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| CYNDI SCHRECKER |
THANK YOU!! I know this is ONLY THE BEGINNING, and that is why I was able to say, YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE.
Part of me wishes I had not stayed out of sales for the past 2 years, but then again, I probably would have been employed with just "SOME" company at "SOME" job. If that was the case my resume wouldn't have been on CareerBuilders.com when Mark found me. I know now THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MISTAKE.
I'm an entrepreneur and salesperson through and through. How lucky I am to have found a "JOB" where I can work for myself, help other independent business owners, all while someone else worries about the company details and understands when I show up with "KIDS in TOW" to an interview.
NOW, LOOKING BACK, MISSING THAT INTERVIEW WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE.
I speak for my husband and 3 girls when I say... "WE ARE GLAD TO BE A PART OF THE SIGNTRONIX FAMILY".
When it is my time I will "pay it forward".
Sincerely,
Cyndi Schrecker
Kentucky Kickers
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| TAYLOR HALL |
I know a lot of great people that can say Signtronix has completely changed their lives. In our case, I can honestly say Signtronix SAVED our lives. Five years ago my boyfriend at the time, Taylor Hall, and I were only concerned about a few things: each other and having a good time. Back then having a good time took on a whole different meaning than it does now. Without going into detail, I'll just say if there was a wrong path to go down, we were near the end of that road.
One morning I woke up feeling so sick and just knew I couldn't live that way anymore. I went to the store and got a paper. Taylor and I sat down and circled a ton of job ads. There was one that stood out over all the others, so Taylor made a call. A lady with the sweetest voice answered the phone and after a brief conversation she invited him to an interview. We were so excited! Taylor put on his best pair of jeans and we were out the door. I waited in the car not sure what to expect. When he returned, he had a huge smile on his face and told me he got the job! He was not sure what job, he just knew training started Wednesday. After training, he was so pumped!
Every time we drove anywhere we were looking at signs. Joel Froeschle, RM of the Georgia Golden Eagles, told him there was a mandatory road trip to Alabama. This was a little discouraging because we were broke, but Taylor was determined to go, so we rolled pennies! He left for Alabama with an excited heart and a glove box full of 50 cent rolls. The first day out in the field he and another new guy wrote a contract. He put a couple hundred bucks in his pocket and was a lot more confident that this was going to work out.
That first year we had a lot of growing up to do. Taylor stuck with it and by the second year everything was changing. We could pay all our bills, we bought a new car and we became close with out families again! We were on the right path in every way. In June we got married, in November we had a beautiful baby girl and faith had become a major part of our lives. After the second year, Taylor was promoted to District Manager. At that point, we thought we were doing really well. It wasn't until we were on a divisional trip in Jacksonville, Florida we realized our potential in this company.
Ray Clark asked Taylor how we could be comfortable making what we were making a year, not knowing this was two times what he had ever made before. Ray told Taylor he knew he could double that just by working harder. So, that's what he did. He went out in the field Monday through Friday and strived for five lite-ups everyday. Since that second year, our income has more than tripled. We have been able to save, save and save some more! We have more money in the bank than most of our friends make in a year. We just bought our dream home and Taylor has been promoted to a Regional Manager.
This success that we have achieved was only possible because of Signtronix. So many successful people in this company believed in Taylor in a way he has never experienced before. When I think about where we would be today without Signtronix it really scares me. To have people who have reached the high level of success, that so many people have in this company, treat Taylor and me like equals means the world. The passion I saw in Taylor's eyes after that first sale has never left him. I think that is why I have continued to support Taylor 100% through all these years. It has not been ideal with Taylor on the road a lot, but when I look at our beautiful home and think of all the time I have with my baby girl, it has been so worth it! So, to all those wonderful people in the company who have believed in my husband, we owe so much of this to you. Thank you.
Taylor Hall
Atlanta Bulldogs
Written by wife Jenny Hall
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| DAVID ADAMS |
My name is David Adams and this is My Signtronix Story. Since 1979, I was in the steel building industry, selling WWII type Quonset huts, working sales door-to-door and following up telemarketing leads. Everything was fine until the business was sold in 2003 and everything seemed to change. 25 years in one industry and I found myself at the end of the line for the next 3 years and it was time for a change.
I found Signtronix on Monster.com, filled out the application, received an email from Regional Manager Robert Prujan and the interview process began with an invitation to ‘come in and see our actual product, see how our program works and let us show you how we can change your life.
Robert went through the interview liteup and I was SOLD! We spent the next two hours talking about the opportunity and I went home and told my wife, Amanda that "I do believe I have finally found the job I had been looking for at last." I was excited.
The training was intense and I was a little overwhelmed at the detail but I was committed to learning this presentation. My poor Golden Retriever Dixie must have thought I was crazy but she let me continue to practice on her and I was getting it. I started in late November and had a pretty good month in December. It was all beginning to come together.
Robert told me that "the sky is the limit" and in January 2008, I made more money in one month than I had the entire year 2007 when I was exiting the steel building business! How's that for a "WOW"? I have earned a Bonus Sign 5 out of 6 months this year and everything I was told was TRUE and with the continuing training that Pensacola Blue Angels do every month, it is only getting better and better. All I have to do is get up in the morning and go to work, have a positive mental attitude, follow the program and simply do at least FIVE liteups a day, FIVE days a week, FOUR weeks a month and I get great pleasure from knowing that I am helping the Independent Business Owners on Main Street America with making their dreams become a reality.
Thank you, Cappy! I am proud to be a Blue Angel and I am proud to be a part of the Signtronix Family. Blue skies!
David Adams
Pensacola Blue Angels
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| AL BORGERS |
I first thought to begin this letter with acknowledgments to the people in this company who have helped me throughout the years. I had second thoughts when I considered it would be a list of over 500 individuals and would be better saved for a book. So let it be sufficient to say that if you and I have interacted in any way over the past 18 years, I have learned from you and sincerely appreciate your communication, whether verbal or non-verbal. I truly mean all communication, even if it was given as disapproval. I have become a better person because of it.
Being a part of the Signtronix family has afforded me an opportunity to be who I am, which is a student of Communication and Persuasion. What I do is amazingly simple. Making a call sheet, engaging business owners, making those business owners happier with a more attractive new sign and then doing the same with referrals they give to me is a no-brainer, especially when the reward is factored in. I am astounded that more people who wish to become professional sales people, and who could certainly use an easy 150K/year income, aren't beating down our Regional doors for a chance to do the same! I receive an instant non-refundable paycheck, other people handle everything else and I get to move on and do it again! Most important, I get to improve my communication and persuasion skills each and every day with everyone I meet!
What I like most about being a part of Signtronix is all the people I work with and the friendships I have developed. The atmosphere of working together to help small business owners succeed, while we have so much fun together in the process, is a huge reward for me! As a field trainer, I am your cheerleader and I love to watch you win! The company trips each February have been priceless! Being together year after year with the best of the best and expanding friendships while being treated as royalty always has an indescribable and positive effect on me. The crazy thing is that every trip gets better than the previous one!
What I am most grateful for is being able to raise my daughter, Cierra, and provide for her in ways that most parents only dream. I'm proud to have been able to provide her with a private education and watch her championship performance during her high school rodeo days. Most of all, I'm thankful for the special guidance, as a single parent, I've received over the years from many of you as to how to best be there for Cierra in the topsy-turvy teenage years! Thank you, Signtronix family, for the gift of being there for me and Cierra!
Al Borgers
Utah Hawks
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| RICK BUCHANAN |
I would like to share my Signtronix story with my new Family and let you all know how it changed my life. I had 15 years in Management in the restaurant business and had worked for four major chains when I decided that I needed to do more than just make people happy by sending them home with a full stomach and few laughs. In the grand scheme of things, I really wasn't doing that much.
I decided at the beginning of 2006 that I wanted more out of my life. I decided that there had to be something more out there, if I would just look. There was this ad in the Pensacola News Journal that got my attention. A few hours later, after meeting Regional Manager Robert Prujan and Rick Rossetti, I knew I had found the right place and opportunity. Robert told me to "Buckle my seat belt because I was in for the Ride of My Life" and man was he ever RIGHT ON! It has been AWESOME!
I have made more good friends this past year than I ever did in the restaurant business, and I am having a BALL! I know what I am doing now will have a long lasting effect on the business owners, their families and their communities for years to come. That is a feeling I could never get in my previous career. I am looking forward to a long and prosperous career here at Signtronix, and I do appreciate everything all of my mentors have done to help me build my skills and make me better. And as I enter my fifth year, I look forward to the opportunity of working with my District Team and making them better so we can all grow together.
Watch out for the Blue Angels. Good Skills to All!
Rick Buchanan
Pensacola Blue Angels
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| DENNIS GIACOBE |
I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I've always been a self-starter, always willing to put in the time and effort to get the job done and get it done well. But, for years, I struggled to make ends meet, whether I was working for others or in my own businesses. Finally, in 1998, I found Gulf Industries, now Signtronix, where consistency and hard work have brought the success I felt I deserved.
For a few years I worked as a professional photographer where I earned lots of recognition but not the money I felt I was worth. I gave up on that to start an auto detailing/boat lettering business. Business was good in the spring, summer and fall but a struggle in the winters. After seven years, I closed it.
Cathy and I built a home in Pennsylvania where I took a job as head of sales and design for a sign business. After four months, I resigned to pursue a position where salary is based on performance, and my efforts would benefit me financially. I found this with Gulf Industries/Signtronix.
An hour after answering a newspaper ad, I was in class learning about Gulf signs. My first thought was, "I can do this!" I was right. Gulf made selling a snap. The presentation is the key. I studied it day-in and day-out. I still do, and it makes the difference. Not only do I earn the company money, but my personal and financial rewards are phenomenal. I was at my first sale one hour and forty-five minutes after the last day of the three-day training! That was the start of a very rewarding career, both in satisfaction and income.
Now, I actually have fun helping owners of small businesses. In my heart, I know that the products I'm selling can make a very positive difference for my customers. The signs they purchase from Signtronix will, at least, bring more people through their doors to give them a better quality of life and help them reach the goals they set for themselves when they first opened their shops... and, at best, it can bring in added revenues that will mean the difference between success and failure.
In addition to the money I've made since joining Signtronix, Cathy and I are enjoying a great life. We go on really great company trips to four-star resort locations every year. I've just earned a promotion to Regional Manager, which will mean not only more income for us but will give me the chance to help others find the "Slice of Life" that Signtronix offers to people willing to put in the time and effort to do it right.
I'm very proud of the many achievements I've accomplished over the years. The most prestigious of which was being named the Champion Dealer in 2003 as No. 1 salesperson in the nation for the year. Most important, Signtronix has helped me earn the money I deserve and gives me a reason to dream again.
Dennis Giacobe
Pocono Mountaineers
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| BILL GIGAX |
Twenty-five years ago, I entered the sign industry and quickly fell in love with the business. It afforded me the ability to have the finer things in life for me and my family, assuming I would work for them. FANTASTIC!!! This was the opportunity that allowed me to achieve about anything I wanted.
As a Manager, I try to share with all our new Dealers the concept that Signtronix has it all. We have the product, we have the market, and we have the program. However, there is something else we have. We truly have a family.
Sure, all of us in sales organizations have heard that before. I had heard that for 10 years with another company, only to have the rug pulled out from under me. Thank God Mr. Kozell Boren called to ask me to join Signtronix. Cautiously I went to work. We did well in Nashville quickly becoming one of the Top 10 Regions in the nation, but I don't know if I really ever had my total self into it. It's hard to learn to trust again.
In early April of 2002, I was stricken with back problems. My ability to produce was severely hampered. Flat on my back for about 20 weeks, my Signtronix family was there. The Home Office Staff and Managers across the country kicked in to help me and my family get through this ordeal. To everyone out there understand one thing: SIGNTRONIX IS A FAMILY! When you find Signtronix, you find a home.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Good things are happening in Nashville because we do have the product, the market, the program and, most important of all, WE HAVE THE FAMILY! My deepest thanks to Kozell Boren for this great vehicle he has created for all of us to have better lives.
Bill Gagax
Nashville Katz
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| RON GITHER |
"It's nice to know as long as there are businesses on the streets of America, I can earn a living"
Some years ago I worked in the swimming pool business with a man named John Marty. We both advanced to the corporate level of the sales management team and enjoyed our success, until the company filed corporate bankruptcy, leaving everybody out in the cold. I swore I would never work for anybody else again and started a successful DJ/Karaoke company.
After 16 years in the business, I started feeling very stressed because I couldn't offer anybody a lucrative career - just good part time income. This situation led to a high turn-over rate and a lot of stress. Determined to move on, I started a retail business with my two sons but barely kept my head above water. I continued to stay in contact with my friend, John Marty, and for three years he'd periodically remind me about this "tremendous opportunity" at Signtronix. He told me about the superior products, great pay plan, opportunity for advancement and the network of support.
Finally, in May of 2006, I decided to see for myself what John kept talking about. I gave Signtronix everything I had, did everything I was told, followed the program, studied the presentation and put in the time. Through hard work, I've reached many of my goals, financially and professionally, while enjoying a stressfree environment. I've helped many business owners along the way and they all consider me a friend. It's nice to know as long as there are businesses on the streets of America, I can earn a living.
My sons, Brandon and Dustin, also work with me, which is both fun and rewarding. I was so proud when Brandon earned the Lance P. Sijan Award and was inducted into the Century Club. Most of all, I was overjoyed to watch him recieve the President's Pin two years in a row! It's great to see him develop professionally and enjoy the freedom Signtronix offers.
I've made friends throughout the company from all over the country, and have always felt appreciated and truly cared for by everyone. I was so amazed that I could actually call the President of the company and talk whenever I wanted. And whenever I did, Tom Johnson would make me feel like a friend and not an employee. Jeff and Shelley Dean have taken a sincere interest in me and are helping to develop my skills, along with Vernie Boren, a true friend and mentor. DM's from Indiana, Iowa and Arkansas and RM's like Buddy Swisshelm, Dave Grossman and Jeff Van Horn have all influenced my Signtronix career for the better.
Signtronix has given me the opportunity of a lifetime to spend five days on Kozy's yacht with my talented colleagues. Signtronix has taken my wife, Maria, and me to Cancun and treated us like royalty! Maria was skeptical at first and didn't want me to go on my first road trip, but now she's completely on board with anything I do with Signtronix. We both see this as our future and our retirement. Maria has made some sacrifices, keeping our family of six going while I'm away. She also enjoys the stress-free life Signtronix has given us. Although a "commission only" job may scare a lot of people, she knows that all I have to do is show what our company has and the rest will take care of itself.
I thank God every day for my many blessings; one of which is this career opportunity. I also thank the large network of support from people around the country that I consider friends and mentors; people from the Home Office, and several regions around the country. Their availability and support has truly made a difference and made me feel a part of a Family.
Ron Gither
Alabama "A" Team
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| JEFF HOWEY |
After 15 years of teaching computers everywhere from a prison to a public school, I moved on to financial service sales with little success. In the meantime, I also enjoyed a short stateside inner city missionary stint. I knew there was money to be made in sales, but I lacked closing skills. I went to two different Tom Hopkins Sales Boot Camps, and walked away with the beginning keys I was missing.
When we moved to New Mexico 6 ˝ years ago, I had to prove to myself that I could really sell. I took a position as an Internet Sales Manager for a local car dealership conglomerate. After two years of successfully selling cars online and in person, I graduated to selling RV's. Further honing my sales skills in the business/finance office for almost two more years, I had the opportunity to learn to build trust and respect, make a friend and make my living selling loans, insurance and warranties in 20 minutes or less. But, the financial industry tanked along with RV Manufacturers, and I went broke. I went into debt just to stay afloat and left the RV industry with $800 for my last check in November 2008. Eight weeks later, I answered a newspaper ad for Signtronix.
Literally weeks from bankruptcy, Copper State Cool Ray RM Harold Weatherly told me they could train me in two weeks to make, not only a decent living, but a comfortable living. They had a proven system, but needed someone who was trainable and teachable, who did not want to reinvent the Signtronix system. Doing as instructed by Roger Pelton, I earned my samples within the first week, and less than two weeks later, I took a week long road trip with Harold Weatherly and one other new Dealer. I placed a showcase location on my first lite-up with artwork help from Harold. I made two more placements that week for a week's total commission of $2995. I set my goal to get my first bonus sign that first 30 days with eight contracts. I did just that and put $8,000 in my nearly dry bank account. Then, I set my goal on senior dealer status, which I achieved within another week or so. Harold told me I'd earn $50,000 in my first six months. I didn't believe him. But, I proved myself wrong and Harold right. Not only did I surpass those numbers, but because of Signtronix, we took two vacations that first year (a family graduation in California and a Disney World trip in Florida), and still managed to earn almost $100,000.
Two and a half years into our Signtronix journey, two factory trips later and a third in sight, we have enjoyed the hard work, the time off and the fruits of my labors. The freedom from severely restrictive time off from employers, the ability to work as hard as I want and can and then relax and play equally as hard, have all been a true gift Signtronix and self discipline has given my family. It has been and is hard work on the road with lots of miles. But, I'm a photographer and I take the time to enjoy the scenery along the way. All the while and most importantly, I make friends with business owners and help them transform their bottom line through highly effective signage.
Jeff Howey
Copper State Cool Rays
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| ROBERT HOLLEN |
Signtronix has given me many things. Before Signtronix I had many different jobs. I get very antsy and bored doing the same thing over and over. With Signtronix, every day is different! I get to meet new people every day. I love being able to help people with their businesses and especially with their personal financial needs.
When a Dealer really understands our concept, they realize they can make enough money to send their kids to college, or buy something they really want or need. Signtronix has given me the flexibility to attend functions, whether it be with family or friends, that I would not be able to attend otherwise. It has allowed Tammy and I to go on trips that we would probably never have been able to go on.
We have also been to beautiful places and have met the most awesome people! We feel very lucky to have such a large family around the nation. We look forward to every chance we get to associate with the people of Signtronix.
My definition of success is making someone else successful and I believe the philosophy, the more you give, the more you receive. Our motto is Innovators Not Imitators. I think maybe it should be Imaginators, Innovators Not Imitators because we have to get our customers to imagine how it would be and feel when they can take that extra vacation, or send their children to college and experience the freedom that our marketing system will give them.
I want to personally thank the Signtronix office team, Dave Grosmann and his beautiful wife, Kathy, all our associates and Signtronix friends. I will always be available with an open ear and a friendly smile to help anyone that deserves to be helped. Most of all, I want to thank Kozy and Sally Boren for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you very much. Tammy and I love you all!
Robert Hollen
Indiana Timberwolves
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| TAMMY HOLLEN |
I want to thank everyone with Signtronix for all they have done for me and my family. In 2002 when Bob decided to get into the sign business, I didn't believe things could be as good as they are now. I was in my 14th year working for the United States Postal Service, we had just moved into a new house, and I was eight months pregnant with our son, Taylor when Bob joined Signtronix.
In the beginning, I was very leery of Bob going out on the road for a week at a time. I am sure being pregnant didn't help the situation. It was hard to feel good about Bob leaving me and the boys (we have five altogether) knowing he would be spending money on hotels, food, gas and not knowing for sure whether or not he would be making any money.
Bob can tell you, I was not a happy camper. My attitude changed rapidly when he brought home $4,000 his second week on the road.
Although Bob was doing very well with the company, it never entered my mind that I would be able to quit working at the Post Office. I thought I would be there until it was time to retire or even longer. However, on the trip to Nashville, when Bob received his Quarter Horse Award, I started thinking about quitting my job and helping Bob with Signtronix. I could help organize his paperwork, and he would be able to take road trips without worrying about our family because I would be able to take care of things at home.
We set a goal to make this happen and April 28, 2004, was my last day of work. If it weren't for our wonderful Signtronix Family, I am sure I would still be pounding the pavement. Instead, I am able to spend time with Taylor and his brothers.
Dave and Kathy Grosmann mean the world to us. It is so wonderful how close everyone becomes in this company.
We have had so much fun attending the Jamborees in Nashville, Kansas City, San Antonio, Louisville and St. Louis. And, we have been to the Bahamas and Mexico several times. The incentives are just one more great perk in this company! Whenever there is an incentive, Bob is going to "go for it"!
Bob has just earned the #1 District Manager position for the third year in a row! What a company!
I would like to let all of the new Signtronix spouses know that even though it may seem hard at first, it is ALL worth it! The more support we give our spouse, the easier it is for them to go out and place locations. If there is stress at home, it is hard to concentrate on helping small business owners. If we encourage them, they can go out and concentrate on what they need to do. When this happens, they make lots of money!
Again, thanks to everyone at Signtronix. I have made some life-long friendships, and you have made my life much happier!
Tammy Hollen
Indiana Timberwolves
Wife of DM Robert Hollen
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| KEITH IVES |
Keith Ives was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma to a father and mother who were both graduates of Oklahoma State University. He was raised with three sisters and one brother. Although he was mostly raised in the city, his heart was always at his grandparent's dairy farm, where he went and worked every spare moment he had.
Keith was taught the value of earning your own way very early in life. In the fourth grade, he took on a paper route and almost every weekend and every family vacation he went to work out on the dairy farm. He learned a strong work ethic that helped him excel in sports and academics.
He graduated high school second in his class and an all-state athlete in baseball and football. He went on to OSU where he participated in college baseball and football while earning two degrees in Biology and Physical Education as well as a Masters in Physiology of Exercise with a 3.6 GPA.
He paid his way through college by working at the dairy farm and a custom hay hauling service with his cousins. Upon graduation, he became a school teacher and a coach. At the end of his second year teaching, he took a summer sales job to help make ends meet and made more money in ten weeks than he did the whole year teaching school! He found his true calling and went to work for McKesson Pharmaceutical Company, where in his first year he became #1 in sales nationwide. After seven years, he started his own pharmaceutical company. For 12 years, he grew his company into a multi-million dollar business and was enjoying a very financially rewarding life.
When the second hardship befell his life in August of 2000, (The first being in 1988 when his wife, Belinda, contracted Multiple Sclerosis), Keith was stricken with throat cancer and he lost his company and nearly his life. At a cancer depleted weight of 110lbs, a miraculous cure came to Keith. It was brought on by a faith in God and a few lessons learned from his wife, BJ. Barely able to walk, Keith began a slow recovery with a new appreciation for how precious life really is. After three agonizing years of follow-up treatments and being medically disabled to work, Keith was in full remission (where he remains today) and was able to start working again.
It was back to his roots, back to the farm where he became the foreman for two ranches (a Dairy Farm and Bermuda Grass/ Sod Farm). After four years, that old itch to sell overwhelmed him, plus the need to start building a financially secure retirement. In his search, he met Lance Pelton and found an opportunity he, quite frankly, did not think was truly available. With the support of his wife and two daughters, Abby and Kasey, Keith signed on!
It's now a family affair with both daughters working for Keith in his DM office in OKC. Keith's goals when he started at Signtronix were to make a six figure income, be #1 in his Region and in the top five in sales in the nation. Keith said, "Lance assured me that that was absolutely possible if I learned the Signtronix ten step sales program and had a strong work ethic.
Lance Pelton and Bryan Marquez gave me the best classroom training and Steve Harms and Tyler Derebery gave me the best field training I've ever received with any company. They showed me the way. I am proud to be a part of the Signtronix family. Although I work for Lance and Signtronix, I have to say it does not feel that way. I truly feel I work with them. The Signtronix Family is the epitome of working as a team. I have received support and guidance from every division of Signtronix, from management to customer service. Thank you, Signtronix, for giving me the opportunity to meet and exceed our goals."
Keith Ives
Dallas / Fort Worth Trailblazers
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| YVONNE LEAVITT |
"...my experience with Signtronix has increased my confidence to a higher level."
I was always a top producer in the advertising arena and very good at selling intangible items, until one day I received a phone call from my manager telling me the company was letting me go. Thankfully, I had some reserves while I interviewed with various companies. In 2004, I answered an ad in Salt Lake City, Utah. After I saw a lite-up, I WAS SOLD! Finally, a tangible product that I could actually show people! I believe this was a turning point for me.
After three days of classroom training, I knew the presentation verbatim. By the second day in the field, I had placed my first location. I have reached the Top 10 in Contracts multiple times, and I have the confidence to close the deal every time.
During the past year, I have willingly and effectively helped various Regions with field training. From Seattle to Albuquerque to Houston to Tucson to Phoenix and beyond! I suppose I really am a "Road Revolutionary".
Many people have influenced my career thus far. I have the utmost respect for RM Al Borgers. He is a phenomenal individual and he has taught me the power of the mind. He has the ability to control his thought process and never allow anyone to get in the way of his success. Thanks, Al, for this insight. Thank you, Tom Johnson, for your support and encouragement, my friend. Thank you for the priceless guidance as I started my career.
I would like to thank Kozell Boren for the opportunity he has given each individual that is a part of Signtronix. Kozy has given us the tools to be successful! It's up to us to take 100% responsibility for our own actions and put those tools to work. Thanks, Kozy. It would not be possible without you. I have always been an independent, confident woman; however, my experience with Signtronix has increased my confidence to a higher level.
Yvonne Leavitt
Utah Hawks
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| KIRNAN LEWIS |
After 16 years of owning and operating a very successful Dental Laboratory in Northwest Arkansas, a very good friend who also ran a laboratory 10 miles from mine, approached me and my wife, Pixie, about a merger with our business. I was strongly advised against it by many, including my banker. Against the wisdom of many, the merger was completed thus creating a business that was in the top 5% of its industry.
Due to entirely too much trust in friends, within two years our partners literally took everything we had built over the last 18 years, except the bills! After losing it all, we managed to end the partnership and went back to our original corporation. However, after attempting for two years to rebuild my business, I realized I didn't have the energy or the desire needed to do this. My spirit for the business had been broken, and I was burned out. But, my big obstacle was, of course, how to make a living, especially after living a lifestyle with a six figure income for over 20 years!
A few years after opening my business, while Senior City Councilman in our little town, we hired our first Police Chief. He was a young man with a young family by the name of Howard Foy. Over the years, Howard and I and our families became best of friends. Howard and I grew to be as close as brothers. Eventually, our family's lives took different paths. Howard took a job with the Sheriff's office in Columbia, South Carolina, and we continued growing our Dental Laboratory. So, after literally losing our shirts, I prayed for God to send something my way to support my family. I wanted him to send me a sign of some kind! I was desperate because I just couldn't go back to what I was doing.
Sales NEVER crossed my mind because I had never sold anything in my 46 years. So, that was out of the question! However, we were in a position that I had never been in before... unable to pay my bills and losing my 40ft Motor Coach amongst other things! Well, a short time later, guess who shows back up in Northwest Arkansas no longer a cop but in a new profession? Yes, Howard Foy, and he was doing very well SELLING SIGNS! Wow, I had been praying for a SIGN, so I had no choice but to believe this was from God himself!
Howard, becoming the Regional Manager of the Arkansas Region, took me under his wing and shared with me what he knew. He was fearful because I had never sold anything in my life and if I didn't make it, he thought my wife would never forgive him! There is so much more to this story, but I've tried to keep it brief so "I don't sound like a salesman." Thus far, in my career with Signtronix, we have been blessed with the ability to get out of the debt that we created with the failed partnership and also to be more appreciative of what we now have. My first year, I was back into a six figure income, which is helping my wife and I overcome many of our past financial obligations. Since then we have been able to slowly create another six figure lifestyle but with this one we learned to do it using more wisdom!
Since my first year, we have been through a lot with Signtronix, including one trip to the Bahamas and another to Mexico. I have traveled extensively around the country and made a couple of trips to the home office in Torrance, California. My only regret is that this chance did not come my way twenty years earlier. However, it did come at the perfect time. I thank God ultimately for this opportunity but must give my wife, Pixie, much credit for my success. She is the one who said I could do this because I have successfully sold myself for the last 20 years in business and could do the same thing with Signtronix. It would take a book to tell how she has been my rock through so much that has happened in this short time but to her I just say, "Thank You, with Love." Also, much thanks to Kozy Boren, for his vision 50+ years ago, not having a clue how it would someday impact and be the answer to a prayer for a man and his family that you had never met. There are many others to thank, but none more than Howand CC Foy. Words totally escape me for these two and their family over the last 15 years, so I will try to express all that Pixie and I feel by simply saying THANK YOU. We look forward to many more years of kinship and working together.
Kirnan Lewis
Arkansas Travelers
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| RON MACLACHLAN |
"It was not the ‘get paid daily' part of the Signtronix opportunity that attracted me to this company, it was the ability to travel anywhere in the United States, work AND get paid daily."
Hindsight being 20/20, I have come to understand that all that I have done is nothing more than the fodder which had nourished me for what was yet to come.
When I answered the Signtronix ad, found in the L.A. Times in January of 2004, life was not as favorable as it once was. My life was upside-down. I was in the middle of a divorce, fighting for my children's right to have their father be a part of their lives. While living in my 1989 Bronco, serving homeless people nightly, in exchange for food and working at Labor Ready camps for money.
It was not the "get paid daily" part of the Signtronix opportunity that attracted me to this company, it was the ability to travel anywhere in the United States work and get paid daily. This was and is the ingredients needed to be the vehicle which would allow me to find my children, get to court and establish their rights, as well as my own.
Of course, now all that I had to do was learn a simple presentation and go to work. This is exactly what I did, and like anything else worth doing, consistent work ethics combined with a proven method of success will always result in positive results. Within a few short weeks of joining Signtronix, the world had changed, I had found a way to make some money, get to court and establish some rights for Fiona, Aidan and myself. With only five contracts under my belt, I left L.A. on a journey to Denver with only one hundred dollars, a tank of gas, a sample and the faith that if we do the right thing for the right reason we will get the right results.
As an athlete, I learned no matter how well one does as an individual, without teamwork, the prospect of any notable achievement is extremely rare. Being a part of the Signtronix family opens the doors of the main office and its incredible staff for all of us and without their help, success would not be blessing any of us. As a California Landshark, I have had the privilege and honor to work and learn from some of the best salespeople that Signtronix has to offer, Jim Callahan, Dan Stanley, Tim Schomer, Heather Kniffin, Dave and Irene Tucker have all played an integral role in my success as a Signtronix salesman. Without their influence, my personal accomplishments in Signtronix would certainly not be as they are now.
In the last 3 1/2 years, I have written more contracts than any other Landshark and during this time frame, I have been in the top five in contracts twice nationally. As a District Manager, I find it to be very rewarding when a new salesman finds a way to accomplish their goals, with my help as well as help offered from our team.
In January, it will have been seven years since I answered that ad in the L.A. Times, more than one hundred and fifty thousand miles has been traveled in order to share some life with my son, Aidan and my daughter, Fiona, all of which has been financed through the opportunity offered with Signtronix.
For me, success is not defined by the size of my wallet but rather the time that I spend with my children, for being a parent is truly one of God's greatest gifts.
Ron MacLachlan
Colorado Cougars
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| JOHN MARTY |
When I first heard of the Signtronix opportunity, I was already firmly entrenched in the swimming pool business. For seventeen years, I was involved with in-home sales and one-call closing. But it was a seven-month-a-year job, and I was always looking for something to keep the income flowing in the winter. Little did I realize when I made the call to the Signtronix office in St. Louis that I would be making a total career about-face.
Selling was a way of life for me since my early 20s. I had no fears about calling on potential customers and looked forward to making money on my own efforts. Signtronix afforded me an opportunity beyond my wildest dreams! First, getting paid for my hard work immediately was a totally new experience. Going to the bank became a joyous occasion. The first time I walked into a bank and cashed a check I was smiling so broadly I thought I'd be arrested. But as the weeks went by and the checks continued to be made out in my name, I realized this was merely the fruits of my labor, just as if it were a Friday paycheck. But, this was better than waiting for Friday! I had the opportunity to not only make a tremendous income, but I was helping business owners increase their paychecks as well. For every dollar I earned they had the potential to earn hundreds with their new sign!
My Regional Manager, Jeff Dean, convinced me to try the Signtronix way of life. But my own experiences on the road, searching for business owners to take advantage of a new technology taught me that I had made the right choice. My family has benefited from a greatly increased income. Coming home from our regularly scheduled road trips has made my wife and I appreciate each other more and more.
I look at every day as a new adventure, in a new part of the country, with opportunities to make new friends each day. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I had a catastrophe. For four months I could not drive. How was I going to make a living? How was I going to keep this great new career going? Then, I discovered the value of the Signtronix family. Another new Dealer's introduction to Signtronix nearly mirrored mine. We had become friends as well as coworkers. When I was literally trapped at home with no way of traveling, he called me. He said, "I'll pick you up and we'll work together." For the next five months, we worked on the road making lite-ups and finding Showcase Locations. Without his concern and unselfishness, I would have lost my opportunity.
Just a few months later, we attended the Signtronix Academy, a training program for District Managers. That training further solidified my Signtronix way of life, and the lessons I've learned have helped me continue the success I've come to appreciate. Training, relationships, and great products are all part of the tremendous Signtronix opportunity.
If you choose to take advantage of this company's strong growth and vitality, please know there are people here who care about your success. While nothing worthwhile is easy, the help is here to make you successful. And the product is the absolute finest in the industry. I'd be glad to talk to you and answer your questions personally. Like all the Signtronix family, I'm ready to help in your success.
John Marty
Louisville Sluggers
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| FRANK MARZULLO |
Steel City Eagle DM Frank Marzullo is a man that is confident, poised, kind, motivated, focused and determined to succeed. Those characteristics by themselves give him a jump start on achievement, but it's his friendly, genuine, funny and inviting personality that sets him apart from the average Sign Guy. He's the anomaly that makes everyone say, "How does he do it?"
Frank Marzullo has lived in Butler, Pennsylvania for the past 38 years. The nine years prior to Frank's Signtronix career, he was a steel worker... and hated every second of it! He knew there was something more out there, so he quit his job in hoped to find something he loved. Frank said, "After three years of finding myself I answered a sales ad in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Wam! Signtronix entered my life!"
Thru the help of the entire Steel City Eagle team, Frank was able to learn quickly and begin the life he had been searching to find. "When I started, my son had to teach me how to email Now, the things I am able to do daily, both computer design and providing better signage, help people amplify the image of their business. It's incredible!"
Frank claims that his first year in the business he drove Buddy and the guys all crazy with questions and constantly trying to learn everything he could! Even today, he is a forever-student of the business. There is a reason they call him Frank "The Machine" Marzullo. He has the drive and energy to work like a machine and produce sky-scraping numbers.
Now, we can safely say that working for Signtronix has not only brought Frank success in his career but also success in love. He recently got married to a wonderful woman named Catherine, whom he met during a lite-up at a Nursing Home. Whether or not he wrote a contract, he got the sale! Through the marriage, Frank has obtained the honor of three daughters Nicole, Heather and Bridgette. And yes, he's now a grandpa with Nicole's sweet baby, Jessica. While Frank's two terrific sons, Nicholas, 15, and Tony, 12, have been adjusting to their new sister's and mom, they are very proud of their successful dad.
"I thank everyone for the help and support that you have given me. It has truly facilitated many blessings to come to me and my family. I don't do much different when I'm in the field. Other that what the great Buddy Swisshelm teaches in class, I simply force myself into action daily, keep my goals and reasons in front of me, believe in what I do and just go to work! I go to every one of our customers and either sell or obtain leads. I go to everyone that has a portable marquee and the nicest sign in town.You have to make it happen out there! Learn to see the possibilities in everything and make them yours."
Frank Marzullo
Steel City Eagles
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| TIM MCNEAL |
"I just need to find something where I can make some money!" This was the statement that led me to Signtronix. I was visiting a trusted friend at a local coffee shop. We were discussing the challenges I was facing in my personal and professional life. Things like having nine children at home, paying huge food and huge utility bills, trying to keep current on two mortgage payments, just to name a few. I was working two and three jobs and still couldn't keep up financially.
My wife of twenty years and I were never afraid of hard work. As a young man, I trained to do missionary work and learned the printing and publishing trade. I ended up owning my own Printing business for a few years. As time progressed and our family grew, we needed a larger home. With our move and some bad business decisions, along with the 9-11 incidents, we found ourselves without a printing business and hunting for a job.
"Why don't you try Signtronix?" was the advice my friend suggested as he sipped his coffee. This was the first I had heard of our company. Brian proceeded to tell me the story of watching a buddy of his for two days. Each day, Dovie sold signs and put over $1000 in his pocket. This truly peeked my interest, so I made the proper contacts and found myself and my wife in Jeff Dean's office hearing the presentation.
I joined the company and put all my might into learning my new trade and craft. I've enjoyed wonderful success over the last three and a half years with this company. The support and training is phenomenal. The company friendships forged and the challenge to stretch and better ourselves has been well worth the effort. I don't know what I would have done without this opportunity.
I was promoted to District Manager within eight months of starting my Signtronix career. Since then, I have had the privilege of establishing and working with a team of talented men and women, without whom I wouldn't be where I am now. Achievements I've since enjoyed have been: becoming a top performer, distinguishing myself as #1 District Manager in 2007, winning and taking my wife on the company trip to Mexico twice and winning the Lance Sijan Award three times.
Soon after I started at Signtronix, my son, Seth, developed an interest in my new profession and joined in August 2006. Year-to-date, he is one of the top ten performers in the company - at just 21 years old! Mom and Dad, of course, couldn't be more proud.
With previous jobs and positions, I always seemed excited at first to learn something new, but then would become bored in a short period of time. With my Signtronix career, I don't think that's possible!
Tim MacNeal
St. Louis Road Warriors
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| ROGER PELTON |
Then... 1965
Roger Pelton is a young man who is moving up fast in the sales world of Gulf Electrical where he's made his mark in the short time that he has been with the company. Roger joined us in February of this year (1965) and in a period of a few months has taken his place alongside the best of our salesmen.
As most salesmen, Roger has his particular method of selling the product. He specializes in small towns and cities where facilities are limited. Roger just recently made three sales in a city of only 400 people.
He lists travel as his hobby... a hobby which he is now making pay off with his fast moving sales method. Originally from North Dakota and San Marcos State College, he earned a Road Runner pin for completing a 1000 mile trip!
Now... 2008
A mere 43 years later... Roger is still pursuing his hobby of traveling around the country only today Roger Pelton helps other regions build their manpower. Along the way, Roger achieved every award possible even earning the prestigious Champion Ring for being #1Division Manager several years in a row. Roger continues to "walk his talk" and teach new dealers "his particular method of selling our product".
In 1995, Roger "personally recruited" his sons Joel and Lance. Joel and Lance spent their younger years growing up in California while Roger was Vice President of Sales. Roger eventually moved his family to Texas where the boys could grow up on open land! Today, Joel is Regional Manager of the San Antonio Gunslingers and Lance is Regional Manager of the Texas Trailblazers. Joel and Lance have not let Roger down in "his winning ways". They are always ranked in the Top 5 among the regions.
This family of strong salesmen is held together by wife and mother, Arlene. In the early years, Arlene traveled around the country with Roger supporting him as he made sales calls. Roger and Arlene have always been a "team" in our business. Roger made the sales while Arlene did all of the bookkeeping and paperwork. Together this "dynamic duo" has become successful in every way. Their family retreat, a beautiful cabin in the mountains of Colorado, allows them to spend special time with their children and grandchildren. However, being a Signtronix family, signs are always a significant part of the conversation.
Their competitive spirit and strong family ties enable them to travel and play together on our yearly contest pay-off trips. Roger is a company "icon" and his lessons in selling will forever be a part of Signtronix history. In fact, Roger Pelton field trained Tom Johnson. Roger taught Tom to "farm an area" much as he teaches new dealers today. Tom's book, "Monkey See Monkey Do", recounts their 40 year history together that has not only built a strong, working relationship but a lasting friendship.
Thank you, Roger and Arlene for your many years of experience, hard work and dedication. We love and appreciate you!
Roger Pelton
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| ROBERT PRUJAN |
It was late November of 1995, and I had been stuck in the Women's Apparel Industry in Dallas, Texas for over 25 years and was getting pretty darn tired of "other" people controlling my destiny. I was disillusioned with manufacturers hitting me with CHARGEBACKS month after month, a shrinking account base and just real "tired" of being "sick and tired". It was time to do something else. But, who wants a 50 year old who has been in one industry his entire adult life. Kozy did! Tom Johnson did! Gulf Industries (Signtronix) did!
I saw an ad in the newspaper that offered CASH PAID DAILY (and wasn't that a coincidence…. I NEEDED Cash Paid Daily!) I went to a group interview and when the cover came off that old Jim's Auto Repair sample, I knew I had a product and service I could believe in. A couple of days of classroom training, a road trip to Norman, Oklahoma, a day of field training and I was READY! My second day in the field, I wrote my first contract at Stan's Clockworks in Chickache, Oklahoma and the rest, as they say, is history.
My first month in the business, I was the #7 dealer in the company. I turned it up a notch in January, finished as the #1 Dealer and became a student of the business. I sought out Tom Johnson's advice and friendship. Tom introduced me to Rick Rossetti. They both made it a point to let me know my efforts were being noticed and appreciated. They knew I just wanted to get better. To this day, they both remain two of my dearest friends and mentors, and they keep pushing me with "tough love" and guidance.
I spent 18 months on the Home Office Staff and was one of the original members of the Wolf Pack, a group of seasoned veterans that traveled the country field training new dealers. Having someone in the car with me everyday inspired me to perform at a higher level consistently following the Signtronix program. Tom even shared with me his pride in, as he put it, the "Student becoming the Teacher", a trait I carry with me to this day.
Today, I am the "Proud Regional Manager of the Pensacola Blue Angels", a team and close knit family. I could not be more proud of with the likes of DM Rick ‘Buck' Buchanan, Vann Watson and David Adams, all names that continue to appear in the News and Views and Spotlight on Success! These guys put the FUN back into my life and made me better. True Champions each and every one of them. Thank You!
I love teaching this business. I love this company and every single member of our family, from the entire staff at the Home Office to the far reaches of this country. North, East, South and West, there is NO finer group of people found anywhere. And to Kozy and Sally Boren, THANK YOU for allowing me to be a part of this and welcoming me into this family. The past 16 years have been "ONE HELL OF A RIDE!"
Robert Prujan
Pensacola Blue Angels
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| HAROLD WEATHERLY |
"I never reach the destination…I just head out and enjoy the journey both in life and in work."
Harold's eye for the interesting served him well, especially when he met his wife, Gayle, in 1988. They were married in 1989 and as two children came, the Los Angeles area was losing its appeal as the place to raise a family. Weatherly again had an eye for the interesting taking a buyout and becoming Mr. Mom while Gayle worked as a traveling RN.
In 2004, they settled in Tucson, AZ. Along the way, Weatherly had invested in a window graphics business. The business developed into full time work and part-time money. In 2007, Harold came across an ad for Signtronix. He applied and was contacted by Roger Pelton and invited in for an interview. Weatherly was the only one Roger had ever interviewed that could remember the words on the Coppertone Suntan Lotion billboard!
After some field training with Richard Houston, Harold realized how his eye for the interesting and Signtronix could be a great match. His Icebreaker came the first week, but working locally was not paying off. Following a factory lead, he traveled 150 miles, met with the lead and found they weren't ready to make a decision. Making lemonade out of lemons, he started making calls. In short order, he had a sale and $700 cash. By the end of the week, he had over $5,000 in commissions and a new found passion!
In December of 2007, Harold was promoted to Regional Manager. 2008 found Weatherly on road trip after road trip and he earned the Mexico incentive trip by August. August seems to be the month for Weatherly. Personal sales in August 2008 were $100,000 while August 2009 was nearly the same! Also in August 2009, the Copper State Cool Rays Region placed #2 for Volume with over $250,000! Harold said, "In addition to the obvious positives of our business, I really like training reps so they, too, can enjoy financial freedom."
His journey to this point has been long and circuitous, but, with Signtronix, his direction is clear and his eye for the interesting is very satisfied. Has he reached his destination? When asked, he replied, "I never reach the destination…I just head out and enjoy the journey both in life and in work."
"If I set a destination, I will just go there and miss all the side trips that are the spice of life. I prefer not to set a destination and go where the wind takes me. It has never let me down." He also added, "Going out on road trips is absolutely great. You meet the nicest merchants and the real people of America. I am very lucky and I thank God daily I have this opportunity. How else can I see and experience things like a county fair demolition derby in Scobey, Montana, the Peace Gardens on the U.S. and Canadian borders of North Dakota and Lance Sijan's gravesite in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? It is all so interesting to the eye."
Does Weatherly do anything different? "No. I stay with the presentation. No need to re-invent the wheel. It works beautifully. I work late and I work methodically. It's all basic door-todoor, store-to-store stuff. Listen to the merchant. They will tell you what they need and want. This is not rocket science. The best have paved the way. Always ask for referrals. Always leave them clean and happy. Never leave cards. Do five to six lite ups a day. It's so simple. The most important thing is to have fun!"
Harold Weatherly
Copper State Cool Rays
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| BRAD WHISTLER |
My name is Brad Whistler. I am a District Manager working with Signtronix. This is my story of finding where I belong. Maybe this will sound familiar to you. Like most people I dreaded hearing my alarm in the morning. I spent 17 years in the trucking industry and in hind site can honestly say I hated nearly all 17 years of my career. I was successful in my job having attained the position of Operations Manager; however, the position and title didn't mean a thing to me! I always wanted out of transportation and always had my own escape plan. I was a photographer on the side. No matter where I worked, I always had my own photography studio. I loved it, but it didn't pay the bills.
One Monday morning feeling desperate to escape, I read a brilliant ad in the local newspaper advertising a sales position with IMMEDIATE commissions and no territory. I called and after a short conversation was scheduled for an interview the following morning. I met Buddy Swisshelm for what ended up being a 2 ˝ hour interview. I was offered a position and have never looked back!
My first sale gave me a $1,600 payday. I spent two hours with the client so I averaged $800 an hour. I cashed MY check 5 minutes after leaving the business. That customer has just purchased their third sign from me and more are in their future. My largest, single commission to date has been $7,000 and there is a lot more out there. Even our average commission is more than I made in an entire week in the trucking business.
I am now teaching other Signtronix Dealers how to do what I have been taught. The pay, incentives, rewards and mostly the people have made Signtronix the best career move of my life. The feeling of magic surrounds this company and can be experienced every time we gather for a meeting in one of the USA's finest cities, in the home office or even in one of our smaller, Regional offices.
Everyone in the organization is looking to help someone else, to pass the baton of knowledge, to create the next great Signtronix Dealer. If Buddy Swisshelm would have tried to explain the full potential of the position he was offering me, I never would have believed him. The incredible part is that it keeps getting better. I am highly compensated to do something I truly love! This is where I belong. This is where I will retire and this is where I am HAPPY! Thanks Signtronix!
Brad Whistler
Steel City Eagles
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