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April Franchise of the Month – Mike Daly’s Journey with Signal of Tampa

Mike Daly’s journey with Signal of Tampa is a remarkable story of dedication and growth. With a background in the Army and private military contracting, Daly discovered Signal while overseas, inspired by the success of his colleagues. Taking a leap of faith, he started his own franchise in Tampa. The early days were tough, juggling night shifts as a guard and building his business during the day. Thirteen years later, Signal of Tampa is thriving, earning multiple Franchise of the Month awards and the Franchise of the Year award in 2022. Daly’s transition from a hands-on role to a strategic leader highlights the importance of leadership, technology, and teamwork. His continued focus on setting new goals and exploring new markets ensures Signal of Tampa’s ongoing success and offers inspiration to others in the field.

Before Signal, Daly served in the Army and worked as a private military contractor overseas. During his time abroad he first heard about Signal. He saw several of his colleagues find success with signal and it was clear to him that the organization aligned well with his background.

“While I was overseas, I had the unique opportunity to see people go home, deploy the concept and be highly successful with it,” he said. “So that was kind of my litmus test. Seeing them not only engage in something that I’m interested in and pairs well with my background but seeing them go home and being successful with the model.”

After returning home, Daly took a leap and started Signal of Tampa. Starting from scratch is never easy, and Daly’s journey was no exception. Reflecting on his initial year, Daly recalls the challenges of balancing working shifts while growing the business during the day.

“I mean, that was 13 years ago,” he said. “So, it was a much smaller team. We didn’t have the technology we have today, the dashboards and things like that. But also balancing working at night as a guard with growing the business during the day.”

However challenging the first few years were, Daly’s determination and ability to juggle multiple responsibilities played a crucial role in overcoming these early hurdles. Today, Signal of Tampa is a thriving franchise. The team has been awarded Franchise of the Month multiple times and won Franchise of the Year for 2022.

Winning Franchise of the Year was a significant milestone for Daly and his team, but he says he hasn’t stopped setting goals. His focus remains on setting new revenue targets and exploring untapped verticals.

“We’re looking for new targets,” he said. “So, revenue targets. Then also understanding that while we’ve achieved that award and while we’ve done really well from a revenue aspect, we’ve really only dipped our toe in the market when you look at the potential and the opportunities and the verticals that we’re in. Our next big steps are to really adjust where we’re spending our sales time and focus and expanding into different verticals. You know we’re really heavily saturated in multifamily and we want to expand outside of that vertical.”

Over the years, Daly’s franchise structure has seen significant development. Daly highlights the substantial improvements in technology and departmental structures. His role has transitioned from being hands-on to guiding his team and business. He now focuses on managing his direct reports and ensuring that everyone in the organization is aligned to the same goals.

“I’ve gone from being a part of the crew, you know working the deck, to steering the ship,” he said. “And guiding it in the direction that will meet all our goals. I get sucked into a lot of projects, and if I see something going on I’ll step in to help with a big sales push or operation, but my day-to-day is really just working with my direct reports and keeping us focused on our goals.”

Building a strong team has been a cornerstone of Signal of Tampa’s success. Daly places great emphasis on leadership, ensuring that every team member takes ownership of their department. Leadership, he says, is the most undervalued skill in a company, and his commitment to developing his team is incredibly apparent.

“We spend a lot of time on leadership,” he said. “In fact, I’ve sent my entire executive team to multiple leadership courses and continue to do so. We focus heavily on that aspect. Once you tackle leadership, you can really tackle anything. When everybody’s taking complete ownership over their departments and working towards one focal point, one goal, one mission as a team.”

Daly’s success story is not just about his individual achievements but also about the collective effort of the team he’s built. As one of the longest standing franchises, Daly has enough experience under his belt to reflect on his journey with Signal and give advice to those just starting out in the organization.

“I would say to scale as quickly as you can,” he said. “I think focusing on sales as much as you can when you’re first getting started is important because, a lot of times we start working, and then we can’t hire somebody because we don’t have time, so we just stay in the field and then the company doesn’t grow. That’s not the focus of owning a business. It’s being able to be in the captain’s chair and steer it in the right direction.”

For Barb Alekna and Greg Pencosky, building Signal of West Virginia has always been about more than growing a security business. It’s about creating an organization where people can build meaningful careers, develop into leaders, and make a lasting impact in the communities they serve.

Since launching Signal of West Virginia in September 2024, that vision has guided the team’s approach to growth. From earning their first client to developing their first leaders, Barb and Greg have focused on building the business one relationship, one employee, and one client at a time.

That commitment to people, consistency, and continuous improvement is helping Signal of West Virginia establish a reputation for professionalism and dependable service across the state.

Building a Culture People Can Grow In

When Barb and Greg reflect on what makes them most proud, their answer comes back to their team. From the beginning, they wanted to create more than a successful security company. They wanted to build a career culture where employees could grow, take pride in their work, and become leaders.

“We strive to create an environment where each security officer and team member understands they’re not simply filling a security post,” they explain. “They’re protecting people, building relationships, solving problems, and representing the Signal brand with professionalism and integrity.”

That philosophy shapes how the team approaches every client and every assignment. Whether supporting apartment communities, healthcare facilities, major retailers, or special events, officers are expected to bring more than security expertise to the job.

Professionalism, reliability, communication, and dedication are all part of the standard.

For Barb and Greg, some of the most rewarding moments come from watching that culture take shape: seeing a new hire gain confidence, an officer advance into a leadership role, or a client recognize a team member for going above and beyond.

Earning Growth One Relationship at a Time

Launching a new franchise comes with challenges, but building Signal of West Virginia meant starting almost entirely from scratch.

Before the first contract, the organization had no established presence in the state, no existing clients, no employees, and no revenue. Barb and Greg had experience leading successful Signal operations, but they understood that success in another market wouldn’t automatically translate to West Virginia.

Instead, they relied on proven Signal processes while taking the time to understand the local market and build credibility from the ground up.

“Everything we’ve built since then has been earned one relationship, one employee, and one client at a time.”

That approach required humility, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. Not every proposal became a contract, and not every challenge had an immediate solution, but each experience became an opportunity to improve.

From securing their first client and hiring their first employee to celebrating their first promotion and major contract, each milestone represented another step toward building a reputation in West Virginia.

Continuous Improvement Drives the Team

For the Signal of West Virginia team, showing up at their best starts with a mindset of continuous improvement.

“We never want to become complacent or assume we know everything,” they explain. “Every conversation with a client, every interaction with an employee, every success, failure, and every challenge give us an opportunity to learn, improve, and become better than we were yesterday.”

That mindset extends beyond individual performance. Barb and Greg see clear communication as one of their most important responsibilities as leaders.

By staying connected with clients, supporting their team, and being proactive instead of reactive, they work to build trust and strengthen relationships.

For them, long-term growth isn’t something to chase. It’s something to earn through consistent effort, strong relationships, and exceptional service.

Redefining Professional Security

As Signal of West Virginia continues to grow, Barb and Greg want the community to see private security as more than simply placing officers at a post.

Their goal is to build long-term partnerships, invest in the communities they serve, and create a career culture where employees are empowered to make a positive difference.

“We’re here for the long-term, and we genuinely care about making West Virginia a safer place to live, work, and do business.”

That commitment is supported by the combination of Signal’s global resources and local, owner-led leadership.

The team benefits from Signal’s technology, innovation, experienced leadership, and proven operating model while maintaining a local presence built around responsiveness, accountability, and lasting relationships.

For Signal of West Virginia, that means officers aren’t simply providing security. They’re becoming an extension of their clients’ teams—protecting people, safeguarding property, assisting employees and visitors, and representing both the client and Signal with professionalism.

The goal is to become a trusted partner that helps reduce risk, strengthen operations, and provide lasting peace of mind.

Developing People and Leaders

For Barb and Greg, one of the most rewarding parts of ownership is watching people grow.

Whether it’s mentoring an officer into a leadership role, helping an employee build a long-term career, or developing a client relationship into a trusted partnership, those moments represent the impact they hope to create.

They also recognize that growth doesn’t happen in isolation.

The Signal network has provided opportunities to learn from experienced security leaders, including Paul Alekna and the team at Signal of Canton-Youngstown. Their mentorship and willingness to share experiences have played an important role in the growth of Signal of West Virginia.

That collaboration reflects another strength of the Signal network: franchises supporting one another and sharing knowledge to help each other succeed.

Building What Comes Next

For Barb and Greg, the most exciting part of the journey is knowing they’re still building.

“Every new team member we develop, every client relationship we earn, and every opportunity to strengthen our team is another chance to make a lasting impact.”

Their focus remains straightforward: invest in their people, serve clients with excellence, and build an organization that employees, clients, and the community can be proud of.

Being named Franchise of the Month for May 2026 is an important milestone, but the recognition is viewed as motivation rather than a finish line.

Barb and Greg credit their entire team for the franchise’s success and remain focused on creating a career culture where great people can grow, delivering exceptional service, and making a lasting impact throughout West Virginia.

Congratulations to Barb Alekna, Greg Pencosky, and the entire Signal of West Virginia team on being named May Franchise of the Month in 2026. Their commitment to developing people, serving their communities, and growing with purpose is a powerful example of what’s possible across the Signal network.

 

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