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You carry the payroll, the risk, the insurance, and the stress—so why does your paycheck still feel like an afterthought? We open the books on owner compensation for painting contractors and explain how to know, in dollars, whether you’re underpaid or right on target. Using a simple benchmark—the 15 percent “beach test”—you’ll learn how to measure what your business should pay you even if you step away from day-to-day work.

From there, we get practical. We break down owner discretionary earnings into salary, distributions, and perks, and show why a reasonable W-2 salary plus S corp distributions is often the most tax-efficient path. You’ll hear clear role-based pay ranges tailored to painting companies: sales at 7–9 percent, production management at 4–7 percent, admin at 2–4 percent, executive leadership at 3–5 percent, and a passive 15 percent owner return. Then we run real numbers at $750,000 in revenue so you can see how a combined 33 percent total owner benefit can look in the real world without confusing salary for true earnings.

We also cover how compensation evolves as you scale past $1 million, $2 million, and $3 million by removing hats and keeping the owner return. A case study with Chris in North Carolina shows the tax savings and clarity that come from defining roles, electing S corp status, setting a reasonable salary, and stabilizing gross profit and overhead. Finally, we share a three-bucket pay model—salary for work performed, monthly or quarterly distributions from profit, and performance-based bonuses—that keeps your pay predictable, tax-smart, and tied to healthy margins.

If your business can’t fund a 15 percent owner return while paying fairly for the roles you fill, the problem isn’t you—it’s your margins. Tune in to learn the benchmarks, the math, and the steps to align pricing, gross margin, and overhead so you finally get paid like an owner. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a fellow contractor, and leave a review with the one metric you’ll fix first.

This episode was originally recorded as a video for YouTube.

If you hear me say things like “in this video” or reference visuals, don’t worry —
the content still works perfectly in audio form.

And if you ever want to watch the video version, you can find it on the
 Profitable Painter YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@BookkeepingForPainters

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Ever wonder what happens when purpose collides with process? We bring on Tanner Mullen—third-generation painter, founder of DripJobs, and author of 31 Days of Value—to unpack how a service-first mindset, fast hiring, and relentless follow-up can transform a trades business from chaotic to compounding. The story begins with a personal pivot: leaving a promising corporate path to help his family and build a painting company from the ground up. From the early days of learning production on YouTube to the breakthrough that came with one key A-player hire, Tanner shows how quality, trust, and training unlock pricing power and fewer callbacks.

Things shift fast once leads enter the picture. We break down speed to lead, why emotion fades within minutes, and how missed follow-ups quietly drain profits. Tanner reveals the DIY automation stack that changed everything—webhooks, Zapier, email and text sequences, and self-serve scheduling—and how that prototype evolved into DripJobs, a CRM designed for home service workflows. He explains the guts of it: auto-creating deals from contacts, booking forms that fire confirmations and tasks, proposal e-sign, deposits, and a pipeline built for real job flow. No jargon, just practical systems that sell while you’re painting and keep customers informed without you chasing threads.

We also dig into recruiting as a competitive edge. Treat applicants like leads, move fast, and create a candidate experience that makes great people feel wanted from day one. Layer in the mindset that ties it all together: take risks, learn quickly, and refuse paralysis. You either learn or you win; both move the business forward. If you run a painting company—or any home service operation—this conversation is a field guide to operational clarity, higher close rates, and a team that delivers consistent quality without you being last on site.

If this resonates, share the episode with a fellow contractor, subscribe for more profit-focused tactics, and leave a review so we can reach more owners who want systems that actually work.

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If you’ve ever felt trapped between the brush and the books, this conversation will feel like a map out of the maze. We sit down with Cui of Paramo Painting in San Antonio to trace his path from chaotic early days to a focused, people-first business powered by servant leadership, job costing, and simple, repeatable processes. The turning point wasn’t a hack—it was humility. Honest feedback pushed him to stop muscling through and start building a company that serves both customers and the crew.

We dig into the guts of operations: how job costing exposes hidden leaks in labor and materials, why clear work orders reduce rework, and how a tight sales-to-production handoff sets crews up to win. Cui shares how he defined core values, set standards for behavior and appearance on site, and used those standards to hire and part ways—because culture is what you tolerate. Delegation emerges as the hardest skill for a craftsman-founder to learn. Handing “the baby” to someone else is scary, but Cui shows how to give trust early, offer a roadmap, and coach through feedback loops so the team can handle repeat clients without founder dependency.

Education and community accelerated the climb. From PCA events and PCA Español to audiobooks and frameworks like StoryBrand, Cui built a learning habit that shifted instincts from reaction to design. We explore when it’s right to stay small by choice, and what it takes to scale with intention: consistent job costing, clear scopes, values-driven hiring, and scheduled time to mentor your leaders. Problems don’t go away; they move upstream as you solve them—so treat each one as a chance to make the business stronger and more profitable.

Ready to run a company, not just a crew? Press play, grab a notebook, and pick one system to build this week. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a contractor friend, and leave a quick review so more painters can profit from their work.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.