DI resident scores big with Super Bowl t-shirt!
The New England Patriots may have scored the top prize in this year’s Super Bowl, but a Daniel Island mom and self-proclaimed Patriots’ fanatic scored a victory of her own after the big game – with a homemade winning t-shirt design!
Known for coming up with fun ways to express her creativity, Amanda Young enjoys producing Patriots-themed t-shirts for her family and friends and typically prints anywhere from 20 to 25 each season.
“I am the family go-to for any shirts people may need to be screened for a family trip, road race or funny joke,” said Amanda, who took up screen printing as a hobby about four years ago. “My friends and family know I like to create and make things and are used to seeing it posted to Facebook.”
Before this year’s Super Bowl, Amanda began searching for ideas for a championship-worthy design befitting her beloved Patriots. Her husband, Rich, suggested using the word “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) with a nod to their all-time favorite quarterback, Tom Brady. Amanda loved the idea and worked to incorporate an image of a goat with Brady’s #12.
Using a small screen printer, she hand-screened the shirts in her garage on t-shirts purchased from local Target and Wal-Mart stores. About a week prior to the Super Bowl, she posted an image of the shirt on her social media pages.
“I originally posted the shirt on Facebook and Instagram to show everyone what my family would be wearing for the Super Bowl and to let everyone know I was working on them,” recalled Amanda, who moved to Daniel Island with her family about nine years ago. “By Sunday morning, I had about 50 shirts to make for friends who asked me to make them one, (and) by Monday I had sold 200 and the shirt had been shared over 100 times. When the Super Bowl kicked off we sold 325 and after they won sales went through the roof!”
Amanda and her volunteer t-shirt team, which includes two Bishop England High School students, have been working to fill orders ever since. At last count, she had sold more than 600 t-shirts! The shirts are now on sale via her new Etsy page, which also features “trucker” caps, featuring a GOAT design hand sewn by her mother, Louise Paolella.
“...People really understood the design immediately,” added Amanda, who has been working in event marketing and branding for over 15 years. “Because I wasn’t intending to sell so many shirts, we priced it low and I think that helped. We sold shirts to people in London, all over New England, many Daniel Islanders, California, Seattle...We were shipping everywhere. Tom at the Quick Pack and Ship store would laugh when I walked in!”
Amanda and her “GOAT” team are now working on building their brand. In addition to shirts and caps, they also offer decals and tumblers. She’s even been approached by the Clemson University Fan Club to create a GOAT shirt for Deshaun Watson. But for this diehard Patriots fan, her GOAT #12 t-shirt will always be number one.
“I was so excited!” she said of the shirt’s success. “I love talking to people about the Patriots. I had so many different people buying them I got to talk to so many of them about game predictions. I had old high school friends, coworkers, even a couple celebs buy them from me! The feedback was so positive it really built my confidence to keep going and promoting the shirt. But I am very exhausted and my hands are paint stained!”
In addition to her husband and mother, Amanda gave a big shout-out to her other GOAT helpers – her children, Gavin, 6, and Quin, 4, as well as Grace Iaria, Alex Wojtech, and her neighbors, the Flowers.
“Thank you to all my friends on the island who bought and shared the shirt,” she said. “It has been a fun experience!”
To check out Amanda’s GOAT designs, and preview the new Deshaun Watson image, visit her Etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOfficialGOATShirt.