Better Sign Shop Podcast

Rick McDonough of Typestries (Long Beach Island, NJ) joins Bryant and Michael for a long-overdue conversation about three decades in the sign business. Rick walks through the unlikely path from a lifeguarding magazine to a college dorm sign shop, the wholesale boom that nearly broke him, and the EFI walk-out moment that made him scrap the contract and rebuild the company around work he actually wa...

Bryant and Michael are back after over a year away from the mic. They catch up on life — Mike's transition to full-time caretaker for his mom, Bryant's work at Directus, and their shared obsession with AI. They answer listener questions about energy and reinvention as a small business owner, share spicy takes on why "we treat our employees like family" is a red flag, and tease a new software proje...

Peter Guba spent 8 years working inside Google with over 1,000 different accounts before starting his own paid ads agency, Profit Mill. In this episode, he reveals why most sign shops are burning money on Google Ads and shares the simple strategy that actually works. ##-## Key Points Discussed: Why Google Ads fail: The real reasons 90% of sign shop advertising campaigns don't work (and it's not wh...

In this episode, Bryant and Mike continue their deep dive into the ever-evolving world of AI, building on the discussion from the previous episode. They explore the rapid growth of AI models, highlighting both their incredible benefits and the challenges they pose within the sign industry. Beyond discussing the impact of AI, Bryant and Mike showcase some of their favorite AI-powered tools that the...

In this episode, Bryant and Michael take a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the sign and design industry. They explore its growing impact on the creative process, discussing whether AI is a helpful tool for designers or a force that could potentially harm the industry as a whole. From automating routine tasks to enabling innovative design solutions, AI offers exciting possibilities, but it also...

In this engaging podcast Series, Peter shares his 10 Sign Shop Commandments—a comprehensive set of principles designed to drive your sign shop's financial success.  These commandments aren’t just generic advice; they are presented in a unique percentage-based format, offering clear and actionable insights to help you stabilize, optimize, and elevate your business operations. Bryant and Peter delve...

In this engaging podcast Series, Peter shares his 10 Sign Shop Commandments—a comprehensive set of principles designed to drive your sign shop's financial success.  These commandments aren’t just generic advice; they are presented in a unique percentage-based format, offering clear and actionable insights to help you stabilize, optimize, and elevate your business operations. Bryant and Peter dive...

Sign Up For Shop Software Spotlight https://lu.ma/shop-software-spotlight In this quick announcement episode, Bryant catches up with listeners after a brief hiatus and shares three exciting updates from the Better Sign Shop team. Key Announcements: - Podcast Update: The team is back after taking time to focus on work and family, with new episodes and guests lined up - Shop Software Spotlight Serie...

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 trade printing. Known for exceptional customer...

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 more. ##-## This episode is sponsored by: GCI Digi...

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 are invaluable for anyone in the industry. ##-## Th...

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 Carolina. He is the third-generation owner of RP Sig...

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 worked in six different sign companies with diffe...

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 sponsored by: GCI Digital Imaging - Your large/g...

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 digitally printed graphics Learn more and place you...

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 printed graphics Learn more and place your first order...

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 sauce. Another can’t miss episode! --- This episode...

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 how to get unstuck. This episode is sponsored by:...

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 and many other interesting topics. This episode is...

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 completely "re-modeling" her business when the old mode...

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 industry and Karrie sets us straight on what men in the...

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 discussion. You'll walk away with some helpful tips and...

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 industry and shares some advice on how to compete as a...

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 scale, grow, and manage your shop. Listen as two sig...

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 long game. We cover: - How to grow your shop - Th...