ZK Live with Zach Kenney

Zach interviews Mike Gore-Hickman of Painter Growth, a coaching program for painting contractors. Mike shares his journey from a Canadian university student to a successful entrepreneur, starting with College Pro, a student painting business, where he scaled a franchise to $200,000/month in sales by 2013, breaking company records. His success stemmed from strong mentorship, a supportive peer group, and learning from early mistakes like underbidding jobs and poor leadership.Mike later started a commercial painting business but pivoted to a software startup, where he led sales and learned online business operations. During COVID, he returned to the painting industry, launching Painter Growth in October 2021 to help painters scale from zero to $100K, $100K to $500K, and beyond, through proven systems for lead generation, sales, and business management.The discussion highlights the painting industry's high profit margins (50% gross profit) and low disruption risk from automation, making it a strong opportunity for entrepreneurs. Mike emphasizes open-mindedness, accountability, and time management as key traits for successful clients, who range from young men in their 20s to older contractors. Painter Growth's coaching avoids victim mentality and focuses on practical systems, like reducing paint store runs or using professional email addresses, to boost profitability and professionalism.Zach announces a partnership with Painter Growth, integrating their training on time management, lead generation, and pricing into the ZKFS platform for $50/month, aiming to help 250,000 owner-operators scale or optimize their businesses. Both stress the importance of questioning decisions, avoiding ego-driven choices (e.g., unprofitable shop rentals), and investing in coaching to unlock potential, contrasting survival mode with strategic growth.

Tanner Mullen, CEO of DripJobs, shared his journey from painting with his father as a teen, Mullen faced adversity during the 2008 recession, including his parents' addiction and his mother's death from cancer in 2015. After working in restaurants, car sales, and banking, he quit a stable $80,000-a-year job to start Premium Painting, inspired by Eric Barstow's subcontracting course. His father's ongoing struggles forced Mullen to learn the business independently, overcoming early failures like a poorly executed first job.Mullen's sales background and frustration with manual lead management led to DripJobs, a software automating contractor lead follow-ups. He initially created automations for 50 companies using tools like Zapier and Active Campaign, then invested $200,000 to develop DripJobs, funding it through his painting business. Challenges included a problematic co-founder who stole code and customer data, but Mullen recovered with help from a friend and found a reliable co-founder, Jason, on Reddit. DripJobs now serves 2,100 businesses across the US and Canada.Mullen is launching Routimized, an AI-driven app to optimize contractor schedules by minimizing drive time, aiming to save business owners time—a core value proposition. His story highlights resilience, self-reliance, and the power of micro-iterations, emphasizing that success stems from adversity, preparation, and a focus on personal growth over external competition.

I reconnect with Jason the Painter, who, 182 weeks after his last appearance, shares his focus on restoring pre-1940 homes using breathable linseed oil paints, emphasizing their superiority for old structures over modern paints that cause rot. Jason discusses his solo business model, leveraging social media locally to attract clients, and his experiments with linseed-based products, while Zach highlights the ZKFS app's discounts and courses to support painters. The episode blends Jason's journey from music to painting, his niche in historic restoration, and practical tips like using Cooper's Strip Club stripper for efficient paint removal.

In this triumphant return of ZK Live after a three-year hiatus, host Zach Kenney kicks off Episode 101 with renewed energy and a bold vision to support painting contractors. Reflecting on his 100-episode journey and subsequent burnout, Zach shares his evolution from a struggling painter to a passionate advocate for profitability and practicality in the trade. He introduces the ZKFS app, a game-changing ecosystem designed to unite thousands of contractors, offering scale-driven benefits like discounted paint and tools, plus highly detailed online courses. With courses on Fine Paints of Europe and upcoming ones on 2K cabinet refinishing, translated into Spanish and Portuguese, Zach aims to shorten the learning curve for painters worldwide.Zach gets candid about the pitfalls of over-delivering on projects, debunking the myth that sacrificing profit for perfection builds a lucrative portfolio. Drawing from personal experience, he urges painters to align client budgets with expectations, embrace job costing, and prioritize profitability over ego. He envisions a community-driven app feature where contractors anonymously share mistakes and solutions, leveraging AI to create a searchable database for troubleshooting issues like pinholes or sags. With a $50/month subscription and a 7-day free trial, the ZKFS app promises to pay for itself through exclusive discounts and unparalleled content. Zach also teases upcoming interviews with past guests to explore their growth and plans to share his own business rollercoaster. Tune in for an inspiring blend of transparency, practical advice, and a call to make the painting industry more profitable and supportive.Where to Listen/Watch: Available on major podcast platforms and the ZKFS app. Visit www.zkfsonline.com for more details and to join the community.

Zach sits down with Jason the Painter for episode 100 of ZK Live!

Zach sits down with the successful Matt Kuyper, of Harpeth Painting!

Zach sits down with world-renowned craftsman and decorative painter Pierre Finkelstein!

Zach sits down with young entrepreneur Noah Kanter of NTH Degree Painting!

Zach sits down with Matt, an Australian painter killing the game down under!

Zach sits down with the good folks over at Armstrong Clark for a deep dive into their Stain company!

Zach sits down with long time friend Nick Slavik as he returns to ZK Live!

Zach sits down with Kevin Cradock!

Zach sits down with Jason Phillips of Phillips Home Improvements!

Zach sits down with Jake Bresson of Bresson Painting!

Zach sits down with Tom Kligerman of "Ike Kligerman Barkley"

Zach sits down with his 2nd Pro Image Paint guest!!

Zach sits down with the talented Kayla Payne!

Zach sits down with Jason to talk about his new business venture, "XC Fine Finishes"!

Zach Sits down with Chade Turner of Turner Painting texas, gaining valuable insights into his business philosophy.

Zach sits down with David and Dan to discuss their new project!!

Sit down with Zach as he charges his Tesla and fields questions from the audience!

On today's episode Zach sits down with the esteemed Melanie Perillo of The Boston design guide!

On this episode Zach fields some questions from the audience while he charges his new Tesla!!

Zach Sits down with the incredibly talented and creative artist "Trew" of Trew Colors LA!!

Zach sits down with Gus of McDermaid Painting!!

Sit down and learn from the impressive Katie Schindler!

In one of his most informative podcasts to date Zach learns all about Alpine Painting!

In Today's Episode Zach sits down with Brian Sedgeley of Festool USA!!

Sit down with Zach as he talks to Faith from Oram Painting. Hear her story and what makes her business special!

On today's episode, Zach sits down with the man behind ASA Painters! Learn from yet another paint world entrepreneur and broaden your own knowledge of the industry!!

Sit down with Zach as he chats with Nick Rochacewich, the proud owner of NWR Painting. Listen to Nick and learn the art of quality as well as the importance of detail/precision in the world of paint.

Sit down with Zach as he chats with Nick Rochacewich, the proud owner of NWR Painting. Listen to Nick and learn the art of quality as well as the importance of detail/precision in the world of paint.

Sit down with Zach as he brings on David Cook of D'Franco Wallpaper. David is our first guest that specializes in wallpaper, hear his company's story and learn the secrets to their success.

Some call him the Elon Musk of the Paint World... Sit down and get ready to soak up some knowledge from Jason Paris, founder of Paris Painting.

Sit down with Zach as he interviews the owner and president of H.J. Holtz, Rick Holtz. Rick has been with the business since graduating college, now with his 26 years of experience he'll share his insights into how his business was able to adapt and transcend into the company it is today.

Sit down with Zach as he hears from West Coast Entrepreneur, Tim Perryman. Learn how Perryman painting and Remodeling have found a way to stay afloat and thrive for the better half of 27 years!

Sit down with Zach as he interviews Jonas Everets! Superstata NYC has built their business around helping a vast array of designers and artisans to connect and progress the industry at large.

Sit down with Zach as he is joined with John Lahey, the current President of Fine Paints Of Europe!

Sit down with Zach as he interviews two of the most experienced members of the high end painting business. Break out your notepad and get ready to soak up some knowledge!

Sit down on today's episode as we listen to Michael Lonsdale of Wet Paint inc, a passionate paint contractor who proves the philosophy that you get out what you put in. Mikey continues to improve and embrace failure in order to become the very best version of himself.

Get inspired listening to today's podcast as Zach brings on Iris Marcus of Decorative and Faux Finishes. With over 20 years experience, Iris is a walking book of knowledge filled with passion and secrets of the trade. She's decorated all over New England and some of her work can even be seen at TD Garden in Boston.

On today's episode, Zach sits down with Adam of Inspired Ornamental , a decorative plaster company doing everything from Historic restorations of theaters and churches to high end decorative ceilings, walls, etc.

Sit down with Zach on his weekly Q&A as he answers questions from his followers and offers advice from the perspective of one of the best in the business.

Sit down with Zach on his weekly Q&A as he answers questions from his followers and offers advice from the perspective of one of the best in the business.

On today's episode Zach sits down with Robert Chickey of Bespoke Finish. Robert is a true master craftsman with an unrivaled depth of knowledge around wood finishing. Zach and Robert go deep into the science of coating and everything that comes with it.

Sit down with Zach on his weekly Q&A as he answers questions from his followers and offers advice from the perspective of one of the best in the business.

Sit down with Zach on today's episode of ZK live, this time featuring Chris Ermides - Editor/Producer of This Old House!

Sit down with Zach on his weekly Q&A as he answers questions from his followers and offers advice from the perspective of one of the best in the business.

On today's episode, Zach sits down with social media star Tony Piloseno of Tonester Paints. Tony currently boasts one and a half million tik tok followers! Listen to Tony's captivating story and how he's turned a recent hardship into opportunity.

Sit down with Zach on his weekly Q&A as he answers questions from his followers and offers advice from the perspective of one of the best in the business.

Join Zach on today's episode as he sits down with Maria and Issac of Whetstone Workshop, taking a deep dive into the unique business.