Sean Kennedy has been working as a professional painter since 1993. He is the owner of Kennedy Painting, a residential painting contracting firm in St. Louis, Missouri.

The biggest turning point in the success of my business was…

…when I realized I cannot do everything by myself and sought outside help. Joined Nolan Consulting Group’s Summit Services Program.

How has that helped?

The most important takeaways from the outside consulting group have been learning how to structure the business and put plans and systems in place. A lot of times people who start their own company in this industry do so because they are a good technician, but often don’t know much about how businesses are run. They taught me how to put budgets in place, and to structure my business around the budgets.

What’s the biggest challenge of running your own painting company?

Hiring and retaining quality employees.

What’s your favorite part?

Training and watching employees grow from an apprentice to a crew leader.

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Thousands of houses get painted every year by people other than you, and they turn out just fine. Learn to let go, learn to delegate.

This article was originally published on June 14, 2018. Sean Kennedy was interviewed by Mike Starling, PPC Editor. Read more of what pro painters have discovered on the job in the PPC What I’ve Learned archive.