Brad didn’t set out to build an agency empire. He set out to build a life that didn’t require fluorescent lights, micromanagement, or pretending he loved office culture. Signal Path Creative was born out of a layoff, a reclaimed MacBook, and a very clear decision to never be “employable” again.
In this interview, Brad talks candidly about being a design generalist, why excellent service beats being a rockstar creative, and how writing your own ticket sometimes starts by realizing no one else is going to hand it to you. It’s a grounded, self-aware take on running a solo business that actually supports your life — soul included.
What kind of work did you do before your current business and what did you bring with you into this career?
I’ve always been a design generalist. I studied film, graphic design, web design and photography in college, and at my first position they put me directly into industrial design. This was at a small manufacturer, and it led me to a Master’s degree in Product Development, and then a position at a massive manufacturer, where I designed packaging and labels, created training videos, photographed products, and lead small teams developing new product concepts. They blew up my department (“restructuring”), and I spent a year or so under a boss that didn’t know what I was doing and didn’t seem to care. You can see what’s coming next…I did.
I got laid off, but the many months of acting like an internal freelancer, working on various unrelated projects for unrelated teams within the company taught me that I work very well this way. At my “exit interview”, I shamed them into (ahem – I mean “negotiated”) the release of the Macbook Pro I had been using, I worked up a brand and logo, I bought a domain name, and I built my first Wordpress site at signalpathcreative.com.
Why Signal Path? I love playing and recording music, and see myself as the FX in the chain between my client and their customers. It’s also a phrase that stuck out to me in the title track of the Spoon album They Want My Soul, which I had on repeat for much of 2014.
Six months later, that large corporation was my client, paying me much more for some of the same work I was doing internally. Heads up their asses…
What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?
My first job out of school felt suffocating almost immediately. The long days under fluorescent lights, the incessant typing and clicking sounds and lack of any ambiance, the brainless chit-chat, the lack of support from management, the micro-management, the lack of autonomy etc etc – I am not cut out for office work, full stop.
I needed a way out, and it was provided by the layoff. I grabbed that bull by the horns and never looked back. My intention was to never have to go back, to remain “unemployable” for the rest of my career.
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but after 6 years, I said to myself, “I don’t think I’ll ever need to get a real job again.” That feels so good.
What’s a hard lesson you learned running your business that’s changed the way you operate?
I’m not a “GREAT” designer. After many years in this business, I have realized that I’m not and I don’t necessarily want to be. I’m competent and I can wow my particular clients, but I can’t compete with a rockstar. I’m a generalist and I offer a lot of services at a high level, but I’m not the best (or the cheapest).
Realizing I’m not going to set the world on fire as an “artist” hurts my ego a little, but the business owner guy-who-wants-to-live-a-great-life inside me doesn’t care. I can outsource design, and with the rise of AI, well, you know…
Where I do excel is at something AI can’t do: I offer excellent service to my clients. I keep my promises, I’m a great communicator, and I’m a nice guy. They like me and want me to succeed.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?
“You can write your own ticket here”. This was what the CEO of the first company I worked for told me when I was hired. It was actually terrible advice, because it wasn’t true. My name wasn’t on the building, so my ticket-writability was severely limited.
BUT, it stuck with me, and writing my own ticket became a mission. My business has always been about following the direction that will allow me to stay independent and do great work for great clients.
As an entrepreneur, what’s your proudest accomplishment?
I love building websites, and I enjoy serving (most of) my clients, but in the end I’m most proud that my hard work and smart decisions paid off and resulted in a business that supports me and my family better than any agency or corporate job could. Plus, I get to keep my soul.
What’s your favorite podcast to listen to?
I will confess I am a comedy nerd so they take up the bulk of my listening, but the interviews on Maron, Conan, Stern, Maher, Carolla and even old Rogan (from back when conspiracy theories were fun…) have provided many insights that I have applied to my business and life. I recently subscribed to Josh Hall’s podcast but haven’t listened yet.
What’s a WordPress plugin more people should know about?
I am a big promoter and 6+ year user of WPMU Dev’s plugins and hosting. My membership price was locked in before the increase, so I have no complaints about the cost. I actually feel that their amazing support and suite of plugins has greatly helped me build my business. Their support team are always available and very competent, almost like having a tech team on staff. They’ve even helped me troubleshoot problems that were unrelated to their services.
What’s your favorite tool, accessory, or gadget on your desk?
Not technically ON my desk, but I always have a guitar nearby. A little pacing back and forth while strumming keeps the mind limber. I also love my high-end Macbook Pro. I never have to stare at that spinning beach ball.
What’s your favorite non-WordPress tool or software?
I take it for granted, but for the 10+ years I’ve been in business, I’ve used Google Drive to store all of my files, including massive Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere files. The files sync seamlessly, and I have very rarely had any issue at all (when I’m on a solid connection). I have over 4TB in Drive, and files sync and download as needed on my Mac with 2TB SSD without me having to think about it. Since it’s in the cloud, I don’t have to mess with backups on a physical drive. I’m sure Google is probably doing evil with my data, but this has been well worth the $21/month.
