Zac & Tyler

And literally. There’s a small team of good people behind every product. The past couple of years, our team has grown into a small family. And it’s time to introduce everyone to you.

Production and Fulfillment

Chatting with Zac reminds you of catching up with a good friend. Even if you’ve never met him. But there’s a chance you may have interacted with him. Kind of. If you’ve ordered from our site, you might have a hand-written note from Zac. Especially if you’re from Beverly, MA.

Q: How’d you discover Misc. Goods?

A: During the pandemic, I left a job I was working, packed up my van, and lived in it in Bowling Green, KY. I was helping out with my friend’s skate shop there. But on a trip back to Louisville, the van broke down. Engine troubles. So I stuck around for a while in hopes of hitting the road when it was fixed. I started killing time with Tim, who’s the Brand Director here. We were working on a zine together, and I noticed he was busy with Misc. Goods as the holiday season approached. So I started doing small projects for them, thinking they’d be short-term gigs. And the rest is history.

Q: Do you still skate?

A: Oh yeah. Been skating for like 20 years.

Q: What’s your typical day like?

A: I live close by, so I like to get in around 8:00am and start filling orders. I’ll throw in notes sometimes, too. Like today, we had an order shipping to Beverly, MA, which is a tiny town I used to live in. So I slipped a note in with that one. Had to. I like doing things like that if I have time. We are humans making things for other humans. It’s nice to connect on that level. Then, I’ll do various things throughout the day. Prints, packaging, fulfillment, all that.

Q: And what do you do when you’re not working?

A: Music’s always been a big part of my life. I have a recording space set up in my house, which is great because I’ve never had a whole house for that. I write and record under the band name, Woods At Nite. Actually, Joshua, who works here, did a story about it.

Owner & Designer

Tyler accidentally started Misc. Goods a decade ago. But the continued growth of the company isn’t an accident. Quite intentional, actually. Talking with Tyler is a reminder of what “success” really means.

Q: Here we are a decade later. Did you ever think about what Misc. Goods would look like at 10 years old?

A: We built the car while driving it. So no. It would’ve been impossible for me to predict this. I have a high tolerance for failure, and I like to learn through experience. It’s a genuine way to grow. After the first few years, we had like 4,000 customers. And I didn’t want to abandon that. The human connection of the company.

Q: When was that tipping point moment when you knew you needed to bring on more people?

A: I was wearing a lot of hats. All the hats, really. Design. Product. Packaging. Fulfillment. Social media. Website management. Etc. I don’t get stressed too easily, so it wasn’t that. It was more rational. Like at some point, you have to realize that to continue growing, I should bring on someone else to pack boxes so I can focus my energy on what’s next. The cool part about growing this way is that I’ve been in everyone’s position who works with us. Literally. So I get what can be frustrating and what can be fun about each role. I don’t think it always works like that. But it allows me to create a more peaceful environment by truly understanding the team I work with.

Q: You’re undeniably peaceful. But you’re also a boss. Do you consciously balance those things?

A: You know, my enneagram has me at an eight and a nine, evenly balanced between the two. Eights are more about power. Nines are more about peace. And I think that’s right for me. I’m okay being in control, making decisions for the company. But I want to use that to create a peaceful environment for everyone. Not just our team, but also all the people we work with. The customers. The other businesses. Our partners. Everyone. That’s why the company is centered around goodness. And in a weird way, I think it has even turned into a competitive advantage for us. Being good.

Q: What is Goodness to you?

A: It’s loving your neighbor like you love yourself. It’s interesting, I think the entire world is trying to figure out how to be good right now. We’re all failing in different ways. But if you look at every person, every situation, as an opportunity to be good, you’ll find goodness in the world.

It’s tricky, though. Goodness isn’t about avoiding uncomfortable conversations. If someone’s being a jerk, I think it’s good to chat with them about it. If they’re not open to unpacking it or willing to change, sometimes the good thing to do is not work with them anymore.