Want to 10x your team's output? The secret isn't working harder, it's aligning incentives.
In this episode, Mike breaks down the most powerful leadership tool you're probably not using: AI (Aligned Incentives). Learn how to structure compensation plans that get your team thinking about your business even in the shower, and why paying someone more money might be the smartest financial decision you'll ever make.
Mike covers:
Whether you're managing painters, production managers, or an entire leadership team, this episode will change how you think about compensation forever. Stop paying for time and start paying for outcomes.
The holidays don’t have to destroy your momentum. In this episode, Mike breaks down how painting business owners can stay effective over the holiday season without burning out or completely checking out. He explains why slowing down doesn’t mean disconnecting, the three common holiday traps that sabotage January, and how to use this time as a leverage window instead of a lost month.
You’ll learn how to protect cash flow, reduce mental load, plan like a CEO, and position your business to hit the ground running in the new year. This episode is all about structure, clarity, and making smarter decisions now so January feels controlled instead of chaotic.
If you want to enter the new year with confidence, focus, and real momentum, this episode will show you how.
In this solo Coffee Conversation, Jesse reflects on his personal journey through 2025 and the business framework that has guided him for years.
He shares how thinking in quarters changed the way he ran his painting business and why each season of the year has a different role to play. From driving massive activity early, to optimizing production, to enjoying the payoff, and finally slowing down to reflect and plan.
This episode is about patterns, clarity, and building a business that works on paper before you work yourself into the ground.
If you want a more intentional way to plan your year and avoid repeating the same mistakes, this conversation will give you a simple framework to start with.
What happens when your painting business grows faster than your leadership systems?
In this Brush Busters episode, Josh and Wayne break down real questions from owners running multi-million dollar painting companies who feel like they’re losing control. Jobs happening without visibility. Teams ignoring systems. High revenue with low profit. Managers burning out. Payroll crushing margins.
This is not theory. It’s practical, field-tested advice for owners who have already “made it” on paper but are drowning operationally.
You’ll learn:
How to install structure when growth outpaces leadership
Why systems fail without accountability and how to fix compliance
Where large painting companies actually leak profit
How to prevent estimator and production manager burnout
When labor becomes too expensive and how to restructure without blowing up the company
If your business feels bigger but messier than it should, this episode will help you regain control and rebuild clarity.
What if the secret to scaling your painting business isn't expanding to more cities, but dominating smaller pockets within your current market?
Jesse Tarrin sits down with Wayne Scherger, co-founder of CertaPro Painters and 45-year painting industry veteran, to discuss the counterintuitive strategies that built the world's largest painting company—and how independent painting contractors can use these same principles today.
Wayne shares how he went from painting 550 houses in a 2,800-home territory to scaling to $2M+ in revenue in just one year using territory managers (without traditional franchising).
Key Topics:
Whether you're a solo operator looking to hire your first employee or a $2M+ business ready to scale to the next level, Wayne's hard-won wisdom from building businesses in both the pre-digital and modern era will give you a clear roadmap forward.
About Wayne Scherger:Wayne is a dual US-Canadian citizen who started with College Pro Painters in 1981, co-founded CertaPro Painters in the early 1990s (now the world's largest painting franchise), and currently coaches painting business owners on leadership, scaling, and operations.
🎧 Subscribe to the Painter Growth Podcast for more strategies to grow your painting business!
Most painting contractors can't answer in one sentence: What's your revenue goal, profit goal, and crew count for December 2026? If you wait until January to start planning, you're already behind the eight ball. In this episode, Michael Hickman breaks down the exact business planning framework used at Painter Growth to help painting contractors scale from $300K to $1M+ in revenue. Learn how to analyze your 2025 data, build a profit-first business plan, calculate your production capacity, create week-by-week marketing targets, and climb the pathways from painter to CEO. Plus, discover how to join the Painting
Contractor to CEO Challenge on December 10th for just $47, get 3 hours of hands-on coaching to build your complete 2026 business plan with all the tools and spreadsheets included. Stop hustling without a plan. Start engineering your success from the ground up.
🎯 Join the December 10th Challenge: https://go.paintergrowth.com/1-day-coaching-challenge
Winter is hitting hard for painting businesses. In this episode, Coach Gavin and Coach Chris tackle four real letters from struggling painters facing zero leads, tanking close rates, and the tough question: "Should I just shut down until spring?"
You'll Learn:
Whether you're staring at an empty calendar or burning through ad spend with nothing to show for it, this episode delivers actionable strategies you can implement TODAY.
Featured Topics: Lead generation, sales process optimization, strategic partnerships, marketing consistency, winter survival strategies, seasonal business planning
In this episode, Mike breaks down one of the most important skills for any painting business owner who wants to grow: taking bigger swings in business. Most painting contractors stay stuck because they’re afraid to invest, afraid to hire, or afraid to make decisions that could move their painting company forward. Mike explains why playing small is one of the biggest reasons painting businesses fail to scale past 300K, 500K, or even 1M per year.
You’ll learn why comfort destroys growth, how fear limits your ability to get painting leads, and why you can’t build a profitable painting business by staying in maintenance mode. Mike shares the real mindset shift that helped transform Painter Growth, including how to make better business decisions, how to think like a CEO instead of a painter, and how to confidently invest in marketing, hiring, and systems that create long-term success.
If you want to scale a painting business, get more painting leads, improve your systems, hire great painters, or take your painting company to the next level, this episode will help you break out of survival mode and finally start making moves that lead to real growth.
From $179K to $820K in One Year: The Transformation You Didn't See Coming
James Mitchell was on the verge of giving up. Despite working harder than ever, his painting business had hit $179,000 in revenue last year, and he wasn't taking home any profit. Today? He's on track to hit $1 million, a 400%+ increase, and everything has changed.
But this isn't your typical business growth story.
In this profound episode, Jesse Tarrin (Head Coach & COO at Painter Growth) sits down with James to explore the hidden dimension of business success that nobody talks about: the inner work that creates outer transformation.
What You'll Discover:
The Vulnerable Truth:
James shares the darkest moments, the three days he almost walked away from everything, the struggles with profitability while paying his team well, and how the support of the Intuitive Advantage community pulled him through.
This Episode Is For You If:
Key Themes Explored:
Fair Warning:
This episode goes deep. We're talking about subconscious healing, spiritual development, divine flow, and concepts that might sound "woo woo" to traditional business owners. But the results speak for themselves: 400% revenue growth, stronger relationships, better team culture, and a founder who's no longer on the edge of burnout.
If you've been doing all the "right" business things but still feel like something's missing, this conversation might change everything.
About the Intuitive Advantage:
The program James completed combines business strategy with deep subconscious work, including guided meditation, breathwork, trauma healing, and intuitive coaching. It's designed for entrepreneurs ready to break through invisible ceilings by doing the inner work that creates outer transformation.
Resources Mentioned:
Are you working harder than ever but not seeing the profit or freedom you deserve? In this episode, Mike Gore Hickman breaks down the five critical habits that are keeping painting contractors stuck and broke, and more importantly, how to break them.
Drawing from nearly 10,000 one-on-one coaching calls with over 1,000 painting business owners, Mike reveals the exact patterns that separate six-figure hustlers from seven-figure CEOs.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Special announcement: The Painter Growth Podcast is now going twice weekly—every Tuesday and Friday—to help you grow your painting business consistently.
Free Resource: Download Mike's Piece Rate Calculator mentioned in this episode paintergrowth.com/piecerate-podcast
Whether you're still on the tools or scaling to seven figures, this episode will challenge your thinking and give you actionable steps to break through your current plateau.
In this raw and insightful episode of Brush Busters, coaches Jesse and Gavin dive deep into some of the most pressing (and personal) challenges painting business owners face today:
🎯 How to filter out ghost leads without killing conversions
🧠 The power of personal performance, fasting, biohacking, and recovery
⚒️ Turning production chaos into SOP clarity (using AI to build systems faster than ever)
👫 Navigating the emotional minefield of working with your spouse or family, without wrecking your marriage or your margins
They also explore how to escape the “struggle phase,” tap into flow states, and why your phone might be your biggest operational bottleneck.
From field-tested sales advice to honest talk about burnout, this episode will push you to think differently about your time, your team, and your own energy as a leader.
🔥 Want to get more out of your leads, your team, or your own headspace? Press play now.
Rob Peterson didn’t start in the trades. He wasn’t a painter. He wasn’t even planning on running a business.
He was selling Toyotas in Philadelphia… until one conversation changed the entire trajectory of his life.
In this episode, Rob shares how a chance meeting with the president of CertaPro pushed him into the painting world, how he went from managing 15 crews across the East Coast to launching Paint Denver, and how he scaled it to a 4 million dollar per year operation.
We dig into:
• The hidden challenges behind fast-growth operations
• Why managing people is the real skill of scaling
• How hailstorms (yes, hailstorms) turned into a major revenue engine
• Why hiring A-players changes everything
• The art of separating sales from project management
• How to build systems early so growth doesn’t break your business
• What it realistically takes to move from 500k to 5M and beyond
If you're in the painting industry or any local service business, Rob’s journey is a masterclass in operational grit, leadership, and long-term thinking.
In this solo episode, Jesse Teron, COO and Head Coach at Painter Growth, dives into one of the most emotional topics for painting business owners: money.
Why do certain numbers, like $100K, $1M, or $10M—carry so much emotional weight? And how can shifting your mindset about money completely change your life and your business?
Jesse breaks down the mental stories we attach to dollar amounts, how to reach “Baseline 1” (the income level where both your business and personal needs are covered), and the practical financial habits every painting entrepreneur should master.
You’ll learn:
Why money is just a tool, and how that perspective frees you.
How to calculate your true financial baseline.
The margins and systems that keep your business sustainable.
This episode blends mindset, math, and real-world experience to help you build a healthier, wealthier relationship with money.
When Rachel realized her first painting company made zero profit after a full year of work, it crushed her.
She was exhausted, in debt, and ready to give up.
But instead of quitting, she started over, with a plan.
Today, Rachel runs XPaint in Cleveland, Ohio, a six-figure business on track for $1M next year.
She’s built systems, a team she trusts, and a level of financial security she never thought possible.
In this episode, she opens up about:
🎯 Hitting rock bottom and rebuilding with confidence
💡 How she turned chaos into clarity by learning her numbers
🧘♀️ The mindset and energy work that unlocked her next level
If you’ve ever felt like your business was running you — this conversation will change how you see what’s possible.
🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
In this solo episode, Mike recaps the most transformative event in Painter Growth history, the Phoenix Mastermind.
What started as a business coaching event has evolved into something much deeper: a space where painting contractors become better leaders, partners, and people.
Mike shares what made this mastermind so special, from the keynote on shifting from “painter” to “entrepreneur,” to breakthroughs in mindset, branding, money, and personal growth. You’ll also hear about the new Flywheel Program, the AI tools changing how owners work, and the High Performance Day that left everyone speechless.
Whether you missed the event or want to relive it, this episode captures the energy, lessons, and community that make Painter Growth unlike anything else in the industry.
🎧 Tune in and see what it really means to build a business that builds you back.
What does it take to grow a painting business to $500,000 a year?
In this episode, Mike Gore-Hickman sits down with Fred Hamilton, owner of Hamilton Painting in Austin, Texas, and a leader on the PCA Residential Repaint Committee. Fred shares his journey of building a thriving residential repaint business, the mindset shifts that made growth possible, and why investing in community and industry events is one of the smartest moves a painting contractor can make.
If you’re a painting business owner looking for real-world strategies to scale, this conversation is packed with insights you can put into practice right away.
👉 Listen now and discover how to take your painting business to the next level.
Every painting business owner says, “Next year will be different.”
But most never build the plan that makes it happen.
In this solo episode, Mike shares how to turn 2026 into your breakout year, the one where you finally stop reacting and start leading.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Plan for profit (and reverse-engineer your revenue goals)
✅ Stay off the tools and lead like a CEO
✅ Build a team that runs without you
✅ Create real accountability and track your growth weekly
This isn’t about wishful thinking or New Year’s hype.
It’s about taking control of your time, your money, and your business, now.
🎧 Listen to learn how to make 2026 the year everything changes.
What happens when a homeowner nearly falls off her chair from your price, and still leaves you a 5-star review before you do the job?
In this episode, we unpack a Momentum coaching call filled with real stories and real wins. From placing 350+ door hangers to unlocking $40K in builder work, these painting contractors are proving that consistent marketing, honest communication, and clear expectations can change everything. You'll hear from Josh, who locked in investor partnerships and scaled to a 16-man crew, and Rachel, who booked nearly $40K in one week using just one simple sales play.
If you’re a painting contractor stuck in the weeds or wondering how to get higher-paying jobs, this conversation will shift how you think about growth.
🔗 This episode is proudly sponsored by DripJobs! The CRM built for painting contractors. Click HERE and use our code GROWTH60 to get a 60 days trial FOR FREE!.
Are you doing quote after quote… but barely booking any jobs?
In this episode of Brush Busters, Lucas, and Chris dig into real letters from painting contractors who are stuck—whether it’s the slow season blues, low close rates, or wondering if it’s finally time to hire their first employee.
This is a practical, honest look at the everyday decisions painting business owners face, and what to actually do about them.
🛠️ You’ll hear:
Why “too many quotes, not enough jobs” might not be the real problem
How to survive and thrive during the slow season
What to know before hiring your first employee
Straight answers from people who’ve been there
🎧 Listen now and get unstuck.
📌 Perfect for:
Painting contractors, solo operators, and growing teams looking for real guidance without the fluff.
#paintingbusiness #paintingcontractor #brushbusters #contractorgrowth #tradesbusiness #paintingcompany #leadconversion #hiringfirstemployee #slowseasonstrategy
Lucas Mangotich spent years building service businesses from scratch. A painting company. A janitorial firm. Steady growth, solid teams, real revenue.
But what happens when the business no longer feels like freedom?
In this episode, Lucas sits down with Mike to unpack what most entrepreneurs never talk about—what it really takes to grow something valuable, and how to know when it’s time to let go.
You’ll hear honest lessons about starting scrappy, letting go of perfection, hiring before you’re ready, and redefining success after the exit.
This isn’t just about painting or cleaning. It’s about building a business that serves your life.
🔗 This episode is proudly sponsored by DripJobs! The CRM built for painting contractors. Click HERE and use our code GROWTH60 to get a 60 days trial FOR FREE!