​Did you know that coffee is the most consumed product worldwide? Three billion cups consumed every day. Being one of those three billion cups, I am lucky to have a wife who loves coffee as much as I do. And she takes it just like me — coffee + creamer. Really don’t understand how people can drink it straight.

Coffee is my guilty pleasure, or so multiple media outlets would have me believe. If starting the day off with coffee is some kind of nutritional sin, then I’ll go to confession weekly. As I sit here drinking my third cup, I am wondering how much coffee is too much? 

Like the Coronavirus, there is a whole bunch of information out there that seems to change regularly. Some of the most fit people I know crush coffee. Don’t know how many cups they drink a day, but I do know it’s more than one, and they are in killer shape. A little research for answers and it turns out there is quite a bit written about coffee drinking. 

Boom! You can drink coffee and some is even good for you!  

WebMD and health.com websites sited The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) as their source for credible information. Being the skeptic that I am, I couldn’t find any data revealing their biggest sponsor to be Folgers Coffee, so their information seems legit. Turns out, the AJCN is “The most highly rated peer-reviewed, primary research journal in nutrition and dietetics. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition publishes the latest research on topics in nutrition, such as obesity, vitamins and minerals, nutrition and disease, and energy metabolism.”

A study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia suggested that drinking six (6) or more cups of coffee per day may increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%. They analyzed the health records and self-reported dietary patterns of 347,077 participants between the ages of 37 and 73 — not a bad sample size. That many people, I think we can agree the data should be fairly accurate (given the rule that each study will be within 2% to 3% margin of error). I’ll buy those results and limit my consumption to five (5). 

Also, according to an article in Time Magazine, drinking up to eight (8) ounces of coffee a day is good for you. The indulgence can actually help you live longer. 

Note to self: no more guilt over that afternoon cup!

​Or so we say until there’s a dry spell. Rain, rain, glad you’re here, but please, only on weekends in our business. Last year about this time we started an entire sign pack project in Culver City for a 30-year old corporate office building. It was a major remodel — the Request for Quote came in as a 28-page PDF document.

Quite an undertaking and a great opportunity to test our strength as a team.

By the time we won the bid, the project was well into the remodel phase, making it challenging to perform a site survey and determine exactly where signs were to be placed. Looking back, there wasn’t a page that didn’t require edits, from changing the letters to be without trim to the location of the directional signage. And as usual, there was the long wait to obtain permits from the local municipality.

​We plotted a course for production and construction of each item on the project list, working closely with the client via weekly meetings which included our fabrication team and customer service reps. We provided samples, artwork, and even created the required renderings to complete the project.

​Plot, plan, and adjust. To give you an idea of the process, we typically print out ALL items onto an 8.5x11 sheet, walk the property with the client and tape up the signage throughout. This give us an assessment of what needs adjusting and whether change orders are necessary. As each page of the RFQ is approved, we collaborate with fabrication to procure materials and allocate time as precisely as possible to achieve the best results manpower allows and the weather permits.

​By the time we were finished, DWJ had installed over 276 signs throughout the remodeled building. Everyone was happy — and still is. We have been able to provide touch ups, add names, and be a continued partner with this valued client.

OMG!! This guy won’t stop calling! IGNORE!

That was me 10 minutes before I sat down to write this blog. Every morning these days I get an email from an address I’ve never seen before: “Hi Dietrich…I was looking at your website and I noticed…” DELETE!

In this 2020 biz world, we’re bombarded with advertisements, some got-to-have product we’ve got to have. Frankly, it’s sleazy and cheesy. I can’t be the only one who finds it annoying when Mike Trout is pushing a protein drink on his Instagram page. I get it. We shouldn’t fault people for peddling their products or services, but there really is an etiquette to this. It separates the discerning professional from the indiscriminate snake oil guy.

I’ve been in sales my entire career. I have been politely asked to get lost.

​From those experiences, here’s my learn on business etiquette. Refer to THE BOOK. Yes, I’m talking about Emily Post’s Etiquette. Adhering to rules of etiquette is how successful people conduct themselves. Basically, it’s how you get people to listen and maybe even like you. Be interested in people and they will generally be interested in you. Be + considerate.

It really is simple. Follow the Golden Rule. Don’t do unto someone else something you wouldn’t want done unto you. I hate it when someone spams me, therefore, I don’t do it to others. I know. It’s a numbers game, but it ultimately does more harm than good.

Sure, cold call or email a potential client, but do it considerately. Research before you pick up the phone or type a word. Anticipate a genuine need or want, instead of trying to sell. No need to be pushy. Begin the relationship with a subtle touch, then follow the contact on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Get to know them and what they like. Not every contact should become a customer — there’s a polite way to find that out.

It isn’t spamming and calling three times a day.

You’re single and ready to mingle, not married and you are looking for a girlfriend or a boyfriend. What does that person look like? How does that person act? What are his or her hobbies? Do they work out? Do they read a lot? Do they like to write? Do they chew with their mouth open?

Just like a perfect partner, some customers are perfect and some – not so much.  

When it comes to customers, we typically run a “come one, come all” attitude towards business. We will work with anyone who is willing to work us, unlike dating where we become very particular about who we will accept. The reality is that not every customer is for us.

We are routinely asked, “Can you print this?”, “Can you make that?”, “How fast can you do it?” My reply is “Well, I’m not pushing a Bentley, so of course we will take the work.” In the early days, I would put in hours and hours to produce an invitation — paper samples, design samples, running proofs, running proofs, running proofs (you get the idea). I could have charged $5,000 for the 250 invitations and would still have lost money. Highly unlikely that customer will place future orders or be a referral source. Although very nice people, we should have sent them to an online supplier specialist.

Fortunately, there are customers who are oh so perfect. We have accounts that order from us every single day, tell us constantly how grateful they are for our service, and always pay their bills. That said, the concept that “I like the customers who like me” is the fastest way to lose money and go out of business. Since taking our lumps, we have created the profile of what we believe is our perfect customer.

Our ideal is an overworked purchasing department, facilities department or marketing team. A company with multiple locations across California — property management, credit unions, fast food chains, coffee franchises — who can simply click the “Forward” button and we take it from there. The reality is that most client relationships begin as a push-pull effort to match goals and needs with capabilities. Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t. The better we are at listening and hearing, the more often the ideal customer shows up.

Oh, and one other thing. According to Grant Cordone (If You’re Not First, Your Last), the money is in the follow up. I would never have ended up marrying my wife if I had not followed up many, many, times. Customers are the same. This Covid-19 distancing period is the opportune time to get virtually closer to your “oh so perfect” clients. Follow up!

I just saw a headline – how a guy (Moiz Ali) took a deodorant company (Native) from $0 to $100 million in 2 years!
 
How did this guy do it? What does he know that we don’t know?
 
What do financially successful people have that others don’t have? Gift of gab? Talent?  I once heard that a wise man learns from others mistakes and an idiot learns from his own. To take a business from $0 to a $100Ms, you have to have some help along the way. You need a few good examples of people that came before you.
 
A mentor is only as good as you are willing to heed their advice. Why be so thick-headed that you think you already know how to do something? Unless you have already successfully done it, the truth is you don’t know how. We want to build a $5 million dollar company, we have never done that. We need to find someone who has, then have them mentor us. I want to complete a triathlon. I better get out there and figure out how, and talk to someone who has done it.
 
We have all done something in our life that can be of value to someone else. Pay it forward. Fastest way to misery is to avoid service, to be nothing but a lesson to people of what not to be.
 
At some point in our lives we will be an example to someone else. The question is, “Are we an inspiration to that person, or are we that person no one wants to be like?” Be a teacher to someone, guide them through all the mistakes you made so they can avoid making them too.
 
Pay it forward and support someone to becoming better than you. You will know you did a good job when “the apprentice is now the master.”
 
Be a blessing in someone’s life, not the lesson.
 

This week, while on calls, I have caught myself shooting hoops, throwing a ball against the wall, on a run, drinking a beer, and of course, watching Tiger King on Netflix. I am also replying to emails at 10:00pm at night instead of being in bed getting ready for the next day.
 
Working from the garage office would be perfect — IF ONLY it was summer! It is so cold in here my fingers are shaking and it reminds me of being back in Orange City, IA. I have always dreamed of an indoor/outdoor office set up. Although now that I realize how cold that can be, I may rethink the dream. Also, the glare from the computer screen can make it tough to read anything on the right-hand side.
 
Despite these complaints, it got me thinking, “What is the perfect home set up?” Comfy chair, great internet connection, cool neighbors, good window location, plenty of desk space to spread out, printer that works, desktop computer, and all of your logins already saved?
 
Wait! I do have this chance to make my own “office.” It shouldn’t take much to create a space to work from, aside from those needed resources you hear yourself saying, “Ugh, if I was at my office.” Yesterday I needed login information and, of course, it is written on a piece of paper in the bookkeeper’s files. “Ugh, if I was at my office.”
 
I can’t sit still for very long, so I certainly need a space where I can stand up and move around. Steve Jobs was known for walking and talking with the person when he had to have an intense conversation. Some of his walks went for miles! For some reason the moving around helps me think. Working out of this garage gives me the chance to swing a bat.
 
The longer I reflected on my own work station it dawned on me. The perfect workspace is like beauty — it is in the eye of the beholder. For me, I need a few things outside of the obvious, namely a computer and the internet. I have to have a desktop printer that works 100% of the time. Call me old school, but I still like to print important stuff and read the paper copy. Among all the errors I make in a given day, it seems to help cut down on some.
 
I do need an actual desk to sit at — I can’t sit on the couch or at the dining room table. If I don’t have an actual designated work station, I am going to be doing everything besides working — cleaning, noticing things I need to do around the house, socializing on my phone.
 
So, I sit here blowing on my hands thinking this social distancing could last much longer and wondering what space heaters cost. Actually, we are pretty lucky to be able to work from home and create our own little office away from the office. It is our little space to placate all of idiosyncrasy, the home office.  #CoronaCantKeepMeDown

The world is coming to an end! I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine who told me there will be 385,000 patients critically ill from the Coronavirus. This is going to be the largest and longest depression in our history. 

Well, he told me this among many things. As we discussed further, he suggested we are hopefully not as bad as China. We have had 785 deaths from the novel #coronavirus (sorry, I only see it these days in hashtag format).

I hung up and put my head down.
 
As I thought about our conversation it dawned on me that we always focus on the worst. Someone talks to us for 15 minutes and what I remember is the worst part of the conversation. Why? I even catch myself doing this as a husband, father and friend. Focusing on the wrong things, the wrong moments in the conversation. 

How annoying!! 

As I wrote about earlier this week – “this too shall pass.” When it does, where will we be?  

This time in human history is a study in human psychology. We all watch the news for hours and only remember the worst stuff. Gavin Newsom’s prediction: More than half of Californians could be infected with the fast-moving sickness in a two-month period. 

Nobody heard anything else in that press conference except the worst. Wow I thought, sure enough, my group text lit up with his quote. It was nice to read experts say it’s ridiculous! But it underscores the point that we merely focus on the bad news. 
​
Ignore it! Lou Holtz once said that “things are not as bad as they seem, things are not as good as they seem. Somewhere in the middle lies reality.” 

At the time of this writing we are working on current client projects, many of which are overdue. Talking to prospects. Quoting jobs. Ramping up our social media presence because EVERYONE is online right now. Building our business. Getting better today than we were yesterday. 

​Here is your prescription – turn off the news, put your head down and focus on how you can get better. This too shall pass and we will wish we had made the most of this time. 

This was one of our favorite projects to date. Results delivered, budgets hit and happy customers!! Here is how we did it.  
 
Our client was in a waiting period on an updated signage package. They had recently spent the past 8 months repositioning the main entrance and amenities throughout the property.  
 
They are in a beautiful 75 unit apartment complex located just blocks from the beach in Southern California. The competition surrounding them was tough, they were all properties that had up to date amenities and appeared to have been built “many years” after them.
 
The client had inked a contract with a highly professional environmental architecture firm and were waiting on a signage package for this property among others.
 
They didn’t want to spend much money knowing that they are going to get all new signage throughout the property at a later date.
 
The client reached out to DWJ Print (dba DWJ Electric Sign) and said…

​We quickly gathered the team, went to the property to take pictures and gather measurements. #measuretwicecutonce  ALWAYS do a site survey before quoting, designing or installing any signage.
 
We discussed a vinyl banner to hang over the stucco wall, but the client ultimately decided to go away from that idea. We all agreed that it would not reflect the brand of the property nor tell the story of how beautiful the new amenities now are. The team also felt that the vinyl banner would not reflect the hard work the staff had put into the remodel.
 
We were off, we have worked with this client for several years, so we knew what information they wanted, needed and the correct font style they need. We proposed a ½” Black Acrylic laser cut letters mounted directly to the stucco wall. We would easily be able to get the ½” Black Acrylic material to stick to their timeline. As well, we could easily cut the acrylic on the laser machine in a matter of a day.
 
We provided the client a quote and proof. They quickly signed off on the project for approval and we got to work.
 
Before we move forward on cutting materials or begin sign fabrication, we create a paper pattern exactly to size. We print the pattern on 60# uncoated sheet using a Mimaki 72 in Large Format Printer Eco Solvent Outdoor Wide Printing Plotte. We then take it to the job site and are sure to tape it up to the exact location we will install the sign. It gives the client a great chance to look exactly what will go up and how it will fit.
 
The community manager came out and gave us the thumbs up.
 
Back at the shop we began cutting. And cutting and cutting. Until finally the acrylic was cut and ready for installation.
 
From that point, the DWJ team of technicians got back to the apartment complex and went to work on the installation.  
 
Today the sign looks beautiful and is a welcome home for all the residents and their new home.

​As I pulled into the office this morning, I couldn’t help but notice the banner we hung on city property has gone untouched. The surrounding industrial community and LA Metro station landscape can bring unsavory personnel past our business.
 
The banner is a tribute we made to honor the passing of Los Angeles great, Kobe Bryant. It has been up for several weeks and looks still brand new. I couldn’t help but think what would Kobe be doing in these times?

Obviously, the answer – setting goals to keep him focused. Therefore, that’s exactly what we are doing.
 
As we all know, right now everyone is on lock down trying to protect our elderly citizens from getting sick. At the time of this writing we have 40,550 total cases with 473 deaths. A 1% death rate if you test positive for COVID-19.
 
The chance of you getting COVID-19 is very low and even lower that you are going to die.
 
BREAKING NEWS - you are going to live!!  
 
Therefore, we better make it a point to be prepared for the days following this virus outbreak.  
 
Here at DWJ we are challenging each of us to put together our goals over the next 30 days. Come April 23 here are the goals I hope to achieve.

​The average consumer sees around 300 ads per day. How do you make yours stand out from the crowd? Here are a few things to remember!
What’s your story?
When it comes to branding, a picture really is worth 1,000 words. Potential customers are likely to see your logo before they read anything about you so it needs convey your story. A good graphic designer will understand this and work with you to create design elements that present an image in line with what you want to achieve for your brand.
 
Be prepared for that conversation by having your brand story ready to present. Once that foundation is in place, you will be better equipped to provide feedback on how well the designer is achieving it. This goes for redesigns, too—a new design should continue to tell your brand’s story as well as the previous one did. Otherwise, the consequences can be brutal.
 
Inspiration is everywhere
One advantage to seeing so many marketing messages each day is that there’s no shortage of inspiration out there. A good brand is always evolving and adapting to new trends, rather than staying with the same-old, same-olds.
 
Seek out design ideas you like by cutting clips from magazines or adding links to a board in Pinterest. Choose examples of things you like and things you don’t so your designer will have a complete picture when it’s time to create design elements.
 
If at first you don’t succeed…
Because design elements are so critical to a brand’s public perception, it’s crucial that you are satisfied with the finished product before it’s added to your website or print collateral. Again, a good graphic designer will understand this and work with you until you are satisfied.
 
If you have a solid understanding of you brand story, examples of what you want to achieve, and the perseverance to stick with it until you get what you want, you may be rewarded with a strong design and brand visibility! It may help your brand rise to the top of the marketing fray that your consumers are bombarded with each day.