Paint For America Mastermind

In this clip pulled from the sales training archive, Mark stresses the importance of all the little touches that eventually add up to getting a sale. #paintingcontractor #sales #residential #trainingFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

“Get off the tools!” This is Brian’s most important advice to other painting contractors. “Learn to hire and delegate as soon as possible.” In this episode, Mark talks with Brian Kotarski, a retired law enforcement officer who started a painting business in Indiana. They talk about integrity, professionalism, attention to detail, closing appointments (by slowing down), and much more related to running a successful painting business!More on Brian herehttps://integrityinbluepainting.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this clip from the sales training module, Mark talks about how to handle the sales process when the customer says, “I only have 10 minutes, just measure it and give me a price”.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com#sales #paintingcontractor #tips

Today’s guest is Roger Woodstock from Evolv3 Painting in Florida. Originally from Jamaica, Roger has an interesting story going from corporate America to starting his own painting and home repair business. As someone who is very careful about debt and has a strong integrity to do good work - hear about how he has ventured into the world of large apartment complexes and managed to make a profit.More on Roger herehttps://www.facebook.com/Evolv3Painting/about/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

“If you’re not aggressively reaching out to past customers, it’s like you have a hole in your bank account. Money is just bleeding out …”In this episode from the vault, Mark is talking about the importance of keeping in touch with past customers. After doing this for a while, there’s an unexpected benefit - where past customers start to feel like family, and it’s gone way beyond marketing. “If you treat your past customers this way, they will always remember you - they will be talking about you at dinner parties”Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark talks to Nick Hahn from Michigan. Nick started late but has grown fast! Hear about his inspiring journey from a hardware store employee to a successful painting business owner, including his tips on growth, leadership, and taking bold risks! #PaintingBusiness #GrowYourBusinessFor more on Nick visithttps://www.hahnshandyservices.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

As a crew leader on the job site, it’s important to regroup after lunch and make sure your workers are on task. In this excerpt from the production training module, Mark talks about giving people a little more work than he thinks they can get done - but balances that with making sure they are still getting wins. But what happens when someone is consistently not hitting the mark? Find out in this episode.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark interviews Jacob Battaglia, owner of One Way Painting in Woodstock, Georgia, about building a quality-focused, faith-driven residential and commercial painting company. Jacob shares how he started in 2021 after remodeling work, shifted from handyman jobs into painting to stand out through reliability and communication, and grew from a solo operator to four W-2 employees with strong Google reviews. He describes early chaos, learning to structure sales and scheduling, and pushing himself in sales despite discomfort. Jacob’s toughest season came when heavy marketing spend produced little ROI, leaving the company slow and cash-strapped; he explains how tracking job costing, margins, overhead, and data-driven decisions - especially around hiring - became critical. In the last 20 minutes or so of the conversation, Mark shares some critical guidance for figuring out what to pay your people and stay profitable - and Jacob brings up one of his biggest “mistakes” with his first hire.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.comFind out more about Jacob herehttp://onewayga.com/

How to have an honest budget conversation during the sales process. In this clip from the sales training module, Mark goes in depth about how he handles showing up to an appointment and immediately realizing budget is going to be an issue.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark interviews Oge Madu of Houston, TX. They have an in-depth conversation about the pros and cons of using subs to grow, the importance of marketing, operations, and much more.Find out more about Oge athttps://moneymadu.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

You’ve heard “working on the business vs working in the business”? A big part of that means carving out time where you’re not doing “customer facing” activities. Mark talks more about this in this clip from the archive.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark interviews Peter Miele from New Jersey. He has an inspiring story, running both a painting business and trash business. They talk about everything from marketing to working with family and how passion and perseverance is so crucial in being a successful owner - and finding balance!Find out more about Peter through Instagram @mielepainting and @mielecontractingFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

What to say to the customer to bring up additional work on a jobsite? In this episode, Mark talks about “word tracks” you can train your crew leaders and painters to use to potentially bring up additional work orders.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark talks with Nick and Nycole Kane about their journey to building a top-notch painting business in Ohio. Find out how they balance family and business, overcome challenges, and continue to grow!For more info on Kane Painting visit:https://www.kanepaintingohio.comFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

This is important - something many painting contractors get wrong - knowing the difference between just giving out a bunch of estimates vs true salesmanship. Mark talks more about it in this episode. And if you want to go deeper, search the word “sales” in this podcast and you’ll find many episodes that go deeper into Mark’s sales process.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark talks with Luis from Serrano Bookkeeping about the importance of bookkeeping, especially for painting contractors. They discuss common problems found in messy books and the other problems that can cause - and how good bookkeeping can save money when it comes time to do your taxes (including CPA fees!) If you’ve listened to other episodes on accounting, you know that Mark relies on knowing the right numbers in order to make smart decisions when running the company - all which leads to profit!Find out more about Luis herehttps://serranobookkeeping.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

A key part of being successful, especially as an owner of a painting business, is learning to control your story and re-edit your story. In this episode, Mark talks about some common self-talk we all most likely deal with:  “I don’t deserve …  People are bad … I’m not good at …  I’m not talented … Nobody cares what I have to say … I’m not as smart as other people …” These stories can be re-framed so they’re working for you instead of against you.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode Mark interviews Jason Webb from the UK! It’s really interesting to hear another perspective and how they do things in another country. Jason is a craftsman with a lot of heart and there’s much to be learned here!Find out more about Jason herehttps://ajwpainting.co.ukFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, we’re playing a clip from the crew leader training module - it’s all about the report card and asking for A’s from the customer - not just at the end, but constantly during the job.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark interviews Anna Mudd who has a painting business in St Louis, Missouri named Anna Mudd Painting! This is a fascinating story of a person with tons of heart and is following her dream and making it happen. She talks about how she started out in a new city knowing only 5 people and how to stay focused on building the business the right way without getting sidetracked with other opportunities and gimmicks. Find out more about Anna herehttps://www.annamuddpainting.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

“I need to talk to my wife about it” … “I need to talk about it with my husband” … In this episode, Mark talks about what to say to uncover what may really be going on. Because, often these statements are just excuses because they’re not sold on you yet. Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

Chris shares how he launched his West Michigan painting business after a layoff, leveraging a background in property management and sales to quickly find work. He started by cold calling, walking into 20 to 30 apartment communities with prepared one-sheet repaint estimates - then later shifted to higher-value residential work and learned to estimate and sell on the spot with a process tailored to homeowner personalities.This was a great episode, Mark and Christian get into marketing, discussing canvassing, BNI, google, facebook, and paint rep relationships.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.comFor more on Christian go tohttps://parachutepainting.com/

In this clip from our crew leader training series, Mark talks about the end-of-day routine. Little habits like this, executed day after day, leads to success - and ultimately happiness (well, at least at work!)Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark interviews Josh from Sequoia Painting in California. Josh has a great story! He’s a 3rd generation painter and after a career as a corrections officer he built a sizable painting business. They discuss lifestyle, hiring challenges, and marketing. He gives really good advice - especially for other painting contractors who might be shy about spending money on marketing.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.comFind out more about Josh here:https://sequoiapaintingco.com/

In this clip, Mark talks about owners who have trouble letting go of the customer-facing activities, like being on the jobsites and sales calls, which can hold you back from growing to the next level. Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this excerpt from our sales training module, Mark talks about a very important question that will help you out later during the “closing trail”.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

Mark interviews Will Hayden of Mary’s Painting in Arkansas. Will talks about the challenges of taking on an existing business, managing remotely from 3 hours away, and how they reactivated a dormant customer database and created ad campaigns featuring a "local celebrity".Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.comFor more info on Will, visit:https://www.maryspainting.com/

There’s only so much you can grow your painting business by doing everything yourself. In this clip Mark talks about the mindset of becoming the leader and letting go of doing it all yourself. Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com#paintingcontractor#mindset#leadership

In this excerpt from the crew leader training module, Mark talks very passionately about why crews should always bring lunch to the job and not leave the site for lunch!Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com#crewleadertraining#paintercoaching#markdefrancesco#painterbestpractices

Mark tells a story that might quite literally change your perspective on what it means to own a painting business. Many of us are "hiding out" in the role we're comfortable in, instead of going out and doing what is necessary to grow the business.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this clip from the sales training module, Mark talks about what he refers to as the warm-up, when you first get to the customer's house. It has to be a fluid process - a dance between where they want the conversation to go and still staying with the process.#paintermarketing#salestraining#salesprocessFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode Mark talks with Eric Heipel about his journey to buying a painting franchise and then his successful departure and rebrand into what is now Heartland Painting. They cover everything from hiring to marketing, and of course, what it means to not just be busy, but to be profitable.For more info on Eric, visit:https://heartlandpaintingmn.comFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode we’re playing a clip where Mark teaches crew leaders some best practices for communicating with the customer. What may seem like common sense can actually make a big difference when issues arise around scheduling and maintaining control when issues arise (like when it rains). Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this clip, Mark gives a high level overview of what key metrics you need to track in each department to be highly profitable.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

If you had no problems, there would be nothing to do! Easy to say, right? But in this episode, Mark goes into more detail and offers ways to reframe a problem you’re having into a game that you can use to make yourself better.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleswww.paint4americamastermind.com

In this episode, Mark shares a clip from our sales training module about the customer survey form we send out ahead of each sales call. It’s also an important tool to guide questions during the visit, to discover what’s most important to the customer.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleswww.paint4americamastermind.com

Numbers aren’t just for taxes! In this episode, Mark talks with Daniel Honan of Profitable Painter CPA. Daniel shares highlights from his book, with advice for identifying bottlenecks, setting the right charge rates, managing gross profit margins, and even how to protect yourself as you become more and more successful.“.... with a low charge rate - that means if you do everything right, and do a good job, with happy customers - you still lose!”Daniel has a very interesting background, having owned his own painting business, worked as intelligence officer in the military, and then served as bookkeeper and CPA to many other painting companies, he offers a powerful perspective. This conversation between two painting business veterans is one you don’t want to miss.Find out more about Daniel at https://onlinebookkeep.comFind out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

Mark talks about knowing the core challenge for each position, and how knowing this can make a huge difference in making the right hiring decisions.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com

In this excerpt from our recruiting and hiring series, Mark gives some very simple advice about how to screen candidates, and he talks about a common trap business owners fall into.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

In this excerpt from our production training series, Mark trains crew leaders on the importance of keeping their vans clean.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

In this episode, Mark interviews Trent Huskey, owner of Huskey’s Paint & Design of North Carolina. They go in depth about Trent’s journey getting to 5 million. This is a great episode to see the evolution in systems and mindset to get past the 2 million dollar threshold and operate a “real” profitable and metric driven business. And for those who aren’t ready to grow to that level, Trent offers some very good tangible advice.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/Find out more about Trent here:https://huskeyspaint.com/

This is a powerful way to increase your value in the eyes of the customer. In this clip, Mark talks about the importance of going into detail about your level of prep work and sanding for exterior paint jobs. Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

Knowing your company's core values are critical for hiring the right people. In this episode, Mark gives a real world example of the impact of hiring someone who does not share these values.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/#companyculture #recruiting #paintingcompany

If you know they aren’t the right fit, the answer is now! Of course that depends on if you’ve been actively recruiting and have someone to take their place. Mark talks about his more in this episode.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

Where are you spending your time? Are you getting caught up with distractions or are you being intentional? Journaling is a good place to start. Where are you at? What would you fix? Working on yourself is the important work when it comes to having a great company.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

“What concerns you about this room?” Questions like this, that probe to find out what is important to the customer, are critical for salespeople - but they are also important for production and crew leaders. Find out more in this clip.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

In this episode, Mark talks with Jason Humrichous from Heritage painting in Indiana. Jason shares some great experience on what it takes to be both memorable and successful in a painting business and has some creative tips on networking, branding, and building relationships.Find out more about Jason herehttps://heritagepainting.info/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

In this clip “from the vault” Mark talks about the difference between giving a standard presentation to a customer and asking questions first to frame what you offer to best fit their needs and pain points.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

As you grow, it’s important to look at not only your total billable hours, but their efficiency factor. In this clip, Marks explains more.Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/

Jesse Ramos doesn’t sugarcoat it. From a busted shoulder, probation, and losing his truck — to building a multimillion-dollar painting company, his story is all about grit, faith, and refusing to quit.3 Key Takeaways:1 - Rock bottom moments fuel growth: Losing everything and finding out he had twins on the way was the push Jesse needed to figure it out.2 - Show up where it matters: From door knocking to networking events, one handshake turned into a $200k job.3 - People over profit: Core values, faith, and taking care of his crew drive the business more than any number on paper.Find out more about Jesse herehttps://tjspropainting.com/Find out more about Mark, the podcast and our masterminds / training moduleshttps://www.paint4americamastermind.com/