Short-form thoughts, ideas, and observations. Think of it as a public notebook — raw, unfiltered, and always evolving.

— Notes
Leo
Leo ·

A $20 price tag tells the world you are selling a commodity. A $35 price tag tells them you are offering a curated piece of art. Stop trying to out-discount the dropshippers and start pricing your apparel for the community that actually respects the craft.

Leo Mercer · May 01, 2026

How to Price a $35 T-Shirt When Everyone Else Charges $20

A transparent look at my pricing strategy. Why competing on price is a race to the bottom, and how I use aesthetic value to protect my profit margins.

Leo
Leo ·

Archiving 80% of my Instagram grid was the most terrifying thing I’ve done for my brand this year. It also brought in my highest-value customers to date. Stop screaming at your audience with giant "SALE" text. Start inspiring them.

Leo Mercer · Apr 15, 2026

Your Instagram is a Gallery, Not a Catalog (Why I Stopped Posting Product Photos)

Stop treating your social media like a cheap flea market. How switching from product-heavy posts to a 'vibe-first' gallery transformed my brand's perceived value.

Leo
Leo ·

Just spent two hours adjusting the kerning on a single word for the new autumn drop. Some people might call it a waste of time. I call it respecting the craft. Negative space speaks just as loudly as the letters themselves.

Leo
Leo ·

You cannot paint a masterpiece on a cheap paper napkin and expect people to hang it in their living room. If you want to build a brand that commands premium prices, you have to start with a premium canvas. Here is why I abandoned $7 basic tees forever

Leo Mercer · Apr 14, 2026

The Blank Matters: Why I Pay $4 More for Comfort Colors

Stop printing your art on cheap, scratchy shirts. Here is why upgrading your blank apparel is the ultimate growth hack for a POD brand.

Leo
Leo ·

A gentle reminder for my fellow studio owners today: Your worth as an artist is not measured by your Shopify dashboard's live visitor count. Close the analytics tab. Brew some coffee. Put on a vinyl record. Make something beautiful today.

Leo
Leo ·

A $20 "Black Tree Shirt" becomes a $40 "Midnight Cabin Heavyweight" purely through the power of language. The design is exactly the same, but the perceived value changes entirely. Never underestimate the psychology of a well-chosen name.

Leo Mercer · Apr 14, 2026

The Blank Matters: Why I Pay $4 More for Comfort Colors

Stop printing your art on cheap, scratchy shirts. Here is why upgrading your blank apparel is the ultimate growth hack for a POD brand.