PODCAST · business
The AC Method
by Aaron Clippinger
Custom Manufacturing Industry podcast is an entrepreneurship and motivational podcast on all platforms, hosted by Aaron Clippinger. Being CEO of multiple companies including the signage industry and the software industry, Aaron has over 20 years of consulting and business management. His software has grown internationally and with over a billion dollars annually going through the software. Using his Accounting degree, Aaron will be talking about his organizational ways to get things done. His podcast will give you shortcuts to handling situations without having to live it firsthand. With his comedic way of looking at things, you will be entertained by his stories while learning best practices.
Episodes
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Farewell
Thank you sincerely for being part of this journey; if you would like to see the podcast continue, please share your thoughts and feedback to [email protected] 🌐 Follow Aaron on LinkedIn | Instagram | Web
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#159 Job Costing is the Ultimate Blueprint for Scale
Are you running your custom manufacturing or sign shop using flat square-inch estimates and end-of-month P&L statements? If so, you are operating entirely in the dark and eating thousands in lost profits every single month. In this solo episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger breaks down why...
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#158 Are Your Workplace TVs a Wasted Asset?
Walk through almost any corporate facility, QSR, or residential building, and you will find blank TV screens or locked computers requiring manual updates. In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits down with Chris, CEO of Display Now, to discuss transforming any standard TV screen…
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#157 Why Your Shop is Losing Money
What is the most frustrating moment for a custom manufacturing or print shop owner? Finding out that your best long-term client just spent $10,000 with a competitor down the street simply because "they didn't know you offered that service." In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits...
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#156 A Shop That Looks Like Willy Wonka's Factory
If your custom fabrication facility looks like a cold, dusty, uninspired warehouse, you are actively losing high-ticket B2B architectural clients. Modern architects and design executives don't want to buy signs out of a catalog; they want to walk into a playground of spatial possibilities. In…
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#155 Scaling to 30 Employees with Zero Sales Team
Can your custom manufacturing facility successfully scale across four decades, survive massive national recessions, and land elite professional sports teams without ever hiring a single salesperson? In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits down with Jim Lutz, founder and president…
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#154 Machine Jigs Are Killing Your Production Speed
If your custom manufacturing business or signage shop is still spending valuable shop hours milling, setting up, and hand-placing substrates into strict physical jigs, you are flushing profit straight down your facility's floor drains. In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits down...
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#153 The "Do-It-All" Attitude is Killing Your Growth
If your custom manufacturing shop or signage studio is trying to build everything for everyone, you don't actually have an elite operation. You are trapped in the "Cheesecake Factory Trap"—offering an over-inflated menu of capabilities that guarantees internal chaos and kills your bottom line. In...
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#152 Overworking Is Killing Your Shop’s Scale
Are you truly a business owner, or have you just constructed a hyper-stressful, 14-hour-a-day job for yourself? In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits down with Steve Lowe, President of Valley Signs, to unpack the psychological and operational shifts required to step out of daily...
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#150 Why Brokerage Models Fail
If you are running your business from a kitchen table while completely relying on subcontractors to deliver your physical client assets, your scaling potential is non-existent. Your custom brand reputation is entirely exposed to the broken timelines and empty promises of third-party vendors. In...
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#151 Your Perfect Product is a Logistics Nightmare
You can own the fastest machinery and design the most visually stunning assets in your region—but if your brand rollout cannot survive the final mile of execution, you do not have a scalable business. You have a logistical disaster waiting to happen. In this episode, Aaron sits down with Chad…
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#149 Stop Pricing Like an Employee
In this episode, Aaron breaks down the #1 mistake killing sign shop profits — underbidding your own work. From the employee mindset that keeps you pricing too low to the fear of losing deals that actually should walk away, Aaron shares the hard lessons every business owner needs to hear. 🔥…
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#148 Your Shop Is Hoarding Tools (And It’s Costing You Thousands)
Do you actually know how many tools are in your installers' trucks? Aaron Clippinger recently discovered 14 Hilti drills in his shop—for only 6 installers. In this episode, he dives into the massive "blind spot" of equipment mismanagement and the cultural issue of employees hiding broken tools....
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#146 Your Competitors Are Your Best Salespeople
In this episode, Aaron sits down with Rick Goyette, owner of All Mark Signs and Graphics, to discuss the "total teardown" of a legacy family business. Rick shares how he applied 30 years of corporate operations experience to move All Mark from a safety signage focus to a high-end custom project...
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#145 You Are the Bottleneck in Your Own Company
Are you the most valuable person in your company, or its biggest obstacle? In this episode, Aaron Clippinger explains why being "busy" is the biggest lie entrepreneurs tell themselves. He reveals the exact framework he uses to "fire himself" every year to ensure he isn't the cog stopping his...
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#144 Why Your Estimates Are Killing Your Margins
Fresh off the massive success at the ISA Expo, Aaron is pulling back the curtain on the most requested feature of the new SquareCoil platform: Precision Cost Accounting. In this episode, we move past the "cool AI tricks" and get into the brutal reality of shop floor labor, scope cards, and the...
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#143 Why Your 20-Year Business is Losing to a Startup
In this episode, Aaron is on the "five-yard line" of the biggest launch in his company's history. Reflecting just days before the ISA Expo in Orlando, he reveals the brutal psychological reality of the long-term entrepreneur: the temptation to quit right before the finish line. Aaron breaks down...
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#142 Why Is Your Business Broke with a Full Schedule?
Is your sign shop acting as an authority, or just another vendor? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Mike Davis of Hilltop Signs and Graphics to discuss the "Cheesecake Factory" trap of offering too many products and how a 3-day deep dive changed the trajectory of his business. They dive into...
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#141 Why You Aren't the CEO of Your Own Life
In this episode, Aaron challenges the traditional way we look at leadership and potential. Returning from a grueling trip through Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Houston, Aaron reflects on a powerful lesson from the Iron Oak Society: we often fail as leaders because we try to see our own potential in...
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#140 Is Your Software Killing Your Growth?
In this episode, Aaron is on the "five-yard line." After a year and a half of intensive development, he shares the raw journey of rebuilding the SquareCoil platform from the ground up. This isn't just a software update—it's a masterclass in recognizing when your current "engine" can no longer...
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#139 This is the truth about running two sign companies at once
What do you do with a bucket truck after Christmas light season is over? If you're Trevor, you start installing signs; and eventually build two separate companies from that single piece of equipment. In this episode, Aaron sits down with Trevor Lavy, a former utility lineman who stumbled into the...
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#138 What Does It Actually Cost to Run a $7M Company?
What does it take to keep a family business alive for 65 years across three generations? And what are the odds of making it to a fourth? In this deeply personal conversation, Aaron sits down with Casey, a third-generation owner whose grandfather started as a rubber stamp company in 1950s Indiana....
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#137 This 20-Year success story proved me wrong | "I cringe at employee-owned companies
What does it take to successfully acquire and lead a 50-person, employee-owned sign company that defied the odds for 20 years? Aaron sits down with Wade Halma from Valley City Sign, a mechanical engineer who entered the signage world via finance. They dive into the counterintuitive pitfalls of...
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#135 Your sales team shouldn't do Project Management
Is your sales team bogged down in paperwork while costly mistakes slip through in the shop? It's time to rethink project management. Aaron breaks down the exact system he's used for over a decade to streamline operations, slash warranty costs, and free up his sales team to sell. He reveals the…
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#134 A writer's unexpected path to the shop floor
What does an international writer and filmmaker know about running a sign shop? More than you might think. Meet Peppur, co-owner of Collaborative Sign and Design, who made the leap from the world of storytelling to the signage industry. She shares with us her deep insights on how the core skill…
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#133 Stop wasting your talent on boring CAD work
Tired of your skilled team getting bogged down in repetitive CAD work? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Adam from AP Consulting, an automation expert who has visited hundreds of sign shops worldwide. They dive into the real-world strategy of using software to automate design tasks for…
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#132 You need a "no-filter" friend in your life
In this raw and unscripted episode, Aaron shares a powerful conversation that completely shifted his perspective on business ownership. After a call from an old mentor, he reveals a revolutionary way to think about firing employees, why you should be happy about tough decisions, and how to audit...
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#131 I just saved $50k on taxes. Here's how
Year-end is more than just a party.. It's the most critical strategic period for a business owner. In this episode, Aaron breaks down the essential checklist to close out your year profitably and set your business up for a dominant 2025. He covers how to use your profits to buy equipment...
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#130 What We Learned at the Largest Print Show in the World
Aaron breaks down his experience at Printing United 2025 — one of the biggest and most diverse print expos in the world. From setting up a two-story booth in record time to realizing how much reputation and resilience matter in business, this episode is packed with lessons about preparation,...
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#129 How Steve Weist built a 40-year legacy in the printing industry
This week on The AC Method, Aaron sits down with Steve Weist, a true industry veteran who’s spent nearly three decades shaping the print and signage world from the inside out. From learning the ropes in a family business to running large-scale operations across the U.S., Steve shares how his team...
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#128 I Pay My Metal Guys $40/Hour (It's Worth Every Penny)
Is "how much should I pay my team?" the question that keeps you up at night? Let’s dive into the taboo topic of pay structures, breaking down the pros and cons of salary-only, commission-only, and hybrid models. Underpaying your sales team is a fatal mistake. So to avoid creating a civil war...
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#127 What vertical integration really means?
Ready to grow your business by adding new services? In this episode, Aaron pulls back the curtain on his own costly mistakes and hard-won victories with vertical integration. What are the true costs of growth? Timelines and operational headaches nobody talks about. Learn how to decide when to…
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#126 How to scale a $10M sign business? with David Goodson
In this interview, Aaron sits down with David Goodson, CEO of Impact, to unpack how he grew his company from a garage startup into a $10M operation with 50+ people and a 70,000 sq. ft. facility. David shares his philosophy on leadership, why culture always comes before profits, and how designing...
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#125 Design for museums to airports with Annabel from SEGD
In this interview, Aaron sits down with Annabel from SEGD to explore how design goes far beyond what we see—it shapes how we feel, move, and remember experiences. From the World War II Museum to Olympic exhibits and even the way airports are designed, Annabel shares how thoughtful design and...
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#124 Design Huddle: Bridging the Gap Between Clients and Printers
In this interview, Aaron sits down with Dave Stewart, CEO of Design Huddle, to explore how his platform is transforming the way clients, printers, and designers work together. By embedding an intuitive design tool directly into websites, Design Huddle empowers customers to create print-ready...
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#123 Old‑School Lighting That Still Works
This episode dives into the magic of retro sign lighting—chasers, tracers, and marquee effects—and why “old-school” still grabs attention (and customers). Aaron sits down with a lighting veteran to unpack controllers, patterns, color temperature choices, and practical ways to bring kinetic motion...
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#122 Discipline vs. Fear: The Real Key to Starting a Business
This week Aaron opens up about one of the biggest roadblocks that stops aspiring entrepreneurs: fear. Through stories from the Iron Oaks Society and his own business journey, Aaron explains why bravery alone won’t carry you forward, but discipline will. From making your bed in the morning to...
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#121 The #1 Skill Leaders Fail At: Communication
This week, Aaron dives deep into the single biggest issue that can break any business: communication. Through real-life examples—from clients misunderstanding sign specs to employees missing assignments—Aaron uncovers why most leaders think they’re communicating, when in reality they’re not. 🔥...
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#120 Estimating Mistakes That Can Sink Your Business
This week, Aaron goes deep into the hard lessons his company has learned by reviewing past estimates—the good, the bad, and the costly. From missing small details to underbidding massive projects, he breaks down the most common pitfalls that can destroy profitability. If you’ve ever wondered why...
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#119 Building Stronger Teams Through Radical Transparency
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of a real quarterly meeting—wins, losses, awkward moments, and all. From welcoming new hires to unveiling the design for a 28,000 sq. ft. facility, Aaron shares how openness about numbers, goals, and even mistakes strengthens culture and drives alignment....
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#118 Lasers, Quilts & Signs: Building a 70-Person Business from Fabric and Fire
This week, Aaron sits down with Clay from Thunder Laser USA — and trust us, it’s not just a conversation about machines. It’s about how one family business turned a quilting shop into a tech-driven operation with 70+ employees, a national sales footprint, and an expanding catalog of cutting-edge...
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#117 Why Your Website Isn’t Converting (and What to Do About It)
This week on *The AC Method*, Aaron sits down with Ryan from Striventa and Hyperdrive to unpack why most business websites fail to generate leads—and what you can do to fix it fast. Whether you’re in blue-collar services or scaling a national brand, this episode breaks down the real-world digital...
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#116 The Truth About Confidence (And Why It Intimidates People)
In this solo episode, Aaron opens up about what confidence really means, how it develops, and why people often mistake it for arrogance. From his own experiences in leadership and martial arts training to being misunderstood and even called intimidating, Aaron walks through the internal work...
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#115 How to Protect Your Bottom Line in a Shaky Economy
In this short but high-impact solo episode, Aaron shares how he's preparing his businesses to weather an economic correction. From rising tariffs and permit delays to inflation and material price hikes, he gives a tactical breakdown on how to defend your margins, communicate clearly with clients,...
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#114 Are You Lying to Yourself?
In this episode, Aaron unpacks a hard truth: most of us confuse motion with progress. After meeting with a new mentor, he was forced to face the fact that he had over a dozen active “projects” pulling his focus — and that being busy doesn’t mean you’re growing. He breaks down how to identify…
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#113 How to Hire Smarter (And Actually Keep Good People)
In this episode, Aaron shares a powerful mindset shift around hiring, especially as he explores acquiring a local sign company. What starts as a discussion about evaluating a deal quickly becomes a deep dive into core values, people analysis, and what most leaders get wrong when hiring or...
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#112 Are You the Leader Your Company Needs? | Live at ISA Sign Expo
This special episode features Aaron Clippinger's full presentation from the ISA Sign Expo in Las Vegas: Are You the Leader Your Company Needs? In this high-impact talk, Aaron dives into the evolving role of CEOs and presidents, what leadership really looks like in the sign industry, and how...
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#111 How to Build a Real Leadership Team (Not Just Middle Managers)
In this episode, Aaron breaks down what it actually means to build a real leadership team — not just taskmasters or title-holders. Inspired by the book Traction, he shares the importance of vision, buy-in, and defining core values that truly guide hiring, culture, and execution. From calling out...
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#110 Your Body Is Your Resume: Discipline, Strength & Strategy Behind a High-Value Man
What if your body could open doors before you even speak? That’s exactly how Kyle (@excaliburrcoaching) sees it—and lives it. In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the mindset, discipline, and systems behind Excaliburr: a coaching method designed to build high-value men by optimizing...
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#109 How I’m Building a $10M Shop (While Doing $6M a Year)
Aaron is finally building the dream shop—but with a big twist: the company brings in $6 million a year, and the building? It’s going to cost $10 million. In this episode, Aaron shares the real numbers, the missteps (including a financial doc mistake that cost him a building), and how a custom...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Custom Manufacturing Industry podcast is an entrepreneurship and motivational podcast on all platforms, hosted by Aaron Clippinger. Being CEO of multiple companies including the signage industry and the software industry, Aaron has over 20 years of consulting and business management. His software has grown internationally and with over a billion dollars annually going through the software.
Using his Accounting degree, Aaron will be talking about his organizational ways to get things done. His podcast will give you shortcuts to handling situations without having to live it firsthand. With his comedic way of looking at things, you will be entertained by his stories while learning best practices.
HOSTED BY
Aaron Clippinger
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The AC Method have?
The AC Method currently has 143 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The AC Method about?
Custom Manufacturing Industry podcast is an entrepreneurship and motivational podcast on all platforms, hosted by Aaron Clippinger. Being CEO of multiple companies including the signage industry and the software industry, Aaron has over 20 years of consulting and business management. His software...
How often does The AC Method release new episodes?
The AC Method publishes regularly with 143 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The AC Method?
You can listen to The AC Method on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The AC Method?
The AC Method is created and hosted by Aaron Clippinger.
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