How Shawn Increased Repeat Painting Business and Got Serious

Shawn Shares What Sent Him On the Quest to Improve His Painting Business and Himself in the Process!

Shawn has been experiencing lots of changes these days. He recently built and moved in to his new home and his business is growing and changing all the time. He’s a father of three children: Maria (24), Alexander (14), and Nicholas (11).

Married to Tatiana, the Toliver family has spent the summer going to theme parks, fishing, and entertaining friends and family in their new location – they love it! Shawn took the time out of his busy schedule to share a few things with his fellow painters and APPC members.

Q. At some point, every painter who gets serious about growing their business goes on the “Quest” to find out “how” instead of settling for “how things are.” What got you started down that road?

A. About five years ago, there was a big painting outfit in our local area. The owner was a nice guy, ran a professional shop, did quality work, and everyone called this guy. He had a great reputation and I respected him very much.

Unfortunately, this local painting contractor was diagnosed with cancer and he died suddenly. All he left his family with was a rusty bucket truck and a pile of paint cans.

I said to myself, “I’ll be damned if my wife is just going to be left with a
bunch of broken-down tools!
I need to build a business – a legacy.”

Q. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in your business since joining the APPC?

A. My repeat business has increased measurably because of the Customer Reactivation Campaign – I’m actually marketing to them now. My workload has increased, but my frustration has decreased.

I’ve gained a ton of confidence now that I know I’m following a system and it’s clear what needs to be done, step-by-step. I’m learning how to manage employees instead of being a painter.

Q: What advice would you give to painters who are fed up and frustrated with trying to get to the next level in their business?

A. You’ve got to stop selling yourself short. Stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself you’re going to make a change.

Most painters don’t know where their business is and they don’t know where they’re going because they do not measure or set goals. How in the hell can you get to where you want to go that way?

Don’t try to eat the elephant all at once. Make steady and weekly progress.

Q. What’s next for your painting business?

A. I want to add more service offerings so I can sell more to my current customer base. We want to do all the finish work from the studs out.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about the One-on-One Mentoring program so far?

A. I needed someone to tell me, “Shawn, you’re headed in the right direction.” Sometimes, I second-guess myself and get stuck. That’s one thing the APPC has really helped me with. It’s the way you go about it – the process works.

If you need help growing your painting business, simply contact the APPC by clicking here, or calling 423-800-0520.