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What does it take to jump from $110,000 to $1.1 million in a single year—and then keep climbing toward $2 million? Ryan Pettis joins us to share the unvarnished playbook: get crystal clear on the end goal, surround yourself with bigger players, and execute faster than your fear. He started at 15 with his great uncle, saw the gap in professionalism, left college to go all-in, and then built a business that runs on systems instead of heroics.

We dig into the real inflection points: stepping off the tools, investing in marketing with the right partners, and installing the roles that matter—office admin, production manager, and finally a sales rep who fits the culture. Ryan explains why the jump from $1 million to $1.7 million was tougher than getting to seven figures, how callbacks and crew mismatches exposed missing SOPs, and the exact cadence he used to stabilize quality: weekly 1:1s, team meetings, SMART goals, and relentless follow-up until new behaviors stick.

Hiring is where many owners stall, so we go deep there too. Ryan hires for coachability, professionalism, and competitive drive over industry experience—his new sales rep had never painted a wall. We break down how to define role avatars, screen for values alignment, and use DISC assessments to tailor coaching and pace change. You’ll hear practical sales metrics—close rate, average job size, net sales per lead—and how transparency turns team members into intrapreneurs who protect margin and push growth.

If you’ve been collecting insights but not changing behavior, this conversation is your nudge to act within 48 hours. Set the target, borrow belief from mentors who play bigger, build systems that outlast you, and coach people instead of managing tasks. Subscribe, share this with another contractor aiming for seven figures, and leave a review with the one change you’ll implement this week.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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In this episode of The Profitable Painter Podcast, Daniel sits down with José, founder of Refined Painting in Washington State, one of the fastest-growing painting companies in the country.

José’s story is wild:
He entered the industry as an estimator for only 3–4 months, had zero painting experience, then quit to launch his own company, and proceeded to hit $1 million in just eight months, followed by $2 million in year two, all while painting is only possible 3 months out of the year in Seattle.

His growth engine? A high-performance door-to-door team, smart recruiting, premium pricing, strong subcontractor relationships, and relentless action-taking.

Whether you want to scale fast, build a canvassing team, or boost your pricing and margins, this episode is packed with gold.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How José launched a painting business with no painting experience, and still crushed $1M+.
• The door-to-door system (from Trade Launch) that generated the bulk of his leads.
• How he built a canvassing team of up to six reps, and kept them motivated with weekly pay + strong commissions.
• Why outbound marketing costs (like 6% commissions) are a bargain when scaling aggressively.
• How he secured reliable subs, paid them fast, and kept them loyal.
• The leadership mistake that caused his revenue to dip, and how he rebuilt his D2D team.
• How pricing upgrades (like Emerald instead of SuperPaint) massively boosted profits.
• The mindset shift that allowed José to let go of control and scale.

If you're serious about building momentum, quickly, this is one of the most actionable episodes of the year.

Subscribe now to learn how to grow your painting business with speed, systems, and smart strategy!

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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In this episode of The Profitable Painter Podcast, Daniel sits down with Benson, founder of Legacy Paint Holdings, one of the most ambitious and innovative roll-ups in the modern painting industry.

Benson’s story is extraordinary: starting a painting company in high school during the 2020 lockdown, scaling to multi-location operations while still in college, consulting for over 100 painting companies, and now leading an aggressive nationwide acquisition strategy with 8 companies already in the portfolio.

He shares deep insights into systems, leadership, roll-ups, valuation, growth mindset, and what it really takes to build a $100M organization, the goal he's now pursuing for 2030.

If you’re a painting contractor interested in scaling, selling, or simply building a more powerful business structure, this episode is packed with rare and valuable knowledge.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Benson went from a Craigslist ad and a minivan to running multi-location painting companies.
• The lessons from overseeing 300+ projects in one summer while still in college.
• What he Learned working with 100+ painting companies as a systems consultant.
• Why “systems”, not skill, determine whether a business scales or stalls.
• How traditional roll-ups work and why painting is primed for massive consolidation.
• Who Legacy Paint Holdings is looking to acquire, and why younger, hungry operators thrive in the model.
• Why mindset, reading, mentorship, and “failing fast” are superpowers in business.

This episode is part masterclass, part blueprint, and part inspiration, essential listening for any contractor thinking bigger.

Subscribe now and learn how to build, scale, and exit a painting business the smart way.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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In this episode of The Profitable Painter Podcast, Daniel sits down with Gabe Elias, founder of EVM Home Improvements, one of the fastest-growing painting and home improvement companies in Massachusetts.

Gabe went from a 19-year-old Student Painters rookie producing $200K in one summer to building a powerhouse business doing $4,000,000+ in only three years, plus acquiring a 7-figure construction company.

He shares the raw, unfiltered story of early struggles, insane learning experiences, building a strong personal brand, scaling with subcontractors, and using social media + recruiting to blow past industry norms.

If you want the blueprint for fast, aggressive, smart growth in the painting industry, this is it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Gabe produced $200K at age 19 without ever touching a paintbrush.
• The painful mistakes that shaped him — including nightmare jobs, difficult customers, and expensive lessons.
• How EVM exploded to $4M using branding, visibility, and constant recruiting.
• Why organic social media is still the most underrated growth tool in the industry.
• How Gabe builds a pipeline of painters on demand through culture and visibility.
• Why the home improvement division is harder to scale — and how he’s solving it.
• The mindset required to grow fast, stay organized, and avoid overpromising.
• How to decide when it’s time to hire a coach (and what to avoid).

This is one of the most motivating, practical, and high-energy episodes we’ve ever recorded.

Subscribe and learn how to scale a painting business the right way — one episode at a time.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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In this episode of The Profitable Painter Podcast, Daniel sits down with Hassan, owner of a fast-growing painting company out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Hassan shares how he and his wife went from frustrated homeowners dealing with unprofessional contractors to building a 1.8M+ painting business in just a few years.

Hassan breaks down the exact strategies that fueled their rapid growth — including a powerful on-site sales process, hiring a specialized marketing firm, building a call center partnership, and optimizing production rates across multiple crews. Whether you're struggling with lead flow, sales conversions, hiring, or scaling, this episode delivers real, actionable insights straight from someone who’s doing it at a high level.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Hassan doubled revenue with a simple but game-changing on-site estimating process.
• The role COVID unexpectedly played in jump-starting their business.
• Why switching to an industry-specific marketing firm transformed their lead flow.
• How a call center boosted lead set rates to 40% — and dramatically lowered acquisition costs.
• The importance of building real production rates across crews (not just using generic guides).
• How Hassan built a lean, scalable structure with subs, a production manager, and outsourced admin help.
• His roadmap for hitting $2.6–$3 million in 2026.

If you're serious about growth, this is one of the most tactical, inspiring episodes yet.

Subscribe now and learn how to build a painting business that scales — one episode at a time.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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In this episode of The Profitable Painter Podcast, Daniel sits down with Amy Stewart, a third-generation painter from Oregon who transformed her lifelong craft into a boutique, high-end finishing business specializing in Venetian plaster, faux finishes, murals, and tadelakt showers.

Amy shares her remarkable journey, from learning meticulous craftsmanship as a child, to discovering Venetian plaster in the early 2000s, to traveling to Italy for nearly a month to study authentic lime plasters and old-world techniques.

If you’ve ever wanted to niche down, elevate your craftsmanship, or build a business purely around what you love doing, this episode is packed with wisdom, experience, and practical inspiration.

Tune in to learn:

• How Amy shifted from general painting to a high-end artistic niche.
• The health and longevity benefits of true Venetian and lime plasters, and why mold can’t grow on them.
• Lessons from training in Italy and working with authentic materials.
• What homeowners, designers, and builders don’t know about plaster quality and contractor selection.
• How word-of-mouth helped Amy build a business that’s booked for years.
• Why following your passion and continuing education truly pays off.

If you're a painting contractor looking to stand out, raise your craftsmanship, or explore the world of decorative finishes, this conversation is a must-listen.

Subscribe and get inspired — one episode at a time

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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We sit down with Brandon Lewis of the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors to dissect the exact playbook top-tier painting companies use to skyrocket profit, eliminate waste, and build a business that runs from a desk—not from their van.

Brandon exposes the divide between owners who chase complexity and those who master the fundamentals: written goals, time-blocked deep work, and a bias for action over excuses.

In this episode, you’ll get the instrument panel for a profitable business, including:

• The 5 Key Metrics: Gross profit, discretionary earnings, average job size, close rate by source, and a fully-loaded cost per acquisition.
• Production-Rate Estimating: How to stop guessing and start pricing with precision, just like the franchises do.
• The Sales Shift for a Low-Trust World: Ditch the emailed PDFs. We detail a proven process of presenting with proof, live delivery, and value-based follow-up that slashes risk and lifts close rates.
• Your Compounding Engine: How your list of past clients fuels cash flow now and valuation later through reactivation campaigns and practical marketing.
• "Easy to Do, Easy Not to Do" Tactics: From yard signs and 40-door canvassing to crew-led upsells and the "Noah's Ark" B2B referral strategy.

If you’re ready to trade chaos for clarity, this conversation is your blueprint. Measure what matters, block the time, show the scoreboard, and let your list compound.

If this helped, please follow the show, share it with a fellow contractor, and leave a review.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.

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We share how Grace took a sleepy painting company, faced a divorce and a two-hour commute with five kids, and still 10x’d revenue by focusing on sales, margins, and team. The path is not easy, but it is simple: solve the next problem, implement fast, and use a proven roadmap.

• starting in cleaning then pivoting to painting for better margins
• taking over the company after divorce and relocation
• learning in-person estimates and building trust
• tracking close rates and raising average ticket
• fixing margins with clear scopes and change orders
• hiring subs, standardizing production, and defining done
• shifting mindset from operator to CEO
• using constraints to drive focus and action
• investing in coaching and following the roadmap

Quit your job, man.

For being a loyal listener, I want to send you a copy of my new book Profitable Painter. Inside, I’ll show you the exact frameworks that have helped painting businesses save big on taxes, increase profits, and scale with confidence
Head over to profitablepaintercpa.com/book and grab your copy today. Don’t wait — this is my gift to you for being part of the Profitable Painter community.