Community Highlights: Meet Brandon Smithwick and David Johnson of Discount Glass and Screen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Smithwick and David Johnson.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We are two brothers from Michigan doing business and life together! David resides in Lansing, MI., and myself in Frisco, TX. We’ve both always been business and entrepreneurial-minded. David owns a couple of businesses: Simply Live Properties, where he oversees more than 100 rental units, and Simply Home Services, a subscription-based service that allows homeowners to call a single phone number for home repairs, eliminating the need for them to call around. I am the owner of iBrain Web Marketing, where I offer digital marketing consulting services to the hospitality industry and service area businesses like David’s by helping him achieve online marketing success, and I teach an online digital marketing Bootcamp at several universities across the country. Achieving our own success independently opened the doors necessary for our partnership leading up to the purchase of Discount Glass and Screen, which is a locally owned window, glass, and screen repair company in Holt, MI. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Every opportunity presents challenges! There have been specific challenges relating to finding our rhythm, embracing new tools to run the business, and prioritizing family and personal time without neglecting the business. Learning how to not sweat the losses when we miss out on a large contract has been a challenge, too. Embracing the challenges of business ownership has led us to not being afraid to reach out to our mentors along the way. These trials have given us the courage to be willing to fail at something and then to go back to the drawing board and try again. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Discount Glass and Screen was started in 1989. Near the end of 2020, David and I purchased the business from the owner who was looking to retire. The business had been a staple in the Holt community and had a strong following. Discount Glass and Screen is known for repairing glass and screens for windows, doors, screened-in porches, and even commercial establishments. Quality workmanship, being less expensive than the competition and handling the custom requests such as shaping glass so it fits into a heart-shaped frame is what sets us apart. Together, we have been able to continue the legacy of Discount Glass and Screen by taking it to the next level. We started accepting credit cards, hired staff, moved into our own building, implemented a digital point of sale, digitized accounting, painted the new building, remodeled the inside lobby and back warehouse, grew our customer base, and purchased a company vehicle! We owe a big thanks to Alejandro, who has been with us for a year and a half! He has shown tremendous value to us by being innovative, designing our back warehouse, and showing diligence in doing things differently. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Holt has always been about community. It’s a smaller town that isn’t quite considered the “big city” but is still so full of charm. Nestled away south of Lansing, you will find long-term residents who have been there all of their lives. And the city is steadily growing, so major streets like Cedar, which is one of the main streets to get to Holt, is now sometimes congested. The byproduct of increased popularity has become a double-edged sword. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://discountglassandscreen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discountglassandscreen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discountglassandscreen
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/discount-glass-and-screen-holt-2
• Other: https://ibrainwebmarketing.com/