Lee Stuart didn’t stumble into entrepreneurship. He committed to it.
From the moment Rogue Lab was conceived, Stuart rejected the idea of easing in slowly or treating the business as a side project. “I don’t believe in side hustles,” he says. “They’re just a way to divide your priorities and attention. If you’re going to do something, go all the way and put all of your effort into it.”
That mindset would become a defining throughline of both his business and his growing presence as one of the decorated-apparel industry’s most influential educators.
Rogue Lab began modestly with a single hat press in Stuart’s basement, but it was never meant to stay small. After a year of frustration trying to build his own clothing brand while relying on local print shops, Stuart decided there had to be a better way. “As soon as I got that little hat press, I started offering hats to anyone and everyone who crossed my path,” he recalls. What followed was rapid, intentional growth: a shirt heat press, a vinyl cutter and ultimately a fully professional home print shop built in just a year and a half.
At its core, Rogue Lab was designed from the beginning as a creative partner and not just a production vendor. Stuart describes the shop’s philosophy as an obsession with detail and representation. “We care about how every piece looks in a run, and we push to make something that actually represents the person or brand behind it,” he explains. That focus allows Rogue Lab to be selective, taking on projects where collaboration and creative contribution truly matter, whether it’s a brand launch, tour merchandise or meaningful corporate apparel.
Whether its content, apparel or equipment, Stuart always finds the vision. Image courtesy of Rogue Lab
This creator-first mentality extends beyond the shop floor and into Stuart’s content. His YouTube channel, which has become a major education hub for printers and entrepreneurs, started simply as documentation. “What started as just showing myself learning the process turned into a way to build real connection and trust with other people in the industry,” he says. “The videos show the work, the process, the growth, the mistakes… that’s the reality of what people face every day.”
Content creation didn’t just build community; it reshaped Rogue Lab itself. Stuart credits YouTube with opening doors traditional marketing never could, from partnerships with top industry suppliers to hands-on access to equipment, and even the development of his own signature press and squeegee. “These have all been massive boosts for myself and my business,” he says, adding that content has also driven real client acquisition. Customers regularly discover Rogue Lab through his videos and recognize the care behind the work before ever placing an order.
As the decorated-apparel industry evolves, Stuart has had to reconcile his commitment to quality with the realities of new technology, particularly direct-to-film (DTF) transfers. “I hated it, to be honest,” he admits. “DTF just doesn’t produce the highest quality possible.” But growth required perspective. “This technology isn’t going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better…sometimes it’s about added value over quality.”
That shift led to the creation of Rogue Transfers, a DTF transfer business serving other decorators, which “exploded almost overnight.” The venture has also become a proving ground for systems and web infrastructure, paving the way for Rogue Lab’s future expansion into print-on-demand and fulfillment services.
For Stuart, one of the most critical, and painful, lessons of scaling was the necessity of systems. “A business can’t run inside of your own head,” he says plainly. As hiring began, he realized that without documentation and SOPs, the shop stalled whenever he stepped away. His advice to other shop owners is blunt: start early. “Done is better than perfect,” he says, recommending simple documentation that evolves over time. “This is how you eventually become a real business owner, and not just someone who’s an employee of their own business.”
Stuart is equally direct when it comes to mindset. “I always hear people say, ‘I wish I had the discipline’… that’s bullshit,” he says. Discipline, in his view, is learned. By abandoning reliance on motivation and committing to daily progress, no matter how small, he built consistency across business, fitness and life. “If you do something small to improve every day,” he says, “success is inevitable.”
Looking back, Stuart says he would tell his younger self to think beyond survival. Early pressure pushed him to grind relentlessly, but a broader vision would have sharpened his strategy. “If I had thought about the bigger picture, that this little press could become an empire, I would have moved with more purpose and precision,” he reflects. That shift in thinking now defines the future of Rogue Lab, including a new facility six times larger than the current space, expanded teams, and the launch of The Rogue Academy, combining online education with in-person classes and events.
For Lee Stuart, growth has never been accidental. It’s been earned—one deliberate decision, one documented process, and one honest lesson at a time.
