Paint Radio | American Painting Contractor

Guest:Jess MajnoFounder/CEO IdylloSponsored by: Behr PaintEverybody is talking about AI, but how can you use it to make your painting business better today? In this episode, we talk to one of the industry’s leading experts on how to incorporate AI into your business operations in an easy and practical manner.

Cherry Coatings just announced its acquisition of Vision Painting, a $50-million plus revenue painting contractor headquartered in Indianapolis. We’ll discuss how the Cherry Team identifies a potential company to bring into the fold, what strategy they use to combine business operations, and where they are expecting to expand next.Guests:Rocky Cherry, Cherry Coatings Todd Gates, Vision PaintingAPC: https://paintmag.com/Cherry Coatings: https://cherrycoatings.com/

As we close out 2025, it’s time to review your performance. But what should you look at to determine the success of your business? And how do you tease out what’s bad policy versus economic reality? In this podcast, we’ll walk through what numbers to look at and how to look at them, so you can continue to grow your business in 2026.Guest: Colin NolanSponsor: IUPAT

A new challenger approaches. In this episode, we sit down with the leadership of Pittsburgh Paints to talk about building a new (old) brand, what contractors should expect from them, and what new products are on the horizon for 2026.Guests:Brian Carson, CEODennis Karnstein, President & GM

We receive excellent advice from Chris Moore of Elite Business Advisors on what to learn from 2025 -- from tax planning steps to take now, to identifying your break-even number based on monthly production.Sponsored By: Behr, IUPAT

In this episode, Andrew and Kevin welcome back Daniel Honan to discuss how to evaluate the health of your business using a few key formulas. Sharpen your pencils. Guest: Daniel HonanSponsored by: BEHR

Nothing like quality time with a paint manufacturer! Listen to our excellent conversation with Benjamin Moore, as we learn new details about its contractor loyalty program, how product choice can help in a slow market, and even some interesting news about EcoSpec.Sponsored by Benjamin MooreFeaturing:Justin DubowMike Mundwiller

Surface Prep and Safety I Paint Radio Podcast I Painting ContractorsAndrew and Kevin get the kind of surface prep answers you can only hear from 3M engineers – on topics like the exact distinctions between respirator cartridges and filters…or, what are the abilities of lightweight spackle?Sponsored by 3M3M - https://www.3m.com/APC - https://www.paintmag.com/

Hiring Young People I Painting Contractor Tips I Paint Radio Podcast Andrew and Kevin chat with two young painters about why the culture at their company (Granite State Painters in New Hampshire) is especially appealing. For anyone looking to attract younger workers, this is the podcast for you.Sponsored by IUPAT and Behr Guests: Cole MartinMaddie Clarkhttps://www.iupat.org/https://www.behr.com/consumerAPC: https://www.paintmag.com

It’s one of the easiest, most reliable ways to improve your bottom line, yet up to 2/3rds of painting contractors aren’t doing it. We’re talking about job costing, and it takes less time than you think. In this podcast, we actually manage to make spreadsheets fun.Sponsored by: IUPATGuest: Chris Moorehttps://www.iupat.org/APC: https://www.paintmag.com

Every great business sets goals – quarterly, yearly, and long term. They’re often easy to dream up, much harder to achieve in reality. In this podcast, we talk about how to set expectations–with your executive team, managers, and painters–to grow your business.Guest: Chris Elliott

Culture is more than just a nice to have. It can be the difference between keeping your workforce and making sure they hold each other accountable to do the job the right way. In this episode, we talk about how to hire and manage for culture, and how you’ll know it’s working. Guest: John MacFarland https://www.macfarlandpainting.com/ APC: https://www.paintmag.com

In this episode, we talk about how to use Direct Mail to generate leads. Although it may seem old school, Direct Mail as a marketing channel is still surprisingly effective, especially for home-based services. Our guest is Brandon Pierpont, the founder of Painter Marketing Pros and author of the APC magazine column: “Painter’s Playbook.” He walks us through the kinds of Direct Mail, and how to ensure you get a solid ROI. https://paintmag.com/

Combining companies can be tricky. You have to somehow mesh different tech stacks and culture. Done right, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Done wrong, and you have a chaotic mess that could bankrupt both businesses. In this podcast, we talk to two contractors in the midst of a merger, to hear what they’ve learned along the way. Sponsored by BEHR  APC: https://paintmag.com/

Commercial projects are a whole different beast than residential. They are longer – months, not days – and often require an enhanced degree of professionalism. If you are a painting contractor who does both residential and commercial, you might even need to hire two separate teams or at least estimators. In this podcast, we talk to two painting contractors about how to add commercial painting to your residential business and what to expect. Guests: Maggie Kuyper and Chris Elliot  Sponsored by HYDE  APC: https://paintmag.com/

Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic in the painting trade. Juan Vasquez of Illusions, Inc., brings the Hispanic perspective and offers advice on how to handle hiring and management. Juan also talks about the upcoming PCA En Español as well as the newly released APC En Español.

If you're struggling to gain traction in your business, listen to Michal Cheney of No Drip Painting. Her secret sauce of kindness and confidence empowers her to create a painting company that reflects her ideals. And she's sharing her experience through the PCA's popular Women in Paint event. Sponsored: by BEHR & HYDE

Reviews have a huge impact on your business. Five-star writeups are a big boost! But a few negative reviews can be ruinous. Chris Kiefer of Boolean explains the art of generating great reviews from your customers. (Plus: Andrew’s just had dental work, and his face is, well…half frozen?) Sponsored by: BEHR & HYDE

3M™ makes a lot of useful products for contract painters. In this sponsored podcast, we get tips from three 3M™ experts on how to best utilize a variety of products, including respirators, sanding equipment, and tapes.

What’s the difference between marketing and branding? In this podcast with Lacie Ilsley, president and owner of Ai Painting Plus, we explore how to manage your brand. Lacie talks about all the channels to express your brand – from social media to radio jingles – with examples of success from companies who have mastered the brand game. Sponsored by BEHR & Hyde

Two painting contractors from Michigan, each with very different opinions on the issue of subcontractors. John MacFarland makes the case that hiring W-2 workers is the best way to build a solid company culture. Brad Ellison says subcontractors were key to rapidly scaling his company. There are no losers in this clash of champions.

Proper priming leads to the best finish. In this sponsored podcast, we talk to Zinsser’s Director of Brand Marketing, Frank Glowacki, and Director of Product Management for Architectural Coatings, Nate Hardy. They talk about spraying primer, sanding between primer coats, what every pro painter needs to know about primers, and under-the-radar primers that can make a huge difference. Join us for an informative discussion.

The APC Team joins Paint Radio to talk about the annual 2024 TOP JOB Awards! For more information and to enter for a chance to win a TOP JOB! Hurry for a limited time only! Coupon Code: top-job-2024-early-bird Click here: https://nc2d3i8i8m.mirabelpages.com/top-job_7749 Website: https://www.paintmag.com

Have you heard of Romabio Paints yet? Hear contractors Nicholas Jordan and Ever Morales discuss these Italian mineral-based paints, interior & exterior lime washes, breathable exterior masonry coatings, venetian glaze, lime slurry…products used in Europe for hundreds of years. Sponsored by Romabio Paints

Our Operating series continues with a fascinating discussion about running a business with 40+ employees. Management structure, guiding growth, the role of family...tremendous insights from Craig Bundren, Gina Koert and Ian Siegner.

Here's 2 of the 62 ideas in this podcast: Contractors should strongly consider hiring a marketing agency when they reach $500k. Your return on ad spend should be 20x-30x. That's a tasty sample of Andrew's discussion with Austin Houser of Base Coat Marketing!Sponsored by Hyde and Behr

You think you know surface prep. But do you know it like a 3M Product Engineer does? No you don't! So listen in as Andrew enjoys a lively chat with know-it-alls from 3M, as well as clever contractors Mike Chavez and Chad Turpen.

Call it whatever you want -- mindfulness, mindset, emotional intelligence, the warm fuzzies -- but a few improvements in your self-awareness will pay immediate dividends with employee management. Andrew gets deep with Art Snarzyk of InnerView Advisors.

Hear how one contractor keeps better track of workflow and crews...without visiting the job sites. Andrew chats with Dan Zupancic to learn how Dreamscape Painting keeps work flowing with detailed, app-generated work orders and all crew communications occur on Slack. Learn more about this slick system!   Sponsored by Behr, Hyde, and Paint Supply

Andrew chats with two experts from KILZ about the newest capabilities of primers - limits of universal primers, where oil is still needed, and further advances in water-based primers. We even discuss the mythical unicorn primer with Tom McEvoy and Greg Williams. Sponsored by KILZ

Danny Kerr from Breakthrough Academy joins us to talk hiring! Struggling to find good people? Struggling to find people who stay? Kerr talks us through building a system that helps you to find the right people for the jobs that you are trying to fill.

Brian Nolan from Nolan Consulting is back. We are talking about exercises that help you build your “mental muscle.” Why do you want to work that muscle? Because it can help you face the difficult challenges that abound in life. Join us to learn some tips that will help you “work the problem” when things go sideways. See the video we discuss Handling Hard Well.

Imagine the stories an Australian contractor with 1,300 painters could tell! No need to imagine, because they're all right here in our podcast. Gerard Higgins of Higgins Painting discusses his "no d**khead policy," why the U.S. is so far ahead on spraying, and his surprise there aren't more national contractors here. Aaron Moore from PPD chimes in as well.

Backlog drying up? Looking for a some new leads? Carl Utter from Contractor Growth Strategy gives us a few ideas about how to find and entice new customers. Definitely a few surprises on this podcast: knock, knock.

We’re trying something a little bit different this week. Leadership lessons can come from anywhere. For me, some of the most impactful lessons I learned were through my dog and dog trainer. In the interest of sharing this experience, we talk with Alex Canby about the core elements that create a leader dogs WANT to follow and how these attributes are important in all of relationships. Beware! We do talk about dogs in this podcast… A LOT!

We discuss some of the highlights of our March issue that focused on Women in Paint. Corrie Leister and Carina MacDonald discuss their experiences as women business owners and painters.  Sponsored by Estimate Rocket

Need a pep talk? Some inspiration?John Busick, Chad Jeffries Jason Phillips, and Nick Slavik discuss their day to day running a business with 20-40 employees. Listen in for outstanding ideas on time management, scheduling tricks, comp plans, career paths and getting off the hamster wheel.

Would you rather go to a painting retreat or a business date night? You’re lucky, because according to this podcast, the PCA Expo is both. Meet fellow contractors who share your passion. Attend sessions addressing every challenge you face. All of it. In Albuquerque.

They come in all types and backgrounds: consultants. Ever wonder what you should ask? What your criteria should be? What you need to prepare? We talk with Chris Moore from Elite Business Advising on some of the questions he gets from clients and potential clients.

Ryan Gill, Bill Ferst, and Lacie and Austin Ilsley discuss their day-to-day running a business with 10-20 employees. Delegating, training and hiring is the name of the game at stage. Plus, an amazing discussion on the silent killer: employee burnout. Sponsored by Estimate Rocket

Listen in on the challenges and solutions involved in this massive and complex job at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts. From scheduling to safety and figuring out how to pull off the biggest wood veneer installation of its kind, Jake Manning tells his TOP JOB story. Sponsored by Zinsser, FrogTape and CompanyCam

Lauren Fink, Chad Turpen and Chris Mole discuss their duties, process and plans for the future as owners of businesses with 5-10 employees. A lot to learn from this group as they give us a glimpse into their days. Sponsored by Estimate Rocket

Tom Henman discusses the challenges and solutions behind this TOP JOB project gilding a helix in the ceiling of Tampa International Airport to serve as a backdrop for a public art installation by Aaron Stephan. The project included more than 5,000 sheets of gold leaf, nightly set up and clean up and some tough to reach spots. Sponsored by Zinsser, FrogTape and CompanyCam

Contractors share the moments that taught them the most valuable leadership lessons. From not being the smartest persion in the room to managing customer expectations, here the stories that changed the way these business owners lead. Sponsored by A David Creation and Estimate Rocket

Trouble with "the books"? You are not alone. Listen in as Melissa Honan, CEO of Bookkeeping for Painters walks through common mistakes and common solutions. Sponsored by Bookkeeping for Painters

Ben Campbell of Campbell Painting and Drywall tells tales of this magnificent job in one of the most remote houses in Alaska. Airplanes, avalanches and a lot of paint! You can also see stellar drone footage here. Sponsored by: Zinsser, FrogTape, CompanyCam

A contractor may have the same size business as you…but do they manage the business same as you? Listen to Jeremy Day, Jeremy Bramlett and Brandon Lumby describe their days as owners of businesses with 2-5 employees and see how you compare – from sales and accounting to billing and painting. Sponsored by Hyde and A David Creation

Boost profit by reducing turnover! (You’ll have fewer headaches too.) Listen as Doug Caris of AZ Ptg Co explains how they cut turnover in half thanks to exit interviews, better onboarding, and advancement opportunities. Check out our awesome sponsors! Hyde and KILZ

Are we looking at another 2008?Danushka Nanayakkara Skillington,AVP of Forecasting and Analysis at NAHB, gives us a look into her crystal ball. What's going to be up? What's going to be down? Do you need to diversify? Find out.  Sponsored by Estimate Rocket and Behr Pro

Our superstars from Season 3 of Mission Vacation are back. We catch up with husband and wife team, Lacie and Austin Ilsley, on the business since we left them last October, how culture and training have have increased retention, and learn about how they planned for their first big vacation away. Listen to the full season here.  Subscribe to American Painting Contractor magazine free!