Meet Adam Tanaka | Merch Consultant & Advocate for Children’s Mental Health Awareness

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Tanaka and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, what role has risk played in your life or career?
It is scary as hell to think about stepping out into the unknown, with no roadmap on how to navigate. And if you sit and think about it too long, fear begins to creep in which can push you back even farther and will soon convince you that it’s not a good idea to move, and that you will more than likely fail…..But for me, sitting back, thinking, and succumbing to that fear is closer to failure than anything else I’ve experienced.

Risk truly means exposing yourself to danger. In the business world, the “danger” is all of the variables that make up the day-to-day that can break you. The first real company I started was in 2008, in the middle of a recession, and I was overdrawn in my bank account. Seemed like a smart idea to start a business, right?! But at that moment I knew I wanted to not only work for myself, but also work at something meaningful to me and build on that. So I took a risk at one of my lower points in life, and it wasn’t easy whatsoever. But I made a decision every morning to not let the “danger” or fear or whatever you want to call it break me. Sure, there will be days that I think I want to walk away and not look back. And 5 minutes after that thought, I’m immersed back into my work because it’s exactly where I want to be.

The point is, risk is uneasy. It’s scary, or even terrifying. But when you realize that you have complete control over your thought processes, you can go from thinking about how it would be cool to start that one thing you’ve wanted to do for so long, and actual get up and start moving forward. And yes, you’re going to fail at some point, whether it is forgetting to send that email to follow up, prematurely launch your new webstore and not have enough product to fulfill orders, or hire the wrong employee for the job….whatever it is, those are micro-failures and you can overcome them. Failure IS an option and by taking a risk, you have already made a choice to succeed and start your learning process.

3 words that I live by daily and will always hold tightly to are these – Just Keep Going

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own a merch company that specializes in apparel production and headwear decoration called Life and Limb Printing (thank you Fugazi for the name.) I started in 2008 printing on the floor of a tiny apartment curing shirts on a baking sheet in the oven. By 2016, I was able to begin hiring multiple full time employees and had a fully automated production floor. We have started narrowing our scope to focus on specific industries such as breweries/distilleries, restaurants, clothing companies, and a handful of corporate companies. This was not easy by any means. I started with no equipment except for what I built, which didn’t allow for the best quality. After working a full time job during the day so that I could save for what I needed and then printing from the moment I got home in the evenings until about 2 or 3am, it was beginning to wear on me and I knew I had to make a change…it’s when I decided to leave the full time job to go all in. This happened on a Friday and I was terrified as to what Monday to bring. Late Sunday night, I decided I needed to try and sleep so that I could be prepared to face the week and get things done, I woke up Monday morning to an inbox full of emails from people wanting to place orders. I couldn’t believe it and didn’t have time to take it in. It was head down and go. As the years went by, going from a small apartment on the floor, to a 600 sqft garage, then an actual space to an even larger space, I was constantly working where I started to ignore my personal needs and set aside my mental and physical well being for the business and my employees. This, in turn, began taking its toll on my brain and my body. I started having anxiety and panic attacks, my entire body was full of muscle pain and tension, constant headaches, feeling like I was going to stop breathing, and all of the symptoms associated with depression and generalized anxiety disorder. It then built on itself and I began having extreme social anxiety. As a business owner, having to host meetings and network, I was a mess but I was good at hiding it until I got in my car or made it home. There were two big lessons I learned throughout this time – 1.) Build your systems and processes before hiring your first employee so that it will be easier to onboard and delegate properly so that you can be more confident in hiring the right leaders you need for your company.
2.) Don’t ignore yourself, your body, your mind, and your needs. Everyone has heard the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup” and it rings true. When you are in a good place, your business will be in a good place. And your employees will be happy. Take a vacation. Disconnect for a day or a weekend. Meet with a mentor. Lock down a great therapist. Don’t forget to EAT.

In 2015, I began developing a baby/kids supply line called Cavehouse Supply, which focuses on children’s mental health awareness by partnering with professionals in the field and organizations. Every design and even the company name, has been directly inspired by kids. This was officially launched in 2020 and with so much work to do, this is what I am most proud of. And it’s just started!

In 2019, I started hosting screen printing classes which was put on hold in 2020. So I pivoted to doing online video courses through a platform called Skillshare. I will be accompanying the courses with a book for those who enjoy reading and will be available soon. I didn’t realize how much time and energy it took to write a book so this is taking me a bit longer than anticipated. But soon enough! Along with video courses, I have also been consulting with other print shop owners and startups to help build foundations for their brand/business, build out processes, best ways to streamline, incorporating automation and software into the day-to-day, strategy, etc.

I am also in the middle of my first project that involves product development for a new pet product. I will let you know how that goes!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Although I am more of a hermit these days, my best friends means the world to me, so I would definitely have to make this memorable in some way….

I am a sucker for a real diner breakfast, so I would start out one morning and have to take him to Nashville Biscuit House. This is my favorite breakfast diner in town. Soft, cushiony biscuits, gravy that’s not too thin but not too thick, eggs cooked to perfection, and that pot of coffee slightly burnt but in all the best ways. We would have to later make our way to a good lunch spot that I know will delicious. And if Sean Brock had a hand in it, you know it’s good. So we’d eat some lunch at Joyland while longingly awaiting for Audrey to open up soon. We would have to finish the evening with dinner at Edley’s BBQ. I mean, you can’t come to Nashville and not eat at Edley’s.

A good early morning hike at Long Hunter State Park one morning could help build an appetite for a breakfast burrito and a huge cup of Bongo Java coffee. An afternoon and evening would be dedicated to visiting as many breweries as possible in and around Nashville including Yazoo, Bearded Iris, Souther Grist, Smith & Lentz, Monday Night, Black Abbey, Harding House, and countless others.

The Nashville Farmer’s Market is a must and we would have to go see a few shows at Exit In, Marathon, and one of my favorites – The End.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I fully believe no one can achieve anything alone.

Without knowing it, my dad taught me some core fundamentals by just doing – work hard and just be kind to other. I owe him pretty much everything.

Sam Davidson, the co-founder of Batch here in Nashville, is someone that I greatly admire. Not only did he take a chance by working with me and my company when I was set up in a broken down, smelly garage in the back yard, but he has offered priceless advice and has been such a positive influence on me throughout.

Countless friends and family who have stepped in to show support by words of encouragement and even getting their hands dirty for a time when I needed it most. They know who they are and I love them beyond words!

Hal Andrews, the CEO of Trilliant Health, and I met one time and that hour was life changing for me. I talked through some pain points and threw it all out there. He threw it right back with stories and advice on the very things I couldn’t see at the time. I left truly inspired and full of gratitude.

And finally, one of the most important people in my life, Kelsey. She is my rock and makes me a better human being on a daily basis. I would probably have stopped a long time ago, but her support is unending and her strength is inspiring.

Website: cavehousesupply.com

Instagram: @adamtanaka

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/adam-tanaka-11a36b5a/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZkYuNvEXnQnwDaFEca4wzg