We recently connected with Dana Keen Phillips and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana Keen, thanks for joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

They always say not to work for family. Perhaps that is why it took me so long to agree to work for my dad, Lane Keen, after years of him asking me to join his company, Keen Signs and Graphics. Eventually, while considering a career change and hearing from him that I was already sending so much business his way, I decided to ignore what “they” say and work for family.

The decision to officially join Keen Signs and work for my dad was a great one. I have been able to experience first-hand what an amazing leader he is for his company and our community. One of the things he does that stood out to me was involving his current employees in the hiring process of potential new employees. Obviously, he has the final say, but he seeks their input to determine if a candidate is skilled in a technical area that is beyond his expertise and to see if the candidate would be a good fit for the culture of the company. He also has regular meetings with each department to keep communication open, address any areas that may need improvements, and listen to their opinions. Through his leadership I’ve learned that encouraging input from and communication with employees gives them more sense of ownership in the company, which I believe increases employee retention, loyalty, and quality of work.

In addition to listening to his employees, I’ve seen him work side-by-side with them. There are times when the workflow on the production side of the business calls for “all hands on deck.” My father has never shied away from rolling up his sleeves and joining his employees on the production line to meet a tight deadline. In fact, I have probably seen him do most every type of work at his company, including sweeping the breakroom floor and helping customers carry their orders to their vehicles. I have always worked harder for my bosses that I knew wouldn’t ask me to do something that they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.

Perhaps the most important leadership trait he exhibits is owning mistakes. No one likes to admit to making mistakes, especially when money is involved. However, when he makes a mistake with a customer, he is the first to admit it and fix it. He always says, “We can make mistakes with the best of them, but we’ll always fix it.” Not only is that the right way to treat customers in general, but that attitude has built the foundation for relationships with long-term clients because they know they can count on Lane. It also sets the example for employees to own and fix mistakes, which benefits the employee, company, and customers in the long-run.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Keen Signs and Graphics was started by my father, Lane Keen, in 2010. The factory he was managing closed and no one else was hiring because it was the height of the recession. He took the opportunity the fulfill a life-long dream of working for himself and hired himself. I inherited his entrepreneurial skills and business sense, and he tried to convince me to join his business for a few years. They always say not to work for family. Perhaps that is why it took me so long to agree to work for him. Eventually, while considering a career change and hearing from him that I was already sending so much business his way, I decided to ignore what “they” say and work for family.

Keen Signs & Graphics is Augusta’s locally owned and operated source for banners, vehicle wraps and graphics, vinyl floor graphics, window graphics, wall murals, dimensional letters, sandblasted and 3D signs, acrylic panels, and other vinyl graphics. We also have the ability to produce ADA-compliant signs, in-house.

What sets us apart from our competitors is that we make the majority of our products in-house, instead of outsourcing them to larger companies. This allows us to maintain greater control over the quality, turnaround time and price of our products. Producing signs in-house also played a major factor in keeping our doors open during the height of the pandemic. As long as we were able to keep the materials in stock, we were able to meet the demand of our customers who needed to quickly communicate new procedures and information surrounding COVID.

I am most proud of how everyone at Keen Signs was able to adapt to the way we had to quickly shift the way we ran the business once the pandemic hit. We were considered an “essential business” and initially busied ourselves with producing social distancing, sanitation and other COVID-related signage. As the initial wave of signs slowed down we had to think of other ways to keep all of our employees employed. Lane realized that one of the machine and materials we used to make signs could also be used to make sneeze guards. After producing a few sneeze guards as sample pieces, word quickly got out and before we knew it we were featured in the local newspaper and all local news stations. Needless to say, we stayed extremely busy keeping up with the sneeze guard demand as businesses were trying to reopen to the public. While other businesses were unfortunately laying employees off during the uncertain time, we were able to higher new employees because of Lane’s creativeness and everyone’s willingness to adapt.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Building a strong relationship with existing customers has been the most effective strategy for growing new clientele. When a customer realizes that I value them, will work for solutions to meet their needs, and that I do what I say I will while keeping a strong line of communication, often, they will refer their peers to me and continue to rely on me if they begin working for another company.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Character, integrity and serving customers has always been a central focus of my entrepreneurial philosophy. The book I first learned and continue to learn about these traits is the Bible. Proverbs 28:6 says, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” It is better to treat customers with respect and look out for their best interests than to make a quick buck.

“Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson is another book that has influenced my entrepreneurial style. As the past two years have clearly demonstrated, life always throws curve balls. A major characteristic that separates those who succeed from those who don’t is the ability to pivot when life, business or circumstances does not go the way we want.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.keensigns.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keensigns
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3IFfxUWBWu-zUoa7wDMzvA