Today we’d like to introduce you to Sir. Matthew Shier.
Hi Sir. Matthew, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been a tech enthusiast my whole life, but things really ‘clicked’ about eight years ago when I bought my first 3D printer. Being a huge nerd and a Transformers collector, I just wanted to print replica weapons for my figures.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who wanted high-quality custom gear! After the tenth person asked if I could make them something, I had a ‘holy frijoles’ moment and realized this was a business. Since then, we’ve exploded across the map. We’ve hit shows from Texas to South Carolina and everywhere in between. Today, we’re a Midwest staple with a global reach, shipping custom designs all the way to Europe!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! As a long-time Dungeons & Dragons player, I like to think of these challenges as ‘failed Dexterity checks’—you just have to pick yourself up and keep moving.
Early on, we ran into a massive hurdle with Etsy. Because of a naming convention conflict, our shop was flagged and vanished within three days! Then there was the ‘Final Boss’ of bad business moves: Yelp. I tell every entrepreneur I meet to avoid them like the plague. They promised visibility but delivered a $700 bill with zero results. Between platform drama and the trial-and-error of finding the right festivals to attend, it’s been a steep learning curve. But those challenges helped us find our niche, and now we’re playing at a much higher level.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Dark Dominion LLC?
Dark Dominion is a custom design and 3D fabrication powerhouse. We’re known for taking a rough concept and turning it into a high-quality physical reality. We specialize in ‘Consultative Creation’—we don’t just take orders; we brainstorm and iterate with you to ensure the final result is exactly what you envisioned.
We’ve become a staple in the Kansas City business community, collaborating with over 15 local entities to produce custom inventory and functional solutions. Brand-wise, I’m most proud of our reputation for versatility. We’re just as comfortable designing a sentimental, specific gift for a family as we are developing professional products for a corporate client. We want readers to know that if they can think it up, we can create it.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me the happiest? It’s that moment when the ‘creative juices’ start flowing and we begin the dance of turning a customer’s dream into a physical reality. I’ve said it before, but the greatest reward in this career isn’t the finished print—it’s the look of sheer admiration on a person’s face when they finally hold it.
I’ve actually witnessed people moved to tears of joy seeing their ideas brought to life. There is something incredibly profound about taking a ‘fantasy’ that’s been living in someone’s head and placing it in their hands. Being the bridge between ‘what if’ and ‘here it is’ is an amazing thing to witness, and it’s why I get up and turn the machines on every single morning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dark-dominion.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkdominionllc
- Other: darkdominionllc@gmail.com – 816-332-0861 Business Line
