Be Responsive: Interview with Jason Ditkofsky, President of Channel Letter USA

I recently went one on one with Jason Ditkofsky, President of McNeill Signs and Channel Letter USA.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Jason: I moved down to South Florida in 2012 and purchased a sign franchise of a well-known national brand. I did quite well with it and soon after bought another. It became quite evident that the franchisor was not interested in me being able to scale the businesses, so I sold them off one at a time. In 2017 I purchased Channel Letter USA, where I actually used to be a customer. Channel Letter USA provides wholesale fabrication to the sign industry. The company builds channel letters, sign cabinets, and monument signs and sells wholesale to sign retail stores.

I saw an opportunity to concentrate on the business’s customer service aspect and have been quite successful in growing the business, although admittedly faced some challenges at the start. What I love about Channel Letter USA is that it is all about relationship building. What was difficult for me to get used to was relying on other companies to sell my product. I also saw that there was a gap in the market when it came to installations. I figured if I was building the signs, I may as well finish the job and control the customer journey from start to finish. I had been looking for trucks when I was presented with an opportunity to partner with McNeill Signs. The fit was seamless, and the rest is history.

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Jason: We do everything, from the design to the installation of the sign. I started as a franchisee, then moved on to a manufacturer. On top of being a manufacturer, I’m now an installer. I offer a customer experience I can 100% control, by offering the best quality and service. I also have the best tech and equipment, which benefits the speed and quality of our signs.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Jason: The most important quality for a leader is the ability to delegate. It’s important to delegate assignments and roles that will help the company grow and flourish. It’s important to find people that can fill areas of expertise because as a CEO, you will never have all of the necessary knowledge and technical skills required to run the company by yourself. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Jason: Read anything and everything you can get your hands on! Everything from bios of successful entrepreneurs to people you’re inspired by. I love reading, and I think that you can learn so much from them.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Jason: The best tip would be to have a vision and inspire your team to believe in it. If you stick to a vision and inspire your employees, it will lead to better morale and better work. It’s also important to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. With accepting being uncomfortable, I was able to grow and every step in improving my business is a new and exciting challenge. It’s also important to learn how to stand out in your industry – I was able to apply white collar corporate techniques and strategies into a traditionally blue-collar industry. It’s been very important for us and it has been extremely impactful on the growth of our company.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Jason: Don’t be above jumping in and doing anything. It’s important to show your employees that you’re not above them and you’re willing to put in the effort. It’s also important to not ask your team to do something you would not do. You also need to lead by example. If there’s a big project and people need to stay late, you stay late as well. Order some pizza, or dinner for your employees. Show them that you’re willing to work just as hard as they do, maybe even harder.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?

Jason: You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen before you speak. Often times the customer will tell you exactly what you need to do and say to solve all of their problems.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Jason: The best piece of advice is to be responsive. I always make sure that everybody gets a call back, even if it could be put in an email. It is incredible to me how often I win bids just because my competition does not even bother to respond to quote requests. There is no secret sauce. Everybody wants to be treated like they matter.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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