Creating disruptive art is part of Dan’s DNA. At just 15 years old, he was creating custom pinstripe art and sign design. Part of his journey as a pinstripe artist was hand-lettering on the sides of home service vans. Since then, he has been chasing his passion for brand building and logo design.
Dan is the first to admit that growing a small business is no easy task because he has lived it. In 1995, he officially started his branding agency as Graphic D-Signs—a one-man show that operated out of his basement. Over the years, he accumulated the people, the talent and the unique views on home service to bring KickCharge Creative to the multi-million dollar business it is today. He has even personally overseen the creation of some of the industry’s most well-known brands including Goettl Air Conditioning, A1 Garage Door Service, Eco Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians and Grasshopper Heating & Cooling.
He has helped over 3,000 individual brands skyrocket to success worldwide, sold over 40,000 book copies and won over 250 awards—including 28 first-places from HVACR Business Tops in Trucks.
KickCharge and Dan’s work have been featured on television stations such as “MSNBC” and “Fox Business” and in industry magazines including Entrepreneur, Plumbing & Mechanical, Contractor Magazine and many more. Most notably, he has been a recurring writer for SignCraft Magazine for over 20 years.
His fan-favorite, best-selling “Branded Not ‘Blanded’” takes a deep dive into the basics from naming and taglines to the logistics of building a disruptive wrap. You’ll learn how stronger branding can boost your marketing ROI while shrinking your budget. You’ll also uncover real stories from home service business owners who rebranded with KickCharge and elevated their companies to an entirely new level.
Dan is also a respected speaker at home service events nationwide such as Home Service Freedom, Service Hero and more. At these events, he leads interactive workshops and delivers talks on rebranding—including why the cheapest logo often ends up costing the most—and more. As the definitive industry expert on logo design for small businesses, Dan has established KickCharge Creative as the premier brand-building agency. KickCharge is proud to have rebranded more home service companies than any other agency in the world!
In addition to all of his work, Dan is a proud double-bypass heart surgery survivor, and he takes that appreciation with him every day in his branding mission. In his free time, Dan is an avid Cat 3 cyclist. He is even the organizer and promoter of our agency’s very own team, the KickCharge Creative Cycling Team, which includes nearly a dozen cyclists who compete or ride in various cycling events in New Jersey and beyond. He’s also a big fan of Colnago bicycles and Corvettes.
Check out some of Dan’s recent articles and appearances:
See more of these features here. You can also read some of his powerful insights in our blogs, including:
Dan holds a BA in Communications/Advertising from the University of Scranton. He says, “Scranton gave me an amazing foundation, not just in understanding advertising, but in teaching me how to be a better communicator. While not a ‘design school,’ it taught me how to think about art from both a marketing and strategic perspective.”
“I’m very proud of building this firm from the ground up, and of the work we do here and how we’ve helped change the lives of thousands of business owners. I’m also proud of this super-creative team I’ve assembled. The branding books that I wrote are another proud accomplishment. The awards, front covers and publicity are nice, but there’s also a tremendous amount of satisfaction in knowing that we’ve helped nearly 2,500 small businesses market and grow. Nothing makes me happier than to hear how our work has taken their business to a whole new level.”
When he’s not leading his team or coming up with killer designs, you’ll find Dan spending time with his family. He’s also an accomplished competitive cyclist, logging about 7500 miles annually. He says, “Cycling is the hardest sport there is, bar none. That could be why I love it: because it’s not easy.” Dan also enjoys weightlifting, saltwater fishing, and spending time with his family.
“Build a brand with a positive brand promise, and amazing things happen. Never allow your success to lull your business into a false sense of complacency, because success in spite of poor identity is not a valid reason to perpetuate it. Imagine how much more successful your business might have been with a better brand. And for my team, my rule is simple: Be better today than you were yesterday. It has served us pretty well thus far.”
