Hard Work and Grit: A Conversation with Lance DeMond
The salient point of this episode centers on the intricate journey of entrepreneurship, as articulated by our esteemed guest, Lance DeMond, President of Print Media Corporation and PMC Signs. With an extensive background spanning over 25 years in the sign industry, Lance elucidates the foundational experiences that shaped his work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. He emphasizes the notion that success is not merely a product of external accomplishments but also a reflection of the internal fortitude developed through perseverance and dedication. Throughout our conversation, we engage in a candid exploration of the challenges and triumphs that accompany the entrepreneurial path, shedding light on the importance of resilience and a proactive mindset. This episode serves as both an informative dialogue and a testament to the human capacity for growth and achievement in the face of adversity. The dialogue with Lance DeMond, a distinguished entrepreneur in the sign industry, offers a compelling exploration of the tenets of hard work and entrepreneurial spirit that underpin his success. As the President of Print Media Corporation and PMC Signs, DeMond’s career spans over two decades, during which he has cultivated a profound understanding of the operational intricacies involved in running a successful business. The conversation begins with DeMond's reflections on his upbringing in a family deeply rooted in the sign business, elucidating how this environment shaped his work ethic and approach to craftsmanship. His early experiences in installation and project management paved the way for his eventual rise to leadership, emphasizing the necessity of mastering one's craft from the ground up. Throughout the episode, DeMond candidly discusses the stark realities of entrepreneurship, dispelling the myths of glamour often associated with starting a business. He shares his personal journey marked by both triumphs and failures, underscoring the invaluable lessons gleaned from setbacks. One notable anecdote details a significant loss of a project due to a warranty oversight, which served as a catalyst for change in his operational practices. This incident not only reinforced the importance of diligence and transparency in business dealings but also highlighted the need for entrepreneurs to remain vigilant and proactive in their endeavors. As the conversation unfolds, DeMond imparts sage advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, advocating for proactive engagement and the importance of building connections within the industry. He emphasizes the notion that failure is not an endpoint but rather a stepping stone toward growth and improvement. Damond’s insights reflect a philosophy steeped in resilience and adaptability, encouraging listeners to embrace their entrepreneurial journeys with courage and determination. The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that success is not merely defined by one’s achievements but by the commitment to continuous learning and the willingness to navigate the complexities of the business landscape.
Takeaways:
- In the podcast episode, we explored the pivotal importance of inner development prior to achieving external success in entrepreneurship.
- Lance DeMond emphasized the necessity of hard work and resilience in order to thrive in the competitive landscape of the sign industry.
- We discussed how effective communication, particularly in personal interactions, greatly enhances business relationships and opportunities.
- The conversation highlighted the significance of learning from failures and using them as stepping stones toward future success in entrepreneurial endeavors.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Print Media Corporation
- PMC Signs
- Godfrey
- RT Construction
- Phillips 66
- MBR Management
Transcript
This is Adam Marburger.
Speaker A:And this is Humans that build real conversations with real people.
Speaker A:Not just about what they've built in the world, but what had to be built inside them first.
Speaker A:No hype, no shortcuts.
Speaker A:Just humans doing the work.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people.
Speaker A:Real work.
Speaker A:Welcome to another episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Adam Marburger and this show is designed to help entrepreneurs and super achievers get to that next level in life so we can make a bigger impact.
Speaker A:Today we have a very, very special guest.
Speaker A:I've got a lot of notes here.
Speaker A:I'm going to go ahead and read the bio.
Speaker A:It's pretty impressive.
Speaker A:I'm just going to be honest.
Speaker A:Lance Damond from Godfrey, Illinois.
Speaker A:Lance is the President of Print Media Corporation and PMC Signs, Lighting and Design, bringing more than 25 years of hands on experience in the sign industry.
Speaker A:Raised in a sign company family, Lance Lance developed a deep understanding of craftsmanship, project management and customer service from an early age.
Speaker A:He began his career in installation and project management, mastering both from the technical and and the operational sides of the business.
Speaker A:Today he oversees sales operations, large scale sign projects, strategic growth initiatives.
Speaker A:Lance is known for his practical leadership style, industry expertise and commitment to delivering high quality signage and branding solutions.
Speaker A:Mr. Lance Daman, welcome to Humans that Build.
Speaker A:How are you, sir?
Speaker B:Hey, good to be here.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me.
Speaker B:It's been a long time coming.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker A:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker A:You know, you've been here.
Speaker A:I mean, you're a workhorse.
Speaker A:If I, if I were to describe Lance demand, I would just say workhorse.
Speaker A:And so I want to talk to you a little bit, you know, about your upbringing.
Speaker A:All right, so you know, work ethic.
Speaker A:You know, I don't want to say the younger generation doesn't want to work, but I will say that they didn't work as hard as we did.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so you've always been, you've always been kind of a grinder.
Speaker A:You've always been working.
Speaker A:At what age was that aha moment or something kind of ring a bell.
Speaker A:You're like, I'm gonna work, I'm gonna grind, I'm gonna go out, make money.
Speaker A:How old were you?
Speaker A:When did you start?
Speaker A:Tell us a little bit about the beginning phases of your career, Lance.
Speaker B:I mean, I grew up in a sign business, right?
Speaker B:Like it's all I've known.
Speaker B:I grew up in it.
Speaker B:I tried a couple, you know, other industries, you know, growing up or whatever.
Speaker B:I was a waiter, I bussed tables, which I think everybody should do, you know, I worked at White's Greenhouse in the retail side.
Speaker B:And, you know, right out of high school, I learned how to make neon.
Speaker B:Like, that was my.
Speaker B:My moment.
Speaker B:Like, I needed.
Speaker B:I wasn't very good at college, and I decided that I should probably, you know, learn a trade.
Speaker B:So the sign industry was in my family, so I decided that I wanted to learn how to make neon.
Speaker B:And this was something that could take me anywhere in the world, and I could learn how to make neon and go work at any sign company anywhere in the country and make neon for them.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:So that was kind of my college.
Speaker B:I started there.
Speaker B:You know, I got into the sales part.
Speaker B:I just learned everything from the ground up.
Speaker B:Fabrication, sales, you know, dealing with clients, like, the whole nine yards.
Speaker B:So at what age did I, you know, was that aha moment?
Speaker B:I mean, it was.
Speaker B:It was high school because I was like, what am I going to do?
Speaker B:You know?
Speaker B:Like, how am I going to, you know, make this happen?
Speaker B:How am I going to support myself later on in life?
Speaker B:Like, I just always grinded.
Speaker B:Like, I. I always wanted to just be set up where maybe one day I could retire and I wouldn't have to work so hard, which I don't see in the future anytime soon.
Speaker B:This is just something that I like to do.
Speaker B:I wake up every morning early.
Speaker B:I got a lot of energy.
Speaker B:I'm a go getter.
Speaker B:I stay late.
Speaker B:I'm here till dark.
Speaker B:I don't stop working.
Speaker B:I don't turn it off.
Speaker B:It's interesting, for sure.
Speaker A:So you started your company.
Speaker A:What year did you start Your newest company?
Speaker B:2021 Was first year of business.
Speaker B:It was just me.
Speaker B:I had some support with my business partner, Michelle Greenwood.
Speaker B:She right out of the gate.
Speaker B:Soon as day one, we started, she's like, let's go full blast.
Speaker B:I got you.
Speaker B:Like, let's see where we can go with this.
Speaker B:And we haven't slowed down since.
Speaker B:It's literally been just as long as I want to work as hard as I want to work from literally day one.
Speaker B:There's not been a day yet where it's like, oh, my gosh, what are we going to do tomorrow?
Speaker A:Yeah, so let's unpack a little bit of this, though, too.
Speaker A:So you're in the first of all.
Speaker A:Entrepreneurship.
Speaker A:It's a sexy word.
Speaker A:A lot of people like to throw it around.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's very scary.
Speaker A:It's lonely, it's dark.
Speaker A:And it's very difficult for people in general just to jump off that deep end.
Speaker A:You know, your dad has an amazing business, like you agree?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Taught me everything.
Speaker A:Your dad's the real deal, right?
Speaker A:So you're working in this family atmosphere, you know, what was that like initially?
Speaker A:Kind of like saying, hey, dad, I'm going to kind of go do my own thing.
Speaker A:And, you know, how scary, like, how long did it take to make that decision?
Speaker A:And what did that look like?
Speaker A:That first 12 months, kind of jumping off the deep end.
Speaker B:I mean, honestly, it was probably the, you know, best decision I ever made at the time.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, I didn't have a lot of choices in the whole situation.
Speaker B:So that's like a whole nother story in itself.
Speaker B:But I mean, I was, I jumped in all in.
Speaker B:You know, I was what, 30?
Speaker B:30.
Speaker B:40 Was 41.
Speaker B:I was getting ready to turn 40.
Speaker B:That's it, right?
Speaker B:20, 21.
Speaker A:When you hit 40, you kind of figure out what.
Speaker A:You lose track of time.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So, so, you know, it was just.
Speaker B:It was just what needed to be done at the time.
Speaker B:You know, I needed to go out on my own, so I did.
Speaker B:And, you know, luckily I had my partner.
Speaker B:You know, we started like a sticker business, an Amazon business.
Speaker B:We sold stickers and banners online.
Speaker B:We had started with that, and then all of a sudden, boom, it was full blast.
Speaker B:Lance's in the sign business.
Speaker B:Then we bought a bucket truck.
Speaker B:Lance, you know, went out every day and, you know, worked out of the bucket truck, did everything that we could do, you know, started websites and spread the word about what we actually do.
Speaker B:And I worked out of my garage.
Speaker B:We, you know, had my barn to work out of.
Speaker B:We painted signs in, you know, the trucks live there.
Speaker B:Literally working right out in Godfrey, right out of my backyard.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:It was really nice, actually.
Speaker B:I liked getting up.
Speaker B:I could not have to drive anywhere.
Speaker B:I could literally spend, you know, 18 hours a day and nobody would question me.
Speaker B:Literally.
Speaker B:You roll out of bed, jump into the office scene, and that's just how it was.
Speaker B:And that's kind of how it's always been.
Speaker B:I've always been like a 12 hour a day guy.
Speaker B:You know, I never turned it off.
Speaker B:My cell phone's always on.
Speaker B:I do have it muted right now, so if you call, I'll have to call you back.
Speaker B:But no, I mean, it's.
Speaker B:It's just work is my passion.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, it's just what I like to do.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, I heard somebody say this.
Speaker A:I don't know who said it, but hard work works.
Speaker A:Yeah, works, you know, you know, you know, you could be equal in skill, but you got one that just has that grit and that grind.
Speaker A:This person always wins, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, I mean, nobody can outwork me, right?
Speaker B:Like, I'm working.
Speaker B:I'm working, you know, way too many hours than I should.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I mean, that's just what I do.
Speaker B:I know how to.
Speaker B:I know how to work, you know, that's.
Speaker B:That's one thing I'm really good at.
Speaker A:Let me ask you this question.
Speaker A:If you could go back 20 years, let's go back to your mid-20s.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:What would Lance demand?
Speaker A:Tell younger Lance demand.
Speaker A:If you could give him any advice there, what would that be?
Speaker B:I mean, I would just say get the courage and just do it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, you know, it might not be the right path at the time, or you.
Speaker B:It might.
Speaker B:It's like, just.
Speaker B:Just take that step.
Speaker B:Just do it, Lance.
Speaker B:Like, you're gonna figure it out.
Speaker B:Like, have Faith in yourself.
Speaker B:25 Years ago, maybe quit drinking a little bit earlier.
Speaker B:It is something that I've done.
Speaker B:You know, I feel like I freed up a lot of time when that happened.
Speaker B:25.
Speaker B:But I mean, we were all.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:Do I really want to.
Speaker A:Let's talk about that for a minute.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And I'm going to ask you.
Speaker A:So you.
Speaker A:You've been.
Speaker A:So you don't drink.
Speaker A:You're not in the club scene, you're not in the bar scene.
Speaker A:It's been years.
Speaker A:How much more productive have you been in just life since you decided to kind of say, hey, I'm not going to drink anymore?
Speaker B:Well, I mean, that.
Speaker B:That really is what I feel like, you know, started this whole.
Speaker B:This whole journey for me was the quit drinking.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I was about to turn 40, I quit drinking.
Speaker B:My business partner approached me and she was like, hey, I got this great idea for a website Covid just hit.
Speaker B:We're going to need to rebrand all the trade shows.
Speaker B:We're going to need to rebrand stickers.
Speaker B:Let's make some stickers.
Speaker B:Let's make some seven foot.
Speaker B:You know, those little circles that were on the ground that everybody used to have to stand on?
Speaker B:Let's make that.
Speaker B:Let's go to the Internet with that mask.
Speaker B:Required stickers.
Speaker B:That's what we started with.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So as far as, you know, me quit drinking.
Speaker B:I feel like when I was about to turn 40, I needed to do something different.
Speaker B:You know, I didn't have any kids.
Speaker B:I'm not married.
Speaker B:There's got to be more to life.
Speaker B:I put so much effort into drinking, partying, you know, and it wasn't taking me anywhere.
Speaker B:So I wanted to put a little effort into not doing it right.
Speaker B:So I started with a day, I started with a month.
Speaker B:I started with a week.
Speaker B:It ended up a year.
Speaker B:Where it in October, it'll be seven years.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I just passed six years of, like, no alcohol.
Speaker A:It's amazing.
Speaker B:Lance, thank you.
Speaker B:I feel like it really helped me, you know, get my Saturday mornings back, get my Sundays back, got my Monday afternoons back.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, there's more time to grind.
Speaker B:So it worked for me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, I needed that extra time to, you know, take myself to the next level, because it just takes so much time to this entrepreneurship that the way we call it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:I'm going to kind of put you on the spot, and I don't mind doing this.
Speaker A:I'm going to ask you a couple just kind of short questions.
Speaker A:Yeah, you can lay on the plane, answer however you feel like, but these are going to be just short little questions.
Speaker A:So get ready for this.
Speaker A:All right, the first one is this.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:And this is present day state, present day crazy entrepreneurial chaos.
Speaker A:I hit a wall, win well, Adam,.
Speaker B:I usually hit a wall when somebody says they're going to do something and they don't follow through.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, my word is important to me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:When somebody says they're going to do something, I expect it to be done.
Speaker B:And if it does not get done and it just goes by the wayside, it's like, I hit a wall.
Speaker B:It's like, well, we were supposed to do this or supposed to do that, and, you know, you just can't get it done if, you know, if people aren't pulling their in, they're holding their own.
Speaker A:So when I am stressed, I.
Speaker B:Well, when I'm stressed, I literally just have to just leave the situation.
Speaker B:You know, I'll get in the car, I'll go for a drive.
Speaker B:There's plenty of these jobs, you know.
Speaker B:You know, there's plenty of these jobs that need to be looked at.
Speaker B:There's, you know, always something to follow up on.
Speaker B:I just need to, like, leave myself from the situation, which is typically here in the office.
Speaker B:I'll just go away and I'll disappear and I'll go and take some measurements on a job site or take some pictures of something.
Speaker B:But, you know, even, like, as little as, like, go to the auto parts store, you know, I need to, like, pick up some new parts for, you know, I. I did it the other day, honestly, and I had to get floor dry.
Speaker B:The forklift was leaking a little bit of oil.
Speaker B:It was a big oil stain on the floor, and it was driving me crazy, and I was like, you know what?
Speaker B:I'm a little stressed out.
Speaker B:Let's just go take care of this.
Speaker B:So, you know, nothing like a drive, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, sometimes just a cruise.
Speaker A:Like, I do the same.
Speaker A:Like, sometimes I'll drive and you can call me crazy sometimes, like, I'll just take a drive with no music and just silence, just because the.
Speaker A:No, I don't want to hear anything.
Speaker A:So used to this and this.
Speaker A:There's always this going on.
Speaker A:I just want to be silent.
Speaker B:So, I mean, everybody needs you.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:You know that River Road's a special place to me, Right.
Speaker B:Every morning, every night, I get to drive down it.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's a big reset.
Speaker B:And, you know, recently all the ice has been in the river, you know, now it's like these nice, calm mornings where it's like just glass out there and, you know, you see the little ducks flying, you know, swimming around in the river.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:That's pretty neat.
Speaker A:It's pretty amazing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So for those.
Speaker A:So for those that can't reference what Lance is talking about, the Great River Road here in Alton, through Godfrey and down to Grafton is probably the prettiest drive.
Speaker A:I mean, outside, maybe the PCH in California, but I kind of.
Speaker A:I rank it right there.
Speaker A:It's beautiful.
Speaker A:So, all right, next question.
Speaker A:I got two more for you.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So now I don't.
Speaker B:No, I just don't let.
Speaker B:I just don't get stressed out, right?
Speaker B:I just don't let it bother me.
Speaker B:You know, I gotta roll with the punches.
Speaker B:You know, things are gonna happen.
Speaker B:I don't let it bother me.
Speaker B:I take a step back.
Speaker B:I don't react too fast.
Speaker B:I like to think about what I'm.
Speaker B:What I'm doing a little bit more.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:I just don't react right away.
Speaker B:I try and take it in, think about it a little bit, think about how I'm gonna react and then.
Speaker B:And then react, right?
Speaker B:React appropriately instead of, you know, just coming off the cuff or something like that.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:It's just.
Speaker B:It just works for me.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:You know, I just finished a book, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations and.
Speaker A:Aurelius is a famous stoic philosopher, Roman emperor, but he.
Speaker A:We can't control the situation, but we can control how we respond to it, right.
Speaker A:Or react.
Speaker A:And I'm a work in progress on that.
Speaker A:But it's you know, Stoke philosophy has definitely helped me.
Speaker A:So here's my final question.
Speaker A:Now I always,.
Speaker B:Now I always.
Speaker B:Oh, I always take time to think about it.
Speaker B:I mean it's the same, it's all one in the same for me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, I gotta think about it a little bit.
Speaker B:Always just take that time to make it happen.
Speaker B:You know, on these bigger jobs that we have, I always like to sleep on them.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I like to.
Speaker B:If I'm stressed out about it or, or you know, if, if it's.
Speaker B:Things aren't just like just going right.
Speaker B:It's like, you know what, let's just sleep on this.
Speaker B:Let's attack it tomorrow with, with fresh eyes, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:A fresh mind.
Speaker B:You know, waking up that drive down the river road and then you know, coming in and you can just like totally just see it in a different light.
Speaker B:It just, you know, sleep on it.
Speaker B:You know, if you're, if you're worried about it or the numbers, you're like, you know, I don't know where to be.
Speaker B:If it's like this big project and you get, you got to be close to like just sleep on it.
Speaker B:It'll come to you at night.
Speaker B:I mean, I've had, I've had a couple dreams where it's like, this is the way, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:It's like I have some pretty interesting ones, that's for sure.
Speaker A:Well, you.
Speaker A:I want to talk a little bit about your business that I want to.
Speaker A:I want to.
Speaker A:We'll talk some truths about what it took to build this.
Speaker A:Yeah, because you've grown and scaled and you know, I'm sure the first couple years weren't easy and we'll get into that.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:Yeah, you know, I've been following some of your guys stuff a lot.
Speaker A:Looks like you're landing some pretty big projects.
Speaker A:You guys are doing some pretty big deals.
Speaker A:If you could you maybe allude a little bit on some of these deals you're doing.
Speaker B:You know, there's quite a few, you know, big deals.
Speaker B:We just got wrapped up with a Big RT construction.
Speaker B:If you ever drive to the Ozarks on the left hand side in Wentzville, big RT construction job.
Speaker B:Guy called us, found us on Google, needed some help, had a building that he was getting ready to work, you know, move into, needed some time.
Speaker B:You know, he called us in March.
Speaker B:I don't think we put the signs up until November.
Speaker B:It was a, was a big project.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:He had to get all these permits.
Speaker B:It was a new building for him.
Speaker B:They do water type decking.
Speaker B:They have like a contract or a patent on this.
Speaker B:Watertight.
Speaker B:Watertight decking.
Speaker B:It's a really cool company.
Speaker B:But you'll see them there.
Speaker B:It's on the left hand side in Wentzville.
Speaker B:Giant blue sign says RT Construction.
Speaker B:I mean that was a big one.
Speaker B:You know, we're doing some government work that's pretty neat.
Speaker B:There's a lot of projects out there for signs and stuff downtown St. Louis.
Speaker B:I don't think I'm supposed to say, but it's federal, federal work.
Speaker B:And I mean we're doing everything from picture frame.
Speaker B:I've always told people that I'm a glorified picture frame hanger, right?
Speaker B:Like I put signs up, they don't fall down.
Speaker B:You know, like that's my thing.
Speaker B:I put them up, I hang them straight, make sure they don't fall down.
Speaker B:You know, we get permits for them and all that fun stuff.
Speaker B:But I literally did seven pictures right in a row.
Speaker B:It was pretty big deal at this federal facility.
Speaker B:A bunch of, you know, blue collared presidents of different places were on these pictures and all that fun stuff.
Speaker B:So I mean that was neat.
Speaker B:We got it.
Speaker B:We got a lot of work going on from them.
Speaker B:We just traveled to Chicago.
Speaker B:There's a Illinois State building down there that we did a bunch of or we've done, we're doing signs for.
Speaker B:We did a big sign, you know, at the front entrance that was a really big one.
Speaker B:Like Domino's.
Speaker B:I don't know if you realize this, but Domino's is one of the biggest franchisees here in St. Louis.
Speaker B:MBR Management owns a lot of stores, probably the most anywhere as far as I know.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:We're doing a lot of work for them.
Speaker B:They have a lot of maintenance going on.
Speaker B:I've got good relationships with the managers.
Speaker B:They call me, they message me and say, hey, we've got lights out.
Speaker B:I mean somebody hit our sign last night, it's fallen down.
Speaker B:A car, heaven forbid, you know, came through, everybody was okay, but it damaged the sign.
Speaker B:So like those are some big deals.
Speaker B:Job like that just happened up in Jerseyville.
Speaker B:Real similar, these insurance jobs.
Speaker B:I mean these people are googling us and finding us.
Speaker B:We got good reviews.
Speaker B:We, you know, respond, we answer the phone.
Speaker B:Like that's huge in the sign industry.
Speaker B:Like a lot of people don't actually just answer the phone.
Speaker B:It's pretty crazy to think that too.
Speaker B:Like different niche.
Speaker A:Why would you not like as a business, like there should be somebody dedicated at all times to answer the phone by the second ring.
Speaker A:I mean, you just said something I want to ask, or I just not really ask, but I would like you to maybe elaborate.
Speaker A:You know, Google reviews, good reputation, quick response times, the right signage, the right logos, the right branding.
Speaker A:How important are these things in a startup, Lance?
Speaker B:Oh, my gosh, they're huge.
Speaker B:And, you know, it's something that I deal with every day, right?
Speaker B:Like, somebody will call me, they have this problem, and they're like, hey, what's the next step?
Speaker B:Do I.
Speaker B:It might not always be, you know, I need a new sign.
Speaker B:You know, it is if you got a big blank wall on the wall.
Speaker B:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker B:But, you know, the Google reviews are huge.
Speaker B:Respond to them.
Speaker B:You know, let Google know that you're.
Speaker B:That you're interested in, you know, their platform and that you are on their platform.
Speaker B:So respond to the reviews.
Speaker B:I mean, that's huge.
Speaker B:That's something that a lot of people don't do.
Speaker B:You got to optimize that.
Speaker B:Google not only is PMC signed, but I also own Print Media Corporation.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:My business partners, the digital side, I'm the sign guy.
Speaker B:We, you know, we have both sides of this company.
Speaker B:We do a lot of digital marketing and all that stuff.
Speaker B:So, you know, Michelle is definitely, you know, in the foreground of all that.
Speaker A:So you, like, you guys have experienced some pretty rapid growth.
Speaker A:I mean, the last 24 months, you guys have been just insane.
Speaker A:You bought a beautiful building.
Speaker A:You got to put a lot of energy, money, resources into that thing.
Speaker A:Yeah, go.
Speaker A:I mean, but now that your business is truly.
Speaker A:We're in scale mode right now.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker A:But it wasn't always that way.
Speaker A:You know, let's talk about some of the.
Speaker A:The hard truths of entrepreneurship.
Speaker A:Let's go back to year one.
Speaker A:What was your.
Speaker A:What was your favorite.
Speaker A:I love asking this question.
Speaker A:What is your favorite failure?
Speaker A:What is.
Speaker A:What is something that you.
Speaker A:You could say that was my favorite failure.
Speaker A:I screwed that up.
Speaker A:But I learned this about myself.
Speaker A:I learned this about the business, and I ain't letting that happen again.
Speaker A:What was that for you and your company?
Speaker B:You know, my biggest failure.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:We had a giant LED sign project for a local college.
Speaker B:We lost the job by a warranty.
Speaker B:I'll never forget that.
Speaker B:And we'll never have that problem again.
Speaker B:A little salty about it still.
Speaker A:Still.
Speaker B:I mean, it's a failure, right?
Speaker B:So, you know, loose lips sink ships.
Speaker B:I might have told too many people where my numbers were, and I think.
Speaker B:I just don't know.
Speaker B:There's some.
Speaker B:There's some shady stuff that sometimes happens in the sign business that I.
Speaker B:You know, my biggest failure would probably be not laying in that job, but on the other side of it.
Speaker B:We came out really good.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It could have been.
Speaker B:It could have been a loss.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, so what do I do to.
Speaker B:Man, it's just.
Speaker B:It's just, you know, there's just no right answer to that.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:You bring up loose lips.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, so maybe in that scenario, you know, it's kind of keep.
Speaker A:Keep.
Speaker A:Keep things close to the.
Speaker A:The chest.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You know, a scenario like that, you know, don't.
Speaker B:Don't count your eggs before they're hatched.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, you don't celebrate.
Speaker A:So in our business, one of our businesses at Ascent is you don't celebrate a deal.
Speaker A:Like, even when a client says, yes, we're doing business, and they shake on it and they sign the contracts, you ain't going out and eating steaks that night.
Speaker A:You celebrate when you launch the deal and they produce and pay for the product.
Speaker A:That's when you celebrate.
Speaker A:I've learned that the hard way.
Speaker B:Yeah, it might have been like an early celebration type of situation, but, you know, it's.
Speaker B:It's just something you learn from, you know, I mean, you're gonna have hard heartaches like that in.
Speaker B:In entrepreneurship.
Speaker B:You know, it's not all rainbows and.
Speaker B:And unicorns around here.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's tough love sometimes.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Like, you know, deadlines didn't get hit.
Speaker B:Not usually.
Speaker B:I'd like to be way ahead of.
Speaker B:Way ahead of schedule.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, you know, a big project I'm proud of is down at Philip 66.
Speaker B:They just changed their name back to Phillips 66 Refinery.
Speaker B:The refinery let us do some nice signs down there.
Speaker B:You know, it's pretty nice working for the refinery.
Speaker B:They order some nice stuff.
Speaker B:We put some nice stuff up for them.
Speaker B:We got a mural going up tomorrow Monday inside the lobby at the Wood River Refinery.
Speaker B:Or actually Phillips 66 refinery.
Speaker B:You know, it's pretty neat.
Speaker B:A lot of fun stuff going out there.
Speaker A:So you've got a lot happening.
Speaker A:And, Lance, I do.
Speaker A:I got one final question for you.
Speaker A:I do want to thank you.
Speaker A:I know you are probably one of the busiest people that I know, and.
Speaker A:And not busy, but productive.
Speaker A:There's a big difference between busy and productive.
Speaker A:I know a lot of people that are busy that get nothing done.
Speaker A:That's not you.
Speaker A:And I asked you earlier, what would you.
Speaker A:What advice would you give your younger self?
Speaker A:But I want you to think differently from it.
Speaker A:What advice would you give the younger generation that wants to be an entrepreneur?
Speaker A:What are a couple of things or a thing you could tell them or say to them that will help them maybe minimize a risk or put them in a position of strength.
Speaker B:I mean, don't be afraid to ask, right?
Speaker B:Pick up the phone, show up.
Speaker B:Just don't send emails.
Speaker B:Thinking, waiting on an email back like you're not gonna get it.
Speaker B:Like, just take that leap, make it happen.
Speaker B:You know, I think that's, that's one good one.
Speaker B:You know, another good one is, is you got plenty of time to fail, right?
Speaker B:Like, I'm about to turn 45 here in March.
Speaker B:Like, I got a lot of life left.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:At 20.
Speaker B:At 25, you can fail a couple times.
Speaker B:Like, do something that you, that you want to try.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:Because you got a ton of time to figure it out.
Speaker B:Like, not everybody's gonna get it right the first time, right?
Speaker A:That's really, really good advice.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of people are afraid to even try because they're afraid of rejection and failure.
Speaker A:You know, if you never go, you'll never know.
Speaker A:I've been saying that for years.
Speaker A:If you never go, you'll never know.
Speaker A:And that is really, really, really sound advice, Lance.
Speaker A:So I do want to thank you again.
Speaker A:I appreciate you for spending some time here.
Speaker A:For those watching and listening, Lance, how do people follow you, get ahold of you?
Speaker A:What's the best channels for that?
Speaker B: n here at our new building at: Speaker B: -: Speaker B:You can call us, you can check out the websites.
Speaker B:Pmcsign.com printmedia corporation.com my cell phone.
Speaker B:Anybody's feeling froggy, they want to talk, text me.
Speaker B: -: Speaker B:Yeah, I'd love to talk to anybody that wants to talk about signs, business in general or just, you know, chit chat.
Speaker A:And I'll say this too, before we land the plane on this talk is if you're in the St. Louis metro area, definitely give Lance and his team an opportunity.
Speaker A:I mean, from a marketing standpoint, signs, they're brilliant at what they do.
Speaker A:They're professional, they're efficient, and they're competitive.
Speaker A:We'll see.
Speaker A:Say that.
Speaker A:So, Lance, I appreciate you, and for those watching and listening, thanks for tuning in to another episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:We'll see you sooner than later.
Speaker A:Humans that build real people, real work.
Speaker A:See you next time.
