News Editor
College is a time to find out about what you are passionate about. It is a time to narrow down what you want to do for the rest of your life. Yet it is not often that you start doing the thing you want to do the rest of your life while you’re still in college.
Junior Matt Scully and Graduate student Scott Woodaman are in that minority; they have found out exactly what they want to do while still enrolled in school, and they have already spearheaded an effort to make their dream a reality.
Late last year, Scully and Woodaman met at a track meet and Woodaman brought up the fact that he had an idea for a T-shirt company. Scully, a Computer Graphics major, loved creating designs for shirts and other clothing and jumped at the opportunity to become a part of this. Scully is inspired by the company Johnny Cupcakes, which also started out small but grew to national popularity.
The two quickly started a company, but they needed a cool name, something catchy that would capture what they were trying to start, something that college kids would latch on to. While they were contemplating ideas, Woodaman said, “We need a name that is sick. Like something sick. That’s the name. Something Sick.”
Officially, the name is Something Sick Inc., but on their T-shirts, it just simply reads “Something Sick.”
The bright T-shirts were just put on sale this weekend and, out of the 200 they made, 25 have already been sold. Scully and Woodaman are taking full advantage of social media for advertising: they have a fan page on Facebook, a YouTube account on which viewers can see their first commercial and a Twitter account. They have also been using word of mouth to get the name of their product out there, as well as giving out free lime green rubber bracelets that have the company name on them.
On the company’s Facebook page, fans can see the T-shirt designs as well as the sunglasses that the small business also sells. Ordering a T-shirt is simple. You can write on the wall, leaving your name and shirt size, and they will get you the t-shirt. T-shirts are $10 a piece and sunglasses are one pair for $8 and two pairs for $13.
The company is doing well and both Woodaman and Scully want to continue running the business after college.
“We want to keep going with this as long as it can go,” says Woodamn. He adds that, “their time is now.”
With many more t-shirt designs on the way, as well as other product ideas and promotions, Something Sick Inc. has the promise to be a very successful company. The company’s mantra is “Be cool and have fun,” and that is exactly what Woodaman and Scully are doing.
The two hope to someday get on the TV show Ellen and, if they keep up their early success, they are well on their way.
Nick Lovett may be reached at nlovett@springfieldcollege.edu