Bill Hood

I remember one day, while working with my father in our family screenprinting shop, he told me, "Son, whatever you do in life, learn everything you can about it before you go into business, otherwise you will have fight the hard fight every day of your life. And, once you learn everything, pass that knowledge along to others, so their path will be smoother."

This was one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned, but little did I know on that sweltering evening in the 1940s that acquiring that knowledge would be a lifetime adventure.

My father, as well as the other members of my family on both sides were entrepreneurs with few exceptions. They have all been hugely successful, so I had a lot of pressure to become the best at whatever I decided to do in life. I took the easy way and followed in my father's footsteps as a screenprinter. I confess, I never actually worked in another shop, having started my first business as a teenager and opening my first screenprinting shop as a college student. I was successful from the very beginning, mainly due to the knowledge that my father passed along. Parents are great teachers. If your parents are alive, go visit with them right now and tell them how much you appreciate them.

Once I became a screenprinter, I continued to acquire knowledge and have passed it along to others as my father instructed. I have written 41 books on screenprinting and in excess of 2,000 technical articles over the past 30 years.

My quest continues, as every day I learn more about the screenprinting process and about business. During the past thirty years I became a columnist for the trade magazines, an author, speaker, an educator and a consultant in the screenprinting industry. My journey has taken me to some of the most distant parts of the world by those who needed my help. I spent three months in a shop in South India in unbearable heat to help a budding screenprinter train his staff. Today, he is the largest screenprinting shop in all of India in terms of the number of automatics and people, but more importantly the shop is extremely profitable. I am most proud of helping my clients become successful as I follow in my father's footsteps.

As a consultant in the industry I have visited with over 8,000 screenprinters around the world, who were also happy to share their knowledge with me. They helped me to become a knowledgeable screenprinter. They asked the tough questions that I had to answer.

Today, I live in Cuernavaca, Mexico where I write every day. I still spend a great amount of time traveling. I get excited every time I board a plane, knowing that I will have the opportunity to share my knowledge. And, I get excited every time someone buys a copy of one of my books or articles. I know I can expect an email within a few days telling me how much they appreciate me. Nothing could be better than to have influenced another and have them respect you for it.

I wake up every morning with the single goal of helping others. Okay, but first I have to have my coffee! I love my work and every day is exciting! To those who buy my books - Thank you! And to those who learn from my writings - Ha sido un placer! (It is my pleasure!)