Skyler Irvine Audio Channel

It's episode 50 with Sam Means! You may not recognize Sam Means' name but chances are you're familiar with his work. From 2001 until 2008 Means was one half of the celebrated Arizona indie-pop act The Format alongside Nate Ruess (who later went on to form the Grammy Award-winning act, fun.). After The Format called it quits, Means put his focus on starting a family and creating a band merch company: HelloMerch.com and apparel company HelloApparelStore.com We talked about: - Being in a band and getting your first record deal - Why record companies are hard to work with - How he and his band The Format were self sufficient - Why it's important to interact with your fans - Leaving band life to start a "merch" company and a family - How growing a band is the same as a business - The power of Instagram and being early to a platform - Why you should be okay with some things failing - Why you should count on 10 years to build a business - Advice to anyone wanting to start an apparel brand Don't forget to subscribe o