“Faith is believing in something you can’t see” — Zach Tanner on the Mindset Behind Painter Bros (Reupload)

Hire Yourself Podcast with Pete Gilfillan

This is a reupload of one of the most valuable conversations for executives thinking about stepping into franchise ownership. In this episode, Pete Gilfillan sits down with Zach Tanner, the founder of Painter Bros, to share the real path from scrappy young entrepreneur to leading one of the fastest growing painting franchise brands in America.

Zach’s journey—from mowing lawns for an iPod Nano to franchising a national brand—is packed with lessons every corporate executive needs to hear, especially if you're thinking about owning your own business.

In this episode, Pete and Zach discuss:

1. How Early Entrepreneurial Traits Shape Future Success
Zach shares how mowing lawns in 5th grade and working in family-owned businesses taught him initiative, resilience, and ownership long before franchising entered the picture.

2. Why He Walked Away from College to Bet on Himself
Instead of investing four years into school, Zach did the math on what he could build with real-world action. That mindset shift became the foundation of Painter Bros.

3. Building a Franchise the Hard Way
From a ten dollar domain name to a homemade website, Zach explains the early grind, the missteps, and why he froze franchising for years to rebuild systems the right way.

4. Commercial Contracts, Technology, and True Differentiation
Zach breaks down how he built a tech platform that tracks cost per customer acquisition, why commercial work changed everything, and how a relationship-first culture sets Painter Bros apart.

5. Who Actually Succeeds in This Franchise
Zach reveals the real profile of a winning owner: corporate executives, not painters. Leaders who understand relationships, B2B communication, and want control of their income, time, and future.

Key Takeaways:

• Great franchise owners aren’t technicians—they’re leaders.
• Culture is a competitive advantage when it’s real and lived daily.
• Corporate executives often have more transferable skills than they realize.
• The hardest barrier in entrepreneurship is your own mindset.
• Franchise ownership gives you control, scalability, and a real asset to build.

“You’re the only one that’s going to get in your way. Once you break through that, the world opens up.” — Zach Tanner

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