Start small → prove it works → people start asking and paying for it.

By spring of 2021, the late nights in the garage were no longer just experiments. Word had started to spread, and requests were coming in from people outside my immediate circle.

What began as favors for friends slowly turned into paid custom work for real businesses. Simple projects like signs, small boards, and plaques became the focus. The goal wasn’t mass production; it was clean, sharp, dependable craftsmanship that people could proudly put their name on.

Most of the work happened after the day job and on weekends. Long stretches in the garage, tweaking designs, dialing in cuts, and learning how different materials behaved. Every finished piece taught something new.

These early edge-lit acrylic signs were some of the first true “client” builds. Seeing a customer’s logo glow on the bench was the moment it clicked: this could be more than a hobby. It was the start of McSquared Customs becoming a real side business.