oday's story is about the hardship of owning a small business.

Back in 2017, Dan Verboski bought Leon's Signs in Tyler, Texas.

The sign manufacturer was 72 years old. $2.3 million in revenue, $650k in earnings.

Seemed sturdy.

And in fact, the business has gone pretty well, at least on paper. Dan has doubled both revenue & SDE.

But behind the scenes, the journey has not been rosy.

‍Cash flow crises. Defiant employees. Bad culture. Hiring missteps. Burn out and depression.

Leadership, and learning it, is a key theme of this conversation. You'll hear how Dan has evolved in that department, which has been fitful and painful at times.

Now in many ways Dan's is a story of victory. He's a successful entrepreneur. He owns his own business doing over $1m in SDE. He has an airplane that he flies as a hobby.

But the toll it's taken to get there has dimmed his sense of accomplishment.

Dan's story is one to keep in mind as you travel along your own journey to become an owner.

At the end you'll hear us refer to his upcoming appearance in Houston. I've since confirmed the date that he will be on stage in Houston at the ETA Circle event: That's July 10th. So go meet Dan in person, as well as other Texas searchers. ETAcircle.com to register for the event (link in the notes).

OK, here's Dan Verboski, owner of Leon's Signs.