New Doors, New Horizons: Scaling a Painting Business with Chris Salisbury

Summary: In this episode of the Bearded Finisher Podcast, Zach Shrum interviews Chris Salisbury from Nu Doors. They discuss their journeys in the painting industry, business challenges, and experiences with trade shows. Chris shares how he started his painting company at a young age, evolving it into Nu Doors. They discuss the benefits of using new doors over refinishing old ones, emphasizing scalability and the importance of learning from failure. The conversation highlights the need for repeatable processes and the challenges of finding and retaining skilled employees. Social media's role in marketing and building customer trust is also explored. Chris details their approach to manufacturing and selling prefinished doors and their paint store offering a range of finishing products. They also touch on the potential for New Doors to partner with national chains, entrepreneurship, and the value of surrounding yourself with successful people. The power of asking for what you want and the importance of transformative relationships are key themes. Books like Who Not How and The Gap and the Gain are recommended for growth. Chris shares his passion for his work and satisfaction in achieving his goals, with a brief mention of investing in RV resorts. Keywords: painting industry, business challenges, trade shows, AWFS Vegas, starting a company, new doors, refinishing doors, scalability, learning from failure, systems, painting business, repeatable processes, skilled employees, workforce, social media marketing, trust, trends in painting industry, prefinished doors, paint store, finishing products, New Doors, partnership, national chains, entrepreneurship, success, transformative relationships, asking for what you want, books, personal growth, professional growth, investing, RV resorts Takeaways: Starting a business young and learning from failure is crucial for growth.  Trade shows like AWFS Vegas offer networking and learning opportunities. Using new doors instead of refinishing saves time and labor. Scalability requires systems and the right team. Learning from experienced entrepreneurs can drive growth. Repeatable processes ensure consistency and quality. Social media is key for marketing and building trust. Prefinished doors and a paint store offer added value. Surrounding yourself with success is vital. Recommended books for growth: Who Not How and The Gap and the Gain. Titles: Trade Shows and Networking Scalability and Developing Systems Challenges of Finding and Retaining Skilled Employees Adding Value with Prefinished Doors and a Paint Store Books for Personal and Professional Growth The Power of Asking: Transformative Relationships Sound Bites: "Starting a business and learning from failure." "The benefits of new doors vs. refinishing." "Scalability and developing systems." "A sheet of paper can make all the difference." "Repeatable processes in manufacturing keep customers coming back." "The labor shortage in skilled trades is not temporary." "You are who you surround yourself with." "Ask the question if you're in the momentum." Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background   02:59 Starting a Business and Learning from Failure   08:00 The Benefits of New Doors vs. Refinishing   12:05 Scalability and Developing Systems   15:02 Trade Shows and Networking   24:32 Creating Repeatable Processes   27:30 Challenges of Finding and Retaining Skilled Employees   32:30 The Role of Social Media in Marketing and Building Trust   43:04 Trends in the Painting Industry   49:21 Adding Value with Prefinished Doors and a Paint Store   51:53 The Future of New Doors   52:52 Surrounding Yourself with Success   53:23 The Power of Asking   56:38 Books for Personal and Professional Growth   01:05:44 Investing in RV Resorts