Jack was devastated when he didn’t get into his dream university, but little did he know, his future lay in the vibrant glow of neon lights.
The 22-year-old from Stirchley is the founder of NeonCow, a company specializing in personalized LED neon signs that have caught the attention of American rappers Post Malone and Ja Rule.
Jack’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident from a young age, selling fruit pastels and Lucozade bottles at school. After missing out on university and experiencing his first breakup, he channeled his disappointment into crafting his first LED neon sign at his mother’s kitchen table.
What began as a hobby soon grew into a thriving business. Jack left his comfortable job in property finance to dedicate himself fully to NeonCow. Major international brands like Harvey Nichols and SEGA started placing orders, and NeonCow began shipping products globally.
Reflecting on his journey, Jack said, “I grew up in Stirchley and was fortunate to be exposed to the business world early on. Helping out in my grandparents’ shop taught me how to interact with people. In year ten, I was selling fruit pastels and Lucozades at school.
I always wanted to get into banking and finance and tried to get into Aston University for Economics, but I missed out by one grade. I was gutted. You wonder if things would have been different if you’d gotten that grade.”
This setback, coupled with his first breakup, led Jack into a tough period. Wanting a neon sign for his bedroom but finding most companies wouldn’t personalize it, he had a lightbulb moment and decided to make his own. Preferring LED for its recyclable, energy-efficient, and affordable qualities, he crafted his first neon sign at his mother’s kitchen table.
“I landed my dream job in property finance, and for three months, I practiced making neon signs every day after work. I posted them online, and businesses started to notice. Other businesses began asking, ‘Jack, can you make this?’ and I built a reputation in Stirchley and then Birmingham.
It solidified in my mind that there was potential here. I did deliveries in the evenings and loved seeing customers’ reactions to their custom signs. My mum even jokes about the drill holes in her chopping board.”
Soon, major American rappers like Post Malone and Ja Rule came knocking. Jack’s biggest surprise was when gaming giant SEGA, introduced to him by Fluid, became a client. Just four months into focusing on NeonCow full-time, his client list includes Gymshark, Smirnoff, Harvey Nichols, Gordon’s, Captain Morgan, and Mama Roux’s, as well as international clients from Vancouver, New York, Gambia, and Madrid.
Despite the big names, Jack remains humble, taking pride in his work with the food and hospitality industry. He once created a sign with a couple’s favorite song lyric for their wedding, moving the bride to tears when it was unveiled.
“It’s surreal that a young lad from Stirchley has these big names associated with his brand. It’s a testament to the hard work behind the scenes.
I don’t get starstruck; I aim to do my best for every client. I want to continue building a product shaped by the people. I even do polls on Instagram stories to see what customers care about most in their signs.”
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