I explored several platforms, but Printify stood out for three main reasons. First, they offered the widest range of products at prices that allowed small businesses to be profitable. Second, their print quality was consistently high, especially for apparel. But what really sealed the deal was their customer service.
When you’re processing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales, issues are inevitable. Having a supportive partner who helps resolve problems quickly makes all the difference. So with Printify, it’s the perfect trifecta – good prices, good products, good customer service.”
Can you share a memorable customer experience?
“Of course! One of my favorite stories involved a family reunion order. It started with one customer ordering four or five shirts, and then their relatives found my shop and started ordering for their families. Eventually, it grew to include three generations — nearly 30 people — all wearing my designs.
They sent me a photo of everyone together, and it was just incredible to see the impact of my work on their special moment. It was like dressing three generations with Print on Demand.”
Have you explored selling platforms beyond Etsy?
“I’ve experimented with several platforms throughout my entrepreneurial journey. While Etsy has been great for my t-shirt business, I’ve had success selling on both Shopify and Amazon as well. We even ran two brands through Amazon Prime, which was fantastic. One of them was a glassware brand specializing in wine glasses for couples.
It’s been great to see Printify now offering wine glasses as part of their Catalog, as that was a significant product line for us.
We also maintained our standalone website before Shopify became popular. Each platform has its own advantages, and I’ve learned valuable lessons from selling across different marketplaces.”
Let’s talk about your first holiday season. What was that experience like?
“My first holiday season was truly exciting. I was selling t-shirts and party decor and had just branched into wall decals. The sales volume increase was significant – things start picking up in late October and really get moving by mid-November.
When you’re new, timing matters. If you start your store in July, your first holiday season might be slower since listings need time to establish and gain visibility. I had started in spring, so by the holiday season, my store was well-positioned.
I’ll never forget the excitement of hearing Etsy’s ‘ka-ching’ notification sound on my phone while visiting my parents. It just kept going off. We were getting about five to ten orders a day, which was amazing for a new store.
The timing worked in our favor, too – online shopping was really taking off, and we had great word-of-mouth support from friends and family.”
You’ve seen more holiday seasons than most POD sellers. What are your tips for preparing the perfect holiday lineup?
“These days, my approach to holiday marketing varies by platform. While Etsy has its own sales features, platforms like Shopify offer more flexibility with email marketing.
I’ve learned that timing is crucial, start your holiday promotions early. If you wait until the day before Black Friday, your message gets lost among the 20 other promotional emails in people’s inboxes.
I recommend reaching out to your email list about two weeks before major sales events. This early communication lets customers plan their purchases and ensures your message gets noticed. In my experience, email marketing combined with strategic sales timing has been the most powerful tool for driving holiday revenue.”
What was your biggest challenge in running a print-on-demand business?
“Time management was my biggest hurdle, especially during peak business periods. When you’re juggling a POD store and five kids, there’s always something demanding your attention.
I eventually hired help for design personalization, which made a huge difference. But I still had to become extremely meticulous with my time.
I even started using an app that verbally announces when to switch tasks to keep me focused and on track. It might sound extreme, but when you’re juggling a growing business with family life, you need to find creative solutions that work for you.”
Jessica's time-saving tips to manage POD orders:
- Maintain a mix of personalized and non-personalized designs.
- Take advantage of Printify’s Etsy integration for automated processing.
- Start with standard designs first, then scale up personalized offerings.
- Use automation to reduce common errors in sizing and colors.
- Build systems that let you focus on custom orders without getting overwhelmed.
Can you walk us through the process of handling personalized orders?
“I’ve developed a pretty streamlined approach to personalization. Take one of my popular designs, for instance – a Christmas shirt with dinosaurs and Christmas trees. It has a customizable name at the top and with ‘Merry Christmas’ underneath. Families often ordered five or more shirts, and all I needed to do was change each name.
While I previously used Photoshop, I’ve switched to Canva since it’s more cost-effective and user-friendly. The process is straightforward: I modify the name in the design, save the file, and then head to Printify, where I copy an existing product, replace the design with the personalized version, and submit the order.
Once you have your system down, it only takes a few minutes per order, even for multiple shirts.”
Looking back on your journey, what’s been your greatest joy?
“Without question, it’s building something that truly supports my family. During my husband’s military service, he missed many precious moments – first steps, birthdays, and countless milestones.
When my business started generating more income than his military salary, it became a turning point for us. He could finally leave the service, and we could grow the business together.
It’s incredible to think this all started from such a small seed. Having that sense of ownership, of looking at what we’ve created and thinking ‘we did this’ – that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
A message to those just starting out
“For anyone feeling uncertain about starting, I want to reassure you that it’s easier than you think. Yes, it takes hard work, passion, and perseverance. It’s completely normal to have doubts – like ‘Can I really do this?’ or ‘What if I fail?’ But don’t let those fears hold you back.
Print on Demand offers incredible freedom, especially for families trying to carve out more time together or save for vacations. If you’re serious about it and willing to put in the work, you can absolutely succeed.”
What key areas do you focus on when coaching new sellers?
“I specialize in SEO strategy, which I learned through years of growing and establishing my stores. Being married to a data scientist has also influenced my analytical approach to business.
Beyond SEO, I focus heavily on the business side – helping people understand pricing strategies and determine how many listings they need to add consistently for steady growth.
Rather than offering a traditional course, I’ve developed a comprehensive package with lifetime access. This format works better for sellers who want to learn at their own pace.
I’ve structured my teaching materials based on my own journey, breaking down everything I wish I’d known when I started selling on Etsy. You’ll find extensive resources on my website that cover everything I had to learn the hard way.
My goal was to create a well-rounded approach that addresses all the crucial aspects of building a successful print-on-demand business.”
You offer coaching to help people establish small businesses, right? What makes teaching Print on Demand worth it?
“The most rewarding part of coaching is when clients return and tell me they’ve implemented my strategies and are seeing results. Even though I’ve helped many people build successful stores, I’m still human and sometimes second-guess myself.
Hearing their success stories is incredibly validating. It reminds me that what I share is valuable and can help others achieve their dreams.”
Building a legacy beyond business
“My mission now is to help as many people as possible start their own businesses and take control of their financial futures. I’m expanding beyond my YouTube channel, building my website with a comprehensive blog and a massive resource section. My ultimate goal is to create the largest library of free Etsy resources available.
While I offer premium content like workbooks and SEO packages, I’m passionate about making information accessible to everyone.
Having experienced those challenging early days myself, I never imagined I’d grow to six and seven figures. Now that I have, I want to help others achieve the same success. The more people I can help reach financial freedom, the more fulfilled I’ll be.”
