Thomas Kelly | Creative Soulz Printing
Owner/Founder of Creative Soulz Printing
Thomas Kelly, the founder of Creative Soulz Printing, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons he's learned along the way. From starting his business by accident in 2019 to navigating the challenges of growth, Thomas discusses how he found his focus and built a thriving print business.
An Unexpected Start
Thomas didn’t plan to become a business owner—he just didn’t want to let his church down. In the summer of 2019, when the printer for his youth group’s program fell through at the last minute, Thomas ran to Best Buy, grabbed a home printer, and printed the programs himself.
That moment planted the first seed for Creative Souls Printing.
Learning What to Leave Behind
Like many first-time founders, Thomas initially said yes to everything. Every flyer, every banner, every request—he took it on. “I wanted to gain the trust of my clients,” he says. “But I had to learn that not every job was a good job.” After a year, he stepped back to ask the harder question:
What should Creative Souls be known for? That shift—from taking every job to choosing the right jobs—helped his business become more sustainable, profitable, and true to its vision
Built to Withstand the Highs and Lows
Entrepreneurship came with more than technical learning curves—it tested Thomas mentally and emotionally. There were months of abundance and months of uncertainty, and navigating both required a deep well of focus and resilience. He learned quickly that success wasn’t just about printing quality—it was about staying steady when things got unpredictable. Through it all, Thomas leaned on a community of fellow entrepreneurs for support and perspective. Now, he encourages others not to wait for perfect conditions—because growth comes through action, not hesitation.
““You have to be your biggest supporter. You have to believe that you can do this—because you can.””
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My name is Thomas Kelly. I am the owner and founder of Creative Souls Printing, where we specialize in a variety of print solutions. We offer traditional prints like business cards, banners, labels, and flyers. We also handle large format graphics—so if you need anything custom for windows, walls, doors, or floors, we’ve got you covered.
We also provide promotional items—all the swag, like custom bags, pens, cups—all of that. We offer that as well.
I got started as an entrepreneur not on purpose. Back in the summer of 2019, I was doing a lot of projects for my church. For one in particular, I was designing the program for our Youth Day. Typically, I would design it and someone else would print it. But that time, the individual wasn’t able to print at the last minute. So I went to Best Buy, bought my first printer, printed the programs at home—and that’s how Creative Souls Printing was formed.
Early on, I wanted to take on every challenge and every project possible—especially being new to entrepreneurship and wanting to gain the trust of my clients. That actually wasn’t a good thing. I learned after about a year in business that I had to realize which projects I truly enjoyed and which were financially beneficial. I had to decide: What does Creative Souls Printing want to be known for?
The mental capacity of an entrepreneur has to be strong. You have to be your biggest supporter. You have to believe you can do this—because you can. And it can be tough. There will be good times, and there will be bad times. You’ll have wealthy months, and you’ll have not-so-wealthy months. But you, as an entrepreneur, have to stay focused.
It can take a toll on your mental and physical health. So I always tell people—have some type of support system. Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who are going through the same things you are.
To someone who is an aspiring entrepreneur and not sure if they should take the leap, I would say: Go for it. You won’t know until you try. Whatever that business idea is that you’re sitting on—trust me, you’ll kick yourself if, years later, someone else runs with it and makes money from it while you didn’t try.
You’ll have times when you feel like you’re doing something wrong—and you are. That’s okay. You’re going to make mistakes. But that’s part of learning. That’s part of growing. The first step is just to get out there and try.
Why We Share These Stories
We believe that celebrating Tennessee’s entrepreneurs will inspire the next generation of bold thinkers, risk-takers, and community builders. Entrepreneurs don’t forget where they come from—and they carry the power to transform not just their businesses, but entire neighborhoods, towns, and local economies. See more entrepreneur stories from the Patton Foundation.
