Calling himself the “luckiest unlucky guy I know,” John “Sticky” Meehan, founder of Sticky Fingers Design Studio (SFDS) in Huntington Beach, California, has used a mix of passion, patience, and perseverance to build a successful wraps and graphics company.
Having overcome cancer three times by the age of 50 and the sudden passing of his father, Meehan knows a thing or two about daunting challenges and facing adversity. Yet, his lows have been balanced by plenty of exciting opportunities over the years, including a chance to do paint work for John Force and Mickey Thompson, spending three-and-a-half years with a Toyota INDYCAR team and, ultimately, blending his artistic abilities and dogged determination to keep SFDS going as it blossomed into a full-service wraps and vinyl graphics shop.
Having also met his wife along the way, who’s now also become his business partner, Meehan remains optimistic and grateful — so much so that he’s telling his story in a 6-minute video hosted by film supplier 3M titled “Born to Defy Expectations.” In it, Meehan shares not only his business ideas but also his positive outlook
on life.
“Sticky walks us through how the numerous opportunities he had to explore his passion for racing and customization propagated through partnerships with some of professional racing’s finest teed him up for a lifelong career with wraps,” 3M officials stated in an email introducing the video. “Though he also faced many challenges throughout his career that would have made most others quit, he never let the passing of family members or serious health issues stop him. Time and time again he pulled himself up by the bootstraps, reinvented himself, and started up his shop again. We are proud that he has chosen to stick with 3M no matter what.”
Through it all, Meehan explains that failure was never an option.
“I was definitely driven more by the idea that the naysayers would be right. That ‘quitting is for quitters.’ I would be a fool not to ride this wave all the way to shore,” he said in the video. “The best I can say is that everyone in life is dealt a hand and you have to play your hand. To not play your hand is to quit before you even start.”
He’s thankful for the help and support he’s received along the way, including his longtime association
with 3M.
“Any time you want to succeed, you have to surround yourself with good people and good partnerships,” he said. “While I’m trying to push the limits of film in colors and texture and all kinds of different things for my clients, I can count on 3M doing their job and making a better film for me to work with. I couldn’t ask for more.”
With his son now also showing interest in the craft, Meehan notes his new dream is to “maybe have Sticky Fingers Design live beyond me.”
Regardless of what happens, however, he’s always looking to tomorrow.
“What’s not exciting about the future? Everything is exciting about the future,” he said. “There’s a new generation of wrappers that I get to teach, that other people get to teach — boy, is it exciting times.”
