Daniel grew up doing home improvement projects with his dad in Hagerstown MD. This is how he learned the painting trade. He was able to earn his way through college by painting at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. It was at CIU where he met his wife Kirstin and they have been happily married since 2022. He currently runs a painting business in Hagerstown, MD that is serving the Tri-State area and is expanding to the Greater DC Area. Outside of work he enjoys any activity outside; fishing, golfing, surfing, and ultimate frisbee.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I try and keep my day to day activities free of any busy work so that I can totally focus on anything in my business that is currently a sticky point for my team or my company. This enables us to always focus on the biggest problem we are facing.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I kind of fell into the painting industry by accident. I wanted to go to college and knew I had to pay for due to a larger family and my parents not having the means to pay for college. I paid my way through by painting peoples homes and being a neighborhood handyman. I ended up falling in love with the business side of things and when I moved back to Maryland I decided to start a legit business that can function without me if need be.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I think that excellent service will always win. In an age where AI is taking over everything I think people are starved for good human interaction and people are returning to downtowns for the local mom and pop feel.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
If I find a task that needs doing, if it takes less than five minutes, I stop everything and do it right then.
What advice would you give your younger self?
To be more confident.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you.
Where do I begin? Too many to list.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I constantly free my schedule of any work in the day to day operations as much as my budget allows so I can change my focus to whatever moves the needle forward.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I prioritize the most important thing and focus on that until it gets done. There’s always things to be done. Focus on what moves the needle.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
You lose more money by waiting to try something then trying it and failing.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I keep using a specific marketing source that I swear should work but it doesn’t. Trust your data and your numbers. They aren’t wrong.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Find something that people already buy and offer it better, faster, and easier than anybody else and charge whatever you want.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
We love slack for internal team communication.
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
Probably dinner with my wife. We love having dinner together.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast from which you’ve received much value?
Lord of the Rings. I try and reread it every year. It is an epic that has so many timeless truths for every moment in history.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Andor – I love star wars and the political intrigue was phenomenal in this one.
Key learnings:
- Move fast in business
- Be impatient
- Don’t be scared to try and test things
- Enjoy your family