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Helping independent painting contractors thrive.
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In photography there is a particularly desirable time to shoot. Most photographers try to make use of the time just before and just after sunrise or sunset. The angle of the light at that time makes for beautiful colours and rich images. Photographers call this time Magic Hour because the light can be stunningly beautiful, giving the photos a 'magical' look (search 'magic hour photos' under google images for examples).
Over the years I've come to appreciate that there is a 'magic hour' in painting as well. It is a window of time where everything you do seems to take half the time it would take at any other point in the day. Where everything you do seems to be worth double. I'm not sure how it works, so it sorta feels like magic...
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Many of us have used a 'Pros and Cons' list to help us make an important decision. But is it the best way to come to a wise decision?
We could make a pros and cons list of using a pros and cons list, just for fun... PROS - provides a thorough dissection of the significant factors - gets all the ideas out of your head - it's a record of factors if you want to go back and second guess yourself - easy way to consider options and the opinions of other parties CONS - can slow down decision making, which can cost you money or opportunities - analysis paralysis - it equally weights all the factors - (whereas one Con could be more important than all the Pros, or vice-versa) - it will help you rationalize a bad decision Humans are wired to make choices based on deep-set and powerful emotional drivers. We then use logical data to rationalize and explain our decisions. 'I had to get that new $40000 truck - it gets better fuel economy than my old truck. And that old thing is gonna need new tires soon. I got a good trade in allowance and got a discount. I needed another tax write-off, and well, I couldn't afford not to do it!' Meanwhile some of our real reasons for getting it was because it's our favourite colour, it makes us feel successful, it can tow the camper better and it's pretty exciting to pull the trigger on a big purchase. But those reasons don't always go over too well with the accountant. Or our spouse. There is a better way... And now for something completely random...
Today as I was painting a storefront on a busy street, conversations kept walking by behind me. But I could only hear a sentence, or half a sentence, if a truck wasn't driving by at the time. After a while I began to notice out of the random chatter a few words that were loud enough to discern, and then just as quickly the words faded and disappeared. It was pretty cool. Then I began listening for them and recording a few. I wondered...did these random conversations build a story? What was the narrative on Fort Street today? It was a fun way to engage with my environment while working. I imagine it might be similar to the way a blind person might experience a walk down the street - how sounds become more noticeable and create a picture. These quotes are written down in order in which I heard them...  Earlier this year I met a young man who was dealing with all the challenges of a start-up. But he was determined to succeed and kept going in the face of adversity. Several months passed and he really started to hit his stride. He finished the season on target and thriving. I needed to know what factors helped him to enjoy a quick progression to success. Jesse was kind enough to sit down with me for a long-format interview and share a few nuggets...
What got you interested in painting? I was actually never really interested in painting. I came across a College Pro booth at Uvic, and it said "Entrepreneurs Start Here." I am in school for entrepreneurship, so naturally I ran over to the booth and began asking questions. However, this experience certainly has me more interested in the painting industry than I ever thought I would be. How would you say your first season went? Biggest challenge? Biggest success? In the end, my first season could not have gone much better. I ended up running the largest first year Franchise in BC's history. My biggest challenge was dealing with setbacks. I had all of these plans going into the year, and it seemed like everything was going wrong. I had painters quit on me, upset clients, and I was also working more than 100+ hours a week in the beginning. I had to learn how to adapt to the situation quickly, and learn how to keep moving the business forward no matter what the situation was. One of the biggest reasons I chose to take on this venture in the first place was for the learning. Therefore, my biggest success would be learning everything that I wanted along the way. I feel like I have grown more as an individual in such a short amount of time than I ever thought possible. I feel like I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to (which is something I've always believed), but now I have proof. Also, before CPP I thought I knew a lot. I have now learned more than I ever thought possible, and feel like I know less than any other time before. This is incredibly exciting for me because I now know I still have so much more to learn. I know you faced some significant challenges getting up and running. How did you manage to overcome them, stay positive and reach your goals?... |