Many shops in the decorated apparel industry have tied their success to a social mission or maybe they support a cause.
On today’s Success Stories, we’ll speak with Patrick Bardsley and Josh Mirsky with Port Washington, NY-based Spectrum Designs on their mission to employ staff members that are on the Autism Spectrum. Instead of only fundraising and giving to a cause, they are directly impacting the lives of people with Autism through employment, training, and support.
If you have supporting companies that are interested in cause marketing or maybe you have a direct interest in people that are on the Autism spectrum, this is one episode that you don’t want to miss.
Many shops in the decorated apparel industry have tied their success to a social mission or maybe they support a cause.
On today’s Success Stories, we’ll speak with Patrick Bardsley and Josh Mirsky with Port Washington, NY-based Spectrum Designs on their mission to employ staff members that are on the Autism Spectrum. Instead of only fundraising and giving to a cause, they are directly impacting the lives of people with Autism through employment, training, and support.
If you have supporting companies that are interested in cause marketing or maybe you have a direct interest in people that are on the Autism spectrum, this is one episode that you don’t want to miss.
Marshall Atkinson
Many shops in the decorated apparel industry have tied their success to a social mission where maybe they support a cause. On today's Success Stories, we'll speak with Patrick Bardsley and Josh Mirsky with Port Washington, New York-based Spectrum Designs on their mission to employ staff members that are on the autism spectrum. Instead of only fundraising and giving to a cause. They are directly impacting the lives of people with autism through employment, training, and support. If you have supporting companies that are interested in cause marketing, or maybe you have a direct interest in people that are on the autism spectrum, this is one episode that you don't want to miss. So Patrick and Josh, welcome to the Success Stories podcast.
Patrick Bardsley
Good to see you. Thanks for having us.
Josh Mirsky
Thank you.
Marshall Atkinson
So I'm really excited about this today. I think it's gonna be a very enlightening show, just because maybe not everybody fully understands autism and what the capabilities of people that have autism can actually do. And so I think this is really going to open up some folks’ minds. What do you guys think about that?
Patrick Bardsley
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you again, Marshall. It's… we're really we're all in we'd love to share what we're doing with, especially with our industry, right Josh? It's so cool for us to be able to talk within our industry rather than simply to an audience that may be our cause. The audience, we love speaking to the industry audience.
Josh Mirsky
I just like I'm a very passionate person if anyone knows me, so I love talking about this stuff. I love it. Great.
Marshall Atkinson
So Patrick, why don't we start with the origin story of spectrum designs? And how do you start to help support people that are on the autism spectrum? Yes.
Patrick Bardsley
So the genesis for Spectrum Designs was really born out of necessity and mother's love. I and two co-founders who are mothers of children on the autism spectrum, back in 2011, realized that we were facing such a huge amount of unemployment for those on the autism spectrum, and more and more individuals with autism graduating high school and facing 80% unemployment rate in the United States and climbing. And so we said, "Well, rather than try and get those jobs, why don't we create the jobs?" And so the genesis of the idea of the business came out of that. So the fear and necessity of wanting to create the jobs. And then the apparel industry really came from googling recession-proof businesses and reading the t-shirt revolution back into those 11. Because we were in, you know, only two years from well, three years from the economic downturn of 2008. And so we started in, in a backyard bond on Long Island with a DTG machine to heat presses and my co-founders' sons as our kind of test subjects. And we realized that if we could put out a quality product, if we could be price competitive, if we could deliver on time, and we had the social mission, we would, we would hopefully do well, and people would keep using it. So we started off printing, you know, full-color shirts with photographs on them for autism walks and fundraisers and volleyball tournaments and things like that. And because of those principles, I feel like we were able to grow and scale and had a kind of tremendous growth. The nice thing about the apparel industry is that this wasn't necessarily a genius move. But if you think about the production processes involved, you know, you start with a blank product, you decorate it in some way, shape, or form, whether it be embroidery or DTG, screenprint, right. And then you complete it, you put it in a box, you fold it, you ship it, it's very concrete, it's very beginning, middle, and end, it's certainly not kind of subjective as to when it's finished or not. And that's something that and it's repetitive, and it's creative. So that's something that's inherently reinforcing. If you're someone on the autism spectrum may be seeking out structure and clarity of task, right? When you compare it to something like cleaning, which is, you know, a great thing, your version of a clean floor might be different from my version of a clean for my tradition, someone else's. the apparel industry isn't like that. If a job is done, it matches the mock-up, it's completely getting it out. Right. And so that was something that really lent itself to our population. So it was something that was good business, but also our population could do it and do it well. And many of our employees like Josh, really keen eye for detail passionate about the work they're doing, and realize that this isn't just this isn't a charity while we're a nonprofit, this is good business, right? And these guys, we felt that we stumbled across some of the best group of employees you can you could have you know, and I imagine we'll talk more about But uh, it's been incredible for our business over the years.
Marshall Atkinson
So just so everybody understands, can you kind of describe what autism is? And then maybe some of the traits or behaviors that your staff has? And then how many people do you employ that have autism and just kind of walk us through that a little bit?
Patrick Bardsley
Sure. So autism is a developmental disability. And that's characterized by either delays or challenges in certain areas, be them social. So social cues, be their rigid patterns of behavior, wanting, you know, clarity and structure, and wanting to do things repetitively. But the biggest ones are really the social pieces. And so that's something that makes it difficult to seek employment. Because if you think about when you try and get a job, it's all about what kind of tight but you know, big kind of person, are you that can put yourself forward? And how do you negotiate and get yourself right, and that can make it challenging? And then also, things like rigid patterns of behavior can be challenging if you really need structure or routine. And so we just flipped those and sort of made their advantages, because we found an industry that really works. So when it comes to the population. The other thing to understand about autism is that it's a spectrum. It's called Autism Spectrum Disorder, it's really a continuum, which means that an individual could fall within that continuum, anywhere in any different skill. It's very fascinating. So you may have someone who has an appreciation of Charles Dickens but may have a hard time tying their shoelaces, right. And that's something that is so fascinating. And that's why we always say if you know one person with autism, you really know one person with autism. And so it what's worked for us why we do, what we do, like I said, is, is to try and chip away and pull it that thread of the high unemployment rate, because it really is a misunderstanding, we now have 59 employees and 35 on the autism spectrum, but it's over half. It's integrated employment that paid minimum wage, or above that integrate working alongside those with and without disabilities, we really use the term neurodiversity, meaning diversity of minds, right, which as we all are neurodiverse on this call, and that we all have different brains and minds. And so our team is neurodiverse, made up of all kinds of minds working in all different positions, we have some people on the autism spectrum who are running huge, you know, 1012 M&R presses that I can't run and like Josh doing stuff in the darkroom of a high skill level that I have none of those qualities I'm not, that's not a good strength for me. And then we have people who have, you know, operating heat presses, or folding and sewing and catching. So we really have people across the spectrum of autism working in all different areas, and excelling in different areas where people have incredible fine motor skills, and tolerance for repetitive tasks, and they don't get bored or fed up. And that makes them incredible at cleaning embroidery, right, and catching errors and QC, quality control. So as I said it, we really look at it as a handout rather than a handout. Because these guys are really adding and enriching our business.
Marshall Atkinson
It's great. So Josh, what's it like to work there and talk about how long you've worked there, and the training and the skills that you've developed? And maybe what do you do every day?
Josh Mirsky
Yeah, I've been here for a little over five years now. I know that's insane. It seemed it doesn't seem that but yeah, and I mean, honestly, it's great. I mean, before here, my hate employment, I'm not a volunteer but paid employment. I used to work in kitchens. And to say it's harsh, to be an understatement. Pretty much it was like if you've ever seen the show Hell's Kitchen, it was kind of like that. So like, you come from that to hear it's night and day, I can't read they're still comparison. Really, it's just night and day. I mean, here skills, I top all the skills to actually do the job. Like communicating with people who are also neurodiverse. But like different, like levels of spectrum and stuff. I found that my social skills and a sense of like understanding have actually improved a lot. And like just look at things differently. Because like, sometimes I'll realize I see something I'm like, I never thought of it like that. So it's really cool to be around other people who are, like you in the sense that they're different like you, then we bounce ideas off them and see totally different points of view. It's very cool. To say the least, I mean, me some very good friends here too. I mean, one of them after this is driving me home because my car's in the shop. So like he's my best friend. I saw some pretty good friendships here also. So this place really does wonders.
Marshall Atkinson
And what do you do? What is your job there?
Josh Mirsky
I'm a Lead Production Assistant. This is basically I'm on the top tier of the production system bracket underneath me is senior and then regular. So if they need help from me like, anything, like process or something, I'll teach them. But also I'm pretty much I'm trained in like, pretty much everything here like, even on embroidery. So let's say someone's out like sick or they're on vacation or whatever, I can go in, and I could do that job. So I feel like filling a little void, which is also pretty cool because I like a challenge because I'm somebody we're thinking, like, if I'm not challenged, my mind just wanders. But since there's a possibility that I can learn to do something different at like a second notice, it keeps me like, because I love that challenge. I get like an adrenaline rush from itself, yeah.
Marshall Atkinson
This is a pretty fun industry, isn't it?
Josh Mirsky
Yeah, it totally is. I mean, you get to see some things. We have some pretty big customers. So I get a kick out of seeing stuff. Like, for example, one time we went to Uber headquarters, so we're talking like 200, or something executives there. And, like, I'm not gonna say that that's common, but it's not uncommon for us to be getting these types of things. And just to say that, like, I mean, that's awesome. I mean, how awesome. I mean, that's freaking awesome. That's great. I have all my friends I told none of them have ever been to Uber HQ. And like, you know, the customers we have, it's just, it's a testament to our quality of work. Because like when you get big corporations, right, that might say, “Oh, we care about this and that” but at the end of the day, if you don't have the best product, they're not buying. Because I think today's a bottom line bottom dollar. So like by seeing make big corporations are talking big. That says a lot about the product that we are able to produce, which like, kills a lot of stigmas also, so yeah.
Marshall Atkinson
Right, good.
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Marshall Atkinson
So Patrick, other than Uber, who are your typical customers? And what do they think about doing business with spectrum?
Patrick Bardsley
So typical customers range from, you know, as Josh mentioned, giant corporations like Google, Uber, Facebook, and KPMG. And banks, Dell, IBM, and even J.Crew has become a fashion customer since the pandemic, I think because they want to shorten their supply chain. So it's good that they wanted a domestic printer, I think what we offer corporations is an opportunity to really check multiple boxes because they're getting the product that they would order anyway, whether it be employee appreciation, or a uniform or something that kind of resell in that store. But they're also checking a corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion goal, socially good purchase, and they're paying the same amount. So it's kind of a no-brainer, win-win for them. And it's great for us because to Josh's point, it really stands as an endorsement. Because one of the challenges we faced earlier on when we first started out, someone hears nonprofit, they hear you know, mission-focused employing those on the spectrum and they immediately think more expensive, slower, maybe crooked, maybe not good quality, right. So when we are able to put a product out with Uber's name on it, or with you know, with some of these larger companies names on it, you know that they're not willing to jeopardize their branding or their image in that way, no matter how good the causes. So that's been a real kind of a feather in our cap and credit to Josh and the team for putting out that product because they kind of deliver on the promises we make. When we're talking with these guys. And anyone who anyone who's in the apparel industry would agree with that, you know, your production team. They're the most important. They're the frontline. They're the racecar drivers, right. And you know that it's our job to keep them driving. And so that's really what I think we offer them and then we also do B2C, you know, we'll do events, you know, we do buy Bar Mitzvahs, sweet sixteens, private events. So we and we also do wholesale work. So we'll do contract work as well, clients who are, you know, we're not actually printing directly for their client, we're printing to them. So we really do a mix. And I think that makes us a little different as well. And we also do promotional products. So it's kind of we were a front-facing but also a contract printer. We kind of do a look do it a little bit of at all.
Marshall Atkinson
Okay, and so your business has grown and now you're into two locations in the New York City area, right?
Patrick Bardsley
Yeah, that's where I am today. Actually, Josh is in Long Island for Washington location and headquarters and I'm up here and what Chester, which is I think we're Pleasantville in Westchester which about 50 miles north of where they are in Long Island, north of New York City, it's about 1000 square feet. And the same thing we have, you know, automatic print presses. And we have 18 heads of embroidery here, we have multiple heat presses, and hopefully DTG soon. So it's a dream come true to be here, we're impacting a whole new group of people here in Westchester who need jobs just like those on Long Island. And we're hoping to create at least 20 jobs for the community in the next 12 months. We were almost halfway there already. So it could even be more the pandemic makes things a little tricky to forecast still, as everyone knows, but it's so wonderful to be here. It's a beautiful community. And it's great that we've been able to replicate once and hopefully we can do it again and again, as we go.
Marshall Atkinson
Great. So Josh, what do you think about shops somewhere else? Like, you know, I live in Arizona, but it could be really anywhere about employing people that are only autism spectrum, what should they kind of really understand about guys like you if they're gonna bring him in and hire them?
Josh Mirsky
Well, the way we do it here, basically, like I just want to say how you hear so I think that is there is a sister organization called Nicholas Center. So let's say there's a new person comes in there, they'll get a job coach who knows who already knows how to do the task, like, let's say, just, for example, why is it's folding shirts, the person knows exactly how it folds them everything. So then they can then teach the new person that. So I would say if they're serious about it, like I'm bringing, like, couple, try to see if you could work with like some sort of job coach or someone, at least just to start them off, because that if not, it may work in the short run, but realistically, long term, it probably won't. However, if you are willing to put in the money for the extra system as a business, it will pay off because again, like what he said, Patrick with the social responsibility and all that it will, especially nowadays, because I started popularly, it will get people in the door. And also people like me are very attention attentive to detail things. So you actually see an increase in quality? Because I mean, I'll look I'll see microscopic things and like, it's great when someone neurotypical probably wouldn't notice. So you will get that but it's kind of like an investment. Or if you're going to buy stocks, you know, part of the money and hurts part with this $100 that you put in, but you see growing then it feels like oh, yeah, I'm so happy I partnered with them, because now it's a thousand.
Marshall Atkinson
Right. Okay. And so really, it's about having a really good mentor. Yeah, the person could shadow and learn from, and then as they're developing skills, then we can teach them something else. Is that correct? Yeah.
Josh Mirsky
Yeah, just like, a supportive environment. Yeah, it might at first, like, if it was off on somebody in Arizona, I think, yeah, you may have to spend a little in the beginning, but you will get the return I, you. You will just stick with it. But you will return. Okay. Okay. Great reputation. Awesome.
Marshall Atkinson
Right. So Patrick, are there other shops like yours? Or are there programs that somebody could look into about maybe how to start something like this in their area?
Patrick Bardsley
So I don't know if there are other shops like ours, Marshall, but we have on our website, something called Managing a mission, it's a document that I'd be happy to share, you know, with your listeners, or if they go to our website at spectrum designs.org, they can find it. And it's really a template for how we do what we do talks about the business case, talks about some of the strategies talks about, like Josh said, the supportive environment, because you know, what we've found is hiring is one thing, but retention is crucial as well, you need to have buy-in from the managers and supervisors, those more natural supports, to make sure that the person who's working there is successful. So I can't there are, as far as I know, any exact replicas, but I think there's no reason especially now when there's such a, you know, employee shortage and labor market shortage, why not use the opportunity, if you can't hire, why not give someone open your horizons a little, broaden them a little more, and see if there's an opportunity to hire someone with a disability who you may not have previously considered, but realize that these are the guys that want to work like we've not experienced the labor shortage like the rest of the country has, because so many of our employees came back, you know when we reopened last June, and we're like, Yeah, let's go. Yeah. So to Josh's point, it comes back and drags in spades. And you know, we're always want to be a resource for people who want to do that because we can't possibly chip away at those high unemployment numbers by ourselves.
Marshall Atkinson
Okay, great. So Josh, any final words before we go?
Josh Mirsky
Will say like, I mean, here also, like, it's summer if you come here. I mean, there is like the opportunity to grow a lot and in many different ways. For example, I know you climb the ladder like to get to work proposition lead, but we have, like really interesting people come to visit, right? Like we've had, for example, senators who now like who I now know, personally, because I made a connection here. I have made as I told you for around podcasts because of all stuff from here. So if you like, this is a huge lease, or if you have the opportunity in on the advocacy field stuff like, this is like, the best spot to be. So yeah, it's pretty good.
Marshall Atkinson
Well, good. Good. So thank you so much for being on the show. So Patrick, if someone wants to learn more about what Spectre designs do, or maybe how you can help them, what's the best way to contact you?
Patrick Bardsley
You can always email me directly. My name is patrick@spectrumdesigns.org. Or you can jump on our website, spectrumdesigns.org, pretty active on LinkedIn as well. Yeah, always love to hear from people. And thank you so much Marshall for shining a light on Spectrum Designs and the business we do and educating so many others with your shirt. So thank you for having us.
Marshall Atkinson
No problem. Thank you, Patrick. Thank you, Josh.
Josh Mirsky
Thank you for having me.
Patrick Bardsley
Thank you.