How a College Side Hustle Turned Into an Inc. 5000 Company
Matt Schroeder 🌊 caught the entrepreneur bug early. In college, he became fascinated by the simple idea that you could create something people wanted to buy.
That curiosity turned into a successful t-shirt company and eventually paved the way for Tidalwave Print + 3PL, his screen printing and 3PL fulfillment business that ranked #37 on this year’s Inc. 5000 list.
Along the way, Matt has weathered the highs and lows of building a company and learned what it really takes to build a strong team.
What are some key takeaways from your career?
Know your numbers. At Shelley Cove (an apparel company Matt founded in 2015), everything was up and to the right for six years. When retail collapsed, we assumed it would come back. We didn’t move quickly enough, and we didn’t know our numbers well enough. That forced really hard decisions like layoffs and eventually selling the business.
Now at Tidalwave Print + 3PL, it’s a different set of problems. It’s less about survival and more about: how do we hire good people, set clear expectations, and build a leadership structure where managers are accountable and holding their teams accountable? That’s what we’re figuring out now.
If you had to describe your ideal team player, what would you say?
Someone who is willing to be held accountable, willing to think forward, willing to learn, and willing to change.
A lot of our work is warehouse and screen printing. They’re not office jobs, but they’re extremely valuable. We need people who show up on time, do accurate work, are enjoyable to be around, and care about the details. Culture fit is number one.
What’s a common mistake you see candidates or team members make that harms team culture?
In interviews, one of the biggest red flags is when people badmouth old jobs. Maybe it’s true that your manager wasn’t great, but in a 30-minute interview, this is your chance to put your best foot forward. That shouldn’t be what you focus on.
On the team side, things like showing up late, taking longer lunches, or trying to bend the rules frustrate the people who are doing things right. We focus on accountability and making expectations clear.
Who’s someone who’s made a transformative impact on your team?
Sherry, our office manager, was employee #1. She was with us through Shelley Cove and the layoffs, and she’s unbelievably loyal. We’ve moved her into different roles over the years, and she always says, “Whatever you need, I’ll do it.” Olivia, who joined a few weeks later, is the same way. Having people like that, who will always have your back, is invaluable.
What’s a recent hire that went really well? What did you learn from it?
We originally hired Caroline for a sales role in the print shop. Pretty quickly, we realized sales wasn’t the best fit. But she had other strengths, and we badly needed HR support. We asked if she’d be interested in moving into that role, and she was thrilled. She’s been amazing at handling onboarding, exits, and all the people stuff that I’m really not good at. It was the first time we hired directly into management, and it showed me the value of recognizing strengths and shifting people into the right seat.
What’s been the biggest challenge in leading a team? How did you overcome it?
Creating a leadership structure where managers are accountable. You can only grow so far if founders are doing everything. I’m aware that I’m not great at HR or hiring. So we brought in someone who is. Letting leaders lead and putting people in the right seats has been the way forward.
If you could give one piece of advice to job seekers, what would it be?
Be an independent problem-solver, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. The best people on our team will try everything they can, then come up with either a solution or a specific question. Don’t just hand your manager the issue and make it their problem. Show that you’ve thought it through. That’s why you’re there.
What’s one thing people should know about interviewing with your company?
Be yourself and be on time.
Don’t come in with canned answers.
Don’t badmouth your past employers. Even if it’s true, that’s not what we want to hear in 30 minutes together.
Looking ahead, what skill or trait do you think will be essential for success?**
Adaptability. Whether it’s AI or just constant change in general, things are moving fast. If you reject change, you risk being left behind. The people who succeed will be the ones who stay open-minded, learn quickly, and are willing to adapt.
Thanks so much for sharing, Matt!
If you’d like to learn more about Matt or Tidalwave, check out his LinkedIn profile here or their website here.