Dublin graduate Steven Bowers has built his career around IT -- but his real passion shows in his “side hustles.” From creating vinyl decals to building custom gaming setups to planning the launch of his own boutique cigar line, Bowers enjoys finding new ways to make money and keep the creativity flowing.
Bowers graduated in 2004, and started working at Hibbett Sports in Stephenville, where he sold shoes. After six months, he decided to go back to school. He’d competed in track in high school, and continued in college at Tarleton.
Bowers started out majoring in exercise and sports studies with a minor in history, but pretty soon he decided that college wasn’t what he wanted to be doing. When he hurt his knee and was unable to compete, he took it as an opportunity to leave school and find his own way in the world.
Bowers spent the next few years working odd jobs around Dublin and Stephenville. He worked for a while at Staples, then tried his hand working at a couple of software companies in Fort Worth, before he hit on something that he really enjoyed: working in IT.
Computers had always been interesting to Bowers. “I came across a computer when I was younger, and just started messing around with it -- but what really got me started was later on, once I started picking up some of the stuff I needed to learn, I realized these skills would be useful in the future. Everything is starting to revolve around technology. I realized, hey, I can make some money doing this -- and enjoy it.”
He started working as an IT admin for several businesses, and over the next few years he picked up the skills he needed to add side jobs in graphics and website management.
Bowers worked from home until August of this year, when he established a brick-and-mortar location for his business next to a restaurant his wife’s family owns in Hico, Jersey Lilly’s. Bowers’ shop, called Hometown Supply and Service, offers a variety of products such as school and office supplies, and technology services including laptop repair and tech recycling.
The brick-and-mortar location means Bowers now has supplemental income from people who see the shop on the street. “It’s been beneficial to have the shop because it means I can do my primary job there, but then people can just come in and drop off their laptop or something like that,” he said.
These customers provide Bowers with some of his more interesting projects. “My favorite thing is doing custom builds for gaming computers or serves,” he said. “I do probably 12 of those a year. That’s just another side hustle, I guess, or something I would do in the store for you know, a random customer that inquired about it.”
While most of his income comes from his IT management jobs, Bowers said he especially enjoys getting to work on creative customs. “It’s fun to build a nice gaming computer, all lit up, and look at it when you’re done,” he said. “There are so many combinations you can make.”
The shop also serves as his workshop for his side hustles. “I’ve kind of turned it into a hobby shop,” he said. “I’ve got 3d printers, big vinyl cutters, and all of that.”
Bowers got into making vinyl decals after he made a few for his father-in-law, who does dirt track racing. “He was asking if I could make numbers and stuff, and I said, ‘Well, we can just buy a vinyl cutter,’” Bowers said.
After making some decals for his father-in-law, he purchased a smaller cutter that could do finer detail. He practiced a bit, and started advertising decals for water bottles, vehicles, and more. “It’s honestly taken off,” he said. “I had an order of 200 decals from one customer a few days ago and I’ve done five or six today. It’s a little pocket sweetener.”
In the future, Bowers hopes to continue his IT work and expand his side jobs. “I just want to stay steady,” he said. “And for my next thing, you know, I’d like to have another small business. I’m actually working on my own line of cigars.”
When he’s not working, Bowers enjoys collecting and smoking cigars and seeking out artistic pocket knives. “I also like fiction literature, and I do a little bit of gaming,” he said. “I really just like to learn new stuff.”
He also loves to spend time at home with his family. He and his wife, Delacey Bowers, have been married since 2017. They have two children, Ember, 4, and Waylon, 2, and are expecting another around Easter of next year.
Bowers’ advice to Dublin students is to continually work to get out of their comfort zone. “He your nose to the grindstone,” he said. “Know your limits, but push them farther every time you achieve them.”
Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other graduates, email publisher@dublincitizen.com.