Wisconsin native Paul Sara has 38 years experience in the out of home advertising business including a stint as President of the Clear Channel Outdoor Milwaukee Division from 1996 to 2014. Sara has formed Badger Outdoor Consulting to provide management and operational consulting to the out of home advertising business. Insider talked with Sara last week.Paul, how did you get into the out of home advertising business?
I had a sales job that had me on the road 3 & 4 nights a week. Too much when
young, married and have a child. So, I looked for something with less or no travel. I an-
swered an in the local rag for a commercial sign sales rep. I took the job, enjoyed what I
was doing, lo and behold, nine months later the commercial/outdoor company I worked
for was purchased by Foster & Kleiser (F&K). F&K was not in the commercial sign business so they shut that business down and hired me as their real estate/lease manager. That’s how I got in the business. Best decision I ever made was answering that newspaper ad. Haha.
What are your thoughts on Clear Channel Outdoor and its pending freedom from iHeart Media?
Having spent nearly 18 years with CCO, I think they’ll do very well as a stand alone.
They have excellent inventory, in key markets and good people. That’s a Win, Win & Win!
What kind of services can Badger Consulting provide to out of home advertising companies?
We can offer expertise in nearly all aspects of the outdoor industry including
M&A, real estate, public affairs, sales and strategic planning, digital outdoor and plant
development. Visit our website www.badgeroutdoorconsulting.com and you’ll get a com-
plete picture. Being in the outdoor business for 38 years, you see and experience a lot, not everything, but a lot. If for some reason I can’t be of help to someone, I’ll be sure to let them know. I say, don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. I’m here to help, not waste people’s time.
You’ve lectured on business ethics to college students. What do you tell
them?
I could go on and on about the topics of ethics. Our young people need to hear
about right and wrong when entering the workforce. There are consequences for bad
behavior. I talk about the many companies that were brought down because there was an
absence of ethics in their culture and leadership. Leadership failed their shareholders,
employees and the community. Nothing will bring down a business faster than an absence of Ethics. When looking for a job, Sallie Krawcheck, CEO & Co-founder of Ellevest says “If it comes down to your ethics vs. a job, choose ethics. You can always find another job.” I also recommend to the students to read the book by the one and only Karl Eller. The name of the book is: Integrity Is All You’ve Got. He wrote inside the cover of the book he gave to me: Remember, surround yourself with people of flawless integrity! You just can’t get better advice than that. Finally, I read to the students a quote from William Clement Stone and great businessman
and philanthropist:
- Have the courage to face the truth.
- Have the courage to say No.
- Do the right thing because it is right.
- These are the magic keys to living your life with Integrity.
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