From Broke Dropout to 25-Location Painting Biz Empire

Richard grew up so poor the lights were sometimes shut off. At 15, he was shoveling snow and cutting grass just to help his parents pay the bills. With no high school diploma and no clear path, a friend offered him a simple painting job at 18 — and it changed everything.

Years later, a mentor, Don Greer, saw more in Richard than he saw in himself. Don sold him his 40-year-old painting company for $25,000 on $500/month payments, handing Richard not just a business, but a future. Richard eventually sold that company, moved to North Carolina, and started from zero—no contacts, no clients, just hustle.

He joined the Chamber of Commerce, knocked on doors, handed out flyers, and walked up to contractors asking, “Who does your painting?” That relentless approach turned into six- and then seven-figure years: from $0 to $150K, $250K, $400K, then $1.6M.

Today, Richard runs a 25-location painting franchise, with jobs like a single $150K–$200K house and margins of 20–35%, all in a business you can start for under $1,000.

His mission now? Use painting not just to color walls—but to repaint people’s lives.

Watch the full video here from the Upflip Youtube Channel