Jim Dawson owns Synergy Sign & Graphics in Strasburg, OH. From humble beginnings in his basement 20 years ago, he has built a business that thrives on challenges and innovation. In this podcast, he shares his experiences with creative architectural signage. ##-## This episode is sponsored by: GCI Digital Imaging Your partner for large/grand format …

In this episode, we're joined by Dan Yoder - the owner of Sign Art Studio, a killer sign shop with 30 people near Madison, Wisconsin. Dan has been in the industry since 2005 and gives us valuable insights on various topics such as the business and art side of the industry, the importance of systems and processes, hiring and managing employees, and …

In this episode we sit down with Paul Gardner, the entrepreneurial force behind Sign Enterprise. With over two decades in the sign industry, Paul shares his journey from a young enthusiast in vinyl graphics to a successful owner of multiple sign companies. His insights into business growth, innovative strategies, and maintaining work-life balance a…

In the episode, James shares how RP Signs has reached 5 million without a sales representative and for the first time in three generations is hiring a sales rep. We also learn about how they have incredible retention for all their key employees in the business. James Neely is the Director of Project Management at RP Signs from Charlotte, North Caro…

Evan Zebley is the owner of EZ Signs. Evan started a sign business working alongside his sister. Within the first few months, the shop expanded into fleet graphics for distribution companies, custom-formed letters, custom-crafted and painted foam emblems and signs, monument signs, lighted cabinets, and more. Before launching EZ Sign Solutions, Evan…

Having been in the industry for 23 years, Adam started as a production employee within a franchised sign company. From there, he moved into production management, then inside/outside sales, and now, for the last 6 years, he has been working as a Director of Project Development, managing the sign design team of Creative Sign Designs. This episode is…

This episode is sponsored by: GCI Digital Imaging Your large/grand format trade printing partner Owner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can go ahead and check out Episode #9 to see for yourself. So, if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other di…

This episode is sponsored by: GCI Digital Imaging Your large/grand format trade printing partner Owner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can check out Episode #9 to see for yourself. So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printe…

You’ve seen his work even if you didn’t know his name. Legendary sign crafter Shane Durnford joins us for a mindblowing conversation about our chosen craft. 🤯 Shane opens up about his personal experience with burnout. And he also shares invaluable advice for those looking to venture into high end signage – revealing a little bit about his secret sa…

Having owned two sign businesses and a software company that creates shop management software for the sign industry, Joe Arenella has seen the industry from a few different angles. He joins us to talk about his journey in the industry, what it's like making software for sign makers, and more. He also shares his advice for newer business owners and …

We're joined by Jeff Sherman for this special happy-hour episode. Be warned 🤣 – we're a little loose. An old friend with an epic beard – Jeff Sherman has 20+ years of sign industry experience and 10+ years of running operations at a fairly large shop. We discussed about shifting from vinyl to fab and electrical, safety protocols, managing growth an…

We're joined by Maggie Harlow – the successful owner of Signarama Downtown in Louisville KY. She's a leader in the industry and also a columnist for Signs of The Times. We talk about her journey in the sign industry – from jumping into ownership without any industry experience, through managing large national projects for clients, and then to compl…

We're joined by national brand and sign package award winner Karrie Brock – owner of two FASTSIGNS locations / Toledo and Maumee OH. We discuss her conversion from an independent sign shop to the FASTSIGNS franchise and how they handle large fabrication projects that the franchise is not typically known for. We also discuss women in the sign indust…

Join us as dive into automating your art department with automation guru Brian Saetre. Brian founded an artwork services company before creating his latest proejct TaskOS – which is focused on making your designers more effective and efficient. We also touch on artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and MidJourney during this interesting discus…

Join us for an interview with sign industry legend - Tom McIlltrot – one of the founders of SignCraft magazine. Michael described this episode as his "Christmas" – given how much of learned so much from SignCraft over the years. Tom tells us the history of SignCraft and shares a few amazing stories. He gives us his take on the future of the industr…

This is definitely the song that never ends 🐑. Right up there with pricing questions – "What sign shop management software are you using?" is asked weekly in every sign industry forum, Facebook group, and any other place sign folks gather. Shop management software is a foundational piece of running a successful sign shop and can truly help you scal…

One of the questions that we get all the time is "How do I grow my shop?". It's usually followed by "in a small city or town". Not every sign maker lives in a large metro area with tons of opportunity for growth. In this episode, we're joined by Chris Fleniken of Real Graphics in Lufkin, Texas. Chris has built a small business empire by playing the…

Industry legend – Dan Antonelli of KickCharge Creative joins us to talk about his new book Branded Not Blanded and to discuss why you're playing with fire if you're not educating your sign shop's customers on the importance of design and branding. Make sure you pick up a copy of Dan's latest book – Branded Not Blanded – at https://www.kickcharge.co…

Taylor Kraenzel of Vizion Signs (https://www.vizionsigns.com/) joins us to talk about what it's like to take over and modernize the family business while still trying to retain the craft and eye for artwork that they were known for. Taylor's grandfather started the shop way back in 1966. And they're still going strong. Just a heads up – this one ru…

Are you struggling with finding and keeping good employees? Learn what it really takes to onboard a new employee and how to keep valuable team members motivated and engaged. An old friend with an epic beard – Jeff Sherman – joins us for a conversation on employees and building a solid team. Jeff has 20+ years of sign industry experience and 10+ yea…

We hate buzzwords. And “customer experience” is one that everyone one the internet seems to SHOUT about as a key driver for growth. But once you wade through all the gimmicks and hype, it is a very important concept to apply in your shop. Tj Bedacht from grand format trade printer GCI Digital Imaging – talk about customer experience and coming thro…

How did your shop survive COVID? If you're like a lot of shop owners, the answer might be "just barely". But would your business survive yet another disaster after making it through COVID? Listen in as shop owner - Mike Davis - and ops manager - Scott Dean - from Hilltop Signs & Graphics in Maryland tell their story of business survival. This was a…

Michael, Peter, and Bryant are back with more answers to listener questions. They cover... When should you invest in your shop? How do I handle a client that's NOT happy with their vehicle wrap even though they approved the proof ? What should my markups on materials be? In this episode, we discuss... Mike's panic about his upcoming wedding (01:59)…

Michael and Bryant discuss the benefits of outsourcing and the lessons they learned. The guys are joined by guest Jeremy Siegers from Sharp Mill Graphics. Jeremy recently completely transformed his entire business by ditching his shop and letting his production staff go to work 100% remotely. He's changed his business to fit his ideal lifestyle. In…

Instead of riffing on a single topic, we answer three important questions from podcast listeners. If you're a shop owner, you've got answers to these at some point – so listen in and see if you agree with our recommendations. 1. How do you address minimum orders and how to handle the walk-ins requesting $50 lettering/signs? Also how minimums might …

Most mistakes in a sign or print shop are made during the handoffs. When a job is handed from sales to design, from design to production, from production to install. It's important that you manage the handoff well in order to ensure things are completed on time and customers stay happy. In this episode, we discuss... Peter has a crisis over Disney'…

Are you experiencing growing pains in your shop? Things starting to fall through the cracks? Listen in as the guys discuss the challenges of managing a growing shop. Luc Michaud, co-owner of Signtek Industries (http://signtek.ca/) in Prince George, British Columbia – joins us to talk about some of their own experiences with 25% growth year over yea…

Michael, Peter, and Bryant debate where to spend your time and money when working on your marketing. Learn some of their favorite ideas for marketing your sign shop.由Peter Kourounis, Michael Riley, and Bryant Gillespie

The inaugural episode of the podcast – Peter, Michael, and Bryant discuss the biggest problem they've seen in the industry – pricing yourself too cheap. Learn how to know if you're pricing yourself short, how to respond to customers who question your pricing, and more.由Peter Kourounis, Michael Riley, and Bryant Gillespie