Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matthew Olivari. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Matthew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

When I first started my business, a potential customer walked into our store and asked if we could embroider his logo on a polo shirt. I told him, “Absolutely, but first, let me rework your artwork.” The shirt he was wearing, with his logo already on it, was, to say the least, less than impressive.

In those situations, you learn to walk a tightrope. You never know who originally designed the logo or how emotionally attached a client may be to it. But after a lengthy discussion, he agreed to let me refine the image before we produced the shirt.

My business partner at the time chastised me. He thought I was wasting too much effort on what would amount to a single shirt. And while I understood his point, it’s never been in me, then or now, to let someone walk away without doing my best.

When we finished the redesign and had the shirt embroidered, the results were flawless. The client came back, saw the finished product, and was thrilled. He thanked me for my effort and promised he’d return. My partner just laughed, saying it was the most work anyone had ever done for one shirt.

Two weeks later, the phone rang. It was that same client. What my partner didn’t know, and what I didn’t realize at the time, was that he also happened to be the president of one of the most extensive youth sports programs in the country. and he wanted us to handle all of their apparel.

That “one shirt” became our largest account ever (at that time).

The lesson? Treat every customer as if they were your only customer. Extra effort never goes unnoticed, and good business practices have a way of coming back around, often bigger than you expect.

Matthew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I first started the business, I was determined to find a way to give back to the local community that supported me. That’s when I created our very first fundraiser program, called the “Pick 6” program.

Here’s how it worked: we designed a flyer/order form featuring six apparel items. Groups and organizations could sell from that flyer, and we built in a profit margin above cost. Every single dollar of profit was reinvested back into the group after the sales were made.

The program was a hit. But I didn’t want to stop there. I began experimenting with building actual online stores for groups using the GoDaddy platform. It was expensive, and it consumed a significant amount of time, but it was worth it, and the results were outstanding.

That success eventually connected us with a company based in Dallas called Order My Gear, whose platform significantly reduced the setup workload on my plate and enabled us to scale faster.

Fast forward to today: we now operate over 300 online stores for groups across the country.

What makes us different? Unlike most companies, our stores incur zero setup costs for the groups. Even better, we let each group set its own profit levels. That flexibility has made our program attractive to a diverse range of partners, including corporate programs, athletic teams, marching bands, schools, nonprofits, museums, and more.

To my knowledge, no other company in our industry is doing it quite like we do.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

In our early days of business, I received a call from one of my biggest competitors. Although we had never met, he was well acquainted with my company and me. He told me, “I’m ready to retire, and since you run such a great business, I’d like you to consider buying mine.”

He had owned his business for more than 30 years, and selling it was no easy decision. He admitted that he had researched me long before reaching out. When we finally met, he told me he was impressed with how we ran things and felt we would be the perfect fit to carry on his legacy.

On paper, owning two businesses in the same market didn’t make much sense. But the opportunity to acquire his client list and equipment was too good to pass up. We agreed to the deal, and it wasn’t until the ink dried on the contracts that we realized we had just created our own version of “The Brady Bunch”, two separate families suddenly living under one roof.

Redundancies were everywhere, and we had to make some very tough decisions.

In the end, though, everything worked out. Not only did we successfully merge the two companies, but we eventually went on to purchase yet another business and repeat the process all over again.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

During my high school days, I was introduced to author and speaker Leo Buscaglia, AKA “Dr. Love,” and “The Mad Hugger.” He built his life’s work around the idea that love, compassion, and human connection are the fundamental foundations of success. His teachings influenced the way I approach business in several important ways:

People First: Buscaglia emphasized that relationships are more important than transactions. That philosophy guides how I treat my customers, employees, and partners – not as numbers or accounts, but as individuals with unique stories, needs, and dreams.

Love as a Strategy: While most business advice focuses on efficiency and profit, Buscaglia reminded us that caring for others creates loyalty and growth. By infusing genuine care into my company, I’ve built trust that keeps clients coming back and makes employees proud to be part of the team.

Learning and Growth: He believed love is an action and a constant practice. I’ve applied that mindset by continuously improving, whether through adapting our services, supporting community events, or investing in relationships.

Joy and Humor: Buscaglia often said life is too short not to live it fully. That attitude influences me to bring energy, laughter, and joy into what we do, making our business not just a service provider, but a source of positivity in the community.

In short, Leo Buscaglia influenced my business by showing me that success isn’t only measured in profits, but also in the number of people helped, communities strengthened, and relationships built with heart. Who knew that this crazy man would one day influence my life? One of my favorite stories, and it goes hand in hand with how I am today, was that he was walking in New York, passed a person, and said, “How are you today”? The person responded by saying, “Do I know you”? And Leo responded, “No, but wouldn’t it be great!”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gipromotion.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gulfislandspromotion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PelicanPromo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-olivari-2342b4295?trk=people-guest_people_search-card