My Business Life: Leo Maher, Surface Wow

The managing director of Surface Wow Leo Maher shares his life and business lessons.

Since 2020, Surface Wow has offered an extended range of truly innovative and eye-catching materials to architects and interior designers for the creation of walls and surfaces that inspire wow in all the places where people live, work and play.

By expertly supply the latest materials, equipment and tools, Leo and the team at Signage Wow inspire and support leading sign-makers to design and build innovative and eye-catching signs and displays that deliver a real wow factor for their customers.

Tell us about your background, what journey did you take to arrive at where you are? 

Well, I won’t start as far back as my newspaper route! I started my own business in 2003 but I had worked in the signage industry prior to this. I loved the work, but I could see there was so much more could be done for customers in the creative signage space. This is ultimately the drive that led to me going on my own.

We have always educated our customers on the ways they can personalise their spaces to create an amazing experience for their customers in turn.

Surface Wow followed as a natural next step to this, opening in 2020.

This has brought us to the attention of the hospitality, retail and office space industry.

Why are you doing what you are doing? What need are you meeting? What’s your USP? 

We’re helping clients really stand out from the rest. And in doing so helping them to grow sustainable, profitable businesses.

For example, for employers, creating work spaces/offices that are creative and exciting places helps with attracting and retaining top talent. Restaurants, hotels and coffee shops will create loyalty among their clientele if they offer an experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere. And retail can give online a run for its money with our products.

Yes, adding wow to your walls really can do all of this!

How did you fund and start the business and what are your growth plans?

Surface Wow was founded in 2020. I’d initially set up Signage Wow in 2003 to supply sign making and digital printing materials to the sign making and large format digital printing industry. Together both companies are part of the Wow Inspiring Group.

As Surface Wow originally emerged as a new product line in our Signage Wow business, we funded the set-up and development of Surface Wow as a standalone business from our working capital.

We also have a really helpful bank manager who has supported our vision through the years. I can only say positive things about my experience with the Bank of Ireland.

What are your key skills and qualities that set you apart?

Number one is that customers have always come first with me and the business at large.

I also believe a focus on marketing has stood the test of time. We have done this both for our own business, and we have also invested in showing our customers how they can market the products to their customers.

It’s been a real case of highlighting just how much of an impact our environments can have on ourselves, our staff and our customers.

What (or whom) has helped you most along the way? Who was your greatest mentor/inspiration?

I am lucky as a person in that I receive inspiration from lots of different people and places. But I can call out U2 especially as a big inspiration in my life. I greatly admire how much thought and effort goes into creating the experiences they deliver in their live shows.

What was the greatest piece of business advice you ever received?

I was in college and we were told to read Crowning the Customer by Feargal Quinn.

His ethos of looking after your customer and they will always return has proven to be advice that has steered me well.

Secondly, later in business, someone said to me “there are times you have to pull back to move forward.”

What circumstances/qualities/events can mark the difference between success or failure in life or business?

In my view, the fact that I’m enjoying what I do is the difference between success or failure. Challenges are always going to be par for the course, and trust me the good times can be tricky to manage too. So enjoying what you do is key to managing every moment in business.

What was the most challenging aspect of either starting or growing the business? 

The most challenging aspect in setting up Surface Wow was that I already had a business, Signage Wow, that still needed my time and attention. The only way forward was to rely on my team. I did and they delivered in spectacular style.

How did you navigate your business through the pandemic and what lessons did you learn?

The signage materials distribution part of our business was exceptionally busy throughout the pandemic. We worked with our customers to get all the relevant materials they needed to get the signs made that were needed to manage the Government restrictions and guidelines during the pandemic.

The number one lesson I learnt was how important it is to pull together as a team to overcome a challenge. This was true for the wider country as we were facing up to the different phases the pandemic lockdown came with and it was true for our company as we navigated our business through the turmoil.

Another important lesson was to learn to be focused on what I could influence and stop worrying about what I couldn’t. As we can all remember there was a lot of worry going around at the time.

How has digital transformation been a factor in your scaling journey and do you believe Irish firms are utilising digital technologies sufficiently?

Surface Wow’s team makes extensive use of technology both in how we produce and source the creative products we provide for our clients and in how we run the business. There is no doubt technology has enabled us to reach new markets and scale our businesses. As technology evolves, so does our company. Our executive team and all our staff members are open-minded to testing new processes and technologies regularly.

That said, one of the things I believe Irish firms do really well in the face of this constant hype about digital transformation, and now AI, is still placing the customer at the centre.

We’re known for being a nation with the gift of the gab.

This goes beyond merely talking a lot. In business as in our broader culture, the Irish way of really getting to know a person is still the best way to build a long-term, sustainable business. I’m yet to be proven wrong!

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would only know to do it differently in the first place because I’ve done it the way I have. Hindsight is a perfect science and there’s no better way to learn than to get on with things. Each decision comes with its consequences. That’s a harsh word, but we know from science that every action has its own reaction. So I’ve learnt from every decision I’ve made. You win some, you lose some. Adaptability is key.

Who inspires you in business today?  

As mentioned already, U2.

And then I also really admire and am inspired by my team. They’re a great bunch and Signage Wow and Surface Wow is the success it is because of them.

What advice/guidance do you give new hires and how do you nurture talent in your organisation?

I’ve always made an effort to create a company culture that is respectful and friendly for the people who work here. One of the aspects I feel most proud of in my professional life is that most of my founding team from the days of setting up the business are still with me. Our team members often stay for a long time.

I’m also a believer that nothing can replace hard work. I will give my team members every opportunity to grow and the training they need, but I expect them to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Our culture tends to attract people with exactly these attributes.

What business books do you read or would recommend?

I always recommend Crowning the Customer by Feargal Quinn. It is a book that has stood the test of time. And Purple Cow by Seth Godin. This book talks about how being remarkable at what you do, which we see as our commitment to customer service, is the key to standing out in business.

What technologies/tools do you use personally to keep you on track?

I use all the usual tools of smartphones, email and CRM systems plus software tools specific to our industry. But perhaps more than anything else it’s my daily meditation practice that keeps me on track.

What social media platforms do you prefer and why?

We have a presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram with Instagram being our primary social media platform. Our product is so visual – and we love showing it off because we are on a mission to bring wow to every wall.

What are your thoughts on where technology overall is heading and how it will apply to business generally and your business particularly? 

Overall, I’m a believer that the hype around AI will die down in each industry and the overall mainstream and we’ll start seeing the true use cases of how this technology can help. This view makes me even more zealous about the critical necessity of the human touch in business.

Finally, if you had advice for your 21-year-old self – knowing what you know now – what would it be?

I’d move faster on my gut instinct.

And I’d tell myself from the vantage point I have now that most of the worries sort themselves out if you uphold your end of the bargain. Which is hard work!

• Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here