Meet Shamon Ingram

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shamon Ingram.

Shamon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Shamon Ingram, I am also known by my stage name Arizona Bamm, and I am an AArrow Sign Spinner and the current GM of the Phoenix market. Many people wonder where I get the name Arizona Bamm, my nickname is Bamm Bamm and I was born in Flagstaff, Arizona. I have lived here, in Arizona all my life and she is as much a part of me as I am a part of her. My path has been a rocky road with peaks and valleys. A battle of a strong spirit versus uncontrollable circumstances. I often say, “I can’t do this by myself” and it is so true, I give all praise to my higher power, and community who helps me along the way. Flagstaff, Arizona is where I spent the first nine-teen years of my life.

As a kid, I loved to dance and to be the center of attention. For me, dancing was a way to escape the madness. I grew up without my father and my mother suffers from mental illness. My grandmother was forced to raise me and my sister and we were a handful, to say the least. As a teen, I got involved in gangs and ended up with quite a record that landed me in prison when I was eighteen. This is also around the time the mother of my kids was pregnant with our first child. Luckily I was only away for six months, but during that time I reflected on my life and decided I need to be a man up for my new family. When I was released from prison, my son and his mom had moved to Phoenix.

For the next fifteen years or so, I was a stay-at-home dad because it was hard to find employment with a felony. When the kids were old enough for school, I would work different jobs from fast food, convenience stores, warehouses and also construction. Nothing seemed to click for me until I applied at Denny’s on Scottsdale Road and Mayo. They had just finished opening the Denny’s and needed to fill the staff. I apply for dishwasher and got the job, during training upper management noticed my personality and thought I would make a great host. Business was slow at first and they had a sign to draw in business, but no one wanted to hold them. I asked if I could dance and listen to music, they agreed and I started dancing on Scottsdale. One day the owner of AArrowSignSpinners in Arizona or what we like to call AARROWZONA, Nick Teshler, Seen me doing my thing and loves my energy. He offered me an entry level position as a professional sign spinner. I declined the first offer and continued dancing for Denny’s.

A few weeks later, Nick approach me again and this time I asked about the money that could be made being a Sign spinner. Once I found out how much money I could make, I was excited to sign on. Once I found sign spinning, I was hooked. I get the be myself and express myself through dance and entertainment. Because of sign spinning I have traveled the world, have been on TV both local and national. I get the spread joy, laughter, and put smiles on faces that is something you can’t put a price on. My journey has not been easy, I have battled homelessness, loneliness, depression, and other hardships. Through it all, I never gave up and I kept praying. I am currently the general manager of our Phoenix market. So now, I get to learn the business side of sign spinning and advertisement. We work hard to draw attention to businesses, sometimes we get heckled or call names and it sucks. I wish it didn’t happen but the show must go on. And we can’t allow a few bad apples to ruin it for the bunch. So many people enjoy seeing our hard work, I have gotten tipped as much as a hundred dollars and know I had help people through rough patches in their lives just by #PuttingSmilesOnFaces. We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy.

Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. When your job is to get attention by dancing on the corner, I get some negativity once in a while. Especially in today’s social climate, some cowardly people like to yell homophobic and racial slurs. Unfortunately, hate and negative reaction comes with the job. You have to develop thick skin. I try to combat ignorance with love, and hate with understanding. I was taught to treat others as I want to be treated, so I am always trying to make people happy. To each their own. My confidence can often be misunderstood for cockiness. I have to believe in myself if I want others to believe in me. We all have to stand for something or fall for anything. I have tried to help as many people as I can and never forget where I came from or the struggle. In fact, I am reminded often. Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc.

What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
AArrow Advertising is the world’s largest guerilla marketing company and is home of the World Famous AArrow Sign Spinners. Our youthful energy and creativity allow businesses to reach their target marketing anywhere, anytime. Since 2002, we have turned sign spinning into an extreme sport, performance art and the hottest form of guerilla marketing in the world. We are the world’s best sign spinners. We have been featured in movies, commercials, viral videos, and most recently Access Hollywood and ESPN 2. We are gearing up for our 12 annual World Sign Spinning Championship held in Las Vegas, Nevada January 18th and 19th, 2020. Sign spinners from all over the world will compete in this event. We are looking for sponsors and businesses who would want advertisements on a national scale. You can visit our website at www.aarrowsignspinners.com For our official press release and Sponsorship brochure.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are looking to expand our operations we are currently hiring energetic, youthful people who want to learn the art of Sign spinning. Right now is a great time to join our team. As sign spinning becomes more popular, we are branching off into spinning for professional sports teams like the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Cardinals. We are also looking for sponsors and a venue to host our Arizona sign spinning championship.

Contact Info:

• Address: 20701 N. Scottsdale Rd.
  Suite 107-230
  Scottsdale, AZ 85255
• Website: Www.aarrowsignspinners.com
• Phone: 6026209419
• Email: Shamon@aarrowads.com
• Instagram: @Arizonabamm @Aarrowsignspiners
• Facebook: Arizona Bamm
• Twitter: @DatninjaBamm
• Yelp: AArrow Sign Spinners
• Other: YouTube Arizona Bamm

Image Credit:
Shamon Ingram, Lori Lindseth, AArrow Sign Spinners, Arizona Bamm

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.