The Painters Circle

#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

#043 - Want More Sales? Do This One Simple Thing.

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 sales problem. In reality, they have a communication problem. In this episode, Tas breaks down one of the most overlooked metrics in sales: how many hours you actually spend talking to people. Not quoting. Not emailing. Not posting. Actually speaking to past, current, and future clients. Tas explains that most business owners can’t answer this question clearly, and that alone highlights the real issue. Without consistent communication, there’s no opportunity to understand what clients need, where they’re at, or how you can help them. He introduces a simple but powerful framework: conversions happen in conversations. Instead of focusing on convincing people to buy, the goal is to understand, serve, and build real dialogue. The episode dives into how many painters get stuck thinking sales is about pushing or closing. Tas flips that idea, explaining that real sales come from listening, asking better questions, and identifying whether you’re the right fit for the client. He also walks through practical ways to increase conversations in your business. From calling past clients to checking in on current jobs, to reaching out to potential future clients, these small actions compound into more opportunities, stronger relationships, and higher conversion rates. Tas also highlights that this principle applies beyond just sales. Recruitment, partnerships, and growth opportunities all come from the same place: communication. The more conversations you have, the more opportunities you create. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: if you’re not talking to people, you’re limiting your ability to grow. Increase your conversations, and conversions will follow. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Do You Have a Sales Problem? 00:00:15 - The #1 Sales Metric Most Ignore 00:00:50 - Why Most Business Owners Get This Wrong 00:01:09 - Conversions Happen in Conversations 00:02:12 - Sales Is Not Convincing 00:02:42 - Understanding Client Needs 00:03:09 - Talking to Past, Current, Future Clients 00:03:51 - Practical Ways to Start Conversations 00:04:41 - Increasing Communication = More Sales 00:05:20 - Sales Beyond Clients: Recruitment & Partnerships 00:06:10 - Best Ways to Communicate 00:06:45 - How to Increase Your Sales Activity 00:07:16 - Final Thoughts: Talk More, Grow More

#042 - Why Marketing Matters More Than Sales in 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 FREE GAME PLAN BUILDER: https://pages.paintercoach.com/Game_Plan_Builder Most painting businesses think sales is the problem. In reality, the game has already shifted before the sales conversation even begins. In this episode, Tas breaks down a powerful shift happening across the industry using a simple framework: 20/80 vs 80/20 in marketing and sales. It’s a change that’s been accelerating over the last few years and is now reshaping how painting businesses attract and convert clients. Traditionally, most businesses relied heavily on sales. Marketing would bring in leads, and the majority of effort was spent on handling objections, convincing clients, and closing deals. Tas explains how this model is becoming outdated as technology, social media, and AI change the way people make decisions. He shows how modern marketing is now doing most of the heavy lifting upfront. By building authority, trust, and educating potential clients before you even speak to them, you reduce friction in the sales process and dramatically improve your conversion rate. The episode dives into how objections like price, timing, and “need to think about it” are often just unanswered questions. Tas explains how answering these questions through your marketing content before the sales conversation even starts can eliminate many of these objections entirely. He also introduces the concept of Answer Engine Optimisation, highlighting how people are no longer just searching for services, they’re searching for answers. If your business isn’t positioned to be found and trusted in that process, you’re likely missing out on opportunities. This episode ties everything together around a simple truth: the businesses that win today are the ones that educate, build trust, and solve problems before the sales conversation even begins. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Frameworks for Business Growth 00:00:30 - Why Frameworks Simplify Problem Solving 00:01:01 - From Flip Charts to Actionable Tools 00:02:05 - Introducing the 20/80 vs 80/20 Framework 00:03:06 - The 3 Core Functions: Input, Throughput, Output 00:04:08 - Traditional Marketing vs Sales Model 00:05:22 - The Shift Driven by Social Media and AI 00:06:13 - Why Marketing Is Becoming More Important 00:07:20 - Handling Objections Before Sales 00:08:16 - Reducing Friction in the Sales Process 00:08:50 - Old Way vs New Way of Selling 00:09:22 - Leveraging Technology in Marketing 00:09:43 - Search Engine vs Answer Engine Optimisation 00:10:25 - The Future of Marketing and Sales 00:10:53 - Final Thoughts: Adapting to the New Model

#041 - Why Your Painting Business Revenue Is So Inconsistent

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 don’t have a consistency problem. They have a performance tracking problem. In this episode, Tas breaks down one of the biggest reasons painting businesses experience unpredictable revenue month to month. One month you’re flying, the next you’re down 50%, and over time it feels like a rollercoaster. Tas explains that this inconsistency almost always comes back to three core areas: pricing, pipeline, or performance. In this episode, he dives deep into performance, and why most business owners approach it the wrong way. Instead of trying to push teams to “work harder” or “move faster”, Tas highlights a much simpler and more effective solution: giving your team a clear target. Specifically, target budget hours for every job. He explains that most business owners already estimate time when quoting, but fail to communicate those expectations to the team on site. Without a visible target, teams are working without boundaries, making it almost impossible to consistently hit budgets. Tas walks through real examples showing how simply sharing target hours with the team, without changing anything else, can significantly improve performance. He also explains the importance of tracking progress during the job, not just reviewing results after it’s finished. The episode dives into how to create a feedback loop between you and your team, allowing you to identify issues early, make adjustments in real time, and gradually improve performance across all projects. This conversation ties everything together around a simple truth: if your team can’t see the target, they can’t hit it. And without tracking performance, inconsistent months will continue. Follow us: https://www.paintercoach.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/ https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach/ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Revenue Rollercoaster 00:00:33 - Why Revenue Is Inconsistent 00:01:10 - The 3 Core Problems: Pricing, Performance, Pipeline 00:02:15 - Why Performance Is the Real Issue 00:03:00 - The Mistake: “Work Harder” Mentality 00:03:35 - No Target = No Control 00:04:35 - Why Jobs Go Over Budget 00:05:01 - The Importance of Visibility 00:06:11 - Real Example: 200 Hour Job 00:07:02 - Tracking Performance in Real Time 00:08:24 - Identifying Problems Early 00:09:15 - Measuring Progress Like a Speedometer 00:10:22 - Communicating Expectations to Teams 00:11:02 - Building a Feedback Loop 00:12:00 - Improving Performance Over Time 00:12:27 - Final Thoughts: Track What Matters