Today we’d like to introduce you to Brendan Stearns and Kristina Manter.
Cape Shark was created in Chatham in 2014 from a small idea I had for a decal for my family’s boat. I purchased a small hobby vinyl cutter and got to work. After coming up with the Cape Shark design, I stuck them all over my family’s bakery. The response to the stickers was well beyond my expectations. After that summer, the word was out! People were asking, where can I get them? Do they come in other colors? That next summer was a challenge because there was an incredibly high demand for the decals, but my vinyl cutter could only make nine stickers at a time and was very slow. Since then, I have upgraded my machine to a professional vinyl cutter, which is much bigger and faster, but the craftsmanship still remains, as every single decal needs to be hand plucked. The next question I kept being asked was, do you sell t-shirts or hats? After having a few shirts made locally, I was inspired to learn how to screen print myself. It took many long days and nights of trial and error in my garage, but I finally found a good technique and started printing my own shirts with super soft, eco-friendly ink. It still amazes me how one small idea I had a few summers ago has turned out to be such a big part of my life. I am now selling the Cape Shark decals wholesale to 11 great local retailers in Falmouth, Mashpee, Hyannis, HarwichPort, Dennis, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, & Provincetown, as well as opening an online store. Last year in 2017, I met Kristina and we instantly clicked! Kristina has a 10-year background in Screen Printing and Embroidery. We knew together we could take our dream and work so very hard to achieve our goals together. I am always trying to come up with fun, new ideas and items for Cape Shark Co. It’s been a real journey and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Cape Shark hasn’t always been easy. There has been bumps in the road and obstacles to overcome which comes with owning your own business. Our greatest advice to anyone who are just starting their journey is to never give up! The second you give up you no longer are offering that business you had so of course it isn’t going to flourish. As long as you’re always working and pushing towards your goal, nothing can stop you! Dive in and enjoy the crazy beautiful journey!
What should we know about Cape Shark? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What sets Cape Shark apart from the others is we are a specialty eco-friendly print shop. We do not use the usual screen printing ink you usually would get when purchasing a t-shirt. When you purchase a t-shirt, you usually will get a t-shirt with ink called plastisol. Plastisol is pvc plastic piping melted down… yikes! We use water based eco-friendly pvc-free ink that way it is better for the environment and healthy for us when producing our goods.
We’re so proud of many of our projects we have worked on but one stands out to us as the most special. Just a few days ago, we made a specialty shark sticker for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. We donated 500 Cape Sharks for them to sell for $4 each. 100% of those sales will go back to the Conservancy to continue the amazing shark research that they do. For us to be able to give back to a cause that is so special and close to our hearts is really an amazing feeling and we can’t wait to continue working with the Conservancy.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
The way I grew up definitely contributed and still contributes to my success. My parents own a Pie Shop in Chatham that has been open for 70 years. Watching my parents work so hard day in and day out pushed me to be motivated just like them. When I was younger, I used to watch my parents work 16 hour days and then still have desk work to do once the Pie Shop was closed for the day. My parents have always shown me to work hard to achieve my goals and how to run a business with honesty and loyalty. -Brendan
The experiences I had growing up absolutely pushed me to my success today. As a young teen, I was left with not much. In and out parents, unstable home & was left to raise myself. I have no animosity towards my parents or my past, I am actually very thankful for it. As a young teen, I knew what it was like to push and work for what you wanted. I have always been a go-getter and strived for the best. -Kristina
Although our pasts are different we still have the same goal, work hard and achieve hard!
Pricing:
- Decals $4
- T-Shirts $22
- Tank Tops $22
- Long Sleeves $30
- Sweatpants $42
- Sweatshirts $42
- Hats $25 – $38
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Etsy.com/Shop/CapeShark
- Phone: 508-737-0602
- Email: brendan.stearns@yahoo.com
- Instagram: CapeShark
- Facebook: Cape Shark Co.
Image Credit:
Marcus Juliani Photography
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