Just over a year ago, Galyon launched the Colorado-based business with the goal of making it the exact opposite of many of its national peers, at least in terms of professionalism. He remembers the first twirler he ever saw (a dirty and unmotivated LA spinner) as categorically unimpressive, influencing him to base his business on polite, unpierced youth. Today, all of his employees are enrolled in courses in either high school or college, though 21-year-old operations manager Nico Lujan (the spinner in the videos below) plans to use his business degree when he stays with the company after graduating next year.
Below are some of the tips Galyon gives his employees:5. Don't sweat the angry stuff. It's predictably common for strangers on the street to shout insults or -- worse yet -- throw objects at twirlers for fun or frustration. But Galyon insists his employees also earn compliments (and AArrow's earn phone numbers). Those who take the negative to heart won't last long on the job. "People do yell as they drive past, things like 'Loser!,' but I just think to myself that I'm outside listening to my headphones and working on my body at the same time," says Galyon, who occasionally fills spinning shifts at Motion. "I'm listening to my favorite tunes, and the views all over Colorado are great. The more fun you have, the more people driving by are going to notice you. So what if they're not always nice?"
4. Be professional, and be prepared. At Motion Advertising, Galyon doesn't require a strict costume, instead asking his employees to be presentable but comfortable. Because they are taught to perform in conditions including strong wind, Motion spinners practice in all situations and are expected to dress for them, too. Don't wear anything in which you can easily be blown away, he advises.
Here, Lujan takes on Mother Nature during a battle with the wind:
That said, all of his employees are covered by a $5 million liability insurance policy should weather or traffic wreak havoc. "I've found that all my customers would rather see us spin in khaki pants and a white polo or something than Liberty Tax's costume, and I feel the same way," says Galyon. "I just want to bring a professional approach to it, and I want all of my twirlers to be safe."
3. Stay in shape, and practice your moves. Denver's twirlers aren't just holding up pieces of paper or poster board. Made from plastic and vinyl, typical human directional signs can average anywhere between six and fifteen pounds, which makes carrying them and tossing them across hours-long shifts tiring tasks. In order to last, spinners should build their upper body strength and practice their twirling tricks. One way to do this is by attending practices -- which Galyon plans to make mandatory soon -- or by taking home a sign to replicate the moves in YouTube videos.
"After four or five hours of waving a sign that weighs up to fifteen pounds, it's tiring," Galyon says. "The main goal is to remain active so that you're constantly using and building your muscles and training your body to adapt. If you drop the sign, that's OK. It's really all about teaching your body what it can handle."
Page down to see another video and the top two tips. 2. It's OK to be a little (or a lot) wacky.The best sign spinners are. It takes a distinct personality to enjoy performing, for the public and near traffic, with a sign taller than many twirlers. It also takes music. (Lujan prefers Kanye West and Jay-Z.) "You should have an outgoing personality and be somewhat goofy by nature," says Galyon, who uses the hiring process to weed out those who don't match this criteria. "You shouldn't mind being out there and being seen. It's a highly visible job, and people see you every time they drive by, so I love when people get excited and break it down with dance moves. You can teach spinning moves, but you can't teach excitement."
Lujan shows how it's done:
1. If you don't move it, you lose it. Strangely, the greatest difference between highly regimented companies such as Motion Advertising and AArrow Advertising and others on the scene is the amount their employees move and the number of tricks they can perform. And at Motion, if an employee is caught standing still, that spinner is fired on the spot. "The most essential thing is to understand that you need to be active with the sign," Galyon says. "If you aren't, you could just stick a stake in the ground and it would be motionless and the same as you. People gravitate toward what grabs their attention, and you don't deserve any and won't get any if you're just holding the sign still in front of you."
More from our Follow That Story archive: "Video: Sign twirlers show off their most popular tricks (without hurting themselves)."
