CLASSIC GRAPHICS -- Against the Odds

"The extent of my sales experience was selling band candy in high school," Pitts admits. "I knew a little bit about how to make negatives and all of that. So I essentially became in charge of prepress, invoicing, estimating and sales."

Gardner oversaw the manufacturing side of the business and Pitts' grandmother did the books for the company. "The first time I saw a profit/loss statement was when I saw one for Classic Graphics. I had absolutely no financial experience," he reports.