Bryant and Michael are back after over a year away from the mic. They catch up on life — Mike's transition to full-time caretaker for his mom, Bryant's work at Directus, and their shared obsession with AI.

They answer listener questions about energy and reinvention as a small business owner, share spicy takes on why "we treat our employees like family" is a red flag, and tease a new software project for the sign industry. Plus: why your sign shop website matters more than ever in the age of AI.

In this episode:

• Catching up after a year away
• Mike's journey as a full-time caretaker
• Restarting the podcast and newsletter
• Teasing a new software project for sign shops
• Listener Q&A: How to keep your energy up
• Burnout, passion, and delegation
• Why your website matters more than ever (AI and SEO)
• Spicy take: Stop treating employees like family

Peter Guba spent 8 years working inside Google with over 1,000 different accounts before starting his own paid ads agency, Profit Mill. In this episode, he reveals why most sign shops are burning money on Google Ads and shares the simple strategy that actually works.

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Key Points Discussed:

• Why Google Ads fail: The real reasons 90% of sign shop advertising campaigns don't work (and it's not what you think)
• The $500 test: How to start Google Ads the right way without betting the farm
• Unit economics breakdown: The math every sign shop owner needs to know before spending a dollar on ads
• Local vs. product ads: Which Google ad types actually work for sign shops
• The attribution problem: How to track if your ads are actually generating sales
• Website optimization: Why your Google Ads success depends more on what happens AFTER the click
• Closing the loop: The simple question every sign shop should ask every customer

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Links:

• Profit Mill: https://profitmill.io

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Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:27 - Why Peter left Google after 8 years
• 04:40 - The agency problem: Why 90% don't deliver
• 09:12 - When sign shops should (and shouldn't) use Google Ads
• 13:55 - The only ad strategy sign shops actually need
• 22:12 - Local campaigns vs. search ads
• 28:07 - Biggest mistakes sign shops make
• 31:12 - Budget recommendations and unit economics
• 38:18 - Tracking results and attribution
• 43:20 - Website optimization for ad traffic
• 52:30 - How to avoid getting burned by agencies
• 57:05 - The future of Google Ads for sign shops

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Are you a sign or print shop owner? Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.

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

Beyond discussing the impact of AI, Bryant and Mike showcase some of their favorite AI-powered tools that they use daily, offering insights into how these innovations are reshaping workflows and creativity.

Tune in for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation as we navigate the fast-paced changes AI is bringing to our world—and what the future might hold!

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In this episode...

00:00 Intro
00:32 "AI" Models Rapid Growth
07:48 Tools We Use
12:23 TypingMind
18:53 AI for SEO
25:43 Tools for Text Generation
36:27 Current AI Situation
47:20 "AI" in Everyday life
53:35 Deepseek
58:00 "AI" Thinks
01:00:25 Directus
01:02:25 Replicate
01:08:00 NotebookLM
01:12:00 Clay
01:14:15 Perplexity
01:17:50 Loveable
01:21:45 Replit
01:28:50 Takeaways
01:34:04 Outro

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Are you a sign or print shop owner?
Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.