At Signal, growth means more than increasing revenue. It means building leaders and developing a business designed to last. That’s exactly what Derek Towne and Malerie Weber have done while leading Signal of Austin, TX.
After earning Franchise of the Month recognition last year, the Austin team continues to raise the bar. They’ve achieved 19% year-over-year revenue growth and are on pace for their best year yet.
Behind that growth is a simple mindset: stay disciplined, invest in people, and never stop improving.
Knowing When to Scale Sales
In the early days, Derek handled sales himself while balancing the demands of running a 24/7 business. But as Signal of Austin grew, they recognized that continuing to operate the same way would limit future growth.
“We realized we had reached a point where we needed dedicated sales support if we wanted to keep growing at the pace we were aiming for,” Derek said.
That decision became a major turning point.
Instead of trying to stretch themselves too thin, Derek and Malerie made a strategic investment in building a dedicated sales function and finding the right person to manage the growing pipeline.
That shift also reinforced one of Derek’s biggest beliefs about sales: consistency matters.
“Our expectation is 15 new sales activities every day. The more activity you have, the more opportunities you create.”
That discipline has helped fuel significant organic growth and continues to create momentum in Austin.
Building Leaders, Not Bottlenecks
Another realization that came to their attention as the business grew was that being the person with all the answers wasn’t sustainable.
Early on, team members frequently came to them for solutions, and they often stepped in quickly to solve problems. Over time, Malerie learned that long-term growth required something different: teaching leaders how to think through challenges themselves.
“I had to stop giving people every answer and start asking them what they thought the right solution was,” she said.
That shift reflects an important lesson many franchise owners learn as they scale: owners can’t do everything themselves.
Trying to manage every question, decision, and daily challenge creates bottlenecks that limit growth. To build a scalable business, owners have to move from solving every problem to developing leaders who can confidently solve problems on their own.
That’s exactly what Derek and Malerie have done.
Today, they intentionally invest in managers who can make decisions, lead their teams, and take ownership of their responsibilities.
By developing strong leaders throughout their organization, they’ve created a business that runs more efficiently, and one that can continue growing without relying on them for every day-to-day decision.
Operational Discipline Drives Results
Growth only works when operations can keep pace.
For Derek and Malerie, that starts with understanding the numbers that drive their business and making sure every team member understands how their role plays a part in those results.
They closely track key performance indicators like patrol completion, dedicated shift completion, and labor efficiency, but they don’t keep that information at the leadership level.
Instead, they make those metrics meaningful for every level of the organization.
“Signal’s KPI dashboard has been amazing because it helps break those numbers down in a way our team can understand and see how they impact the overall picture,” Malerie said.
Officers may not need to know every operational formula, but they do need to understand how showing up on time, completing shifts, and doing their jobs well directly affect the business.
That communication happens consistently.
Their leadership team meets every Monday to review wins, challenges, staffing needs, and priorities for the week ahead. They also stay connected daily through constant communication between departments.
This rhythm keeps teams from operating in silos and ensures everyone, from leadership to frontline officers, is working toward the same goals.
Investing in People Who Want to Grow
For Derek and Malerie, one of the biggest drivers of their success comes down to hiring and developing people who genuinely care.
When asked what sets their team apart, Malerie immediately pointed to one of Signal’s core values: Passion.
“For us, I would say one of the big differentiators is passion,” she said. “We’ve really focused on bringing in leadership members that have a true passion for the job and actually a passion to make a difference.”
That passion has helped shape how they build their leadership pipeline.
Rather than hiring externally for every management role, Derek and Malerie intentionally invest in people who have already demonstrated commitment to the business and a desire to grow.
Both of their assistant coordinators started as officers, worked their way through advanced roles, became supervisors, and eventually moved into leadership positions.
By promoting from within, they’re developing leaders who understand the job firsthand and care deeply about the people they lead.
That passion is paired with another core value: Learning.
Their team regularly steps outside of their primary responsibilities to learn other areas of the business and support one another when needed. Whether filling operational gaps or learning new responsibilities, their team consistently looks for ways to grow.
That combination of passion, development, and continuous learning has created a culture where people don’t just fill roles – they build careers.
Always Building What’s Next
For Derek and Malerie, growth isn’t something you achieve once – it’s something you continually work toward.
Even after significant momentum, they’re still looking for ways to improve their business and create new opportunities. From investing in dedicated sales support to expanding service offerings and territories, they’re constantly thinking about what’s next.
That mindset has fueled impressive growth in Austin, but it’s also created something bigger: long-term momentum.
“We continue to challenge ourselves to grow the business and stretch ourselves,” Derek said.
For them, growth also means creating more opportunities for the people who have helped build their success.
“As we continue to grow, that provides more opportunity for the people that have worked hard and helped us get here.”
That combination of ambition, discipline, and investment in their people continues to set Signal of Austin apart. And they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
