FEATURED GUEST

Zach Kenney

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Is social media just a thing the kids do these days? Not for Zach Kenney with ZK Painting. He's sold over $9 million in painting jobs on Instagram alone without spending a dollar on ads. He's known for his high-end residential work, but his methods apply to any painting contractor who wants to grow their business without blowing their budget.

What started out as a punishment turned into a career, and quickly the love of the work grew into a very profitable business. In this show, we go over some of the pivotal things that turned Zach into a CEO and social media savant.

-How to know your audience and when to go after your niche and let go of market space that's not a fit.

-Knowing your paints and your finishes improves your products

-What to focus on with social media and it's not likes

-What actually is "influencer marketing" and is it worth it?
-The metrics to focus on that lead to actual sales

-Content going viral vs content that makes you money and how they're different.

-What equipment do you actually need to make content for social?

Social media can be used for a million things, and it can get overwhelming fast when you think about all the things you COULD do, but Zach breaks it down and goes over just what you SHOULD do. You don't need a team, you don't need a million followers, you don't need a camera crew, you just need to keep your customer in mind and make something. In just a few years, Zach made over $9 million in sales without spending a dime. This podcast goes over all the things he did that you can easily do too!

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⁠ZK Painting

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⁠⁠⁠Podcast website⁠⁠⁠

EPISODE SPONSORS

⁠The Wooster Brush Company⁠

⁠⁠⁠The Commercial Painting Industry Associate⁠⁠⁠ (CPIA)

⁠⁠⁠A David Creation⁠⁠⁠ (ADC)

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, share, and subscribe!

FEATURED GUEST

Linnea Blair

ABOUT

Linnea Blair has influenced and improved the health of several business owners, including your hosts David and Aaron. In this episode, Linnea Blair shares her journey of working with painting contractors, starting in 2002 when she created a coaching program for members of the PDCA (Painting and Decorating Contractors of America), where she immediately got 18 sign-ups. She explains how understanding financials, particularly estimating accurately and knowing key numbers, was pivotal in helping contractors like Mike Chism (David’s father) grow and improve profitability.

She emphasizes the importance of business owners knowing their financials — even if they have help — and consistently reviewing budget-to-actual comparisons. In this episode we cover:

-How to set appropriate benchmarks that are realistic and growth-minded

-What numbers are important, and what numbers are misleading that could be ruining your profit margin

-What are optimal profit margins, and what metrics do you focus on to get there

-How to build a budget that’s accurate and up-to-date

-What your standard operating costs should be if you’re scaling correctly

She outlines crucial financial metrics: revenue, gross profit margin (ideally 45-50% for painting contractors), and net operating profit (targeting 20-25% before owner’s compensation). Linnea defines gross profit clearly, separating direct costs from variable expenses and overhead for better benchmarking. She stresses that solid gross profit and financial literacy are key to both profitability and scalability.

Additionally, she discusses maintaining healthy cash reserves (three months of expenses) and gives a balanced view on business debt, advocating caution and readiness before leveraging it for growth.

The episode can really be summed up with this: owners don’t need to love financials, but they must understand and take ownership of their numbers to ensure their businesses thrive. Tune in to hear all the broken-down ways ⁠Advisors on Target⁠ can help your business grow!

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Advisors on Target

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⁠⁠⁠Podcast website⁠⁠⁠

EPISODE SPONSORS

⁠The Wooster Brush Company⁠

⁠⁠⁠The Commercial Painting Industry Associate⁠⁠⁠ (CPIA)

⁠⁠⁠A David Creation⁠⁠⁠ (ADC)

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, share, and subscribe!

FEATURED GUESTS

Brian Jurgens and Tim Kenney

ABOUT

Boston is known for its unique architecture and rich history; today we get to meet the family that’s spent the last half century painting it all! The legendary Tim Kenney and Brian Jurgens.

This fourth-generation company started by selling paint door to door during the Great Depression. When your business has thrived for that long, you’ve had to not only adapt but also tread in waters where no one has gone before. We get into how Tim was convinced to step into the family business and how later on the torch got passed down to Brian.

Being based in New England, W.T. Kenney has had painting jobs like the President’s suites at Gillette Stadium, lawyers offices for the Celtics, revolutionary war buildings, a 100’ flagpole on the Lexington battle green, Harvard, and so many more.

It wasn’t an easy road; Brian would spend the days painting and at night change into his school clothes, going for his MBA. Tim had other aspirations until his dad pulled him aside and asked him to join the family business, a question that would change his life.

In this episode we cover:

- The financial changes when you move into ownership

- The little things Tim does to improve customer relations

- How to transition a family business down without hindering progress

- Will the fourth generation pass the business off to the fifth generation?

- Brian’s plans for the future as the new face of the company

They’ve been featured on NPR and the Boston Globe for their work, all while maintaining family values and staying true to what they stand for. Tune in for the rest of the episode and hear the incredible stories on not only how they managed business but also all of the incredible projects they’ve been a part of.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

⁠W.T. Kenney Co.

CONNECT WITH US

⁠⁠⁠Podcast website⁠⁠⁠

EPISODE SPONSORS

⁠The Wooster Brush Company⁠

⁠⁠⁠The Commercial Painting Industry Associate⁠⁠⁠ (CPIA)

⁠⁠⁠A David Creation⁠⁠⁠ (ADC)

If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, share, and subscribe!