Trust Gets You Found: The Boring Business Growth Strategy That Works | Ep. 79 w/ John de Jong (Alley Kat Signs & Marketing)
What happens when a leader shows you exactly who you never want to become?
John de Jong almost died from a burst appendix.
Two days later, his boss called...not to check on him, but to ask when he’d be back at work.
That moment reshaped how John understood leadership, performance, culture, and what actually drives business growth.
In this episode of Is Anything Real?, Adam W. Barney sits down with John de Jong, founder of AlleyKat Signs and Marketing, for a grounded conversation about leadership, visibility, reputation, local business, and doing business like a human.
Two days later, his boss called...not to check on him, but to ask when he’d be back at work.
That moment reshaped how John understood leadership, performance, culture, and what actually drives business growth.
In this episode of Is Anything Real?, Adam W. Barney sits down with John de Jong, founder of AlleyKat Signs and Marketing, for a grounded conversation about leadership, visibility, reputation, local business, and doing business like a human.
John built a multi-million-dollar sign and marketing business by focusing on something most business owners overlook:
Trust compounds.
Trust compounds.
This isn't a conversation about marketing hacks. It's about reputation, consistency, leadership, Google reviews, local visibility, and why being findable beats being clever.
John shares why he bought a practical sign business, how he turned Google reviews into a growth engine, why replying to reviews matters, and why local businesses should optimize their Google Business Profile before spending more money on ads.
Adam and John also explore the leadership side of growth: why culture affects performance, why relationships with staff matter, and why valuable people create valuable relationships, which create valuable results.
In this episode:
- The near-death moment that changed John’s leadership philosophy
- Why performance dropped 40% after a leadership failure
- Why culture is a performance multiplier
- Why boring businesses are often built to last
- Why buying an existing business can be smarter than starting from scratch
- Why every business should ask for and reply to Google reviews
- How reputation compounds faster than traffic
- Why local businesses need a stronger Google Business Profile
- Why AI is useful only when trained by actual intelligence
- Why growth follows trust, not tricks
Guest:
John de Jong
Founder, AlleyKat Signs & Marketing
Founder, AlleyKat Signs & Marketing
AlleyKat Signs: https://www.alleykatsigns.com/
iGetYOUfound: https://igetyoufound.com/
Host:
Adam W. Barney
Transition Leadership Coach
Author of Make Your Own Glass Half Full
Creator of EnergyOS
Transition Leadership Coach
Author of Make Your Own Glass Half Full
Creator of EnergyOS
👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call:
https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min
https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min
Creators and Guests
Host
Adam W. Barney
Adam W. Barney helps transitioning leaders navigate career and leadership inflection points with clarity and momentum. Author of Make Your Own Glass Half Full and creator of EnergyOS. Based in Boston, fueled by family and music.
