CI Works would like to welcome a new member to our community of small businesses and makers – Chrissy Lebel of Lebel Signs.
Formerly a hair stylist, Chrissy changed careers to sign-making after a car accident. While recovering, she decided to apply to Butera School of Art in Boston, MA. Unbeknownst to her, she'd be graduating into a world of digital art and vinyl signs. She endured this new age of sign making for a while, but knew it wasn't for her. She needed to pursue the passion she felt for handmade signs while in school.
In 2015, Chrissy chatted with a fellow Butera alumnus who convinced her to launch her own sign making shop and express her creativity in the best way she knew how – hand-lettered and quality crafted signs and murals. Since then, everyday in the shop no longer feels like "work" because she truly loves what she does. According to Chrissy, "every job is different" and there's always some challenge to figure out. She loves working with new businesses and states that it is fun to help them grow and succeed.
We had the chance to ask Chrissy a few questions about her new start inside the CI Works walls. Read below to learn more!
How do you think being located at CI Works will help you to grow your business?
I am from Peabody and a lot of my business is in those surrounding towns. I am working on expanding my service area. Newburyport and Amesbury are very historic and there is also a lot of boat yards and marinas up here. A good part of our business in the warmer weather is boat lettering and striping . There is not much competition in this area and seemed like a great fit.
What is something you've accomplished in the last few years that you are most proud of?
I am proud to be at a place in my career that I am able to say no or turn away vinyl and cheap sign jobs. I know that we are more expensive than a standard digital sign shop, but we have built a name because people actually seek us out for that reason. They want something crafted by hand that has depth and originality, something that doesn’t look so boring and cookie cutter. About 80% of our customers are referrals from our other clients, which to me means the client had a nice experience with us and was happy to send another client our way.
What is something you want other tenants at CI Works to know about you and your business?
We focus on high-end artistic signage. Better materials means longevity and appeal. A sign is a business’ 1st impression on a consumer or potential. It’s what they see when driving down a street or walking by. You want to have that curb appeal that’s eye catching and reflects the quality of your business. We use a lot of traditional applications such as gold leaf and brush applications for dimensional effects and shading – techniques that most sign companies can’t do or replicate with computer designed graphics.
We are very excited to have Chrissy join our community. The collaborations have already started between Lebel Signs and Northshore Barn Doors!
Chrissy is open to chatting with other businesses at CI Works who may need help with signage. Feel free to contact her using the information below.
Want to get in touch with Chrissy?
Website: lebelsigns.com
Email: chrissy@lebelsigns.com
Instagram: @lebel_signs
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