Traditional forms of communication, such as paper fliers, school websites, and bulletin boards, are not working well in today’s fast-paced environment. Opportunities pass, viewers remain disinterested, and messages are misunderstood. It is difficult for government agencies, corporations, and educational institutions to effectively enlighten the public.

Introducing TSN (Visual Communication Solutions), a Texas-based company founded in 2017 to enhance clear and engaging communication. TSN powers smart digital signage across K–12, higher education, industry, and government sectors. Inspired by a father who noticed his children missing important school updates, TSN transforms standard displays into dynamic hubs for information and safety alerts, using its systems, Canva integration, free global content, and partnerships with LG, ViewSonic, and Philips.

In this exclusive interview with Business Fortune, Michael Broyles, CEO of TSN, shares how a moment with his daughter inspired a communication revolution, and how the company is helping institutions around the world connect with their communities more effectively. Below is an excerpt from the interview.

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Michael, TSN has grown from a small Texas-based startup into a respected partner for schools and businesses. Can you share the turning point or difficulty that influenced your entrepreneurial journey, and what motivated you to launch TSN in 2017?

I remember a specific moment when my daughter was in the 8th grade. That afternoon, I visited her school’s website and saw that there had been a speaker on campus earlier in the week. I read a little about his presentation and thought to myself that I wished I had known about it because it seemed like an interesting topic, and I would have liked to attend.

When my daughter came home from school, I asked her about the event, but she didn’t know anything about it. Surprised, I asked, “How do you not know about this? You’re at school for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.” She replied, “How do YOU know about it?” I explained, “It’s right here on the school website.” She looked at me incredulously and said, “Yeah, Dad, we don’t go to the school website.”

In that moment, I realized, of course, they don’t. That was my ‘lightbulb’ moment: these kids are missing crucial information. This lack of information leads to disengagement and ultimately a decline in school culture.

Today, information must be dynamic and engaging. Many schools have TVs in hallways and classrooms, but they often display static, uninteresting content. I noticed a problem—my daughter was missing important information and opportunities. This realization inspired me to create a solution.

When launching TSN’s software platform, what were the main challenges? How did you design to accommodate the various communication needs of government, higher education, and K–12?

The biggest challenge I faced was not being a “tech guy” with any software experience. Growing up in Lamesa, West Texas, creating software was never on my radar. After identifying a problem I wanted to solve, I collaborated with a tech-savvy friend to develop a platform. Once we had Version 1, I sought a school willing to pilot it and partnered with Northside ISD in San Antonio, Texas. The superintendent allowed us to test the platform in four high schools, even though it wasn’t fully ready. I seized the opportunity.

I learned a lot during that first semester at Northside. I realized the importance of listening to users and using their feedback to guide the product roadmap. K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and businesses each have unique use cases (the purpose of information delivery), user bases (who deliver the information), and audience types (who receive the information). They also vary in organizational structure and naming conventions.

I decided against a “catch-all” platform and instead focused on the specific needs of each market segment. I developed tailored solutions for K-12 schools, higher education, and businesses. This ensured that the unique use cases and audiences for each sector were addressed while maintaining simplicity for users. We prioritize simplicity in our design, with training sessions lasting only about 30 minutes to ensure ease of use.

Serving staff and instructors with a range of IT skills is TSN’s goal. How can you maintain strong messaging, content, and emergency features in a UX/UI design while maintaining flexibility and simplicity?

I’m going to discuss how we approach the development of every feature by focusing on three key elements: use case, user base, and audience type. For example, consider a bank with 50 locations across Texas, each having 2 screens in the lobby, resulting in a total of 100 screens. Likely, these screens would be managed by one person or a small team of 2 or 3 individuals. In contrast, a school district with 50 campuses might have 100 screens on each campus, totaling 5,000 screens, and could involve 200 to 300 different users across the district.

Additionally, the audience varies significantly; a 51-year-old sitting in a bank lobby has different needs than a 16-year-old walking through a high school. Therefore, as we develop new features and expand our platform, we concentrate on these aspects to ensure that the UX/UI remains user-friendly for each type and effective for each audience.

Our K-12 solution is tailored for school clients, while higher education and businesses use their respective platforms. This prevents mismatches in our offerings.

Listening to customers is crucial; I strive to understand their needs. Though I can’t meet every request, their feedback informs our product improvements. I focus on creating solutions that address real needs rather than just my assumptions.

Your offering includes free global content and Canva integration. What inspired that commitment to creativity, and how has it influenced user-generated content and community engagement?

What we do revolves around two main ideas: communication and creativity. I grew up in a time when people relied on bulletin boards, chalkboards, and handouts. Now, in 2025, information is delivered and consumed in very different ways. It needs to be dynamic, interesting, and even entertaining, but it must also remain simple. Providing content feels like a natural way to simplify this process.

Take schools, for example. Most schools face similar challenges, so if we can create content that is useful for one school, it’s likely that it will be beneficial for others as well. Our K12 global libraries offer topics such as anti-bullying, the importance of continuing education, leadership, inspiration, and even fun facts and dad jokes.

We recognize that effective communication varies by age group, so our libraries provide tailored content for high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. For example, addressing a third grader is different from engaging a seventeen-year-old, making age-appropriate content essential.

Integrating Canva was a natural choice, as it is a popular creative tool. While we offer our own features, we aim to accommodate users’ preferences and simplify the creation and delivery of content, limited only by imagination.

You’ve achieved strong traction in K‑12 and higher Ed. Are there plans in place for expanding into developing verticals, corporate sectors, or international markets?

We are definitely exploring international markets. Our growth over the past few years has created opportunities in Canada, Asia, and India. This is a new experience for us, and we are learning how to navigate these opportunities. I am not in a hurry to take action, but I have a vision for expanding TSN into new markets. I believe our business platform is well-suited for the corporate sector. Although we have not historically focused on this area, we plan to prioritize it for growth in the coming months and years.

There are several hardware and software players in the market. When coaching edtech or government communicators, what trends are you keeping an eye on, and how does TSN set itself apart?

I place a strong emphasis on safety. I am interested in how TSN can be used to quickly and effectively alert people during emergencies and enhance overall safety. This is an area where advancements are continually being made. We have integrated with all major CAP providers, including Centigex, Informcast, Raptor, CrisisGo, Alertus, and others.

Internally, we continuously assess our service. While we are not perfect, I am proud to have an amazing team dedicated to serving our customers. We are always available and take pride in cultivating genuine relationships with those we serve. Our historical retention rate is over 95%, which is a statistic I am particularly proud of. Achieving such a high retention rate is challenging in any business or market. I believe our success can be attributed to two main factors: 1) we offer an outstanding product, and 2) we deliver exceptional service supported by an incredible team.

Would you like us to highlight something important happening in your company that we may have missed asking about?

TSN is still regarded as a small company, and we are continuously evolving. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people who are as dedicated to TSN’s success as I am. We will keep growing as an organization and as a product, with a steadfast focus on serving our customers and building great relationships.

I would like to share an email I recently received that makes me incredibly proud:

“I wanted to express our gratitude for TSN’s services. Meeting you at the Top of the Rock was a pleasure. Reeds Spring R-IV School District is excited to adopt TSN as our first digital signage platform. The immediate impact on displaying student work and important announcements has positively influenced our community’s perception of our efforts to become ‘world-class.’

We’re particularly excited about the Community Connect features, which will greatly benefit our Founder’s Club Sponsors and community partners. My Community Outreach Coordinator reacted enthusiastically, saying, “The sky just opened up!” We’re thrilled to partner with TSN and look forward to a successful future. Please share our thanks with your team – Joe Carlile, Director of Information and Technology, Reeds Spring School District”

About | Michael Broyles, CEO

Michael Broyles was raised in the small West Texas town of Lamesa. He learned the value of hard work and perseverance while helping his parents on the family farm. Michael is married to his wife, Amber, and they have two children: Hattie, who is 26, and Jake, who is 20. His family plays a crucial role in his life and business as both confidants and contributors.

Michael founded TSN in 2017 and has since led the company to grow, reaching customers from coast to coast. If he could offer any advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, it would be, “Trust yourself and work hard.” You will receive plenty of advice along the way, but don’t let it dictate your path. Trust yourself and put in the effort.

“Our goal is to have our customers utilize their existing infrastructure to create an effective and engaging communication network across their entire operation.”