Not automatically. But what you can still make depends on how custom the idea is. An existing product with decoration may require much less development than something that needs custom construction, tooling, sampling or overseas production. Before shopping, have these ready: Delivery date Quantity Budget Destination(s) How custom you want the product to be That makes it much easier to determine what is realistic rather than wasting time developing an idea the calendar will not allow. And you never want to wait until the last minute to send a gift to your clients or members. Last minute no thought slap-a-logo on something shows. If you’re working against a year-end deadline, bring your idea into Get Your Merch Made and let's get it made. Don't let your deadline choose your merch before you do.

Maybe. Before reordering it, check what you know from last year. Did clients mention it later? Did people use it? Did anyone ask for another? Were there shipping or address problems? Did you have leftovers? Did one version work better than another? If the previous gift did exactly what you wanted it to do, repetition can become a tradition. (With fun new ways to add updates when needed!) If the only reason for repeating it is that the old order is sitting in your account, take another look. If you’re deciding what to do for clients this year, bring the situation into Get Your Merch Made. And if you want strategy on how to build your brand, join my Strategic Swag newsletter

Start by writing down what cannot change about the idea. Is it the shape? Material? function? color? packaging? content? Then add three practical constraints: Quantity. Budget. Deadline. Those six pieces of information help determine whether you need: - An existing product with decoration - A modified existing product - Or something manufactured from scratch. If the item needs to be custom made, expect a development stage before production. That can include drawings, material decisions, samples, revisions and sometimes tooling. You do not need to know how to solve all of that before you begin. You do need enough clarity to explain what you are trying to create. If you have an idea and aren’t sure what the first production question should be, bring it into Get Your Merch Made. And whatever you want made, I can help you make it, too!

113 people joined my community in 30 days and my active members didn't move I quote the member count a lot. 1,254 in The Content Revenue Lab. It's the number I lead with. Then I opened the dashboard. About 600 members were active, and that number hadn't moved all month. In the same 30 days, 113 people had signed up. That changed how I read the total. Members tell me how well the door is working. Active members tell me whether anything inside is. Those are two different jobs, and I'd been marking one with the other's score. Now I check active before total, and I look at each month's joiners separately. The question I'm asking about those 113 is how many did anything in their first week. Someone who joins and vanishes isn't a win, however good the total looks. I've put the one-page worksheet I use in the PDF attached to this post. Three numbers, five minutes, and a guide to reading what they say. If you're working on turning YouTube viewers into Skool members, that's what I walk through in YouTube For Skool: Des

Another post gets seen—maybe. Then it disappears down the feed. A well-planned physical product can stay in someone’s office, bag, kitchen, car, or daily routine long after they received it. That does not mean you need hundreds of products. Imagine a consultant with 40 new clients or new community members. Instead of trying to stay visible by constantly posting, she could create 40 products specifically for the start of those client relationships—something connected to the process they are about to go through together. Now the brand is not simply appearing in a feed. It has entered the client experience. That is where a small merch run can have an advantage. - You can choose exactly who receives it. - You can choose exactly when they receive it. - And you can create it around something you want that person to remember, use, or do. The goal is not reaching the most people. It is creating a stronger physical touchpoint with the people who matter to the business. If you want to create a focused merch program without ordering hundreds of products you don't need, join my free community, Get Your Merch Made. Bring the audience and the business goal. We’ll figure out what belongs in their hands.