Inspiring Conversations with Arthur Norman Jr. of Dipped Custom Prints

Hi Arthur, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Arthur Norman Jr., and I live in Columbus, Ohio.

I am a creative and an entrepreneur. I’ve always had an interest in art, creating & expressing myself for as long as I can remember. How that manifests has looked different through various seasons in my life. I grew up around entrepreneurs and real estate investors so these are things I knew would be a part of my story as well.

I obtained a BFA in Advertising & Graphic Design with a minor in Illustration from Columbus College of Art & Design in 2018. For the majority of my professional career, I worked at my family-owned business, Heavenly Kids Center for Learning in a number of capacities. Some of my notable accomplishments while there was my role in determining the overall branding, marketing, communications, and aesthetics for the company. Working there allowed me to deepen my entrepreneurial understanding as I got older and received more responsibility on how to operate the business. We also own the 2 buildings that the company operates out of, and from 2018 to mid-2023 I worked as the Project Manager for the renovation and expansion for the company’s buildings.

I also co-own and operate a business called Dipped Custom Prints. In 2021, I had the opportunity to purchase & renovate commercial properties in the historic King-Lincoln District of Columbus. Dipped operates out of this space along with 3 additional black-owned businesses.

A recent project I am proud of is my involvement with the Columbus Fashion Alliance’s ‘Future of Fashion’ program during Summer 2023. This was a 9-week fashion design incubator for about 20 high school students where they gained an intro to the ins & outs of the fashion industry. I was contracted to be the program’s Design Expert and guided a team on the design direction for a 12-piece collection. At the program’s conclusion, we hosted a pop-up shop and gave away 3000 garments to our community.

An in-progress project that is very important to me came about when I decided to renovate the buildings I own in the KLD. I knew that historic preservation of the buildings and the area was key. I began working with Columbus Landmarks to hopefully prove the historic significance of the buildings I own. This led us to attempting to establish a total of 33 buildings in the area as a historic district via a preservation committee with the National Registry.

So as you can tell, my creativity has led me to a variety of opportunities.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been smooth. My own fear & insecurities have been my biggest obstacle at times about whether I was on the correct path or pursuing the right thing. Or not being certain if I had the support, both emotionally & financially, to really do what I want.

I’ve spent a lot of time working to overcome the stereotype of the struggling/ starving artist and believing that my ideas are worth investing in. And then pursuing them without inhibition. It is important to me to establish myself as a creative & as an entrepreneur so that I can always generate income from my ideas & projects. I find that as I continually sharpen and lean into my entrepreneurial skills, I find ways to fund my design projects. My ability to create opportunities for myself and others is also a part of strengthening my creative muscles as well.

We’ve been impressed with Dipped Custom Prints, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dipped Custom Prints is a boutique, small-batch printing company that provides custom printing solutions and order fulfillment for individuals and brands. We are a black-owned printing company in a historically black neighborhood. I’m not aware of anyone else in our local printing industry who is really catering specifically to small businesses and start-up companies, so I know we’re tapping into a primarily unreached segment of the market.

What sets us apart is that we don’t have minimums. This allows us to work primarily with small businesses who are looking for unique ways to grow their business and stand out. When you think of printing, you may only think of t-shirts, but we can print on virtually anything: clothing, pens, business cards, totes & backpacks, bottles, stickers, buttons, furniture, paper, metal, wood, ceramics, you name it! And if we haven’t done it before, we will work with you to figure out how to make your idea happen. We love being able to support businesses with branding & growth materials. It’s a way for us to connect with the community and leverage our creativity to help our neighborhood and city grow. The company also functions as an educational micro-makerspace for businesses, creatives, and small groups of all ages. People can come in and learn about printing techniques and have the space and resources to work on their creative projects, and have fun!

A lot of times, people and businesses come to us without fully knowing how exactly we can work together. They just think that we can put a logo on a shirt for them. But with us, you’re getting way more than that. We support you with marketing, brand development & strategy, and overall creative problem-solving. We truly are passionate about serving people and the community by using our resources, creativity, talent & relationships to help all of us grow and be successful. Having this opportunity to expand our reach and our audience and build even more brand recognition for ourselves is huge because that means more businesses will be aware of all that we offer. We just want to build out cool content, print in creative ways, and keep pushing the envelope.

I want readers to know that we are here. Engaging with me personally, the business and our content helps. We haven’t quit. The odds have been stacked against us in a lot of ways over the years, but we’ve remained determined, and we plan to be here for the long haul. If you are looking for personalized marketing, brand strategy, and support with creative direction, consider Dipped Custom Prints to fulfill your business branding needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ernestpost.myportfolio.com/never-say-never
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ernest.post/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Arthur-Norman-Jr/pfbid02q9HCizH6n5QyxMkbKWtHed39MtuSYmzmWhqgAcJuaYrCRR1iE4fEQPyRLGd2iijHl/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-norman-jr-a2976175/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ern_pst
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthurnormanjr1150/featured
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/dipped.customprints/?hl=en