Billboard Insider is running a series featuring Tom Giesken, who just retired after a 30 year career in our home Advertising, including 25 years running his own Billboard company. Last week Tom talked about bank financing and managing through tough times. Today he talks about faith and business and gives advice to someone starting an out of home advertising career.

Tom, you’re a Christian.  Tell us about a time your faith impacted your business.

I had bought some billboards in Dearborn Michigan just prior to the economic downturn. There was an ad on one of them called the Flight Club and I just thought the flight club was a restaurant or something like that.  I didn’t really know what it was and I didn’t do the proper due diligence when I bought them.  Turns out it was a strip club. I had to honor that contract for another 6-7 months until it expired.   After the contract expired (thank God) this guy came to me and he says “I’ll take every one of your empties and I’ll pay you double”.  Now, when you’re at 30% occupancy that sounds pretty good but I’m sitting there thinking about it. But not too long before I thought, how can I reconcile this with my faith? I’ll never be able to walk in another office or business again in the Dearborn area without people saying that here’s a guy that put all those strip joints up. I thought for a few days.  I had people telling me just do it. You live 2 hours away!  I just couldn’t do it. So I turned the guy down.  2 things; I thought I might lose more sales down the road and I couldn’t live with myself forever if I did it. I’m sooooo glad now I didn’t do it!!

Advice to someone starting out.

I’ll give the same advice that I give my kids…in today’s society all you got to do is at least show up on time or a little early.  I always tell my kids early is on time and on time is late.  Show up early and don’t steal. Be honest in your job! Then you’re already in the top 10 percentile of all people that work today. Unfortunately that’s the high bar right now. On top of that if your work ethic is exemplary then the skies the limit.

What’s next?

A long time ago when I became a Christian, God gave me a list of seven things to start.  Some of the things I started were: 1) a full-fledged YMCA, 2) a Christian Band, 3) a Christian coffee shop which is still going today called Well Grounded Café, 4) National Day of Prayer in my county, 5) a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter, 6) a Christian School (that we just got off the ground). I got only 1 thing left and that is to do a church plant here in my area.  In God’s timing!

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