The One Thing Business Podcast

Pete Lillo - Multiple Streams of Income

Ron Sheetz

Pete Lillo, widely known as “Pete the Printer,” is a veteran of the direct response marketing world with decades of hands-on experience helping entrepreneurs, marketers, and business owners turn ideas into high-converting printed promotions. His nickname comes not just from his trade, but from his deep understanding of how print fits into the greater marketing strategy, a skill originally honed as an insurance agent selling policies for Prudential straight out of his service in the U.S. Navy.

In his career, Pete worked closely with and printed campaigns for Gary Halbert, one of the most influential copywriters in direct marketing history, gaining rare insight into what makes a promotion not just good, but wildly profitable. He’s a longtime business partner and friend with Dan Kennedy, printing and helping bring to life some of Kennedy’s most impactful programs. 

Originally in the printing business, his client roster included work on campaigns with Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, helping shape print communication that maintained the personal, hometown feel the brand was known for, even on a national scale.

Long since owning and running a print shop, Pete Lillo has become a connector, a behind-the-scenes strategist, and a trusted ally to the biggest names in marketing. His stories, experiences, and insights into what makes direct mail and printed marketing succeed are unmatched, and he continues to be a valuable resource to the next generation of response-driven marketers.