Before owning his That 1 Painter franchise in Greenville, South Carolina, Geoff Petis had built a career as a litigation attorney. The demanding career eventually led him to retire from law and pivot to real estate. However, Petis still wanted to own a business, and when he discovered franchising, he realized it offered the structure and support he needed to make that goal a reality. By Kelsi Trinidad
Checking All the Boxes
Before owning his That 1 Painter franchise in Greenville, South Carolina, Geoff Petis had built a career as a litigation attorney. The demanding career eventually led him to retire from law and pivot to real estate. However, Petis still wanted to own a business, and when he discovered franchising, he realized it offered the structure and support he needed to make that goal a reality.
With his father’s background as a professional painter and his own experience renovating and flipping homes, Petis already had a connection to the industry when he began exploring franchise opportunities. That 1 Painter’s model quickly caught his attention.
“Although I have a unique skill set from my time as an attorney and a realtor, there are a lot of business skills that I didn’t have,” Petis said. “I realized that partnering with a really good franchise would help me fill in the skill gaps and teach me how to run a business effectively.”
The franchise model ultimately stood out because it checked the boxes Petis was looking for in a business opportunity.
“I felt I was looking for three things,” Petis said. “No. 1: a demonstrated path to profitability. No. 2: training, systems and support. No. 3: I was looking for company culture – not only between franchisor and franchisee but between franchisees. That 1 Painter had all of those in spades.”
Here’s a typical day for Petis as a That 1 Painter franchisee:
- 5:30 a.m. Petis wakes up and either heads to the gym for a workout or spends time on personal development by reading.
- 7:30 a.m. He checks the calendar to see what the day has in store. Then he joins a daily huddle with the location manager and virtual assistant to check on projects.
- 8:30 a.m. Petis heads out to either launch a new job or check on the status of an existing project.
- 10 a.m. He works on estimates, follows up with potential clients and networks with his connections.
- 4 p.m. He contacts customers with ongoing projects to update them on progress and to ensure they’re satisfied with the work and timeline.
- 5:30 p.m. As the workday ends, Petis checks the calendar for the next day before spending time with his family.
Kelsi Trinidad