👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand, Episode #56, where we mix up the week’s spiciest insights in promotional merchandise, HR trends, employee engagement, and more.

This week we’ve got a little of everything: HR wisdom to keep your peeps happy, swag and gifting tips to keep the holidays stress-free, plus a behind-the-scenes recap of our latest webinar. Let’s dive in!

NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

 🧢 Swag = Culture: The Charlotte Observer just spotlighted how branded merch is leveling up. Spoiler: swag isn’t just stuff anymore. It’s how companies show personality, spark pride, and bring their people together. The piece dives into how on-demand platforms are helping brands stay agile with zero inventory, no bulk panic, and gifting that actually lands. Swag is becoming a part of the strategy, and this article makes it clear: the old school “500 pens in a closet” era is officially over. Source.

📉 Hiring Slows: New real-time payroll data shows the U.S. labor market is finally cooling off. In late October, companies were cutting ~11,000 jobs per week according to ADP’s latest readout. Contrast that with steady gains earlier in the year, and it’s a notable downshift. The Fed, which has already trimmed interest rates twice recently, is watching closely and may deliver another rate cut in December to prop things up. Source.

😱 Meta’s $16B Ad Scandal: In marketing news, Meta is under fire after leaked internal docs revealed something jaw-dropping: about 10% of Meta’s 2024 ad revenue was projected to come from ads for scams or otherwise banned products. Source.

📆 Big Expo on Horizon: The promo merchandise world’s biggest meetup is coming in January. PPAI Expo 2026 (Jan 12–15 in Las Vegas) is now open for registration. It’s the annual swag-palooza where thousands of marketers, makers, and merch fanatics roam aisles of the latest branded goodies. If you want a sneak peek of 2026’s hottest promo trends (and perhaps escape winter in a Vegas convention hall), mark those calendars.

🎅’Tis the Season: Legend has it that the candy cane was invented in 1670 by a German choirmaster who needed a clever way to keep kids quiet during a Christmas Eve service. He asked a local candy maker to fashion sugar sticks into the shape of shepherds’ crooks and handed them out to the fidgety children.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: For everyone who didn’t spot last week’s secret giveaway, the hidden message was tucked in white text at the very bottom of the email. A true Eye Spy challenge. Only a couple of eagle-eyed readers found it… and won big. Big shoutout to Rhonda Marion, SPHR, and Makayla McClintock, who earned eternal bragging rights as the first-ever Brand Sauce Eye Spy champion + a Lululemon-level athleisure shopping spree. We have another giveaway waiting for you below. Let’s go! 🎁👇

BEHIND THE SCENES

🎙️ Inside the Webinar That Made Swag Easy

Let’s talk about what went down on November 4… because it was sauce-worthy. We hosted a webinar where Ross took our community behind the scenes to show how print-on-demand can finally make swag stress-free.

Big thanks to everyone who joined! And if you missed it, don’t sweat it, we’re hosting another webinar on December 4th at 1 PM EST.

👉 Reply “Webinar” to save your spot, or “Recording” to watch the last session.

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

🎁 Giveaway Alert: Vantage Apparel

This week’s giveaway? Straight-up outerwear excellence. Meet the Men’s & Women’s Everett Bomber Jacket: sleek, insulated, and built to keep you cozy. It’s perfect for chilly commutes, office lot wind tunnels, or layering like a pro.

👉 To enter, just answer this week’s poll below.

📊 Poll of the Week

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

🤝 Meet Nana Nation

Ross’ grandma is turning 100 years old! To celebrate, the whole family will head to Florida for a once-in-a-century party. And in true Brand Sauce fashion, they’re rolling up in matching custom swag that reps Nana’s personal brand. We’re talking tees, hoodies, and hats proudly worn by all! Because when someone hits triple digits, you celebrate in style.

📣 Our Collaboration

Nana’s Birthday Store was built for a century of stories. With 40+ family members gearing up for Nana’s milestone bash, the goal was simple: make it effortless for everyone, grandkids to great-grandkids, to choose the perfect piece and show up to the party with pride.

This project is proof: Brand Sauce isn’t just for businesses. Custom shops work just as beautifully for sports teams, schools, nonprofits, and yes, birthday legends as well.

WEEKEND UPDATE

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

Why Fun Matters More Than Ever in Youth Sports and at Work

If you’ve seen the headlines about youth sports lately, you know the stat: 70% of kids quit by age 13.

And it isn’t just kids. A recent report shows that 85% of workers globally are disengaged, leaving only about 15% actively involved and energized by their jobs.

It’s alarming, but it’s also part of a larger cultural issue.

Recently, my daughter Maxine was invited to play soccer with her school friends. She’s eight. She doesn’t really like soccer… but she does like her friends. Most of the girls were brand new to the sport, and because there wasn’t a league for their age, they ended up competing against older, more experienced teams. They lost every game by at least ten goals.

Practices were once a week. Games were on Saturdays. With all this in mind, the coach had one clear job: make sure the girls have FUN.

But he didn’t.

He’s a well-intentioned dad who volunteered, but he had zero training in coaching young kids and zero understanding of how to create an enjoyable experience for them. And that’s the core issue in youth sports today: kids aren’t quitting because they dislike the sport. They’re quitting because the adults running things make it miserable.

And that made me think about Brand Sauce.

As we grow, I want to stay intentional about making sure working here is fun. Because the same principle applies everywhere: when something stops being enjoyable, people leave, whether it’s a soccer team or a workplace.

I’ve played and coached sports at every level, from six-year-old beginners to Division I athletes. And here’s what I know: you can work hard, improve, and still have fun. In fact, fun is often what fuels the growth.

So here’s my ask:

At home:

If your kids play sports, talk to their coaches. Advocate for fun. It matters more than you think.

At work:

Help create an environment people look forward to.
Laugh. Enjoy the process. Celebrate moments. Have a good time doing what we do.

Fun doesn’t replace productivity.
But without fun, productivity, and passion eventually disappear.

Go have some fun today! 

👥 Connect on LinkedIn

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THAT’S A WRAP

And that’s a wrap on another jam-packed week! From HR tips to holiday fun facts, we hope you’re walking away with ideas to keep your team and your swag game strong. As always, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reply with your thoughts, or let us know if you’d like a personal tour of Brand Sauce in action. We’re here to help make your life easier, one piece of swag at a time.

Until next time, stay saucy! 👋

– Ross & the Brand Sauce Team