Signage has been essential during the coronavirus pandemic – from health and safety warnings and social distancing dots to business reopening banners.

No one understands this better than Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International Inc. (asi/395000). Under her leadership, the signage and graphics company with more than 700 franchisees has stayed nimble and productive, whether that’s by using traditional signage materials to create intubation boxes for hospitals or helping other local businesses market themselves during COVID.

“I realized I could be a victim … or I could decide that I was in charge of my future.” — Catherine Monson

“Keeping these small businesses generating some revenue when they had been shut completely down has been so vital,” Monson says.

Thanks to the company’s quick thinking, FASTSIGNS is only down 3% in revenue for 2020 (recovering ground lost at the onset of the pandemic). Monson attributes the success to her team’s dedication to sharing ideas between franchisees and seeking out ways to gain market share. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” she says, adding that she expects FASTSIGNS to be in a solid position even if the pandemic continues well into 2021.

In this podcast with Theresa Hegel, executive editor for digital content at ASI, Monson talks extensively about how FASTSIGNS approached the pandemic and how she approached leadership during this difficult time. She also shares details about how her abusive childhood shaped her into becoming a “victor, instead of a victim,” why she always wanted to be a CEO, what she learned from donning goth rocker garb to star in an episode of “Undercover Boss,” and what she sees as the five learned traits of highly successful people.

Podcast Chapters
1:28: How surviving an abusive childhood shaped Monson into the leader she is today
7:23: The importance of positive thinking and keeping a gratitude journal
9:36 Why Monson always wanted to be CEO
13:19: What makes franchises so special
16:28: Going undercover as a “rocker chick” and what it taught her about her company
21:00: How FASTSIGNS supported franchisees during the pandemic
29:04: Why signage has been essential during COVID
32:30: The five traits of highly successful people and how to learn them

Monson became the CEO of FASTSIGNS International in 2009 and has 30 years of franchising and management experience. She’s served on the board of directors of the International Franchise Association (IFA) since 2008 and became the chairwoman of the IFA in February.

Founded in 1985, FASTSIGNS International has over 700 locations in nine countries, providing comprehensive sign and graphic solutions for businesses and organizations.

Watch the episode on YouTube