Thomas Kern has been painting for decades and networking in Northern Colorado for 10–15 years. In this episode, we dig into why painting is really a people-and-prep business, how Thomas earns trust inside customers’ homes, and the relationship habits that keep referrals flowing from electricians, realtors, and property managers.

Episode Highlights:
🔹 Thomas has been networking 10–15 years and has watched the trades networking scene evolve fast
🔹 Why painting is a people business + prep business (and why customers underestimate prep)
🔹 How he sets expectations on paint grades, sheen, durability, and what “scrubbable” actually means
🔹 What repeat clients value most: communication, consistency, and integrity
🔹 His networking “secret”: remember one personal detail and bring it up next time
🔹 Referral partners that drive real work: roofers, electricians, realtors, and property managers
🔹 A real story of how a paint job helped someone emotionally “move on” after loss

Why You Should Listen
🔹 Learn how top trades pros win referrals through trust, follow-through, and clean execution
🔹 Get practical insight on paint quality, prep, and pricing conversations without sounding salesy
🔹 Steal Thomas’s relationship-building habits for networking events and 1:1s

Businesses Thomas Kern Recommends
🔹 Dunham Electrical (Bob Dunham) — Professional crews, strong communication, clean work, reliable follow-through
🔹 Richard Ross (CPA) — Approachable, generous with answers, high trust and deep tax/payroll knowledge

How to contact Thomas Kern
🔹 Call or text: 970-444-5003
🔹 Thomas prefers phone/text and is known for calling people back quickly.

Timestamps
0:00 Connecting with customers
0:13 Intro + Thomas’s networking history
1:00 How he started painting at 14 (and why oil paint taught speed + cleanup)
2:20 How paint chemistry and techniques changed over decades
3:20 Painting = people + prep + education
6:27 How referral partners confidently recommend him
9:20 When homeowners usually paint (and why most wait too long)
11:03 Pricing, paint grades, and matching expectations
13:36 The emotional impact of a “fresh start” paint job
16:45 Bad paint stories + fixing rushed work
17:10 Networking groups he likes (NIA, Tabletop, Sure Networking, Level Up)
19:20 Speed networking approach + remembering details
21:05 Best referral sources + who he’s open to
24:16 Deep dive: Bob Dunham + how Thomas tests partners
26:46 Shoutout to Richard Ross (CPA)
27:10 Who he’s looking to meet: custom builders + property managers
28:02 How to connect with Thomas