#048 - What’s the Future of the Painting industry? (w/ Nick Slavik & Theodore Vairaktaris)

#048 - What’s the Future of the Painting industry? (w/ Nick Slavik & Theodore Vairaktaris)

FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder 🎙️ Available now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Struggling to scale your painting business? Join the circle of experts at Painters Circle and get the guidance you need to grow your business. Start today: https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle Three painting business owners. Three different journeys. One common goal. Building better businesses. In this episode of the Business Course Podcast, Tas sits down with Theo and Nick to talk about what they're seeing in the painting industry, the lessons they've learned along the way, and what separates businesses that grow from those that stay stuck. No scripts. No filters. Just real conversations between people who have spent years in the industry. Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from hearing a different perspective. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction & Welcoming Nick Slavik to Australia 01:55 Why painters around the world have the same challenges 03:03 The value of industry events and networking 04:58 Morning routines, discipline & setting yourself up to win 10:04 Why more non-painters are entering the painting industry 13:13 How social media transformed painting businesses 15:13 Breaking the "secret keeping" mentality in the industry 17:15 Why innovation attracts the next generation of business owners 20:33 The future of the Australian painting industry 22:17 AI in painting businesses: Opportunity or threat? 24:07 The shocking pricing mistakes painters make 28:44 Why most painters struggle with pricing 31:29 How the PCA became a global force in the industry 34:52 Marketing vs Labour: The changing business landscape 38:30 Why small businesses shouldn't blame the economy 42:22 Growing market share during difficult times 46:14 Employees vs Subcontractors: The big debate 51:28 Why subcontracting can create better business outcomes 58:30 How employee expectations have changed over generations 01:00:21 Building a culture people actually want to be part of 01:01:53 Final thoughts & wrap up

#047 - You Can’t Outwork Bad Pricing (Here’s the Truth)

Struggling to scale your painting business? Join the circle of experts at Painters Circle and get the guidance you need to grow your business. Start today: https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder Most painting businesses think they have a performance problem. In reality, they have a pricing problem they’re avoiding. In this episode, Tas breaks down one of the most common frustrations across painting businesses: not hitting revenue, profit, or income targets despite staying busy. After working with hundreds of painters, Tas explains that these issues almost always come down to three core areas: pricing, performance, and pipeline. While many business owners focus on improving team performance or generating more work, the real issue often sits in pricing. Tas challenges the common belief that increasing prices will lead to losing work. Instead, he explains that if a small price increase causes you to lose jobs, the real issue is usually in your sales process, your ability to communicate value, or attracting the wrong type of clients. The episode dives into how inflation, rising costs, and stagnant pricing quietly erode profit over time. If you haven’t adjusted your pricing in years, you are already behind, whether you realise it or not. Tas walks through a simple and practical strategy: incremental pricing increases. Rather than making large, risky jumps, small consistent adjustments over time can realign your business with its true costs and restore profitability. He also explains why working harder won’t fix a pricing problem. No matter how efficient your team becomes, you cannot outwork a business model that is fundamentally underpriced. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: if your pricing doesn’t match the reality of your business, you will always feel pressure, no matter how busy you are. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Why You’re Not Hitting Targets 00:00:34 - The 3 Core Problems: Pricing, Performance, Pipeline 00:01:17 - Why Pricing Is Usually the Issue 00:01:48 - Fear of Raising Prices 00:02:17 - Pricing vs Sales Problem 00:02:49 - Thinking Long-Term in Business 00:03:22 - The Hidden Cost of Not Raising Prices 00:04:09 - Incremental Price Increases Explained 00:05:05 - Why You’re Losing Jobs 00:05:43 - Small Changes Over Time 00:06:10 - The Real Risk of Staying Underpriced 00:07:04 - Why You Can’t Outwork Pricing 00:08:01 - The Profit Squeeze Explained 00:09:15 - Identifying If You Have a Pricing Problem 00:10:00 - Reviewing Your Numbers 00:10:46 - Final Thoughts: Fix Pricing First

#046 - Your Network Is Killing Your Painting Business!

Struggling to scale your painting business? Join the circle of experts at Painters Circle and get the guidance you need to grow your business. Start today: https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle [https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle] FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder [https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder] Most painting businesses don’t have a strategy problem. They have an environment problem. In this episode, Tas breaks down a simple but powerful principle: Your Network = Your Net Worth, and how your environment is quietly shaping the results you’re getting in your business right now. Tas explains how the people you surround yourself with directly influence your thinking, decisions, and ultimately your outcomes. If you’re constantly around business owners who complain, blame, or operate at a lower level, you will naturally drift toward that same standard without even realizing it. He shows why this isn’t about cutting people off, but about becoming intentional with where you spend your time, who you learn from, and the environments you place yourself in. Whether it’s business groups, mentors, or networking rooms, being around people who are operating at a higher level will accelerate your growth by default. The episode dives into how high-level operators don’t necessarily work harder, they think differently, make decisions differently, and operate with a completely different standard. Tas explains how getting exposure to that level of thinking can unlock new ways of operating in your own business. He also connects this to a broader principle: what you input into your business and your mind determines what you output. If your environment isn’t aligned with your goals, your progress will always feel harder than it needs to be. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: if you want to grow faster, change your environment and start surrounding yourself with people who are already where you want to be. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ [https://www.paintercoach.com/] https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ [https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/] https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ [https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/] Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Frameworks for Growth 00:00:00:36 - Why Frameworks Solve Problems Faster 00:01:23 - Turning Knowledge Into Tools 00:02:14 - Introducing “Network = Net Worth” 00:03:03 - What This Principle Really Means 00:03:48 - The Influence of Your Environment 00:04:52 - Real-Life Example: Health & Fitness 00:05:18 - Business Environments Explained 00:06:11 - The Impact of Negative Circles 00:06:38 - Moving Into Better Environments 00:07:07 - Inputs vs Outputs in Business 00:07:50 - Following People Closer to Your Goal 00:08:24 - Learning From High-Level Operators 00:09:17 - How Successful People Think Differently 00:10:07 - Why Environment Drives Results 00:10:32 - Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable 00:10:48 - Final Thoughts on Growth

#045 - Why You’re Busy… But Still Not Making Money

Struggling to scale your painting business? Join the circle of experts at Painters Circle and get the guidance you need to grow your business. Start today: https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder Most painting businesses think inconsistent revenue is random. In reality, it’s predictable once you understand what’s driving it. In this episode, Tas breaks down why so many painting businesses experience rollercoaster months, with high revenue followed by low months, and the stress and uncertainty that comes with it. Tas explains that these fluctuations almost always come down to three core areas: pricing, performance, and pipeline. In this episode, the focus is on pipeline, one of the most misunderstood and overlooked parts of a painting business. He walks through what pipeline actually means, from incoming leads to quoting, to scheduling work, and how far ahead your business is booked. While many business owners believe having more work in the pipeline is always a good thing, Tas challenges this idea by showing how pipeline without capacity can actually create bigger problems. The episode dives into the relationship between your team’s capacity and your revenue targets. Tas explains how many businesses either overschedule beyond what their team can deliver, or underschedule below what their business actually needs to hit profitability. Through simple examples, he shows how understanding your average revenue per painter per week can give you clarity on whether your business is set up to hit its targets. Without this number, most decisions around hiring, scheduling, and growth are just guesswork. Tas also highlights why working harder won’t fix a pipeline problem. If your capacity doesn’t match your targets, no amount of effort will close that gap. Instead, the solution lies in aligning your team, your scheduling, and your revenue goals. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: if you don’t understand your pipeline and your capacity, you’ll continue to experience inconsistent months, no matter how busy you are. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Revenue Rollercoaster 00:00:34 - Why Inconsistent Months Happen 00:01:22 - The 3 Core Drivers: Pricing, Performance, Pipeline 00:01:56 - What Pipeline Actually Means 00:02:30 - From Lead to Scheduled Work 00:03:16 - Why “More Work” Isn’t Always Better 00:04:14 - The Problem: Under or Over Scheduling 00:04:54 - Understanding Team Capacity 00:05:44 - Revenue Per Painter Explained 00:06:27 - The Capacity vs Target Gap 00:07:12 - Why Working Harder Doesn’t Fix It 00:08:04 - When You Have Too Much Capacity 00:08:55 - Pipeline and Profitability 00:09:20 - Calculating Your Numbers 00:10:15 - Common Scheduling Mistakes 00:10:45 - Final Thoughts: Align Capacity and Pipeline

#044 - You’re Wasting Time on This in Painting Business!

Struggling to scale your painting business? Join the circle of experts at Painters Circle and get the guidance you need to grow your business. Start today: https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle [https://pages.paintercoach.com/the-painters-circle] FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder [https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder] Most painting businesses don’t have a problem-solving issue. They have a responsibility problem that keeps them stuck. In this episode, Tas breaks down one of the most powerful frameworks he uses in business: Responsibility vs Blame, and how it directly impacts how fast you grow your painting business. Tas explains how most business owners get stuck “below the line”, caught in cycles of blaming others, justifying mistakes, or feeling stuck when things go wrong. Whether it’s underquoting jobs, hiring the wrong person, or poor performance from the team, staying in this space only slows you down and keeps you repeating the same problems. He shows how shifting “above the line” into responsibility changes everything. Instead of focusing on what went wrong or who caused it, you focus on what you can control, what needs to be fixed, and how to move forward faster. The episode dives into real-world examples like underquoting jobs, recruitment mistakes, and team performance issues, showing how taking ownership immediately shortens your feedback loop and accelerates your results. Tas explains why your speed of correction is one of the biggest drivers of growth in your business. He also introduces the concept of turning every “mistake” into a “miss-take”, reframing setbacks as opportunities to learn, adjust, and improve without wasting time. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: if you want to scale faster, you need to stop wasting time below the line and take responsibility for the outcomes in your business. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ [https://www.paintercoach.com/] https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ [https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/] https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ [https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/] Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Why Frameworks Matter 00:00:31 - Frameworks as Problem-Solving Tools 00:01:10 - What Is Responsibility vs Blame 00:02:11 - The Origin of the Framework 00:02:38 - Why We Waste Time in Business 00:03:48 - The “Below the Line” Trap 00:05:08 - Blame, Justify, Shame Explained 00:05:45 - Real Example: Underquoting Jobs 00:06:22 - Why Dwelling Is a Waste of Time 00:07:06 - Breaking the Blame Cycle 00:08:29 - Recruitment Mistakes and Ownership 00:09:26 - Responsibility = Leadership 00:10:15 - Speed of Correction in Business 00:11:27 - Why People Stay Stuck 00:12:04 - Mistake vs “Miss-take” 00:12:38 - Accepting Responsibility as an Owner 00:13:04 - The 3 Core Business Focus Areas 00:13:32 - Raising Standards in Your Business 00:13:56 - Reducing Time Below the Line 00:14:27 - Final Thoughts on Growth and Responsibility