We were lucky to catch up with Greta Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Greta, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from my father, who taught me at a young age to treat any business I work for like it’s my own. At 14 years old I started my first job working for my father and got easily distracted and bored. My dad would get on me about my work ethic and I didn’t like feeling like I was lacking. With that feeling in mind, I developed focus and discipline to prove myself. I would ask my dad questions about running a business and he taught me that whether I’m the owner or an employee, the priority should always be growing the business. As an employee, he taught me, I could do that by treating the business like it’s my own. Over the course of my career, I have used that advice and made it a priority to prove myself invaluable to any company I work for by going above and beyond what a normal employee is willing to do to grow the business. I’ve worked on my days off, nights and weekends when we were closed, and learned to have a flexible mindset in the workplace. When complex client inquiries would come through, I’ve learned to “find a way” when other people would say “no” by guiding clients and making our way together to the finish line. Today I’m the Operations Manager of a prominent Sign company in Nashville, serving all manner of clientele from record labels, production companies, and independent musicians to electricians, medical centers, and animal shelters. We work with all kinds here and I’m proud to work with such a variety of industries everyday.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I operate Signarama Nashville, providing design/production/installation services to various clients throughout Nashville and the surrounding areas. In addition to our everyday business, we proudly participate in charitable organizations by donating products and services in support of various causes. It’s important to us to support our local community and stay involved. Some of our favorite clients to work with are the local animal shelters, as we’re all animal lovers!
Being in Nashville, it’s always exciting to work with clients on Music Row and with the entertainment industry overall. I’ve had my designs and products on TV, at Music Festivals and Concerts around the world, Award Shows, and other entertainment platforms. It’s been a unique opportunity to be here in Nashville and to be involved in so many platforms in so many ways.
I’m most proud to have been involved with the PENCIL Foundation and had the opportunity to be a guest speaker and mentor for the CMT Academy of Digital Design and Communication here in Nashville. Our future generations are so important and being able to guide and develop kids in a field they share my passion for is an honor that I hold dear to my heart.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I believe the most important skills I’ve developed on my journey have been focus, communication, and a flexible mindset.
Focus is a cornerstone and helps with time management, workload management, and really guides everything else including communication and mindset. In the early days of a career, it can be difficult to focus when everything is “new” and there’s so much to learn. My recommendation is to do a brief (2-3 minute) mindful meditation. Then with a clear head, evaluate what needs to be done, what’s most pressing, and prioritize from there.
Communication is invaluable. The ability to explain something succinctly, while also providing clarity has proven to be the most successful tool of communication with clients and employees. I’ve learned that you can’t simply tell people “this is how it’s done” and move on. People comprehend and are more agreeable when you provide “why this is done in this way”. For example, clients sometimes push back when I require a 50% deposit to get an order started as they often want to see a design before they commit to an order. With that in mind, I provide the following response “It’s our policy not to get a designer involved without commitment on an order. Once the deposit is paid, we will provide the initial design with up to two revisions. Alternatively, if design is required before an order is placed, I can follow up with an estimate for design only (no product)”. With a clear, succinct response they are able to proceed with understanding that we will take care of their design and even revise as needed, but we don’t work for free in any capacity. This is something I HIGHLY recommend to other designers.
Having a flexible mindset has really been the umami in my career. This comes into play with clients, employees, and even vendors. With clients especially I avoid saying “no” as much as possible, because I know there’s a solution to every problem. Where so many people are willing to give up or send clients elsewhere, I’m ready to tackle a problem and help guide people through it. Most often this comes up when a client has a jumbled mess of ideas that they don’t know how to convey to me. My approach is to break it down for them. I adjust my breakdown to each person’s needs but it acts as a starting point to guide them through the process.
Let’s say a client can’t convey design needs — I’ll break it down to the following bullet points :
– Who’s Your Target Audience?
– Font style and weight preference(s) : script, handwritten, serif, sans-serif, heavy, med, light
– Color(s)
– Texture(s)
– Imagery that inspires you/your brand
Other situations arise that benefit from a flexible mindset as well. If an employee needs the day off because they didn’t sleep well the night before, I know some employers would get angry or think that’s weak. However, I consider the sleepless night’s I’ve pushed through and know I could have benefitted plenty of times from having a rested mind, so I can be supportive in those moments instead of holding my position over them as their boss. There have also been situations where vendors have told me an ETA for materials or fabricated items and they didn’t show up on time, resulting in me having to reschedule a client’s order. It’s important to get a grip on what you can control and what’s out of your hands. I used to get defensive and tell a vendor “You said this date, we committed to this job based on that date and I need you to do whatever you can to get it here immediately”, but I’ve learned to grasp reality (in most situations — I still work on this continuously) and adjust as needed on my end.
Ultimately, the best advice I can give to someone starting their career is to test different approaches and find what’s best for you moving forward. Never stop educating yourself, and never stop developing new skills whether they’re professional or personal. Always grow.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played an important role in your development?
The most important book that I’ve read and that has impacted my career AND my life, is The Four Agreements. When I’m struggling, I ask myself if I’m following the agreements and adjust as needed.. those agreements are :
– Be impeccable with your word; Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak again yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
– Don’t take anything personally; Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
– Don’t make assumptions; Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
– DO YOUR BEST; Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://signarama.com/locations/tn-nashville-8th-ave
- Instagram: signarama_nashville
