Tag Archives: leadership

I’m Stuck in the Weeds and Can’t Get Out! The Micromanager’s Recovery Guide

Do you have micromanaging tendencies? With a little self-awareness and some hard work, you can learn to let go. This 7-step approach will help you do it. Continue reading I’m Stuck in the Weeds and Can’t Get Out! The Micromanager’s Recovery Guide

Pro-To-Pro Podcast Debuts

Four top painting contractors from across the country discuss the current realities in the painting world and the challenges of moving their business forward in an exclusive new contractor forum hosted by PPC magazine. Continue reading Pro-To-Pro Podcast Debuts

What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry

Dave Barry started painting at age 14 in Boston. He moved to the mountains of Colorado in 1996 and started his own company, Barry Painting Inc. Over the years he has painted everything from small homes to some of the most exclusive residential properties in the Boulder, Colorado area, as well as commercial and multifamily properties. He recently started a new business called Rocky Mountain Finishing LLC, with a spray booth that helps him expand into finishing cabinets, metal, furniture, trim packs, doors and more. PPC editor Mike Starling caught up with Dave to ask him about the challenges he’s facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading What We’re Doing to Stay Safe and Productive During COVID-19, with Colorado Painter Dave Barry

When Leadership Matters Most: Tough Times Require Strong, Courageous Leaders

It’s never easy to be a leader, even when business is booming. Remember when your phone didn’t stop ringing and your crews barely had time to clean their brushes between jobs? Your critical decision-making and guidance then led your team to maximum success. Continue reading When Leadership Matters Most: Tough Times Require Strong, Courageous Leaders

Lessons from the Past: How Contractors Handled the 2008 Downturn

“The West Wing” was a popular television series that ran through 2006. One episode tells the story of a guy who walks down the street and falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts for help. Continue reading Lessons from the Past: How Contractors Handled the 2008 Downturn

A Four-Point Plan to Wow Your Customers and Pull Your Company through the COVID Crisis

What steps are you taking to protect your business during the COVID-19 emergency? In this article, pro painter and PPC contributing writer Terry Begue offers a framework to help you stay engaged and take care of your customers through this restricted time, so that you can emerge on the other side of this crisis with a business that’s ready to take care of you.
Continue reading A Four-Point Plan to Wow Your Customers and Pull Your Company through the COVID Crisis

7 Steps for Solving Business Problems, or Learning How to Eat an Elephant

Successful people all do one thing: they solve problems. They don’t just stare at a problem and wish it would go away. In this article, Mitzi Perdue, author of How to Make Your Family Business Last, shares her seven steps for solving your business problems. Continue reading 7 Steps for Solving Business Problems, or Learning How to Eat an Elephant

Contractor Q&A: Alex García on His Secrets for Award-Winning Residential Projects

A multiple winner of the Diamond Award in the Parade of Homes of the Association of Home Builders of Brunswick County, N.C., Alex García prides himself on having some of the most important builders of Sunset Beach, N.C., among his clients.
As owner and founder of García and Associates, he says the key to his success resides in his company’s quality work and professionalism and, especially, the Sherwin-Williams® quality products he uses. PPC sat down with García to learn how he has become one of the top painting contractors in his area. Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Alex García on His Secrets for Award-Winning Residential Projects

Contractor Q&A: Annie Newton on the No. 1 Thing You Can Do To Build Your Business

Annie Newton is part of a brother-sister team that owns and operates 4 Seasons Color, Inc., a painting and restoration company based in Walla Walla, Washington. 4 Seasons Color has painted a number of local landmarks, including the Dayton Historic Depot, the Old Walla Walla Depot and the Ritz Mansion, along with many other historic homes and churches. Annie is the company’s controller, and brother Matt Nagin is the president of the firm.

Annie is also an active member of the PDCA (Painting and Decorating Contractors of America) national trade association. We sat down to talk shop with her at a recent PDCA Expo.
Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Annie Newton on the No. 1 Thing You Can Do To Build Your Business

Contractor Q&A: Ron Adderley on 50 Years of Taking Care of Customers and Why Quality Beats Quantity Every Time

Ron Adderley has been working as a professional painter since 1968. He is the owner of Prism Painting in Bellingham, Washington, running a three-generation crew that includes his son Ben and grandson Nick. PPC sat down with Ron to find out a little bit of what he’s learned in his 50 years in the painting business.
Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Ron Adderley on 50 Years of Taking Care of Customers and Why Quality Beats Quantity Every Time

Contractor Q&A: Sean Kennedy on Learning How to Structure, Delegate and Let Go

Sean Kennedy has been working as a professional painter since 1993. He is the owner of Kennedy Painting, a residential painting contracting firm in St. Louis, Missouri.
Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Sean Kennedy on Learning How to Structure, Delegate and Let Go

Contractor Q&A: Dan Petrulak on Staying Small to Keep Customers Happy

Dan Petrulak is the owner of DP Ready 2 Paint, a painting contractor based in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania and serving the Mid Mon Valley and surrounding areas of southwest Pennsylvania. Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Dan Petrulak on Staying Small to Keep Customers Happy

Contractor Q&A: Chris Gardner on the Costs and Rewards of Being an Entrepreneur

Chris Gardner started working in the painting industry in 2009. He is the owner of PaintRite Pros based in Elk Grove, a city of 168,000 just south of Sacramento, California. According to census records, it was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005. Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Chris Gardner on the Costs and Rewards of Being an Entrepreneur

Contractor Q&A: Dave Theobald on How to Compete from Multiple Locations

Dave Theobald spent 17 years as a general contractor before joining his father-in-law’s company, Turman Commercial Painters. Founded in 1972, the company has grown under Theobald’s leadership into a nationwide firm that has completed more than 10,000 locations across the U.S. Continue reading Contractor Q&A: Dave Theobald on How to Compete from Multiple Locations