Her Story
About Cougar
I'm the opposite of most painting company owners. I left corporate America about 8 years ago and decided to start a painting company even though I didn't know anything about painting and had no passion for it. I wanted to take the systems and processes I learned from the corporate world and apply them to this business. The name Cougar Painting came from my time playing volleyball at Columbia College, where we were the Cougars. It's been a fun name that helps people remember us. I'm a woman-owned business in a male-prevalent industry, which makes me different from most painting companies out there. I handle all the estimates and customer communications myself, while my team does the actual painting work. We do both residential and commercial projects, trying to be a one-stop shop for our customers because I know how much I hate calling 14 different people when I need something done. After 8 years, I've built systems that allow me flexibility. If I want to go to Mexico for a week or play golf in the middle of the day, my guys can still work and I'm helping put food on their tables. It never runs itself completely, but it's certainly gotten easier. Right now, we're diving deeper into the commercial world and figuring out how to navigate that space.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cougar
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the systems and processes I've developed over the years. I think with the right systems and processes, good communication, and doing what you say you're going to do for your customers, you're going to put yourself ahead of a lot of people. If you just hone in on that and provide a good service, people will continue to call. I taught myself most of these systems and processes, and I honestly think with them, I could run any kind of business. It's not about having a passion for painting specifically, it's about having solid business fundamentals that work across any industry.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is that if you have the systems and processes, good communication, and you do what you say you're going to do for your customers, that's going to put you ahead of a lot of people. If you just hone in on that and provide a good service, people will continue to call. You're going to get some no's along the way, and it's not because they don't like you. It just might not be the right fit. I think that's hard sometimes with females because we take it personal, and it's easy to do. So you need to let yourself know and let yourself off the hook a little bit that it's not personal. Don't take rejection as a reflection of you, just keep focusing on providing good service and building those solid business fundamentals.
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