The AC Method

The AC Method

Custom Manufacturing Industry podcast is an entrepreneurship and motivational podcast on all platforms, hosted by Aaron Clippinger. Being CEO of multiple companies including the signage industry and the software industry, Aaron has over 20 years of consulting and business management. His software has grown internationally and with over a billion dollars annually going through the software. Using his Accounting degree, Aaron will be talking about his organizational ways to get things done. His podcast will give you shortcuts to handling situations without having to live it firsthand. With his comedic way of looking at things, you will be entertained by his stories while learning best practices.

Episodes

#124 Design Huddle: Bridging the Gap Between Clients and Printers

September 18, 2025 • 38 mins
In this interview, Aaron sits down with Dave Stewart, CEO of Design Huddle, to explore how his platform is transforming the way clients, printers, and designers work together. By embedding an intuitive design tool directly into websites, Design Huddle empowers customers to create print-ready artwork without endless back-and-forth revisions. From Shopify and WordPress integration to bridging the gap between client imagination and ...
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#123 Old‑School Lighting That Still Works

September 11, 2025 • 32 mins
This episode dives into the magic of retro sign lighting—chasers, tracers, and marquee effects—and why “old-school” still grabs attention (and customers). Aaron sits down with a lighting veteran to unpack controllers, patterns, color temperature choices, and practical ways to bring kinetic motion back to your installs. From go‑kart tracks to storefronts, learn how to design lighting that sells, not just shines. 🔥 Topics Covered...
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#122 Discipline vs. Fear: The Real Key to Starting a Business

September 4, 2025 • 13 mins
This week Aaron opens up about one of the biggest roadblocks that stops aspiring entrepreneurs: fear. Through stories from the Iron Oaks Society and his own business journey, Aaron explains why bravery alone won’t carry you forward, but discipline will. From making your bed in the morning to building consistent habits, Aaron breaks down how small steps lead to big results, and why accountability is the secret ingredient to lasting...
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#121 The #1 Skill Leaders Fail At: Communication

September 4, 2025 • 13 mins
This week, Aaron dives deep into the single biggest issue that can break any business: communication. Through real-life examples—from clients misunderstanding sign specs to employees missing assignments—Aaron uncovers why most leaders think they’re communicating, when in reality they’re not. 🔥 Topics Covered: ✅ The 3 key elements of real communication ✅ Why feedback matters more than the message itself ✅ How body langu...
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#120 Estimating Mistakes That Can Sink Your Business

August 21, 2025 • 14 mins
This week, Aaron goes deep into the hard lessons his company has learned by reviewing past estimates—the good, the bad, and the costly. From missing small details to underbidding massive projects, he breaks down the most common pitfalls that can destroy profitability.  If you’ve ever wondered why your projects take longer, cost more, or eat away at your margins, this episode will save you from repeating the same mistakes. 🔥 Top...
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#119 Building Stronger Teams Through Radical Transparency

August 14, 2025 • 13 mins
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of a real quarterly meeting—wins, losses, awkward moments, and all. From welcoming new hires to unveiling the design for a 28,000 sq. ft. facility, Aaron shares how openness about numbers, goals, and even mistakes strengthens culture and drives alignment. You’ll hear candid lessons from a tough project loss, why profit sharing matters, and the unexpected ways transparency inspires ownership ...
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#118 Lasers, Quilts & Signs: Building a 70-Person Business from Fabric and Fire

August 7, 2025 • 26 mins
This week, Aaron sits down with Clay from Thunder Laser USA — and trust us, it’s not just a conversation about machines. It’s about how one family business turned a quilting shop into a tech-driven operation with 70+ employees, a national sales footprint, and an expanding catalog of cutting-edge tools. From laser-cut acrylic to engraving Stanley cups and prepping for UV printing, Clay breaks down what’s powering the maker moveme...
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#117 Why Your Website Isn’t Converting (and What to Do About It)

July 31, 2025 • 43 mins
This week on *The AC Method*, Aaron sits down with Ryan from Striventa and Hyperdrive to unpack why most business websites fail to generate leads—and what you can do to fix it fast. Whether you’re in blue-collar services or scaling a national brand, this episode breaks down the real-world digital strategies that get results.Ryan shares what most agencies don’t tell you, how search engine indexing works in 2024, and why Google’s AI ...
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#116 The Truth About Confidence (And Why It Intimidates People)

July 24, 2025 • 13 mins
In this solo episode, Aaron opens up about what confidence really means, how it develops, and why people often mistake it for arrogance. From his own experiences in leadership and martial arts training to being misunderstood and even called intimidating, Aaron walks through the internal work required to become truly grounded — and how to help others get there too. If you’re a leader, parent, or someone building something bigger th...
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#115 How to Protect Your Bottom Line in a Shaky Economy

July 17, 2025 • 10 mins
In this short but high-impact solo episode, Aaron shares how he's preparing his businesses to weather an economic correction. From rising tariffs and permit delays to inflation and material price hikes, he gives a tactical breakdown on how to defend your margins, communicate clearly with clients, and keep your team steady when times get rocky. This is the real playbook for staying profitable when the market shifts. 🔥 Topics Covere...
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#114 Are You Lying to Yourself?

July 10, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode, Aaron unpacks a hard truth: most of us confuse motion with progress. After meeting with a new mentor, he was forced to face the fact that he had over a dozen active “projects” pulling his focus — and that being busy doesn’t mean you’re growing. He breaks down how to identify what’s actually worth your time, how to cut low-ROI tasks, and why the real bottleneck might be your own inability to let go. 🔥 Topics Covere...
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#113 How to Hire Smarter (And Actually Keep Good People)

July 3, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode, Aaron shares a powerful mindset shift around hiring, especially as he explores acquiring a local sign company. What starts as a discussion about evaluating a deal quickly becomes a deep dive into core values, people analysis, and what most leaders get wrong when hiring or restructuring their team. If you've ever said “there’s no good people out there,” this episode will challenge that — and give you a better syste...
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#112 Are You the Leader Your Company Needs? | Live at ISA Sign Expo

June 26, 2025 • 19 mins
This special episode features Aaron Clippinger's full presentation from the ISA Sign Expo in Las Vegas: Are You the Leader Your Company Needs? In this high-impact talk, Aaron dives into the evolving role of CEOs and presidents, what leadership really looks like in the sign industry, and how culture, vision, and accountability separate startups from growth-stage companies. Whether you're running a small shop or leading a team of 50...
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#111 How to Build a Real Leadership Team (Not Just Middle Managers)

June 19, 2025 • 14 mins
 In this episode, Aaron breaks down what it actually means to build a real leadership team — not just taskmasters or title-holders. Inspired by the book Traction, he shares the importance of vision, buy-in, and defining core values that truly guide hiring, culture, and execution. From calling out weak leadership habits to sharing the questions that align your team for the long haul, this episode is a must-listen for any business o...
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#110 Your Body Is Your Resume: Discipline, Strength & Strategy Behind a High-Value Man

June 12, 2025 • 30 mins
What if your body could open doors before you even speak? That’s exactly how Kyle (@excaliburrcoaching) sees it—and lives it. In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the mindset, discipline, and systems behind Excaliburr: a coaching method designed to build high-value men by optimizing strength, mobility, clarity and long-term health. Kyle breaks down the real reasons most men fail to stay healthy, and offers battle-tested to...
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#109 How I’m Building a $10M Shop (While Doing $6M a Year)

June 5, 2025 • 10 mins
Aaron is finally building the dream shop—but with a big twist: the company brings in $6 million a year, and the building? It’s going to cost $10 million. In this episode, Aaron shares the real numbers, the missteps (including a financial doc mistake that cost him a building), and how a custom lease-to-own deal is making it possible. Plus: the mindset, systems, and back-to-basics approach he's using to hit a $1M cash target in 24 m...
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#108 Inventory Fixes That Save You Thousands

May 29, 2025 • 9 mins
After a rare five-day break, Aaron returns recharged—and immediately digs into his balance sheet. This time, he's targeting inventory: how it’s managed, stored, and often misused. In this episode, he shares real tactics to turn your raw materials into measurable profit and explains how inventory control directly impacts your bottom line. If you’re looking to save 10–12% in your shop without layoffs or gimmicks, this one’s for you....
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#107 The Power of No: When Turning Down Work Is the Smartest Move

May 23, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode, Aaron shares a hard-earned lesson about boundaries, red flags, and knowing when to walk away—even from a six-figure project. Inspired by an article from Dale at Media 1, “The Power of No”, this one is all about protecting your team, your time, and your bottom line. Aaron walks through a real-world example: a national sign company pushing his team to take on a complex install without paying the advance deposit—unti...
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#106 Sales Fixes, Missed Payments & the One Question That Changes Everything

May 15, 2025 • 14 mins
This week’s episode hits two sides of the business: what your sales team should be doing—and why they’re probably not. After stepping into the controller role for a month, Aaron shares what he uncovered behind the curtain: bad entries, skipped steps, and $1.2 million sitting in accounts receivable.From onboarding clients the right way to having real money conversations, this is a must-listen for anyone running a shop, leading a sal...
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#105 Controller Crisis Continues: How to Interview So Candidates Can’t Lie

May 9, 2025 • 15 mins
In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron shares the evolving story of a controller crisis that’s turning into a powerful lesson on hiring and interviewing. After back-to-back controller hires fell short due to dishonesty, Aaron reveals how he completely revamped his interview process to ensure candidates truly have the skills they claim. From trade show insights on the latest tech to key hiring strategies, discover: Why bringing t...
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