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

In this episode, Tas sits down with Craig from Altitude Solutions in the Blue Mountains to unpack his ten-year journey from working long hours on the tools to building a scalable, high-performing trade business.

Craig shares how his business started almost accidentally while working full-time, juggling after-hours jobs and weekends, before finally making the leap. He opens up about the early grind, hiring his first apprentice, doing invoicing late at night, and learning the hard way that growth without structure leads to burnout. The conversation dives deep into leadership, sales versus capacity, and the mindset shift required to scale beyond a ceiling. Craig explains how setting a clear revenue target, removing himself from day-to-day operations, and investing in sales transformed the business.

They also break down opportunity cost, hiring decisions, team structure, and why simplifying the business created more momentum with less effort. The episode wraps with reflections on predictability, long-term thinking, and why clarity and focus matter more than working harder.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Craig’s Background and How the Business Started

03:00 Early Growth, Long Hours, and First Apprentices

07:00 Hitting the Ceiling and Stepping Off the Tools

11:00 Setting the Three Million Revenue Goal

15:00 Sales Focus, Capacity Problems, and Opportunity Cost

20:00 Hiring, Burnout, and Fixing Operations

26:00 Predictability, Simplification, and Business Clarity

33:00 Long-Term Vision, Leadership, and Final Reflections

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://chatgpt.com/g/g-694f36ec3f3c819195819d0de50d01e7-game-plan-builder

In this episode, Tas kicks off 2026 by speaking directly to business owners who feel stuck in a reactive cycle and unsure why growth hasn’t followed effort.

Tas breaks down why nothing changes without a clear game plan and why reviewing 2025 properly is the first step to winning in 2026. He walks through how most business owners stay busy but unfocused, jumping from task to task without clarity on what actually moves the business forward.

The conversation introduces Tas’s free Business Game Plan Builder, an AI-powered tool designed to help business owners review the past year, identify bottlenecks, prioritise the right projects, and break goals into clear quarterly actions without overwhelm.

Tas also unpacks the Three Ps: Pricing, Performance, and Pipeline, explaining how identifying constraints, simplifying execution, and raising standards across sales and operations leads to sustainable growth. He shares practical examples around sales, marketing, hiring, and process design, highlighting how small, consistent improvements compound over time.

This episode is perfect for trade and service business owners who want to stop reacting, build a clear plan for 2026, and create real momentum using structure, support, and smarter systems rather than longer hours.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Cycle

00:41 Welcome to The Painter Circle

01:07 Reflecting on 2025

02:04 The Importance of Reviewing the Year

02:36 Wins and Lessons from 2025

03:01 Living a Reactive Business

03:25 How to Win in 2026

03:45 Step 1: Create a Plan

03:59 Reviewing 2025 for Planning

04:51 Introducing the Game Plan Builder

06:09 The Three Ps: Pricing, Performance, Pipeline

06:32 Identifying Bottlenecks

06:58 Avoiding Homework Overload

07:39 Golden Circle Client Insights

10:16 Focus on One or Two Projects

10:59 Step 2: Execute the Plan

11:33 The Importance of Clear Goals

11:53 Why Do You Want It?

12:19 AI-Assisted Game Plan Builder

13:02 Breaking Down the Plan into Quarters

13:26 Step 3: Get Support

13:47 Internal and External Support

14:14 Managing Sales and Marketing

14:37 Avoiding Overwork and Burnout

15:26 Breaking Old Patterns

16:21 Micromanaging Quotes

16:47 Low Tech Solutions

17:43 Hiring the Right People

18:10 Building Real-World Processes

18:28 Turning Chaos into a Plan

20:22 Eliminating Distractions

21:10 Getting Better at Sales

22:50 Raising Your Standards

23:38 Practical Example: QPA Team

24:33 Using AI to Improve

25:52 Summary and Free Plan Offer

29:02 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

29:58 Outro: Stay Cool, Be Well

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

In this episode of The Painter’s Circle, Tas sits down with Brett to unpack his journey from working long hours on the tools to running a scalable, profitable painting business.

Brett shares how he started in 2008 as a solo operator, the physical and mental toll of working six to seven days a week, and the turning point that forced him to step away from the tools. He opens up about the challenges of under-pricing, learning to let go of control, and discovering the true value of his business.

They dive deep into mindset shifts around pricing and sales, communicating value to clients, buying back time, and restructuring the business so Brett can focus on high value activities. The episode wraps with Brett’s vision for the future, delegating operations, expanding the team, and building a business that works without relying on him day to day.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Brett’s Journey and Business Beginnings

01:40 Long Hours on the Tools and Early Growth

04:25 Being Forced Off the Tools and Letting Go

06:30 Discovering Under-pricing and Hidden Issues

08:10 Shifting into Sales and Business Leadership

10:00 Mindset Shift Around Value and Pricing

13:20 Sales Skills, Communication, and Big Wins

14:50 Buying Back Time and Future Goals

16:10 Structuring the Business for Growth

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

In this episode of The Painter’s Circle, Tas sits down with Paige, the driving force behind Pure Perfection Painting alongside Dillon. Paige shares an honest and insightful look into the early days of the business and the challenges that came with rapid growth.

They talk about balancing family life with business responsibilities, managing a growing team, and the importance of staying level headed when making key decisions. Paige also highlights the value of customer satisfaction, strong time management, and the benefits of having a dedicated office space for a painting company.

Listeners will get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to build a high performing painting business while keeping family and leadership at the core.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:26 The Beginnings of Pure Perfection Painting

01:04 Rapid Growth and Challenges

01:33 Managing Responsibilities and Employees

03:41 Balancing Family and Business

05:01 The Importance of Time Management

05:42 Reflections on Work Life Balance

11:17 Hands On Leadership and Team Dynamics

12:11 Balancing Business and Family Life

12:40 Dillon's Impulsiveness vs. Level Headed Decisions

13:45 Vision for the Business

14:54 Painting as a Luxury and Craft

16:05 Importance of Customer Satisfaction

17:48 Benefits of Having a Dedicated Office Space

20:19 Team Efficiency and Productivity

23:10 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

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

In this episode of The Painter’s Circle, host Tas sits down with Dillon to explore his journey of growing a successful painting business while overcoming burnout and embracing challenges.

Dillon shares insights on transforming business operations, setting and achieving goals, and driving financial growth while keeping a clear vision for the future. They discuss building a strong team culture, consistently hitting sales targets, and strategically expanding, especially during peak periods like Christmas.

Dillon also dives into the importance of networking, overcoming fear, taking risks, and mastering pricing and value perception. Listeners will enjoy practical lessons from the Golden Circle Experience and the memorable Pig and Hen Story.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The Journey Begins

00:27 Embracing Uncomfortable Situations

01:39 Learning from Burnout

02:20 Setting and Achieving Goals

03:06 Transforming Business Operations

04:23 Financial Growth and Projections

08:27 Future Plans and Vision

16:01 Building a Strong Team Culture

17:50 Hitting Sales Targets Consistently

18:34 Expanding the Team and Preparing for Christmas

19:09 Advice for Business Owners

20:21 The Importance of Networking

21:55 Overcoming Fear and Taking Risks

23:42 Pricing and Value Perception

30:05 The Golden Circle Experience

33:04 The Pig and Hen Story

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

In this episode of The Painter’s Circle, host Tas sits down with Dillon, who transitioned from working at QPaint to running his own painting business.

They dive into Dillon’s journey from his early days, the challenges he faced, and the crucial decisions that shaped his path. Dillon shares lessons learned from mistakes, the strategies he used to grow, and why identifying and attracting ideal clients is key to sustainable success.

Tas and Dillon discuss refining business practices, the power of saying no, and how learning from losses can lead to bigger wins. They explore targeting the right market, the value of networking, and investing in business growth while managing time effectively.

Finally, Dillon reveals how modelling success and committing to continuous improvement transformed his business and mindset — giving listeners actionable strategies to scale, streamline, and succeed in their own painting ventures.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:37 Dylan's Background and Business Beginnings

01:00 Challenges and Early Decisions

01:55 Transition to Full-Time Business

02:39 Learning from Mistakes

03:39 Growth and Strategy Shifts

05:16 Importance of Ideal Clients

06:26 Refining Business Practices

19:37 The Power of Saying No

20:30 Learning from Losses

21:13 Identifying the Right Market

21:45 Transitioning to Ideal Clients

22:20 The Importance of Networking

23:33 Investing in Business Growth

26:06 The Value of Time Management

31:54 Modelling Success and Continuous Improvement

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

In Part 2 of James’ journey on The Painter’s Circle, host Tas and James dive even deeper into what it really takes to build a thriving painting business.

This episode covers the real challenges owners face once they move past survival mode, from understanding the true cost of admin work to maximising ROI on every sales opportunity. Tas helps James unpack how to realise his value as a business owner, delegate with confidence, and build a team that runs efficiently without him needing to be everywhere at once.

They explore the importance of letting go, integrating work and life in a healthy way, and planning for the future with clear goals for 2026. Together, they identify hidden problems, fine-tune operations, and break down the kind of sales mastery needed to stay consistent and profitable.

James and Tas also discuss building a healthy pipeline, overcoming distractions, improving workflow, and mastering the communication skills that keep a painting business moving forward.

This episode is packed with insights, mindset shifts, and practical strategies that every painting business owner needs to hear.

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Timestamps:

00:00 The Cost of Admin Work

01:00 Maximizing ROI in Sales

02:00 Realizing Your Value

03:20 Delegation and Micromanagement

04:19 Business Growth and Learning

06:23 Balancing Work and Life

09:05 Planning for the Future

14:26 Exciting Goals for 2026

16:43 Setting Goals for 2026

17:10 Identifying and Solving Problems

17:31 Operational Changes and Improvements

18:50 Personal Goals and Business Diversification

20:07 Building a Sustainable Business

22:19 The Importance of Coaching and Support

28:03 Sales Mastery and Skill Development

34:00 Looking Ahead to the Future

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

In this Part 1 episode of The Painter’s Circle, host Tas introduces James, a painting business owner who was stuck in survival mode until coaching gave him a clear framework to follow.

James shares the early challenges he faced — lack of structure, inconsistent decision-making, reacting instead of leading, and trying to grow without a real plan. Through coaching, he learned the foundational business framework that helped him regain control, make better decisions, and finally build momentum.

Tas breaks down the core principles that shifted everything for James, including operational clarity, strategic thinking, and learning how to approach business like a true leader instead of a technician in the weeds.

🎧 If you feel like you’re winging it every day in your business, this episode shows you what happens when you get the right framework and guidance.

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https://www.instagram.com/paintercoach/

https://www.facebook.com/paintercoach

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:39 James' Early Beginnings

01:34 Starting Capital Coatings

02:12 Growth and Challenges

04:04 Hamilton Island Projects

07:57 Transition Back to Brisbane

15:56 Diversifying Income Streams

17:26 Marketing and Networking Strategies

22:06 Exploring Different Business Segments

22:37 Identifying Business Structure Challenges

24:10 Managing Seasonal Fluctuations

25:12 Preloading for a Stress-Free New Year

27:20 The Importance of Momentum in Business

37:34 Setting Floors and Ceilings for Growth

40:48 The Role of Marketing and Sales

43:21 Restructuring for Efficiency