We were lucky to catch up with John Bond recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
To me, success comes down to consistency, work ethic, and taking care of people. At Twine Graphics, we don’t cut corners—we show up every day, do the work, and take pride in what we put out. Whether it’s a big brand order or a local job, we treat every project like it matters, because it does.
It also takes patience. You’ve got to be willing to build it brick by brick, stay adaptable, and keep learning. Nothing great happens overnight.
And honestly, relationships are everything. People want to work with people they trust. We’ve built Twine on doing what we say we’re going to do, being honest, and treating clients like partners—not just customers.
That’s what I think real success is—showing up, doing great work, and building something solid that lasts.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m John Bond, co-founder of Twine Graphics, based just outside of Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee. I started this company with Brandon Hagan because we both saw a need for something better in the print and branding space—something more personal, more consistent, and more creative. We didn’t want to just sell T-shirts or promo gear—we wanted to build a brand that helps other brands tell their story through quality design, apparel, and printing.
My background is rooted in art and branding. I’ve always been drawn to visual storytelling—how something looks, feels, and communicates who you are before you even say a word. That naturally led me into the world of design, screen printing, and eventually creating a company that blends all of that together.
At Twine, we provide screen printing, embroidery, design, and promotional products, but what we really offer is representation. Whether it’s a local business trying to look more professional, a band needing merch that sells, or a company rebranding to feel fresh and relevant—we help them create something that actually connects with their audience.
What sets us apart? A few things: first, we actually care. We don’t just slap logos on things and call it a day. We take time to understand the client, what they’re about, and where they’re headed. We combine creativity with execution—we’re designers who know how to print, and printers who understand branding. That crossover matters.
Also, we focus heavily on quality. We’re hands-on with every part of the process—because we want our work to reflect well on both us and the client. We’ve built long-term relationships with brands and businesses because they know we deliver every time.
What I’m most proud of is the growth we’ve had—not just in size, but in reputation. We’ve been able to grow organically through word-of-mouth, and that means a lot because it shows that people trust us. We’ve stayed true to our values, built a team that shares the vision, and created a business that still feels personal no matter how much we scale.
If someone’s hearing about us for the first time, I’d want them to know this: we’re not a big-box operation—we’re real people, doing honest, creative work, and we’re all in. If you want to work with a team that gets it, delivers quality, and actually cares about your brand, that’s us.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Brandon and I actually met back in College, we ran in the same circles and always had a mutual respect for each other’s creativity and work ethic. Years later, we reconnected, and both of us were at a point in life where we wanted more than just a job—we wanted to build something. We started talking about what was missing in the custom print and branding world. We had similar values: do solid work, treat people right, and build something that lasts. That clicked fast.
At first, it was just the two of us grinding late nights, figuring things out, and taking on whatever projects came our way. We didn’t have all the answers, but we had hustle, and we trusted each other. We had different strengths, too—Brandon’s a beast when it comes to production and operations, and I’ve always leaned more into the creative and personnel side—so it balanced out naturally.
Starting Twine wasn’t some overnight success story—it was built through a lot of trial and error, hard conversations, and shared vision. But from the beginning, we both knew we were in it for the long haul. That trust and shared mindset is what’s kept us growing all these years.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One story that stands out was during our early years at Twine. We had landed one of our first big orders—way bigger than anything we’d done up to that point. It was exciting, but honestly, we were pushing the limits of our setup at the time. The pressure was real.
Midway through production, one of our key machines broke down. We were behind schedule, the deadline was tight, and we had a client depending on us. It would’ve been easy to call it off or make excuses—but that’s not how we’re built.
We stayed late for days, pulled together workarounds, leaned on relationships to get parts and support, and just kept moving. I remember being in the shop at 2am, hands covered in ink, knowing that no one else was going to fix it but us. And we made the deadline. The client never even knew there was a problem—they just got the quality they expected.
That moment taught me that resilience isn’t always about some dramatic bounce back. Sometimes it’s just showing up, figuring it out, and refusing to let people down—especially when it would be easier to quit. That mindset has carried us through a lot of challenges since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.twinegraphics.com
- Instagram: @twinegraphics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twinegraphics/
Image Credits
These are all taken by us and used on social media via instagram or facebook. No copyrights.