From High Stakes to High Def: Rob Dowda Owner of SpeedPro Imaging

Summary

Locally Owned Podcast Summary
Episode: From High Stakes to High Def: Rob Dowda Owner of SpeedPro Imaging
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Host: John Smith
Guest: Rob Dowda, Franchise Owner of SpeedPro Direct

---

Introduction to Rob Dowda’s Journey

The episode opens with John Smith introducing Rob Dowda, the franchise owner of SpeedPro Direct. Rob shares his humble beginnings in sales, highlighting the foundational experiences that shaped his resilient and persistent nature.

Rob Dowda [00:09]: "Those hard-earned lessons in resilience and persistence became the foundation for an incredible career."

Early Career in Sales

Rob recounts his first job after college, emphasizing the challenges of cold calling in the pre-Internet era. Despite the difficulties, this role instilled in him a strong work ethic and competitive spirit.

Rob Dowda [02:22]: "Right out of college... my job was to pretty much go cold call every single day, which was tough."

He reflects on earning a base salary of $16,000 plus commission, reaching a total of $30,000 in his first year—a significant achievement at the time.

Rob Dowda [02:44]: "I made $30,000. So 16, plus the commission to get to 30. And I thought that I was wealthy beyond belief..."

Transition to Technology and High-Stakes Sales

Rob transitions from selling business forms and labels to the technology sector, eventually landing a managerial role at Stryker Corporation in the spine implant business. This position placed him in high-pressure environments, consulting directly with surgeons in operating rooms.

Rob Dowda [07:59]: "If you envision it was spine surgery... our reps would help the scrub tech that was assisting the surgeon on what size screw to use."

John highlights the intensity of this role, noting the unique pressure on salespeople in such critical settings.

John Smith [08:02]: "Wow, that redefines high-pressure sales..."

Challenges and Shift to Entrepreneurship

Despite a successful career at Stryker, Rob becomes frustrated with the complexities of healthcare reimbursements and insurance monopolies, particularly with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama dictating implant reimbursements.

Rob Dowda [10:20]: "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama essentially has a monopoly. So they dictate the reimbursement..."

This frustration serves as a catalyst for Rob to explore entrepreneurship. Inspired by a friend's success with a painting franchise, Rob begins consulting with various franchise opportunities before discovering the printing industry.

Rob Dowda [17:11]: "I always wanted to own my own company. It was a dream more than anything."

Founding SpeedPro Direct

Rob decides to invest in a large format printing franchise after witnessing the impressive capabilities of SpeedPro studios. His passion for the creative aspects of printing and his confidence in his sales abilities drive his commitment to the business.

Rob Dowda [19:36]: "I knew I could sell it. And I knew I could believe in it."

Despite initial reservations about the printing industry's viability in the digital age, Rob's hands-on visits to studios convinced him of its potential.

Building and Managing the Business

Rob discusses the initial challenges in sourcing skilled graphic designers specialized in large format design, a niche often overlooked by traditional designers. Embracing the philosophy from the book "Who Not How," Rob focuses on hiring experts to handle areas outside his expertise, allowing him to concentrate on strategy and sales.

Rob Dowda [24:46]: "Hire people that can do the work that you're not passionate about or good at."

Rob candidly shares the difficulties of transitioning from a salesperson to a managerial role, acknowledging the learning curve and the importance of continuous learning and humility.

Rob Dowda [15:19]: "It took me a long time... I was pretty bad. Okay. In retrospect."

Overcoming Employee Turnover and Cultivating Culture

A significant setback occurred when Rob's key production employees left to join a major customer, causing immense stress and operational challenges. Instead of viewing this as a disaster, Rob uses it as an opportunity to reassess and improve company culture.

Rob Dowda [28:27]: "That in some ways was probably one of the best things that happened to me."

Rob emphasizes the importance of taking ownership and being accountable, which has enhanced his ability to manage and build a stronger team culture.

Rob Dowda [30:13]: "I should have done stuff to make it better."

Sales Strategies and Client Acquisition

Rob attributes 85-90% of his business to referrals, built through a strong reputation and personal networks. He acknowledges the need for intentional selling and targeted marketing to expand his client base further.

Rob Dowda [36:17]: "Probably now 90%, 85. 90% of our business is referrals."

John commends Rob for his strategic focus on leveraging his sales expertise to nurture and grow the business through trusted relationships.

Embracing Innovation and Future Trends

Rob highlights key trends in the printing industry, such as the necessity for faster turnaround times, direct-to-substrate printing with UV ink, and the integration of AI in design processes. These advancements enable SpeedPro to deliver high-quality, durable, and innovative products to clients.

Rob Dowda [38:19]: "With AI and on the design front you can really get into some unique stuff mixed with the technology."

Ideal Clients and Business Philosophy

Rob describes his ideal clients as those seeking fast turnaround and innovative solutions, positioning SpeedPro as a trusted partner for diverse and repeat business needs.

Rob Dowda [42:53]: "The ideal client would be somebody that's looking for fast turnaround... multiple applications."

Conclusion: Lessons from Rob Dowda’s Success

John Smith encapsulates Rob’s journey with several key takeaways:

1. Lean into Your Strengths: Rob’s sales expertise was pivotal in building his successful business.
2. Embrace and Overcome Challenges: Rob turned potential setbacks into opportunities for growth and cultural improvement.
3. Empower Your Team: By hiring experts and focusing on leadership, Rob ensures his team is well-equipped to handle specialized tasks.
4. Embrace Change and Innovation: Staying ahead with technology and innovative practices keeps SpeedPro competitive.
5. Seek Hidden Opportunities: Rob’s strategic focus on a niche market unlocked significant business opportunities.

Rob Dowda exemplifies how strategic leadership, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement can transform challenges into thriving business success.

John Smith [46:13]: "Rob is proof that smart strategy, bold leadership, and a willingness to evolve can turn any business into a thriving success."

---

Key Quotes:

• Rob Dowda [02:22]: "Right out of college... my job was to pretty much go cold call every single day, which was tough."
• Rob Dowda [07:59]: "If you envision it was spine surgery... our reps would help the scrub tech that was assisting the surgeon on what size screw to use."
• Rob Dowda [15:19]: "It took me a long time... I was pretty bad. Okay. In retrospect."
• Rob Dowda [24:46]: "Hire people that can do the work that you're not passionate about or good at."
• John Smith [31:52]: "Rob taking ownership because that’s part of a process of making a company better and better."

---

This episode of Locally Owned offers invaluable insights into building a resilient business, leveraging personal strengths, and fostering a strong team culture. Rob Dowda’s story serves as an inspiring blueprint for SMB owners aiming to turn their visions into reality.

Transcript

[John Smith]

I guess today started his journey the old school way. Pounding the pavement, going door to door, selling to small businesses. Those hard earned lessons in resilience and persistence became the foundation for an incredible career. Fast forward. He's leading a sales team, consulting surgeons in the operating room. Talk about high stakes, but here's where it gets really good. The skills he sharpened in sales didn't just build his career. They led him to launch his own business, owning a print shop. And when his key employees got hired away, what could have been a disaster turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. Want to know why? Well, you're about to find out as you listen to Rob Dauda tell his story. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Locally Owned. I'm here with my good friend Rob Dowda, who is a franchise owner of Speedpro Direct. And Rob and I have been friends for a long time. He's a great guy and he has an amazing journey. So we're gonna get to it here. Rob, thanks for being on the show.

[Rob Dauda]

Good to be here. Thanks for inviting me. I'm excited.

[John Smith]

Yeah, I'm excited for our listeners to hear your journey. And so you started out in some sales.

[Rob Dauda]

Right, right, right. So my first job out of college, and you can probably relate to this, I had a lot of wealthy friends and they were all going to Europe for weeks on end before they started their first job. I had two weeks off and I started my first sales job out of college. And this was to show. This was back pre Internet.

[John Smith]

Oh, yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

You know, I mean, we were, we were, you know, no real cell phones and, you know, in the cars and personal cell phones, stuff like that. So the first job was with a company called Wallace Computer Services. And we sold custom business forms and labels. And my job was to pretty much go cold call every single day, which was. Which was tough.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

But you know, right out of college and, you know, partying at night and, you know, staying out late and all that, and then all of a sudden going and knocking on doors. It was definitely the school of no pun intended, hard knocks.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

So, yeah, that was the first job.

[John Smith]

And that was right out of college.

[Rob Dauda]

Right out of college.

[John Smith]

So you're thinking I went to college for this?

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, exactly. I think that I made 16,000 dol. Base salary plus commission.

[John Smith]

Okay.

[Rob Dauda]

All right. And my first year, I believe this is right. I believe my first year I made $30,000. So 16, plus the commission to get to 30. And I thought that I was wealthy beyond belief, buying a keg for the Weekend party at the pool, you know.

[John Smith]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, you know, 30 years ago, that was pretty good money, you know.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. I mean, you had your apartment, you had your car, and. Yeah, you know, that was about it.

[John Smith]

So the 16,000, you're right above poverty level at that point.

[Rob Dauda]

But that was scary.

[John Smith]

Yeah, so.

[Rob Dauda]

But, yeah, so that was my first intro into business and into sales. I think to this day that probably really shaped me because you got a lot of no's and we've got somebody or you know, just cold calling is tough and everybody knows that.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Was there anything that you did to. Because it's a high burnout job. So is there any way in your mind that you framed that kind of work so that you could stick with it? I mean, obviously the 30,000 is nice. That gives you some incentive, but, you know, you're gonna have a lot more bad days than good days in a high burnout, cold calling job.

[Rob Dauda]

You. Yeah, I don't know. That's a tough question. I just remember, I feel like I was so young that, you know, that was my job. I was supposed to go do as good as I could at the job.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

I think I wasn't.

[John Smith]

You didn't know any better.

[Rob Dauda]

I didn't know any better. I didn't know what else was out there at the time. I think that my personality also being very competitive, I did well with a leveraged comp plan. So forget about what the base is. What can I make on top of the base if I do, you know, this work and I sell this much stuff and I was motivated by that. So I've always been a big fan of leverage comp plans.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. Now graduating college and then getting a sales job, like that. Was there anything growing up that influenced you in the way? Like, did you notice something in your personality or was there maybe somebody that lived in the neighborhood that did sales and you thought, man, that dude, he's making bank or whatever, you know?

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, I. I think playing sports and being very competitive, that probably had something to do with it. Was there this clear vision of, you know, I should be a salesperson in some capacity and, and sales, you know, you said you're a salesperson sometimes that bad connotation to a certain extent.

[John Smith]

Right.

[Rob Dauda]

Like, were you selling cars? Are you selling this?

[John Smith]

Right.

[Rob Dauda]

I think it's just what offer I got to, you know, for my first job. And then I just kind of went from there.

[John Smith]

How long did you do that for?

[Rob Dauda]

I think that first job I did for three, four years. Maybe it Was. It was a good amount of time for my. For my first job.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Especially when you compare it to what people do these days.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

In my opinion, they jump a lot more frequently. On average, I think. I think it was like four years.

[John Smith]

And so you're selling business forms and labels.

[Rob Dauda]

Right.

[John Smith]

And now you're owning a print company. So there's going to be a connection there. I think somehow, some way, I would say. Yeah, yeah. But you went from there to doing something, selling something very different. You went on to Stryker.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. So there was multiple jobs in between that. That first sales job with Wallace Computer Services, there were some technology sales. And, you know, I kind of moved up, so to speak, as far as the income level, some of the things that I did. And we started getting into the 2000s and technology. And all of the startup technology companies. Right. That were being funded and all the IPOs, you remember that, I'm sure. Well, so I was part of that. I can remember flying around one of my technology companies I was with, flying around and looking at my stock options, you know, to see what. What those would be worth. And of course, they never came to fruition. They weren't worth anything, but I was dreaming them. But anyway, so to answer your question, so, yeah, the last job that I had prior to purchasing and owning this company was with Stryker Corporation and I was in the spine implant business. And I held managerial roles for the most part there, both regional manager and vice president type positions. And the reps that reported to me, the sales reps that reported me, they were in surgery all day. If they weren't in surgery, they're trying to sell the implants to surgeons for them to use it in surgery.

[John Smith]

Wow. So they were in surgery.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. So if you envision it was. Spine surgery was really our wheelhouse. So when you go in for surgery, there's trays of implants that they're going to be using. And our reps would help the scrub tech that was assisting the surgeon on what size screw to use or. Or ride or artificial disc, things like that, that they would, you know, if a size was required, they would have to point and help the scrub tech out on what to hand the surgeon. So it was.

[John Smith]

Wow.

[Rob Dauda]

It was very high pressure sales and support role.

[John Smith]

That redefines high pressure sales. That's. Yeah, it's high pressure on the salesman right now.

[Rob Dauda]

So go ahead.

[John Smith]

They were needed in the. In the operating room then, as you know, as a consultant, in a sense.

[Rob Dauda]

Exactly.

[John Smith]

Wow. Yeah, that's intense.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, it was. And the only thing about it. And I probably stayed there too long. In retrospect, they were paying me way too much money for. For what I was worth, I'm sure. But I got. I got tired of dealing with health care, the hospitals, the reimbursement.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

I started trying to commoditize it. So if you went to a surgeon, let's say a spine surgeon, and he told you you needed a fusion that was going to require some screws and rods and implants of some sort, sometimes you might not get the best screws and rods and implants because of the reimbursement and the insurance that they were going to pay for those said implants.

[John Smith]

Wow.

[Rob Dauda]

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama essentially has a monopoly. So they dictate the reimbursement, so to speak, and what they're going to pay for, which then affects what hospitals are going to pay for implants.

[John Smith]

Right, right. Wow.

[Rob Dauda]

So that is. That was. It was just too close to almost socialized medicine in a way. Whether you're a fan of that or not, that concept was not good for what we did. And we could probably do a separate podcast on all kind of iffy practices within.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

That business.

[John Smith]

Yeah. You. You were really on the inside of seeing how those decisions are made. And that's.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. Let's just say there were some articles that were published in the Wall Street Journal about some things going on specific in. In the state of Alabama.

[John Smith]

Oh, wow.

[Rob Dauda]

With certain medical practices and.

[John Smith]

Wow. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. That's a whole nother episode.

[Rob Dauda]

That's a whole other episode. Yeah.

[John Smith]

They're going to be defining moments in our lives and in our careers. And the thing about defining moments is that you don't really know you're in one when you're in one. So how do you ensure that you take the path that leads to great success instead of just getting lost in the shuffle? How do you make the choice that changes everything? I think you do what Rob did. Instead of resisting the system, he leaned into his strengths. He took a hard look at who he was, what he excelled at, and built a business that perfectly aligned with those skills. He chose a model that required minimal staff, boasted strong profits, gave him corporate support, and capitalized on his nearly 30 years of sales mastery. To me, that's how you see Rob turn a defining moment into defining success. So you were obviously pretty good at sales, would you say?

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, I've always been good at sales. I'm bad at a lot of things, but I always felt comfortable at this aspect of sales in front of somebody more times than not. I'm best at one on one instead of. I'm not the best public speaker. I'm not the best selling to a group. I'm very good at one on one, though.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And if I believe in the product or service, then I'm really good. If I don't, I can't fake it.

[John Smith]

So put you in that arena for sales and, you know, if you believe in the product and you got a chance to talk to somebody one on one, that's it. That makes sense because, you know, when I think of how you and I met, we met at a networking event, and you were with SpeedPro at the time. You were just. Probably just getting things ramped up there, I think.

[Rob Dauda]

So probably first year or so of owning the business, I think is when we met. Yeah.

[John Smith]

And you were really approachable. You know, you've got that quality to you. So if you're in a one on one situation, I think that's the feel that people are gonna get, is that I like this guy, you know.

[Rob Dauda]

Well, that's good to know. I don't always think I'm very approachable.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

But. Yeah. Well, thank you. I think I'm good at sales. Sometimes I'm. I don't feel like that I'm the most approachable, but. Yeah, it's good to hear.

[John Smith]

Yeah. If I remember right, what I recall is that you. You just seem genuine, you know, you and I hit it off.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. So that was. Yeah, it was quick, man. Yeah. Yeah. And same to you. I mean, that's. That's who I gravitate toward. Right. I can. I'm pretty good at seeing genuine, I think.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Have I been fooled before?

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

We could go into that with. With different employees that I've had over the years, but yeah, I've been fooled for sure.

[John Smith]

I remember. This is totally aside, but I remember that event. There was a hypnotist there, you know, and he was like, that was his business. Was. He was a hypnotist. And I was like, we worked a lot with people who wanted to quit smoking and lose weight and, you know, and I just thought, wow. I think I was getting marriage counseling at the time. I was like, you know what maybe you could do in one night what this guy's been trying to do for three years, you know?

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, that's cool.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. I thought, what an. I wonder if that guy is still doing that, you know, I think once.

[Rob Dauda]

A hypnotist, always a hypnotist. Right. What else are you gonna Do.

[John Smith]

Yeah. I wonder if he finds some shady uses for that skill that he's developed there, goes out to the bar at.

[Rob Dauda]

Night, sees what he can do.

[John Smith]

Yeah, yeah, I would.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. Why not?

[John Smith]

I'm not, not ashamed to admit it, but maybe I should be. But so, you know, you're, you know, you've obviously done. Found something that you do well, but sales, to me, it always seems like very risky to take somebody who's good at sales, you know, like you said, you're good one on one, and then make them a sales manager. Because managing people is nothing like sales. Even if you're really good at sales and you're managing a sales staff, how did you find that transition?

[Rob Dauda]

Man, that's. I think you're spot on it. Definitely. Just because you're good at sales does not mean you're going to be a good sales manager. It took me a long time, a long time to get what I think is fairly good at managing people. I still don't think it's my strong suit, but I've, I've gotten a lot better early on and making that first transition, that first sales manager job, I'm pretty sure I was, I was pretty bad. Okay. In retrospect.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And yeah. So I think you're spot on there. But I think that if you're open and you listen to other people that you respect that are good at managing people and you can, you can take some pearls and use those and read a lot of books about managing people, that helps. Yeah, it definitely did not come natural.

[John Smith]

Yeah. So, yeah, no, I don't. I think there's a lot more people that sales comes natural to than there are people that managing people comes natural to. It's a different skill set and it just. Yeah, there's just not as many people that have that skill set.

[Rob Dauda]

Agree.

[John Smith]

You make this, or at least you get to the point where, you know, having to deal with the insurance companies and the hospitals in order to get paid has become something that's really causing some frustration and possibly even burnout for you. Um, and so to solve that problem, your answer was, let me buy a print shop. So how did you go, you know, how did you make that jump? What made you go, this is, this is really. This is the answer to that problem.

[Rob Dauda]

Man, that's a great question. So I had a friend that had left. He was actually my boss at one point, and he had left, let's just say corporate America, and he had gone and bought a franchise. It was a, a painting company, I believe. And he Was just adamant that he wished he had done it 20 years before.

[John Smith]

Wow.

[Rob Dauda]

And he really liked it.

[John Smith]

And like painting houses.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. It was mostly residential. I think they did some commercial, but it was a painting franchise. So I always wanted to own my own company. It was a. It was a dream more than anything. But so. So I hired a consultant and I started looking at all sorts of different things, and a lot of businesses. I think most people would be shocked how many businesses are franchises.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

It's just. It's. It's amazing. Yeah. So I was this consultant, brought me all sorts of things. Mold, remediation, home health care, of course, the restaurant stuff. And then we stumbled across this printing franchise, large format printing. He brought it to me and I'm like, come on, man. Printing, you got to be. You got to be kidding me. That. That's all, you know, gone to the Internet.

[John Smith]

You just buy stuff, right? Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And. But I went and I traveled around and I visited some other. We call them studios within SpeedPro. And I fell in love with the applications. I mean, watching, you know, huge wall graphics come off these printers and signage and custom event type work that we do, these unique applications. I had no idea how they were done. And I saw this in person and I fell in love with it. And I wrote the first check probably a month or so after that.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And now here we are, I guess, six years later.

[John Smith]

Wow. So what do you think you fell in love with about it? You know, because it does have an artistic side to it. I mean.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. I like the creative side of it. And I would say that I knew, getting back to what I said at the beginning of this, that I knew that I could sell it.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And I knew I could believe in it.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And I think it just naturally resonated with me that I could sit in front of people and I could show them how I could do that type of work better.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And I don't. That was just my gut feeling at the time. And then nothing else mattered. I knew then that that's what I wanted to buy.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

You know, for all the businesses that. The other thing, too. Just a little quick side note, you did not need that many people to run this business, so that was a positive.

[John Smith]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And then in general, your gross margins were really good, too. So you didn't have to necessarily be a 2 million, $3 million company to make a decent living conceptually.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. And I think that that can be, you know, a high startup cost and having to maybe hire people that have some Technical skills that you don't can be intimidating for a lot of people. So. Yeah, a lower startup cost and knowing that you don't have to hire that many people to get this work done is probably for a lot of people is, can wrap their mind around it. I wouldn't have known that.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. I mean, easier than say home health care or other businesses that are going to require a lot more people. So. Yeah, that was, that was the attraction or, you know, different aspects of the attraction of it.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Because even a restaurant sounds simple, but yeah. The regulations, you know, that you've got to meet, you know, and then the amount of people that you're going to have to staff to run a restaurant is, you know, that can be really intimidating.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. And then you get the margin side of it.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

How much can you charge for that? Lunch.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Right. So, yeah, I think you're not limited here. I mean, you know, obviously pricing is important, but the margins in general are good. But, you know, you still have to buy expensive equipment and you need to have some specialized people to run that equipment as well. So then you got that side of it.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Now what was initially probably some of the hardest things that you had hurdles to get over to get SpeedPro up and running, because everybody starts out thinking, okay, I'm gonna do this, I can see myself doing it. This is gonna be great. And then actually getting it going is.

[Rob Dauda]

Well, I think that in some ways I did have some conservative goals as far as how long it would take me to become profitable. So at least I was not, you know, too aggressive that I was going to be profitable. You know, after a year. I think I had a, maybe a three year timetable for that. And we beat that, by the way. I think we, we were profitable. And I think 18 months, two years, that's fantastic. Really was really good.

[John Smith]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

But back to answering your question, I would say in general, the people part of it and what you hear and what you think you need as a. The main jobs that you have is production manager. And then you really need somebody to do the graphic design piece and setting this up different jobs for print.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And then you've got the installer piece to it. Okay. So vehicle wraps, wall wraps, different signage. That takes somebody that, believe it or not, needs to know what they're doing and has some training behind it.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

I couldn't, I couldn't go wrap a vehicle.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Without some training.

[John Smith]

Right, right.

[Rob Dauda]

And, and so the graphic design was a lot harder than I thought to source for and find somebody that really Understood Large format design.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

There's a lot of people that are. That go to college for graphic design, but they're not, they don't get any training in large format. They can do business cards and pamphlets and certain things like that. But you would be shocked at how few people know how to create large graphics and lay it out correctly.

[John Smith]

Yeah, it's. Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Nobody ever told me that was going to be. I thought the graphic designer. Oh, yeah. It'd be right down to Samford or, you know, college and just pick whoever I wanted. And it really. That was tough.

[John Smith]

So do you think it's helped you or hindered you to start a business that, that you don't have the skills in and you don't have the experience in? Because some, a lot of businesses start up where someone is working for someone else. They develop the skills, there's a market for it, so they just go out on their own, you know, and they already know a lot about that business. But you bought into a business where you. It's not your background and that can help and that can hurt, you know.

[Rob Dauda]

And so definitely, I think that there's two sides to that coin. There are owners in this line of business and they actually believe that you should know how to run that equipment. You should know the technical side of it. I am the other side of the coin. I don't have any interest in knowing how to run that equipment. And I read a book, it's called the who, Not How. And the whole gist of it, I think you've read it. Yeah, the whole gist is hire people that can do the work that you're not passionate about or good at. And so that has kind of been my mantra of I'm not interested, I'm too old, I want to be happy. So what I'm interested in is the strategy and the selling and getting the right people and the culture and all that kind of stuff.

[John Smith]

The good of it is that if you lose your machine operator, well, you know how to operate that thing and, you know, you could fill in until. But the bad of it is, you know, you put yourself doing work that isn't really what you're good at. And what you need to be doing as the owner of the company is the sales and the marketing. And so you're forcing yourself to always make sure you've got somebody that can do the work that you don't know how to do. And that's. I mean, I think that that is a good thing. I was the opposite. I loved what I did. When I owned my company, I loved the work we did. I loved getting great results. I was really hands on, and I was too hands on too much that way, you know, and so there was a lot I should have been doing, you know, to grow the company. One of the smartest things that Rob does is he intentionally stays out of the technical weeds. And I think that's why you can feel his enthusiasm when he talks about the latest advances in printing, because he's not just keeping up with change, he's embracing it, he's excited about it. And that gives him a little bit of an edge, because while others hesitate, he sees innovation as an opportunity to better serve his clients. But his mindset is not bogged down on how to develop the skills to produce it. He trusts his technicians, that they're going to be able to get the job done. And staying in his lane, leading the company forward with cutting edge technology while most competitors are too afraid to touch it. That's a really bold strategic leadership that sets them apart. And I absolutely love it. Now, do you see your sales ability or your background in IT and then your background in managing a sales staff? Well, now you've, you know, you own a company and you've got to manage people. Tell me a little bit of how your experience has helped you, you know, in managing folks.

[Rob Dauda]

I think I've kind of alluded to it earlier, I believe, and this is, I think this is life in general. Not to be too philosophical, but I think that going through large challenges, you know, and adverse situations, that is losing a staff like I did middle of last year, my staff actually left. I had two people that left, which was really on the production side. They were recruited and end up leaving to go to my largest customer. So talk about that was the middle.

[John Smith]

Of last year, Dagger in the home.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, that was, that was, that was a big blow, I'm not gonna lie. And, you know, a high level of stress. And I had new equipment that I was purchasing and it was just, you know, and then some, some business was going out the door and then losing people. So long story short, that in some ways was probably one of the best things that happened to me. And you hear people say that kind of stuff all the time, right? At the time, I'm like, lord, is what is happening here?

[John Smith]

Right?

[Rob Dauda]

Are we losing everything?

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And then you realize that there's always people and there's always technology. And if you believe in what you're doing in yourself and you create and you treat people as good as you can and things typically work out, and they did. Now, that was only, what, six, seven months ago. We're still kind of learning as a team. I'm still working on that culture, that new culture, the new team.

[John Smith]

Right.

[Rob Dauda]

But I hope that answered your question. That was a big, big challenge and big, stressful event that I think probably has made me a better manager of people.

[John Smith]

How so?

[Rob Dauda]

I just think that I learned a lot about, like, you looking back. Right. And saying, I should have, I should have. And some things it's easy to beat yourself up over. But in this situation, I can look back and say that I should have done something differently with those people. It just wasn't the best culture. And I could have done stuff to make it better.

[John Smith]

Okay.

[Rob Dauda]

And by losing those individuals, I knew what I wanted to do differently and what I wanted to, like, visualize what I wanted to look like. And that is, when I walk into that place, I want positive attitude and energy. Right. And I didn't feel like I really had that.

[John Smith]

Yeah, but.

[Rob Dauda]

But you get caught up in it.

[John Smith]

Right? Right.

[Rob Dauda]

And you're busy and you're putting out cool projects. But as far as the actual vibe and the organization, even of the studio, you know, it was a mess. And I should have managed that better. It wasn't organized. I should have managed that better. So it's a long winded answer to say that by going through those really tough times with people and hiring new staff, sometimes that is one of the best things that can happen to you.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Well, you know, one thing that strikes me just about your answer is you taking ownership. You know, it would be easy to say they stole them away from me or those guys weren't loyal to me or whatever, to blame it on somebody else. But you're taking responsibility for where I could have created. I saw the culture wasn't good, it wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I should have made that a priority and I didn't. And so you taking ownership because it is your company goes such a long way because that's part of a process of making a company better and better. You're never gonna start out where you want it to be, how you envision it. You gotta get it there. And it'll never get there if it's always somebody else's fault.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, well said. And I think that comes from age and, you know, being in the game a while and.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And not being afraid to still learn. I mean, to your point, what's the use in doing all this, right. If you're not going to Be accountable and admitting that you were doing stuff wrong, I mean, there's just no reason to even do it.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. So that's, that's well said.

[John Smith]

It's a common pitfall for, for new business owners. They pour all their energy into production, quality and profits and end up overlooking the company culture that's taking shape right under their noses. Often it takes a shake up to reveal what truly matters. What I absolutely love about Rob is that he gets it. He owns his role in shaping the culture and uses this crisis as a reset. And that's pure brilliance. He understands that leadership starts with him and, and that's very humble thing and that building a strong, successful team isn't just important, it's his responsibility and it's crucial to the success of the company. And that kind of awareness is what sets great leaders apart. So you've, you know, you've taken a lot of this experience working with salespeople. You've got a knack for sales and you really own a company that is a crucial part of most people's sales and marketing. I mean, you know, most of what we do through marketing requires printing in some form or fashion. You know, if it's not, if social media isn't our biggest thing. And so do you ever see yourself advising people on what they're trying to create or the message that they're giving out? Do you ever feel like that's crossing a line that you shouldn't cross or do you try to help people with that or. Because you've got a lot of experience and obviously you've done well with that.

[Rob Dauda]

Are you talking about my customers? No, I don't, I don't really see that there's any crossing. I mean, we're, you know, I find myself being pretty direct with my customers and saying this in our experience is, is really what you should do.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

Now, if you disagree with that, that's. We're open to that and we can look at different options, but it's usually that kind of diplomatic presentation of I know what you're saying you want.

[John Smith]

Right.

[Rob Dauda]

But we're not so sure it's going to work that way. Right.

[John Smith]

Right. Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

You know, and I don't want to be. And I always say this, you and I have talked about this. This is not a big city. Birmingham, in the grand scheme of things is not that big of a place.

[John Smith]

Right.

[Rob Dauda]

So I always say, you know, if I'm putting my name on it, I want it to work and I want it to look good. And so, you know, so and so that I'm speaking to. I don't want my name to be on this and it fail.

[John Smith]

Right, right. I've seen some of your stuff on social media and you've done some really large printing jobs that are really impressive that you would look at, like what you did at Thompson High School. Someone would look at that and go, how did they come up with this? Like, how did they print, make this actually happen?

[Rob Dauda]

So, yeah.

[John Smith]

And then you're doing some work down in New Orle for the Super Bowl.

[Rob Dauda]

Yep, we're working on that right now. Trying to get a bunch of different unique super bowl graphics and signage created. We're supposed to be down there over the next couple of days installing in the airport, which is always tricky with security and.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

When you can do the actual install, which is 8:00 at night and after. Yeah, anyway, yeah, so we're doing that. And Thompson High School, what a great big high school that is. And it's like a small college. So we're doing all kind of different, unique wall graphics, dimensional and highlighting the kids that have moved on to college and some stuff like that. So, yeah, that's been some fun custom type projects.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Now if somebody's just getting started in this business and they're thinking, man, I want to do that kind of work, I want to be like Rob.

[Rob Dauda]

My advice would be, don't be like.

[John Smith]

Rob, how did you get, you know, like, how do you get accounts like that where, you know, you're doing something that's really fun, creative and, you know, and unique? It's going to be there a while, I think.

[Rob Dauda]

You know, really, I built this business by knowing a lot of people and then you get referrals. Some. Now we do do some paper, our ppc, you know, type work. We put some money into that. So you get some of that coming in. But I would say probably now 90%, 85. 90% of our business is referrals.

[John Smith]

Okay. Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

So, you know, so it takes a little while to write, to get a base of business so that that base of business can refer business.

[John Smith]

Right, right.

[Rob Dauda]

And.

[John Smith]

And to get the reputation.

[Rob Dauda]

And you get the reputation.

[John Smith]

Yeah.

[Rob Dauda]

And yeah. And people know that you're going to put out a good product and if, you know, you happen to mess stuff up, which we do, then you're going to make it. Right. Yeah, but there's a lot more that we could do. I mean, we're not perfect. We need to be out doing more intentional selling and creating, you know, what is our true target market. And that's on me. I'm trying to get away from the studio more that I can do that type of work. Work. But it's. It's tough again, getting back to the who, not how. Yeah, you know, you've got to offload a lot of that stuff that you don't need to be doing. You know that you've got the admin stuff, you've got billing, you've got collections. But it costs money to offload that. But yeah, it's usually an investment, not a cost. But that's tough to look at it that way. And you know that from owning your business.

[John Smith]

And you have to trust that they're going to do it the way you need it done.

[Rob Dauda]

There you go. Right. That's tough to trust that.

[John Smith]

Yeah. Now, a lot of times you see, because this is what you do every day for a living, you see some things coming down the line that the rest of the world doesn't see. So any new trends that you're excited about or that you want to try to jump on before anybody else or.

[Rob Dauda]

One is speed and turnaround. So the days of telling somebody that it's going to be two weeks, that's long gone. So you've got to have the equipment and the people and the processes to be able to turn stuff in three days for certain types of work, one week, two weeks for other, you know, more intricate type of work. So that's the first thing. Second, you need what we call direct to substrate printing and UV ink. So that means somebody wants. Let's just keep it simple. Somebody wants a bunch of real estate signs. You see them all over the place, right? Directional signs in front of yards. We can create those and print Those on large 4 by 8, 5 by 10 sheets. Print directly to that material. And then we take it over to what we call a CNC router to cut it. So there's no printing the vinyl and then applying the vinyl to the. Yeah, so being able to print directly to acrylic print to coroplast, print to metals, you know, different substrates, printing a UV ink directly to that so that it'll last out in the elements and things like that without having to apply vinyl and laminate for certain projects, that's. That's a biggie. So you've got to have the equipment and people and the processes to pull that off. Trying to think, you know, some, some digital signage is. Is out there, the people are tinkering with that and then, then from there it's just unique, unique vinyl for different surfaces. So what you're going to use for concrete is going to be different than what you're going to use for sheetrock. And you've got to know, and there's some very good vinyl and, and material out there for different applications now. Yeah, the last thing I'll say is with AI and on the design front you can really get into some unique stuff mixed with the technology. So then you're able to create depth through walls, for example, and you know, unique graphics and the quality of those, you know, the face on a wall, for example, or the leaf with a little bit of white water coming off of it, you know, that is just high quality graphics. Now that, that you're, that you're seeing that you probably didn't see as much, you know, five years ago, for example.

[John Smith]

Wow, that's exciting stuff then. Yeah, AI has got its tentacles in everything at this point, you know, so every industry is, has a way of using AI for sure. Well, anything, you know, you've been through, probably one of the roughest things. To lose core employees and to bounce back from that shows you got some staying power. Imagine if Rob hadn't done his due diligence, if he simply dismissed the print business as a dying industry in the digital age. But instead of letting his assumptions limit him, he challenged them. And in doing so, he uncovered a power, powerful lesson for all of us that the most unexpected paths often hold the greatest opportunities. Rob zeroed in on large format printing, a niche that traditional print shops have largely ignored. And that strategic focus, that's what landed him work with high schools, airports, and even specialty projects for the upcoming Super Bowl. And I really think that it's from his background of being in the OR with surgeons advising them that gives him the courage to see what others might be afraid of doing and finding his place there. You know, I owned my business for 28 years and where I started was not where I ended up. And so the customer that was looking for me in the beginning wouldn't have been who was looking for me at the end. What I had ended up building was something where somebody who owned some very delicate and maybe tricky to clean area rugs or sofas or things like that, I would be the person they would want to use. So who is looking for you right now? Like, what's your ideal client?

[Rob Dauda]

So I would say the ideal client would be somebody that's looking for fast turnaround, but can also create solutions and be able to go and sit down with a client, do a true survey and map out the project. I think that we have done a good job of diversifying. We don't have too many eggs in one basket. So every day is going to be a little different on what we're doing, what we're producing. And so I think the ideal client then would be somebody that would have opportunities for what I call multiple. So they would have maybe an event where we're going to be doing something for them next week, and then the next week they need, you know, something else, or a client has, you know, something they need for their office, but then they're going to also need something for their vehicles, and then they're also going to need something for their storefront.

[John Smith]

Right, Multiple. Right, yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah. You kind of become that trusted source for multiple applications.

[John Smith]

So what a journey. You started off cold calling and for labels and business forms and.

[Rob Dauda]

And now I'm. Now I'm balding and have a lazy eye, so.

[John Smith]

Yeah, but you're printing stuff up for the super bowl, so that's a pretty. Or at least for the airport.

[Rob Dauda]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Smith]

And that's a pretty, you know, extreme exciting thing. So your ideal customers, you know, people looking for somebody that can figure out a problem or a solution to a problem and, and solve it for them and, you know, and get the job done. How do they get ahold of you?

[Rob Dauda]

So I would say the. The main number at the studio is 205-777-3000. Pretty straightforward. You can look up Speed Pro Direct. If you just do a search for SpeedPro Direct, then you'll be able to. You'll. You'll be taken to our website. My website's a little trickier. I'd leave that on the, on the podcast and. Yeah. And then, you know, you can ask for me if you want to, but any of my people will be, you know, willing to help you and I would encourage you. We're. We're located in the Homewood area, Industrial park. Homewood. We love showing off the studio. If you want to come by and see actually how we do this stuff.

[John Smith]

Yeah, I've seen your studio. It is. I've never seen it in operation, but I've seen the equipment.

[Rob Dauda]

And we will usually give you a free cup of coffee as well. You know, maybe a beer if you want that.

[John Smith]

Yeah, come around 5:00.

[Rob Dauda]

Around 5:00. We'll have a cold one for you. But yeah, come, come see us. We take a lot of pride in what we do and selfishly for us by showing people, you know, the studio and what we do that typically more times than not will trigger something. Somebody will go, well, you should talk to so and so or, you know, you need to go see this business or whatever.

[John Smith]

So yeah. All right, Rob, well, thank you for being on the show, man. This has been great.

[Rob Dauda]

Appreciate you, man. Yeah, good to see you.

[John Smith]

Good to see you. Rob's journey is packed with lessons we can all take to heart. Lean into your strengths. Right? One, what are your core skills? Build a business that amplifies them. Rob's deep sales experience became a powerhouse asset in his success. Secondly, sometimes you have to break things down to build them back stronger. When faced with a moment that could have taken him out of business, Rob took ownership, hit the reset button, and came back better than ever. Thirdly, empower your team. Just as he built a business that played to his strengths, Rob builds a staff based on theirs. Fourth, embrace change and innovation. Rob doesn't keep up with technology. He leans into it, constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries to deliver more for his clients. And lastly, look beyond the obvious. What hidden opportunities are right in front of you? The right niche could be your path to something bigger than you ever imagined. Rob is proof that smart strategy, bold leadership, and a willingness to evolve can turn any business into a thriving success. Thanks for listening to another episode of Locally Owned. I hope you found this episode to be helpful and also offer quick, actionable strategies. Please don't forget to hit the subscribe button and leave a review. You can find more episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or go to our website, Street Smart Entrepreneurship Biz to find show notes and links and more.