On the thirteenth episode of Forum Confidential, we’re boarding the EO Global Jet to take you to the US East region! Our host, Derek Harp from EO Atlanta, will interview fellow EO Atlanta member Doug Ireland.

Doug Ireland is the CEO/President of Freeland Painting in Atlanta, Georgia. An entrepreneur since he was 20 years old, Doug provides insight on how EO, his community, neighbors and most importantly his wife helped him become the successful business owner he is today.

Timestamped show notes
3:00 Started entrepreneurship back at 20/21 years old – mobile oil change company
3:30 Officially started Relocation Moving Solutions in Atlanta where him and his girlfriend moved
6:10 EO Irony – 4% new companies only survive past 10 years, we always talk about that 4% being over a million from our Accelerator group in to full EO, how ironic that it’s almost the same
6:36 Family property, Freeland Property Group started
7:10 Luck or genius to tap into the housing market and ultimately opening a new business in a recession
8:53 Wisdom comes from errors and mistakes
12:30 Creating and starting a new business while working elsewhere – “look ahead”
15:40 Did $100k in sales as a side business during that first year
16:15 Freeland Painting started with homes – told neighbors and all friends
16:30 Joined Chamber of Commerce and used that as his market
17:15 To set apart from day workers, created a website, logo, branding and spoke about “we”
21:45 Second year we tripled
21:52 Becoming civically involved was beneficial
22:10 Marketing VP at Chamber of Commerce became interested in Freeland Painting
23:00 Small Business for 2011, made it to billboards and print
23:30 35-50% of business was coming from Chamber of Commerce during those pivotal years
25:35 “Relationships matter more than the brush and the ladder”
30:24 Ran for City Council office in 2011 and got elected – served 2, 4 year terms
36:53 “Copreneur”
40:56 What’s next for Doug?
41:50 This is where EO has been great – to be surrounded by other business leaders and people with brilliant ideas
42:45 EO Accelerator Program Graduate 18 months ago
44:35 Being a part of EO has a real world impact on how I think, how I act, how I deliver
45:30 I got lucky enough to ask to be involved and became a Board member earlier this year and that has been opening doors all over the place