Painter Growth Podcast

By Mike Gore-HickmanBusiness Entrepreneurship

Painter Growth Podcast episodes

April 25, 2025 Brush Busters 27: Season Finale – 100 Letters, 4 Tactics, and One Clear Path Forward
💥 It’s the SEASON FINALE of Brush Busters and Jesse & Gavin are going out with a bang 💥

After 100 letters and countless real-world struggles from painters like you, we’re closing out Season 1 by cutting through the noise and getting to the real root of your marketing problems.

🧠 You’ll learn:
✔️ Why solving the wrong problem is costing you big time
✔️ How to layer your marketing for consistent lead flow
✔️ The truth about adding new services (and when not to)
✔️ A simple benchmark to measure your D2D effectiveness

🎯 Season 2 is coming in hot—with new coaches, more tactical deep dives, and even better support to help you scale.

🚌 Oh—and big thanks to our sponsor, Hirebus. If you’re ready to grow your team, book a FREE call with one of their top recruiters right HERE.

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠⁠⁠

🔗 Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
38 min
April 23, 2025 Mike's Solo - Staying CALM During Spring Production
🌪️ Feeling Swamped This Spring?
You’re not alone. Spring is when painting businesses explode with opportunity (and chaos).

In this solo episode, I’m sharing how to stay calm, get organized, and crush your goals without burning out.

Here’s what I cover:
✅ The #1 tool I use to manage my time
✅ Why hiring crew leads > helpers
✅ How checklists can literally save your sanity
✅ My free production calendar (grab it HERE!)

Don’t let growth become overwhelm. Get your systems in place now and make this your biggest season yet.

🎯 This episode was Sponsored by Hirebus — Want to stop wasting time on bad hires? Click ⁠HERE⁠ to book a free strategy session with one of Hirebus top recruiters!

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠⁠
🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠⁠
🔗Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
17 min
April 21, 2025Ep 108. Charlie Felker - Can AI Book Your Jobs Better Than a Real Person?
Ready to turn your phone into a lead-converting machine? 📞🤖
In this episode of the Painter Growth Podcast, I sit down with Charlie Felker, co-founder of Free 2 Grow, to talk about how they're transforming customer service for contractors using AI-powered voice assistants.

We cover:
Why AI is beating traditional CSRs for speed, accuracy, and cost
What painting and home service businesses can do TODAY to automate inbound calls
Real stats: 70%+ lead conversion rates and massive cost savings

If you're tired of missed calls and high payroll, this episode will open your eyes to what’s possible.
🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠⁠

🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠⁠

🔗 Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth⁠
37 min
April 18, 2025 Brush Busters 28 - Easter Special, The Letter That Started It All
This Easter, with a brand new season of Brush Busters right around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to share something special: our Brush Busters reading the very first letter you sent in!

In this episode, Mike sits down with Gavin to tackle three real-life letters from our audience.

We'll unpack the challenges of difficult clients, keep scope creep at bay, and offer actionable tips to dominate your digital marketing strategy in today's ever-evolving age.
Submit your painting struggle for a solution ⁠HERE⁠
Download our podcast-exclusive toolkit of templates for your painting company: ⁠⁠www.paintergrowth.com/podcast/⁠⁠

Learn how to grow your painting company NOW: ⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com?el=podcast⁠ ⁠

Free training series on Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@paintergrowthblueprint⁠⁠⁠

Painter Growth Secrets Facebook group: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/paintergrowth⁠⁠

37 min
April 16, 2025 Mike's Solo - Step by Step Roadmap To a $5m Painting Business
🔥 In this episode, I break down the 5 Stages of Growth every painting contractor goes through — and how to level up from where you are right now.
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what your next move should be, this one’s for you.

Today I cover:
✅ The 5 revenue-based stages of growth
✅ What your main focus should be at each level
✅ When to get off the tools and start hiring
✅ How to become a leader of leaders (not just a manager)
✅ What it takes to build a self-running, scalable business

🎧 Hit play now and let’s map out your next move

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠⁠

🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠⁠

🔗 Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth⁠
15 min
April 14, 2025Ep 107. Ryan Ezzel - From Addiction Recovery to Building a $3.6M Painting Business
From rock bottom to $3.6M—and aiming for $5M this year. 🎯

In this raw and powerful episode, Ryan Ezell of PaintPro LLC shares how he went from addiction recovery and $300 in his pocket to building one of the fastest-growing painting companies in Tennessee.
He breaks down the mindset, sales strategies, and divine interventions that helped him succeed—and how you can apply them to grow your own painting business.
📈 Perfect for anyone chasing real growth, leadership clarity, and motivation.

🎧 Tune in to hear:
Why door-to-door sales still matter
Building a winning team and leadership culture
Lessons from hitting $300K/month
🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠

🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠

🔗 Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
46 min
April 11, 2025 Brush Busters 27: Mastermind Recap, Pricing Confidence & PM Compensation
We just got back from our biggest mastermind event yet — more painters, more sponsors, more breakthroughs!

In this episode, we’re recapping all the wins, surprises, and behind-the-scenes moments that made it a game-changer .

PLUS — We dive into two real letters from listeners:🧠 How to raise your prices without scaring clients away
💼 How to pay your production manager so they’re motivated AND profitable

If you're looking to scale your painting business and make smarter, more confident decisions, this one’s packed with value

🎯This episode was sponsored by Dripjobs! Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use our code GROWTH60 to get a 60 days trial FOR FREE!

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠⁠
🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠⁠
🔗Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
39 min
April 10, 2025 Mike's Solo - YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT YOUR IDENTITY - from OPERATOR to OWNER
In this solo episode, I unpack some of the most powerful insights from our recent Painter Growth Mastermind —including the biggest mindset shift I’ve had in business: detaching who I am from what I do.

Today I talk about:
✅ Why your business needs to be a machine—not an extension of you
✅ The 5 levels of leadership that every contractor goes through
✅ 3 shifts that help you step into true ownership: financial separation, better decision-making, and ruthless delegation
✅ And why most business problems are actually identity problems in disguise

If you're stuck working in your business, this one will hit home. 🎯This episode was sponsored by Dripjobs! Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use our code GROWTH60 to get a 60 days trial FOR FREE!

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠
🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠
🔗Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
17 min
April 07, 2025 Ep 106. Nate Streeter - Secrets From A $60M/Yr Marketing Machine
In this episode, Nate Streeter, Marketing Director of Aleph Holdings reveals how he helped scale Paris Painting and now leads marketing across 18 brands doing over $65M/year💰

🎙️ Inside this episode:
✅ How flyers & hustle built a $4M+ business✅ The secret sauce to consistent, scalable marketing✅ Why tracking ROI is king 👑✅ The most effective marketing channels for painters✅ How to plan your year like a pro (and when not to market)

If you're serious about growing your business, this one's a masterclass in modern marketing for painters.

🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠
🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠
🔗 Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
1 hr
April 04, 2025From The Vault: How to Handle “I Need to Think About It” & Other Objections
In this From The Vault episode of the Painter Growth Podcast, I break down a simple but powerful sales process that helps you handle any objection with confidence—from “I need to talk to my spouse” to “I’m getting three quotes.”

💡 Today You’ll learn:
The exact trial close questions I ask before even showing up on-site
What to say when a client says, “You’re too expensive”
How to become the obvious choice in a competitive market

If you’ve ever struggled with sales objections, building value, or getting homeowners to say yes on the spot, this episode is a must-listen.

🎯 This episode was Sponsored by Hirebus — Want to stop wasting time on bad hires? Click HERE to book a free strategy session with one of Hirebus top recruiters!
🔗 Schedule A Call With Our team: ⁠⁠go.paintergrowth.com/schedule⁠ ⁠
🔗Join Our Skool Community: ⁠⁠skool.com/paintergrowth⁠
🔗Free Training on YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@paintergrowth
33 min