A Doctor's Perspective Podcast · Dr. Justin Trosclair DC, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Optometry, Dentist, Podiatry, Marketing

A 02 Drew Cornell Lafayette Signs

March 14, 2023·22 min·1 clip

Drew Carnell explains how he diversified Lafayette Signs when his top five oil clients went bankrupt.

Dr. Justin Trosclair interviews Drew Carnell, owner of Lafayette Signs, about business adaptation and leadership. This episode explores how a local sign company survived industry shifts and the owner's personal growth journey. Drew took over the business in 2012 after teaching graphic design and previously managing shops in Houston. The 2015 oil market crash bankrupted Lafayette Signs' top five clients, forcing a diversification of services. Drew now focuses on interior signage, designing environments to influence client and employee feelings in spaces like waiting rooms. He considers factors like room size, sightlines, and whether people are seated or standing when placing signs. The company competes with large online corporations by offering personalized service and catching design errors before production. About 80% of customers require advice, so their e-commerce platform includes a text box for personalized guidance. Marketing insights reveal Facebook and Google pay-per-click bring good returns, while Instagram does not work for this business. Drew estimates 50-70% of business comes from referrals and Google searches combined. He sends handwritten letters and laser-cut wooden keychains to top clients as relationship-building tools. A surprising claim is that Drew often works from his children's bedtime until 2 a.m., then resumes at 6 a.m. He is implementing the Toyota Management Way and Kaiser method to create systematic workflows over a one-year project. The company uses proofing systems and material requisition processes as "fail gaps" to prevent client misunderstandings. Documented email approvals protect the business when clients approve designs with their own spelling errors. Drew listens to Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan podcasts and studies modern sales books, rejecting aggressive sales tactics. He once advised a client against a costly sign repair during COVID, prioritizing their financial situation over a sale. The tone is conversational and mentorship-focused, with two local business owners exchanging practical experiences. It adopts an educational style, detailing specific business strategies and operational adjustments. Listeners interested in small business resilience, marketing tactics, and operational leadership would appreciate this episode. Those seeking highly produced narratives or industry-agnostic advice might find it too niche.

As heard by us

A local business chat that turns signs into a lesson on leadership and growth.

The episode uses a local sign shop to talk through leadership, delegation, and the slow grind of scaling a business. The strongest stretch is the practical one: how to keep growing without turning one person into the bottleneck, and how handwritten notes or other small touches…

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Want a behind-the-curtain chat with a local signs owner about leadership and how a business grows without the owner doing everything?

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