What’s Your Sign? How a Message of Love Became a Business

When COVID shut down nursing homes in 2020, Olney resident Spencer Key wanted a way to cheer up his mother, who had just moved into assisted living. Window visits weren’t enough, so he searched for a sign he could place outside her window with a simple message: We love you, Mom.

Finding one wasn’t so simple. “I called around and nobody would rent me a sign because our family lived so rural,” Mr. Key recalled. One woman offered to sell him her business instead. With that, What’s Your Sign? was born.

What began as a heartfelt message soon grew into a full-fledged business – and he has been spreading messages of love, congratulations and life milestones throughout Olney ever since. His first big display was at Olney Hamilton Hospital: a bold “Heroes Work Here” message that honored healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. “It got such a positive reaction,” he said. “From there, the business just snowballed.”

Requests poured in for birthdays, anniversaries, and children’s parties. Parents wanted Sesame Street or Mickey Mouse themes, while the Olney Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization partnered with Mr. Key so families could donate to have birthday signs placed at school. “That money helps the PTO with signs for other events throughout the year,” he said.

Mr. Key works odd hours to keep up with demand. “It’s very rare I do it when the sun is shining,” he laughed. Instead, he’s out at three or four in the morning setting up signs. That nocturnal schedule comes with adventures— like the time a fox and a skunk surprised him outside Olney Elementary. “That fox had to jump right over the skunk and keep going,” he said.

Not every encounter is with wildlife. “One neighbor came out and said, ‘I saw somebody in my yard with a red light bouncing around!’” he remembered. “I had to tell them, ‘It’s just me, putting up signs.’” Beyond birthdays, Mr. Key uses his signs to support community events, from blood drives to church activities that he advertises in front of the Main Street gazebo. “Sometimes kids can’t have a party on their actual birthday, or everyone’s gone during the summer,” he said. “The signs give them another way to feel celebrated.”

Now, with thousands of sign pieces stacked in his storefront downtown, Mr. Key shows no signs of slowing down. “My knees are still good, and I still don’t sleep much,” he joked. “So I’ve got plenty of time to keep it going.”