A Coat of Paint Can Make a Big Difference
How my team taught me to take pride in the little things
Welcome to the latest entry in The Workaround. You’re in good company with thousands of fellow entrepreneurs and innovators!
I’m Bob, your host. My mission here is to share personal, behind-the-scenes stories of the ups and downs of my career leading tech startups, corporate innovation, and tech-enabled service businesses.
I write to make you think, smile, and discover a shortcut to success or a trap to avoid.
Here we go…
I’m addicted to work+life stories of people who have created something from nothing in business. I guess that’s why I recently found myself listening to a podcast in which a Vietnam War veteran tells his story of reaching billionaire status.
In the interview, he shares a few lessons he learned in his first job as a soldier that ended up paying off over the long term of business. One quote in particular stuck in my head:
“A coat of paint means a lot.”
Frustratingly, he didn’t expand on this point during the hour-long interview. It seemed meaningful, but I couldn’t grasp it. Days later, the quote kept rumbling around in my unconscious.
I finally understood as I walked through my illuminated city and remembered when my employees taught me the lesson ten years ago.
BLINK Shines in Cincinnati
Most people know Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, for its wacky chili and an airport that’s actually in Kentucky. When I moved here for a corporate job out of business school in 1999, my wife and I had no connection to the town—and no plans to stay longer than 4-5 years. It was a pitstop for learning, reputation, and networking that I planned to leverage into an entrepreneurial career elsewhere.
But I ended up becoming an entrepreneur in Cincinnati. After selling that company, I was tempted to head to Silicon Valley. I decided to stick around and build a startup here instead. That worked out…eventually. I grew up in the ‘burbs of Atlanta, but after 25 years here, I proudly call Cincinnati my hometown today.
Like any city, we’ve got our ups and downs, good years and bad. But we sit in the “Midwestern Middle.” We’re not extreme in growth or politics. We have hundreds of years of history and plenty of arts, music, and sports access. It’s large enough to find your niche but small enough that you’re just one degree of separation from everyone in town. Most people are nice.
Nothing makes me happier than our BLINK light show, which enlivens downtown every two years in October. The event started in 2017 through a partnership among the city, corporate sponsors, creative agencies, and the local ArtsWave organization. BLINK features light shows projected upon local buildings and a wide range of smaller light-based art installations, drone shows, and plenty of food, drink, and music.
A few days before this year’s BLINK kick-off, I walked my dog through the city streets, doing a little scouting before the big event. I saw artists hanging from cherry pickers, adding the last details to their works. Cleanup crews roved through alleys and sidewalks, picking up trash, covering graffiti, and fixing signposts. The whole city was primping to look its best on a big night.
My wife and I did our share with our home in the OTR neighborhood downtown. She strung lights on our railings, and I replaced dead shrubs. We aimed to welcome friends and strangers from the suburbs who would walk past our place on the way to the wonders.
And so, with our town dressed up for its big night, two million people of all shapes, sizes, incomes, races, and beliefs walked together through our streets with wonder in their eyes and smiles on their faces. What would normally be an ordinary night in October became an extraordinary event, renewing our love for the place we live.
The light shows are always a treat, but what moves me is seeing the living art of fellow humans coming together like this. It didn’t take our Bengals or Reds winning a championship. It wasn’t a walk for or against a health issue or political party. We’re united for art on these nights.
All it took was paint, lights, and some initiative from our local citizens…but I should have remembered this lesson.
Dressing up the Office
It’s January 2016, around 6 pm, and I’m sitting at my desk in our startup’s office, plodding through a few final emails before I head home. I’m feeling pretty down.
Our company is still struggling to pivot into a business model that can help us survive. Those contracts we thought would come in last month are not showing up. We’re still reeling from the layoffs I had to make a few months ago. The other day, I had to wire money from my personal investment account to cover payroll.
Several employees are at their desks, grinding away. My mind wanders. Are they as worried as I am about the future of our company?
But then the front office doorbell rings, and an armful of pizzas comes marching down the hall to our kitchen. I remember a few team members organized an after-hours “party” to paint our office walls.
The idea came up at a company meeting a few weeks ago. Someone thought our place looked dingy and was due for a makeover. Maybe the fact that half the staff worked in a creative role had something to do with it. Whoever it came from, I loved the idea and quickly agreed to cover the cost.
I forgot about the painting project until now. Many other thoughts and worries flooded my mind. I even failed to mark the night on my calendar, resulting in a conflict at home. So, I can’t stick around to do my share of painting.
But, honestly, team spirit is the last thing in my mind right now. Again, I drive home, wondering if there will even be a team in that office in a few months. Are we just painting deck chairs on The Titanic?
The next morning, I’m back at our building, unlocking our office back door at 8 am. I smell paint and remember. Then I look around and notice the fresh color. I see our company name and motto stenciled against the walls. My heart swells with pride in our company and our team.
“A Coat of Paint Means a Lot”
As a leader, it’s my job to keep up morale, but my team lifted me in this case. Together, they saw an answer to our struggles: Yeah, we’re in a dark place as a company and a long way from any big success to celebrate. But we can stay late and brighten up the place we work. It’s something we can do to make a difference with our own hands right here and now.
Whether it’s a struggling company or a city full of challenges, investing to spruce things up is not necessarily painting over problems. Problems cannot be solved overnight and are often out of our control. But taking action to improve our surroundings can spark feelings of pride. Pride can give us the confidence and energy to move past fear and dig into solving our problems.
Celebrating success is essential, as is celebrating our existence together. Because of our killer culture, our team fought through this tough period and built a profitable, high-growth business.
Looking back now, I wish I had come up with this idea or picked up a paintbrush that evening. A CEO should reduce others’ stress and lead by example.
Then again, I suppose I did something right by building a team that independently thought up this brilliant idea. After all, they say the definition of company culture is “what employees do when no one is watching.” So I’ll take it as a win.
But next time, pass me the paint roller.
How we might work together…
Are you interested in launching your own consulting or service business or need help taking your current services business to the next level? Fleet is our holding company for services, and we’re actively looking to build business partnerships with winning leaders. Let’s talk!
Need guidance with revenue alignment or revenue growth management? We built Revelin to serve organizations through fractional and project-based execution, specializing in GTM alignment, CRM optimization, territory design, annual planning, M&A integration, and building your RevOps function to support growth. Schedule your revenue assessment.
My team and I lead Hearty, a boutique recruiting service that helps tech-forward companies hire proven talent. Our senior team of operators sources and screens, saving you time and money. When you need help, let’s chat.
Need help with a software project? Perhaps a product MVP, a project that requires outside help, or a fractional CTO for key strategic decisions? Our team at Shipwright Studio has worked together to build multiple successful startups, and we love helping leaders turn their dreams into reality. We're the team our clients trust for software built to last.
Looking for Influencer Marketing and Content Creation? The team from our previous company is back by popular demand with A2 Influence. We’re ramping up now and would love to share more.
Feel free to schedule a time during my Office Hours to discuss questions, feedback, networking, or any other topic! You can also find me on LinkedIn or email.
BONUS: Cool Content of the Week
A little something I found meaningful. You might agree…
How to Waste 100 Hours
A few months ago, I met Tommy Janzen, a star product leader in the software world. He had just launched a side hustle cleaning business on his nights and weekends to learn the art of entrepreneurship from the inside. Somehow, he’s finding time to share his service startup experiences here on Substack.
His recent post, “How to Waste 100 Hours”, is a great example of why I love his writing. Tommy pulls no punches in sharing his struggle and wants us to learn through him. It doesn’t take a sophisticated algorithm to understand that if you like my writing, you’ll like Tommy’s, too:
