One Year In, She*t for Brains is Sparking Honest Conversations That Matter

# community

# Mental Health

# Edge Conference

# EdgeLongBeach

# Leadership

A quick chat with Jon Bailey on the She*t for Brains movement, which is gaining traction, deepening its impact and resonating with more people than ever.

Shortly after his personal, impromptu speech at Edge Indy about the importance of being relevant, brave and humble, Jon Bailey of Precision Proco co-launched the She*t for Brains movement alongside David Rosendahl of MindFire Inc., Jessica DeCola of GPA and Chris Minn of Digital Ink.

The four leaders wanted to address mental health challenges within the print industry, and worked together create a supportive community that fosters open discussions among professionals. "It's a community rooted in authenticity, vulnerability and creating a space for folks to not feel alone — for them to find others to lean on, learn from, and share in their personal struggles and victories," Jessica said.

Since its launch one year ago, the initiative She*t for Brains has hosted informative webinars featuring experts like Glenn Packiam and Chris Barez-Brown who focus on resilience, leadership and work-life balance. The sessions have provided practical tools and insights to help printing pros navigate life's complexities.

At Edge Long Beach event, She*t for Brains held its first in-person session, "Printing Hope — Fighting for the Soul of the Next Generation." The interactive discussion focused on pressing issues affecting today's youth.

We caught up with Jon at Edge Long Beach to talk about the first year of She*t for Brains:

When you look back at the past year, has She*t for Brains accomplished what you hoped it would?

It’s crazy to think how it all started — just a talk I winged at Edge Indy. I got off stage and loads of people came up to me, saying, “We need to do something.” And we did. Dave, Jess, Chris and I teamed up. We knew it would be easy to talk about — and just as easy to not follow through. But we followed through.

How do you feel the reaction has been to this movement?

The response has been incredible, especially on LinkedIn and social. It’s been honest, not over-produced. It’s vulnerable. And that resonates. If you think about it, most events are all about how successful everyone is — “Come learn from the best!” But She*t for Brains is different. It’s about being human. It’s about saying, “Hey, you can have a sh*t day and still show up.”

What have you learned personally from She*t for Brains?

It’s self-help for me, too. I’ve learned that vulnerability isn’t just helpful — it’s critical. It's more than OK to be vulnerable; it's necessary. If we’re not honest about how we’re doing, we’ll never get where we want to go. I’ve been to Dscoop events for nearly 20 years. Some years I’ve been on top of the world, and some years I’ve walked around feeling like I wasn’t really present — like it was all passing me by. But being vulnerable helps you be present. She*t for Brains conversations and connections help you realize you’re not alone.

What's special about this year’s Edge Long Beach session?

It was our first in-person She*t for Brains session! We called it “Printing Hope: Fighting for the Soul of the Next Generation.” We wanted to get honest about the pressures today’s youth are facing. I’ve got kids transitioning from school to work — and the stress, burnout, expectations … it’s massive. I hope everyone in the industry sees how important this is. The goal isn’t just awareness — it’s connection, honesty and change.

One Year In, She*t for Brains is Sparking Honest Conversations That Matter

A quick chat with Jon Bailey on the She*t for Brains movement, which is gaining traction, deepening its impact and resonating with more people than ever.

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