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Steven Romeo (They/Them) and Jared Sizemore (He/Him) started Music City Creative at the heart of the pandemic to provide apparel supporting the queer community around them. After going viral on TikTok in August 2020, their rainbow "Y'all Means All" tee was an instant hit, touting a message of inclusivity born in the South.
Tell us a bit about your business and what makes you different from other creative shops.
Music City Creative is a "traditional" print shop in the sense that we produce custom merchandise at a client's request. Yet, we separate ourselves from the competition with our commitment to using eco-friendly, water-based ink and apparel from companies with sustainability certifications.
Did you face any challenges along the way?
Ageism is our biggest obstacle. The age of the company is young. Plus, the leadership Team is young. In the beginning, we dealt with many people who never took us seriously because of our age. Now, we prove ourselves with our customer service and technical skills to win business's trust. Finally, we've solidified our place in Nashville after winning Nashville's Best New Business in 2021 and being nominated for Nashville LGBTQ+ Business of the Year in 2023.
Who are your target customers?
While we have a direct-to-consumer arm that focuses on apparel supporting the queer community, our Business-to-Business arm focuses on small to medium-sized businesses and non-profits that care where their products come from.
What was the best business advice you ever received? "Just try TikTok." We never knew how that app would change our lives. That short video back in 2020 propelled Music City Creative into the spotlight. We started in a 400-square-foot studio with only two employees. Now, we've got a warehouse and a Team of twelve. We accredit most of our rapid growth to that app.
How do you market your business?
For our direct-to-consumer arm, digital ads, mainly--but especially on TikTok. Our highest ad-spend ROI comes from TikTok. The TikTok algorithm knows exactly how to target consumers interested in what we have to sell. Our business-to-business arm thrives on word-of-mouth marketing. Shout-out to our Team that provides top-notch level service to our clients.
Do you support any LGBTQ organizations in Nashville or nationally?
Absolutely. It's part of our mission statement to support our community. After an image of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee dressed in drag in high school began circulating online in 2023, we printed this image on t-shirts with the phrase, “Bill Lee is a Drag”, added. This successful T-Shirt campaign raised $33,000 for Nashville Launch Pad. Nashville Launch Pad is the exclusive provider of young-adult-focused and LGBTQ+ affirming emergency housing in Middle Tennessee.
What are your goals for 2024?
We're investing in our Team in 2024. We're adding multiple full-time positions to our roster early in 2024. We're also investing in new technologies to help our Team succeed. We understand that for Music City Creative to grow, we need a selection of diverse and well-equipped talent to aid in that process.
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