Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
Custom Jacks, a Las Vegas-based woodworking shop that specializes in 3D wavy American flags, uses the same template for each of its products: the classic stars and stripes on one side, a gold tassel or visual rip down the middle, and a second love of the buyer on the right side — like their branch of the military, favorite sports team or home state.
“It’s a passion of mine to build patriotism across America — one flag at a time,” Andrew Lyman, the Custom Jacks co-founder and U.S. Coast Guard veteran.
Since opening in 2019, Custom Jacks has grown from producing 10 to 15 flags a month to anywhere between 300 and 400 flags, with product placement in Scheels and the Texas-headquartered gas and country store chain Buc-ee’s.
And though the flags are now carved out on Computer Numeric Control machines, Lyman emphasized that their painting and engraving are still done by hand.
Custom Jacks’ latest goal is to have 10 machines producing 1,000 flags each month, Lyman said. To that end, he recently completed the Supporting Our Artisans and Retailers (SOAR) program, an accelerator hosted by TikTok and the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) to help veteran businesses maximize social media presence and commerce.
The eight-week program aided Lyman and his team in setting up their store on TikTok, and concluded in March with a graduation ceremony in Washington,where Lyman said he had the opportunity to network with other veteran business owners who had participated in the program.
He was one of eight members of his cohort and the only one representing a Nevada business.
“When you can get together with fellow military members and veterans who think alike, have the same type of mindset, who know how to get things done — it’s nice to work with them,” Lyman said. “And the SOAR program enabled us to do that through TikTok.”
The association, offering the program through its veteran entrepreneurship platform, VeteranStartup.org, and in partnership with TikTok Shop, selects businesses owned 51% or more by veterans with an established product actively sold on an online platform or marketplace, said AWBC CEO Corinne Goble.
Custom Jacks stood out during the selection process because Lyman’s product was unique, Goble said, with a substantial presence online and in brick-and-mortar, with great potential to scale on TikTok Shop.
“Building a strong social media presence is essential for small businesses, especially on platforms like TikTok, where engagement and shopping go hand in hand,” Goble wrote in an email to the Sun. “It gives businesses a chance to showcase their products, connect directly with customers and reach new audiences without the high costs of traditional advertising.”
One of the most helpful parts of the program was how it enabled Custom Jacks to understand who its primary customers are: gift givers looking for a one-of-a-kind present for their significant other, parent, brother or sister, Lyman said. Now, the company knows who to market to and where.
“TikTok Shop is designed to help small businesses grow faster by allowing sellers to meet customers where discovery and creativity is already happening,” Patrick Nommensen, head of Strategic Initiatives at TikTok Shop, said in a statement shared with the Sun via email. “The Supporting Our Artisans and Retailers (SOAR) program is empowering veteran entrepreneurs on TikTok with the tools and training to turn their stories, products and communities into meaningful commercial success.”
Social media has also enabled Custom Jacks to reach people all over the country who wouldn’t otherwise know about it, Lyman said. He compared the product awareness now available through social media platforms to the importance of television advertisements in the past.
“It’s a slow and steady type of process where we’re slowly growing our brand and getting it out there and getting in front of people,” said Lyman, who noted that the Custom Jacks brand has accumulated tens of thousands of followers on TikTok.
This is just the beginning for Custom Jacks, Lyman said, and the program gave the company a great opportunity to get started on TikTok and move forward from this point.
“That’s where everybody is,” Lyman said. “It’s where everybody’s doing business. It’s where everybody’s finding the products; where everybody’s shopping. So it’s a good idea to be where everybody is, right?”
Programs like SOAR help participants understand what’s out there and how to manipulate their online stores and social media algorithms to ultimately get their product in front of people who may then purchase it.
“For us, it’s about this story,” he said. “For us, it’s about having that family heirloom or having that piece of that person with the service and their patriotism. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve presented flags to people where we open it up and they see it, and they just break out in tears. The emotional factor for it — that’s what it’s all about for us.”
Lyman emphasized the importance of community and support for veterans, particularly after they complete their service.
“It’s crucial to have a place to fit in,” he said. “Because … they’re used to being a part of a team, and when they get out of the service — they separate from their service — they’re not a part of that team anymore.”
Veterans face unique challenges when transitioning from military service to civilian life, Goble echoed.
Starting a business, however, can offer financial independence, a renewed sense of purpose and a meaningful way to continue serving their communities, she said.
“When we support veteran entrepreneurs, we’re helping connect them to the resources, mentorship and networks they need to succeed,” Goble wrote. “It’s not just about business, it’s a way to honor their service while empowering them to thrive in their next chapter.”