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Billboard Mastery Podcast

Welcome to the Billboard Mastery Podcast, where you will learn the correct way to identify, evaluate, negotiate, perform diligence on, select the construction type, build, rent the ad space and operate billboard signs. And now here is your host – the guy that built from scratch the largest privately-owned billboard company in Dallas/Ft. Worth – Frank Rolfe.

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Episode 150: All About Access

It’s one thing to build a billboard and something entirely different to maintain access to it. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review everything you need to know about getting and keeping access to repair lights, install

Episode 149: All About Roof Mounts

One of the oldest styles of billboard structures in America are what are called “roof mounts” – signs that are physically built into roofs of buildings as their structural support. Dating from around the 1920s to 1960s, most cities will no longer allow you to build these, but they sometimes come on the market to buy. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the history of this type of sign and what you need to know if you are looking at buying or operating one.

Episode 148: Lessons Learned From Digging Holes

Whether it’s monopole, I-beam, or telephone pole, every billboard begins with digging giant holes in the ground. And there are many things that can happen when you dig a hole, and many things you can hit below the earth’s surface. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the lessons learned from digging hundreds of such holes.

Episode 147: The Key To A Good Ground Lease Is What Happens

At The End One of the key features to a successful billboard ground lease is not what happens at the start of the lease, but what happens at the end. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the strategies regarding how to handle what happens at your ground lease’s conclusion.

Episode 146: All About All-Night Lighting

Some billboards have no lights, and others are lighted from dusk until midnight. But in rare cases, some signs are lighted from dusk until dawn. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the reasons and complications of lighting billboards all night.

Episode 145: How To Operate With Maximum Efficiency

There is a maximum level of net income that every billboard can attain, but few hit those numbers. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the normal categories of revenue and expense maximization that every sign should adhere to, along with tips on how to get there.

Episode 144: All About Tiny Signs

In the advertising business, bigger is always better – but sometimes “big” is not an option. City and state laws can sometimes alter the playing field with only small signs possible. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the playbook on making money with tiny signs.

Episode 143: What To Do When New Billboard Construction Is Banned

Some cities allow new billboards to be built, while others don't. And when new billboards are banned in a city you have to make a decision whether to give up or attempt to get a variance. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we're going to explore how to make that decision and how to successfully obtain a variance for new construction

Episode 142: Playing With Numbers

Hyperbole is typically gaslighting with words, but in the billboard business it is more commonly done with numbers. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we're going to review methods of presenting numbers to get the desired results

Episode 141: All About Offsets

When building a steel monopole structure there is an option to place the pole places except directly under the sign faces and this is called an "offset". In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the concept of "offsets" and what you need to know to use this tool effectively.

Episode 140: The Implications Of The Sale Of Clear Channel

Clear Channel Outdoor has is selling and, if the deal closes, their stock will be delisted from the stock exchange. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore this massive deal and what the implications are for the billboard industry going forward.

Episode 139: The Dangers Of Guessing

Billboards are giant assets, often weighing in at over seven tons. The typical ad face is bigger than a tiny home. When dealing in this type of massive size, you can’t afford to make even a minor error as it’s impossible to fix. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore inexpensive options to take the guessing out of some of the big decisions billboard owners have to make.

Episode 138: Things You Should Never Try To Do Yourself

DIY (Do It Yourself) seems like a great way to save money, but working on your house is a lot different than a billboard sign. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review what you can – and can’t – apply your DIY skills to.

Episode 137: Tough Negotiators

Some property owners are hard to work with – and some are nearly impossible. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some practical strategies to get deals done with the hardest negotiators, as well as when to simply walk away.

Episode 136: How To Remove Obstructions

When a billboard can’t be seen from the road, its importance to advertisers is diminished or even eliminated. Yet many billboards are blocked by objects that could, with the proper strategy, be eliminated. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the options to remove obstructions.

Episode 135: The Dangers Of Talking Too Much

There is a time to talk and a time to listen – but there’s also a time to talk a little less. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review when to hold back on talking and how to get straight to business in order to get deals closed.

Episode 134: Why Signs Are As Close To "Mailbox Money" As You'll Ever Find

There are few income streams more passive than owning a billboard. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how you can make outdoor signs into your own version of “mailbox money” as well as strategies to get started.

Episode 133: The Good And Bad Of "Cigar-Butt" Signs

Warren Buffett’s partner Charlie Munger once criticized Berkshire Hathaway’s early focus on what he called “cigar-butt” investing. Yet it’s a philosophy that also holds true for billboard signs. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what “cigar-butt” signs actually are and their advantages and disadvantages.

Episode 132: The Importance Of Staying The Course

One of the most important attributes in the billboard industry – and life – is persistence against all odds. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the importance of “staying the course” and not giving up, as well as some methods to improve your steadfast resilience.

Episode 131: How To Ask For A Bank Loan

There’s an old saying “it takes money to make money” and often times that money comes from a bank loan. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to obtain a bank loan to build or buy a billboard, as well as some non-bank alternatives.

Episode 130: Things Business Books Won’t Teach You

In honor of Veterans Day, in this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some of the significant strategies to be found in books on military history and how they apply to the billboard industry. While business books have good lessons learned, the significance of military engagement and its life-or-death impact has yielded much more pronounced theorems on success.

Episode 129: The Billboard Owner's Lifestyle

Owning billboards is unlike most every other business. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the unusual lifestyle of most billboard owners and review the reasons for this unique style of business.

Episode 128: The Laws Of Negotiation

Every billboard deal begins and ends with a successful negotiation of terms. But many people don’t understand the mechanics of these transactions and the science behind them. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the art form known as American contract negotiation.

Episode 127: Tricks To Stay Out Of Harm's Way

The worst thing that can happen to any billboard is to end up being torn down for property redevelopment. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some of the real-life tricks you can use to minimize your exposure to this risk.

Episode 126: Why I Drop A Dime Down Every Hole

Tiny habits can yield big consequences. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some simple habits that can reinforce important moments in building a successful billboard.