Rachel Major, HR Project Manager at Service Metal, has spent three years building an employee apparel program that people actually want to wear. Service Metal is a nationwide PBF distributor with about 175 employees, and Rachel treats branded clothing as part of their culture. She found Goodson by looking for a values-aligned partner, then stayed because the shop keeps evolving with her team.

Landon and Rachel walk through what separates a useful online shop from a generic one. Everyone in this space offers shops now. The difference is starting with the audience, choosing products and decoration methods that match how people will wear them, and running the shop as a program: build, launch, process, review. 

They get specific on logo education, DTF transfers versus embroidery, lead-time expectations, seasonal merchandising, internal marketing across multiple locations, and why company contribution (even modest credits) changes how employees show up to buy.

The throughline is partnership. Shops work when both sides stay in the loop, fix what breaks, and keep the catalog honest about quality, price, and timing. Watch the replay for the full conversation with Rachel.

Watch The Episode

Key Takeaways

• Start with the audience and objective before you pick products.
• Online shops are common. How you operate them is the edge.
• Treat the shop as a program: build, launch, process, review.
• If people wear it when they don’t have to, you’re winning.
• Match decoration method to imprint size, fill, and fabric.
• Narrow logos early so catalog refreshes stay fast and clean.
• Sell to the season they’ll wear it, not the day they order.
• Equip your internal contact to educate employees on timing.
• Internal marketing drives buzz; open-and-close windows help focus it.
• Even modest company contribution beats asking employees to pay full freight.

Chapters

• 00:00 Partner Series returns with online shop focus
• 00:58 Rachel Major introduces Service Metal
• 02:39 How Rachel found and chose Goodson
• 04:00 Online shops are no longer a differentiator
• 06:11 Apparel that employees wear with pride
• 08:00 Shops as programs, not one-time products
• 10:41 Logo education and decoration that feels right
• 13:20 Lead times, open windows, and expectations
• 17:27 Communication that equips internal champions
• 20:11 Internal marketing, swag cash, and women’s styles