Having a painting business for 13 years now, it has been my privilege to work with some pretty solid guys.
Steve, the man, the legend...did we paint up a few houses over the years. Steve and I are quite different but we get on just great. We had a lot of fun working together over the years and became good friends. What did I learn from workin' with Bullerwell? Where do I begin...
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Having a painting business for 13 years now, it has been my privilege to work with some pretty solid guys.
Tristan worked with me in 2016. We clicked right away and laughed a lot. Turns out we have a lot of things in common. His first name and my middle name are the same. We both have the same favourite movie. We've both struggled with depression. And many other things. One thing I learned from T-Bone is that the nicest people can have the worst taste in music 🙉. But seriously, for such a young guy he sure has made a lot of wise decisions so far in his life. He has taught me the value of a positive attitude in the face of adversity, and the power of good habits... Having a painting business for 13 years now, it has been my privilege to work with some pretty solid guys.
Stef and I are opposites in many ways, but like oil and vinegar sometimes it works out just fine. He is a clear thinking person, unlike me who has a tendency to get lost in the greys. I was fortunate to have his help over a couple of years. I learned so much from Stefano, it would be hard to list it all, but I will share a few gems. 1. Italians love to argue. Its a sport for them. Being half French and half German, naturally we disagreed on 99% of everything. Which makes all mundane details in eveyday work life far more exciting, cause everything you say has to be defended and debated. If we ever got bored at work we would just pick a random topic to debate in order to pass the time. Never could convince him that hockey is superior to soccer.... This article is a guest post by Steve Maxwell, one of Canada's most read home improvement journalists and editor of Pro Painter magazine. Pro Painter has been an excellent source of support to my business over the years with technical tips, business advice and industry trends. Look for a re-vamped Pro Painter debuting in 2017.
Every painter wants a schedule full of great jobs, serving clients who appreciate good work and pay good money. But whether or not you actually get this kind of work depends on more than just your skill with a brush, a roller and your estimating book. All these things are critical, but success in painting, as in life, ultimately depends on deeper qualities like energy, honesty, selflessness and humility. Please forgive me if this sounds like a Sunday school lesson, but reality backs me up. A painter I know named Gary Walchuk reminds me how true it all is... This is a guest post written by my pal Steve Bullerwell. Steve started working with me about a decade back and made a real impression with his work ethic, desire to learn and positive attitude. We became fast friends. At the outset of the Great Recession, Steve summoned all his resourcefulness and set out to work for himself. He has successfully run his own show since. As tough as things may get sometimes, I admire how Steve uses his agency to leverage time in his life for the pursuit of a passion. A passion that helps him deal with stresses of running a business and refuel his soul. I invited him write an article for MicroContractor Blog. TO THE WATER Whether your a Painting contractor, a Landscaping contractor, a self employed Accountant, or you're punching your timecard signalling the beginning of your shift at the local big box superstore; one thing is for certain. The office can be a cruel and unusual place to be at times...
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?... |
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