Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Thomas.
Hi Becky, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I love my small town of Arlington, TN. My husband and I moved there in 2003 with two small children and one on the way.
One day, while I was browsing at one of the local boutique stores in the Historic Depot Square, I came across a beautiful, wooden “ARLINGTON” sign that I just adored. With a growing family and only one income, we did not have extra money for “fun” purchases on home decor, so I was unfortunately not able to purchase it.
Several years later, I remembered the sign and went back to the same store to see if they still carried them. Sadly, they did not. That’s when God reminded me, “Becky, you love to paint. Just get a piece of wood and paint ‘ARLINGTON’ on it.” Gladly, I did just that. People who saw my sign wanted one for themselves. I began to make them upon request. When I saw how it made them so happy, each one so unique in its meaning, I knew this was something I needed to do. It began the start of Love My Town Signs.
Thousands of boards later, my custom hand-painted signs can be found in homes and businesses across the country and other countries, reminding people of some person, place, thing, or idea they love. Each board painted has my signature with a smiley face. That makes me happy!
Eight years later, I still enjoy painting signs. When people ask me what kinds of things I paint, I tell them “I paint anything that makes you happy”, which always makes them smile. Since I paint on wooden boards, I have had people ask me about woodworking. I decided to build a few things especially since I loved watching “This Old House” with my dad on Saturday mornings as a child. I ended up building my first entry table for myself and shared it on social media, which grew to build several more for customers. I have now added a custom home decor side of the business.
My husband, John Albert Thomas, and our four young adult children, two (big) dogs, and twenty-three chickens continue to reside in Arlington, TN in our country home called Peaches Place.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say for the most part it has been a smooth road of growing the sign business, but the challenge for me over the years is how big do I want to grow my business. I always fall back on never losing the personal touch.
I love the stories that people share with me on what they want their signs to say, which confirms in me that Love My Town Signs is right where it should be.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I custom hand-paint wooden signs that make people happy. It started out as painting town names and sayings, but just a few years ago, I had a customer reach out to inquire about painting signatures of her two late grandmothers. These by far have been some of the most rewarding signs to paint for people.
All because of that one request, I have now had the privilege of painting hundreds of signature signs whether it be a saying or signature each has such a significant and deep meaning for the recipient. Sometimes the customers send me pictures of their loved ones with their signature signs. It is just priceless!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson that I have learned is to always put the customer first. Take the time necessary with them to make them feel as if they are the only ones. Be a good listener. Always deliver your product better than what they expected.
Contact Info:
- Email: becky@lovemytownsigns.com
- Website: www.lovemytownsigns.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lovemytownsigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/lovemytownsigns
Image Credits
@youarelightphoto
