Brad Ellison went from selling insurance to building Michigan's highest-rated painting company in just a few years, and he's got some seriously practical wisdom about profit, personality, and perfectionism. In this conversation, we dig into why finishing jobs to 75% can actually be the smartest move for your business, how your core values should drive everything from your marketing to your hiring, and why contractors are the perfect clients for video producers right now.

About Brad Ellison

Brad grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan and graduated from Oakland University. During school, his goal was always to run his own small business and he got his start at age 19 when he started a local window washing company to pay for tuition.

Brad and Rachel operate Ellison Painting together and now live in Oakland Twp with their 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. They enjoy exercising, time outdoors, and being involved in the local community and church.

Key Takeaways

• Stop over-delivering: That last 25% of polish you're adding? Your clients often can't even tell the difference, but it's costing you real profit. Focus on meeting expectations, not exceeding them to the point of vanity.

• Your core values aren't just wall art: Brad's company lists "levity" as a core value, which is why their funny ads work. Every piece of marketing you create should reflect at least one of your actual values.

• There's a huge opportunity with contractors: Painting, roofing, and other trade companies desperately need help with video content but don't know where to start. If you can crack this market, there's serious money to be made.

• Build around what you actually care about: Brad's business exists to support his faith, family, fitness, and friendships—not the other way around. Define what matters to you first, then build your business to serve those priorities.

In This Episode

• [00:00] Welcome to the show!

• [06:02] Meet Brad Ellison

• [11:17] Success In Business

• [21:54] Having Enough Leads

• [22:50] Having Multiple Marketing Methods

• [27:25] Word of Mouth Marketing

• [33:10] Passion Work and Business Growth

• [46:09] Connect with Brad

• [47:53] Outro

Quotes

"We have more five star reviews than any other painting company in Michigan and just like my jumper—it's not even close." - Brad Ellison

"For me, my passion lies with my faith, my family, my fitness and my friends. And I have a painting business to feed those four." - Brad Ellison

"You want to do a great job for your customers, but you also need to understand what their expectations are... that last 25% is purely for vanity and at the cost of his profit." - Brad Ellison

"Identify your core values and any ad that you put out should highlight at least one. Ideally two or more of those core values." - Brad Ellison

Guest Links

Ellison Painting Website

Follow Brad Ellison on Facebook | Instagram

Links

Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind

Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group

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Check out the full show notes