Student business gurus stick together
If you are a student wandering around DeMoss Hall and the Montview Student Union in between classes, then you probably know about the two guys laying out a bunch of assorted stickers in the area next to Starbucks. Whether you stopped by their table, stared at the numerous options or simply passed them on your way to class, you’re bound to have seen the Sticker Guyz.
This pop-up sticker business was initially started by Wyatt Cudd this past spring semester. He wanted to get some silly stickers to stick onto his laptop, so he bought a pack of about 200 stickers from Amazon, only to use two of them. With an abundance of stickers left over, Cudd decided he would see if he could sell the rest to other students.
“I laid them out to see if anyone was interested in them,” Cudd said. “And they sold really fast.”
From then on, Cudd took advantage of the business opportunity. His roommate at the time, Jason Dodl, started to help him manage things in the beginning before eventually becoming Cudd’s partner. From there, they were able to grow significantly.
“It’s been a couple of months of our feet catching up underneath us as we’re falling into (the business),” Dodl said.
The goal of the business is to allow students to buy individual stickers for a cheap and affordable price, and the duo offers an abundance in variety, including stickers of symbols, flags, nature, popular bands, Disney-themed ones and, of course, pop culture memes. Cudd believes there are not many businesses that provide that for people, and if they do, the prices for individual stickers can be high at times, so he wanted to be the one to give that to students at Liberty.
While the duo can be seen at their location in Montview frequently, both Cudd and Dodl believe in a good balance between their work and their personal and academic lives.
“As broke college students, we have to remind ourselves that academics need to take priority,” Dodl said.
On days when the two are piled up on homework or the lack of self-care is staggering, the two will take needed days off to regroup and catch up on the necessities of life and school before going right back to their business. The two value their academics and mental health, and they do their best to not overexert themselves.
“We do take days off when we need them,” Cudd said. “But one thing that we have going for us is that we’re in a partnership together. It’s not just one person trying to do everything.”
While you may notice a flood of students flocking their table, Cudd and Dodl said they’re not always as busy as they look. Because of class schedules, there are days where the business is slow, while other days are very hectic. The Sticker Guyz set up at 10 a.m. and work until about 4 p.m., totaling about 20 hours a week. Their biggest rush is usually Wednesdays right after Convocation.
“Convo rush is like our Black Friday,” Cudd said. “CFAW is also huge as well.”
One thing the duo loves about their business is being able to meet and interact with many different students across campus. They’ve been able to make friends through this business as well as share the gospel to other students.
To know more about their business, direct message Cudd and Dodl on Instagram @sticker_guyz.
Pickard is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion