Discussion Think Tank for sign makers. I wonder if there might be any interest. I am open for discussion.

[Gino]

Robert, I don't know if he can explain it, but I'd like to try.

What is your bottom line...... and without the mumbo-jumbo ??
You use some sorta 3rd grade-level of questions and expect business adults to answer you on aimless questions.
So far, I gather you wanna help, but in the time you've been here, have you helped anyone ??
I know you were in supply sales, but how long were you in the trenches making signs....... and what kinda signs ??

It's hard to take someone serious when you appear fictional.​

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Robert is taking an entry level communication course and needs to practice conversation... This reminds me of a business writing 101 but at a remideal level.

 

[Robert Armerding]

Robert, I don't know if he can explain it, but I'd like to try.

What is your bottom line...... and without the mumbo-jumbo ??
You use some sorta 3rd grade-level of questions and expect business adults to answer you on aimless questions.
So far, I gather you wanna help, but in the time you've been here, have you helped anyone ??
I know you were in supply sales, but how long were you in the trenches making signs....... and what kinda signs ??

It's hard to take someone serious when you appear fictional.​

Gino, I started making signs back in the 1970s. All I had was paint brushes, One Shot paint, and a hand held power tools. I made many signs as a part-time self-employed activity. As things progressed, I went to work as the outside salesperson for a small sign shop. Next, I helped launch a national sign shop. Then, for almost two decades, I worked as the purchasing manager for a sign supply company. In that position, I was involved in hundreds of conversations with all kinds of sign makers.
Back in July, I started to post threads here on Signs101 with very specific topics. I quickly learned that this forum is loaded with skeptics. So, I decided to see if I could find a way to be productive on this forum.
Fortunately, there have been several members who took me seriously. They have been helpful to me and I have been helpful to them.
My current tactic is to start a thread with a wide open inquiry, just a very general introduction to the topic. I hope to gather a full spectrum of what makes this forum tick and then look for ways that I can help. I prefer to work with small teams. I hope that when I do open a specific topic on a thread that there will be two or three other Signs101 members that will join in to make it a team thread. We shall see.
Case in point, look at what FireSprint replied to my wide open inquiry about Zoom. To me, that is an opening to what I would like to accomplish.
Gino, from my perspective, I welcome your replies.

 

[Reveal1]

Reveal1, I find it interesting that just a simple request to see if anyone is interested stirs up so much. As of this moment, 30 people have responded. A few understand my request and show interest. Most do not understand, or do not want to understand. Also interesting, 107 people have read the thread, so 77 of them have read it but not responded. Can you maybe explain to me how my very simple request turned out this way? How is my request "sowing chaos in the sign industry"?

Good for you asking a direct question. My response was tongue in cheek, perhaps too sarcastic and maybe only funny to me, so I apologize for offending you. Not excusing by behavior, but you sometimes INVITE these kinds of responses. Asking programmed open-ended questions that seem lifted right out of a self-improvement seminar, with no real value added on your part and coupled with ads offering free advice for who knows what. Perhaps you view yourself as a facilitator of discussion for the greater good. If so, it's not working. People instinctively pick up on this as a gimmick at best, or a deception at worst, and the conversation devolves from there. I suspect the real Robert is just trying to help, but I wonder who the real Robert is; your response to Gino regarding your background.was as close as it has come to not sounding contrived or robotic, in other words a real person - the point of my and others criticism. I'm guessing the 'real' Robert has a lot to offer and I would be open to learning more from that person. But a 'fake' Robert just invites a ton of views and acerbic comments and nothing is accomplished.

Suggestion? It takes a while in any profession or industry to earn the respect of your peers. I am not the person to lead this discussion, and maybe you are not either. But if someone highly respected on the forum had initiated the same discussion in a slightly different direction, it might have legs. For example: "Other industries have benefited from gathering successful owners and influencers together to identify issues and solutions important to the future of the industry. An example of this is 'X'. I believe it would be helpful for the following reasons a, b, c, d, and e.... Do you think it would be helpful to the sign industry to do something similar? Does anyone know of past efforts to do so? What kind of structure would be required to make something like this work? And what types of skills and talents would contribute most? Any obvious areas of concern that this panel would focus upon to start?"

 

[Robert Armerding]

Good for you asking a direct question. My response was tongue in cheek, perhaps too sarcastic and maybe only funny to me, so I apologize for offending you. Not excusing by behavior, but you sometimes INVITE these kinds of responses. Asking programmed open-ended questions that seem lifted right out of a self-improvement seminar, with no real value added on your part and coupled with ads offering free advice for who knows what. Perhaps you view yourself as a facilitator of discussion for the greater good. If so, it's not working. People instinctively pick up on this as a gimmick at best, or a deception at worst, and the conversation devolves from there. I suspect the real Robert is just trying to help, but I wonder who the real Robert is; your response to Gino regarding your background.was as close as it has come to not sounding contrived or robotic, in other words a real person - the point of my and others criticism. I'm guessing the 'real' Robert has a lot to offer and I would be open to learning more from that person. But a 'fake' Robert just invites a ton of views and acerbic comments and nothing is accomplished.

Suggestion? It takes a while in any profession or industry to earn the respect of your peers. I am not the person to lead this discussion, and maybe you are not either. But if someone highly respected on the forum had initiated the same discussion in a slightly different direction, it might have legs. For example: "Other industries have benefited from gathering successful owners and influencers together to identify issues and solutions important to the future of the industry. An example of this is 'X'. I believe it would be helpful for the following reasons a, b, c, d, and e.... Do you think it would be helpful to the sign industry to do something similar? Does anyone know of past efforts to do so? What kind of structure would be required to make something like this work? And what types of skills and talents would contribute most? Any obvious areas of concern that this panel would focus upon to start?"

Reveal1, your thoughtful feedback is appreciated.
I would like to pick up on one thing you said, "But if someone highly respected on the forum..." I have been watching to discover who they might be. I am hoping that future threads on what you call, "types of skills and talents..." will be a team effort. Indeed, my interest is focussed entirely on the business management side of sign making. And, I firmly believe there is always room for improvement. And then, if future threads are team generated, then we can have synergy. We shall see.
Again, thank you for your replies.

 

[Gene@mpls]

I have followed this forum since [it sez] 2003 which, I think is when Fred and I were on a different forum with... Roland thermal and solvent Ink printers I think? Fred and I did not always agree on anything but I always respected what he had to say. I have been retired since 2008 and finally sold out to a great employee a couple years ago but still stay on as Director of Continuous Improvement [a title I stole from a valued customer]. I have seen forums devolve from very useful things to the current incarnation, 85% snark and 10% anger and... maybe... 5% good advice. Again, this is the world that I have to live out my life in. My last four years have been consumed with CO2 laser craft and learning and I intend to continue as long as it makes this old man happy. Happiness should be the goal, if efficiency makes you happy and work makes you happy and you are good at any of this, you are a very lucky man. I am afraid most of the population will never be happy.

 

[Robert Armerding]

I have followed this forum since [it sez] 2003 which, I think is when Fred and I were on a different forum with... Roland thermal and solvent Ink printers I think? Fred and I did not always agree on anything but I always respected what he had to say. I have been retired since 2008 and finally sold out to a great employee a couple years ago but still stay on as Director of Continuous Improvement [a title I stole from a valued customer]. I have seen forums devolve from very useful things to the current incarnation, 85% snark and 10% anger and... maybe... 5% good advice. Again, this is the world that I have to live out my life in. My last four years have been consumed with CO2 laser craft and learning and I intend to continue as long as it makes this old man happy. Happiness should be the goal, if efficiency makes you happy and work makes you happy and you are good at any of this, you are a very lucky man. I am afraid most of the population will never be happy.

Gene@mpls, I want you to know that I very much appreciate your reply. Thank you for taking the time.
I especially enjoyed your, "Director of Continuous Improvement..."
We shall see what develops here on Signs101. As I see it, the 5% makes it worth the effort.

 

[Ringo]

Who knows. No harm in asking.
Think Tank for sign makers.
What do you say?
Do you have any interest?
Has there ever been anything like this in our industry?
I am open to hearing all sides on the concept.
If you think it is a good idea or dumb idea, feel free to speak up.

Definitely a good idea. Happy to share my thoughts and processes, but more importantly learn from others.

 

[Yeahgor]

Dear Robert, the topic and your provided description of the goals you drive to push looks like the idea of creating some kind of Association/Network that made their money on Teaching/Supplying/consultation of new players in Sign Making business. Am I right?

 

[Robert Armerding]

Dear Robert, the topic and your provided description of the goals you drive to push looks like the idea of creating some kind of Association/Network that made their money on Teaching/Supplying/consultation of new players in Sign Making business. Am I right?

Yeahgor Yes, it certainly could include that kind of business outcome.
And, I am going to pick up on a phrase you use on your webpage: quoting you, "I decided I should be Designer in the widest meaning of this word." You see, my thread was posted to in the "widest meaning" of think tank.
One of my favorite business books is "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith. I sense that the sign industry is headed for some interesting changes. Especially, as you say it, the "new players." They are much more interested in purpose than they are in profit. Yes, they want both, but they lean much more toward knowing the purpose behind the signs they are making.
Okay, here is my favorite question: Does any of this make sense to you?

 

[Yeahgor]

Yeahgor

Dear Robert, your answer contains at least three different pretty wide questions and I can't agree with two of them.
First - I do not agree with your analysis of new players. We have no idea what happened in their mind. People who come to the industry in different ways, some of them are born to be sign makers, and some of them just find this profitable because they have a good lobby in the marketing department of a big corporation.
Second - I'm sorry however I find existing of think tanks in any wide meaning without profit, this is only useless spending the expensive time of a very short life.
In case you have ambitions in the plan of growing up to the consulting service or professional network, so share the marketing and financial plans, and investors (material and nonmaterial) will come.