business coaching

Auto Shop Showcase Postcard Mailer DesignAuto Shop Showcase / Bowling Green, KY

My longtime client Gary Gunn started up a new business in 2023, returning to mentoring auto repair shop owners. Gary collaborated with me on his new website, as well as his online and print advertising campaigns. This postcard mailer design has been a huge success for Gary’s startup business. In fact, it has attracted several valuable automotive business owners to join his monthly mentoring meetings.

Postcard Mailer Design Story – Changing Business Model

Gary Gunn started his career in the automotive industry in 1979. When we first crossed paths in 2006, he hired me to work in office doing clerical duties, sales calls, and human resources tasks. Soon, he saw my talent for graphic design and allowed me to manage his website and lay out CDs and printed curriculum for his coaching clients. When I moved to Lexington from Bowling Green, KY years later, he kept me on hand as a freelancer. Gary eventually sold his coaching company and helped others start their own mentoring and coaching businesses. In 2023, he finished his tenure working with them and started a new business, Auto Shop Showcase.

Back side of the business coach postcard mailer design

The back side of the auto shop coach postcard mailer design.

Initially, Gary’s business model centered around interviewing shop owners and other automotive industry professionals. I got his podcast and Youtube channel up and running, as well as his website. Soon, his business model changed, as business models often do. While his business’ end game was always recruiting auto repair shop owners to his monthly coaching calls, the weekly interviews were unsustainable. I soon shifted to editing daily social media Reels, in addition to the long form Youtube “Auto Shop Tips” videos. In addition to creating and managing his Facebook Ads, I laid out this postcard mailer design.

Postcard Mailer Design – Getting Started

We all get bulk presorted mail in our mailboxes. A lot of what we receive is “junk mail” that we chuck in the recycle bin right away. Business owners especially are bombarded with unsolicited offers. However, the right offer, coupled with an eye catching layout, can break through. Gary and I collaborated to create just that. Which elements came together in order to create a campaign that continues to deliver results?

When Gary first came to me for this postcard mailer design, I already knew what he was looking for. Since I had designed print projects for him for so many years, I knew his tastes by heart. Our collaboration method has not changed much since I left Bowling Green and started working from home. Gary begins the process with a mockup in Microsoft Word. He includes a few suggested images, headlines, and copy in order to get his point across. I start by correcting any grammar and spelling errors and selecting the most effective text. Then, I make my own tweaks to it before moving on to Adobe Photoshop for the actual design.

Graphics And Layout For Direct Mail Card Design – Front Side

Regarding this piece, I already had the perfect stock image in mind. The older gentleman featured is a blue collar worker who looks like he could be right at home managing an auto repair shop. He is clearly frustrated. By what? In this instance, it is a lack of written SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures). Without a clear operations manual, none of his mechanics, service advisors, or management know how to do their tasks properly. You can see why he is so frustrated!

Gary’s business Auto Shop Showcase has the solution. When a shop owner scans the QR code on the card with their phone, it takes them to an online form. When they provide their email address, they receive a free starter kit teaching them how to write SOPs, step by step. Gary also follows up with them in order to make sure they understand. This also opens the door for him to offer them a spot in his monthly mentoring meetings.

Returning to the elements that make the card effective, I added a motion blur to the shop owner, since he is shaking his fist. I employed a bright purple to pink background behind him, with an image of a repair shop faded into it. In order to make the headline pop, I used the wacky title font made famous by the video game Fortnite, heavily stroked in black. The phrase “Frustrated by SOPs?” is highlighted in golden yellow. Futura Black spells out the rest of the card’s content.

Back Of Card Design – Completing The Message

The back of the card repeats the faint automotive shop image, this time over a bright teal blue background. Gary’s smiling face is beaming to the left of his bio. The shop owner from the front of the card returns, this time with a smile of satisfaction on his disembodied head. A final nudge urges the reader to “End Your Frustration Now”. Clearly, it has been an effective campaign thus far. After all, many automotive repair shop owners have signed up for the starter kit using the link.

Do You Need Your Own Postcard Mailer Design?

Despite the many rumors of its demise, direct mail advertising is alive and well! Gary has had massive success in the auto repair industry with this campaign. It all starts with an eye catching layout. That all starts with an experienced graphic designer. Investing in my skills will pay your business back in spades, so contact me today.

You Net Results - Business Coaching Website Design

You Net Results | Houston, TX

My former employer Gary Gunn introduced me to Brian Gillis, a former auto repair shop owner seeking to start a training business. His new company would focus on all aspects of automotive repair, specializing in service advisors working at the front counter. Since Gary trusted me years ago to handle his business coaching website design, I was the ideal candidate to do the same for Brian.

Business Coaching Website Design story

This was a huge project, which was months in the making. While I squared away the nuts and bolts of Brian’s site, he was busy behind the scenes seeking out his initial clientele. Other repair shop owners ran in the same circles with him for years, so he was a trusted figure. We planned out a comprehensive strategy together for both the form and function of the site.

This business coaching website hosts both free video clips and members only content. The site is divided into a host of libraries. Each one houses an archive of weekly webinars covering a specific aspect of the automotive repair business. Brian and his clients deep dive into these topics in each webinar. They also meet in person at conferences a few times per year.

Other features of the site include a calendar of upcoming workshops and conferences. I also created a chart comparing the four membership levels for potential customers. The orange menu button is a call to action urging visitors download a free strategy guide and opt into the email list. Finally, I connected all of the secure contact forms on the site to the company’s Mailchimp account. Each one is organized by its own tag. The business coaching website design was complete.

Once I completed the website build, Brian and his team contracted me to keep the site updated. Each week, I edit and upload YNR’s webinars to the site. I also edit and post the free video clips and blog entries, handling SEO duties for each. Check out the site here!

Contact me for your business coaching website design

Do you have a passion for mentoring other business owners? Perhaps you need a web designer to build a membership site, or a webmaster to manage your current one. I’m your man. Contact me today!

Honor Circle consulting logo design for business coach in KentuckyTurnaround Tour

Bowling Green, KY

Gary Gunn was a long time employer and later a freelance client who coached independent automotive repair shop owners. When I worked with him full time, he had me redesign his website, as well as his brands’ logos. Honor Circle was his premium monthly business coaching program. Here is the story of this consulting logo design.

Consulting logo design story

Since this program catered to Gary’s highest paying clients, I set out to convey a high-class feel. As such, the main color needed to be green, the color of money! I chose a thick sans serif font to communicate that this was an exclusive brand.

I altered the word “Honor” by stylizing the H, extending the left side stems on both the top and bottom. Then, I made the O’s italic to further make it stand out. They overlap with the C’s in such a way that they are “circling” one another. I italicized the entire word “Circle”. This differentiates it from “Honor” and adds more forward motion to the consulting logo design.

A drop shadow makes the white text pop even more. I created the dark to light gradient background by first outlining the text with a thick stroke. I added a subtle light to dark gradient and an inner shadow. These create depth and shine to further enhance the image.

Finally, I topped off the design with a golden stroke outline. I solidified the outline and added a gradient shine to it as well. The end result is a mark that attracted the choosiest auto repair shop owners who were committed to investing in their businesses.

Hire me for your consulting logo design

Are you are rolling out a new program for your coaching business? Then you will need a high end logo that represents the quality of your brand! Contact me today and make it happen.