“I want to grow. I just don’t know if I want it as badly as I want to breathe,” *Dave said.

 

“Eric Thomas says I’ll never be successful until I want it as badly as I want to breathe.”

 

I get it.

You’re not sure you want to grow your painting company or if you have the passion for your painting company in order to crush it.

I get it.

I want to share with you how to know your why and how to use your why to CRUSH IT, but first, let’s hear a story (which I’d credit the author but I do not recall where I heard this, my apologies).

 

There once was a painting contractor.

“I can’t be just a painting contractor anymore! he cried.

“I need purpose to my work! I want to make a difference!”

 

There once was another painting contractor.

“I LOVE what I do! he cried.

“When I paint, I envision the family playing a board game in the newly painted living room. I envision the parents wiping the walls down because their precious 3 year old used a marker all over his bedroom walls. There is such purpose and I have such passion!”

“I LOVE being a painting contractor!” he cried

THE END.

 

Do you get it?

They both had the same job.

They both do the same work.

One had a vision of purpose behind his work and one thought vision and purpose could only be found elsewhere.

 

There may be some of you who are just exponentially passionate about growing your painting company and that’s fantastic! Keep it up!

I want to chat with (what I believe is) the majority of painting contractors who do not have that passion or drive for what they do or growing the company.

 

Here’s the “HOW” portion I mentioned earlier, in 3 steps.

 

Step 1: Uncover your passion.

What are you passionate about? What lights you up and gets you excited when you talk about it? What has purpose for you? What is a help/service/etc. that when you talk about this cause to someone, YOU are lit up with passion?

 

When Steve and I owned Burnett 1-800-PAINTING, very early on, we had this discussion. We wanted our company to be about more than just painting homes. We set out to define our vision.

 

What motivated us? A non-profit we love whose motto is, “Meeting the needs of the women they serve, thereby ending the demand for abortion.”

Yes, I am talking about Pregnancy Solutions. We wanted to be a part of helping women to be able to choose life for their babies and have support along the way to do just that – resources for the mothers and the fathers, too.

So, we set up the company such that every job awarded, every client created, every estimate we went on – was all to give more to our passion, to the cause.

 

What is your passionate purpose?

Let’s get some ideas going here.

Spending more time with your grandkids or family?

Passing the company on to your child/ren?

Being able to travel around the world when you want?

Being a snowbird? 😉

Write down 20 ideas, now! Just do it!

 

Step 2: See your business and the exact, measured, planned growth of it as the very rocket used to get you to the place where your dream is realized.

Not only down the road, but right now – your business can get you there. Maybe you want to spend more time with your grandchildren and right now, your business can allow you to visit them 2 times a year and with a little growth, it could be 6 times until you can move to be closer.

The idea is, tie the incremental successes of your business along the way to the incremental realization of your dreams.

 

Step 3: SHARE the vision with your team!

At your next company meeting, make sure you share your vision with your team and let them know where the rocket is aiming!

You could say, “One day, I hope to spend more time with my grandchildren. I am going to be hiring a manager to oversee all aspects of the business. I will only be hiring within. As we work together, build together, I’d love to see one of you take the reigns,./etc. I want to build a top notch crew of leaders who grow with the company. Let’s do this.”

Or you could say, “We want this company to be a team of influencers in the industry as well as in the community. With every job awarded, we set aside x% for leadership training, marriage weekend seminars to strengthen couples, etc. There is a bigger purpose here and I hope you will hold your head up high and do all you can to make this team a success and a growing success to help others.”

 

Passion must come from within.

I cannot give you passion.

I cannot teach you passion. (Yes, I dropped the C-bomb.)

It’s a “Fire in the Gut” that never gives up because the end is bigger than the hurdle you are facing.

But I can tell you, it’s GOLD. You use these steps to find your passion and you never have to “muster up” some fake feeling of “hoorah” to “make it through” the day.

Instead of living, you become alive.

Instead of working, you pursue.

Instead of giving up, you grow.

 

Or not. Then you don’t….grow. Don’t just survive. THRIVE and help others to THRIVE, too!