The CAN BE Innovation Center is proud to celebrate the one year anniversary of Stray Threads, a woman-owned, manually operated, screen-printing company that specializes in smaller productions orders and specialty inks. In celebration of this milestone, we sat down with Stray Thread’s owner, Megan Sterenchock, to reflect on her journey

For those who may not be familiar with you, tell us about who are you and your business’s story?

“I’m Megan Sterenchock, the founder of Stray Threads. I’ve been in the screen printing world for the past 10 years - my first job out of college was for a bigger, local screen-printing company, and I’ve done artwork for other local printers over the years. As a t-shirt and hoodie enthusiast, I’ve also been on the consumer side of ordering shirts and merchandise for companies. I love nothing more than a well-designed shirt printed on a nice soft and cozy garment!

I've always loved creating and designing. My college education started with a degree in commercial photography, followed by a second degree in graphic design.

Even though the majority of my career has focused on the graphic design world, I‘ve always had a love for photography. I enjoy shooting film with cameras from the 1950s and 60s more than with any modern-day camera and it all stems from wanting to be involved in the creative process. From taking the photos, to processing the film at home in my kitchen sink, and then cleaning and scanning the negatives—I get to create something visually intriguing. 

The same goes for the apparel decorating process, and it’s why I created Stray Threads. From creating the screen with artwork, to mixing and prepping the inks, to manually pushing the squeegee across the screen and transferring the ink onto the garment: it’s basically creating wearable art. For me, it’s all about feeling connected to the process of creating!”

Looking back on the past year, and based on your previous answer, has Stray Thread’s journey matched your initial vision?

“It really has, I have been working with small businesses as well as larger ones but a lot of the focus seems to be on small quantity orders for businesses like myself or even personal projects for everyday people – but I will say it will forever be a work in progress.  There is so much more to learn and creative avenues to explore.”

One year into your business, what accomplishments or milestones are you most proud of achieving?

“Well, reaching the completion of year one is a pretty big milestone for me. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would be a business owner and here I am a year later! I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made as a business owner, artist, designer, and screen printer. The screen printing community is a fun one to be a part of!”

Reflecting on the challenges faced during your first year, can you share a pivotal moment that tested your resilience and determination as a business owner? How did you overcome it?

“I wouldn’t say there was a single pivotal moment, but more of a revolution of resilience that builds up. With every hiccup there has been more knowledge acquired and lessons learned.”

In what ways has the local business community or the community at large supported your venture over the past year? Any specific examples or instances that stood out?

“The local business community and the community itself has been amazing in simply passing the word around about a new business in the area.”

What has your experience being in the Innovation Center been like? What’s some of your favorite things about being a part of CAN BE?

“I love being at the Innovation Center! The best thing about it as a new, mildly clueless, business owner, I have someone to ask questions too. If there’s something that comes up that’s business related it’s nice to have a resource to ask for help or be pointed in the right direction if they can’t help you directly.”

Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for the second year of your business? Are there new products, services, or initiatives on the horizon?

“For year two, I’m looking at maybe adding a laser engraver to the mix! It would add the ability to do personalized items such as engrave tumblers, water bottles, plaques, and custom logo leather patches for hats. There’s a lot of ideas I have for that so that’s a possibility I’ve been playing with.”

On a personal note, what have been the most rewarding aspects of being a business owner, and what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs based on your experiences?

“The independence of being a business owner has been nice. Not all people can thrive in the same style of work environment so being able to create an environment that I can thrive in is rewarding. The advice I would give to aspiring entrepreneurs is to be flexible. Nothing is set in stone, things change and that’s okay. Sometimes the best thing is to just roll with the punches.”

To end this discussion on a fun note, would you rather sing along or dance to every single song you hear and why? (Note: Imagine the singing/dancing you would have to do being similar to someone in a musical. You also don’t become a better singer/dancer based on your answer!)

“I’m trying not to over think this question, so my first thought was dance, because I could do that quietly in the background unassumingly.”

To learn more about Stray Threads Screen Printing in West Hazleton, visit their website, www.straythreads.co.