Recently, our own Sarah Ross was featured in the prestigious Entrepreneur magazine! Sarah Ross shares with Entrepreneur her story and what made her go from the corporate world to becoming her own boss.
After a demanding career in corporate accounting, she chose franchising for the structure and support it offered, especially in sales and marketing. Her decision to join Fresh Coat Painters was driven by affordability, a strong territory, and a product she believed in. “I was too risk-averse to start something from the ground up,” Ross says, “But I felt comfortable running the back-office side of a business.”
Sarah Ross credits her success to relationships and consistency. From earning $300,000 in one year to about $3 million a decade later, she credits building trust in the local real estate market, being reliable, and showing up for customers as a primary reason. “We're heavily tied to the real estate market,” she says. “Post-Covid, business slowed, but now we’re trending back up.” She also stresses the importance of treating employees with respect, especially in an industry where turnover can be high. “Pay them on time, show them respect. It's a game changer,” she says.
As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Ross says her presence often puts homeowners at ease and helps her stand out. She encourages franchisees to lean into their unique strengths and focus on being solutions-driven. “Just tell me what’s wrong and I’ll figure out how to help,” she tells her team. Looking ahead, she’s not expanding territories, she’s doubling down on the strong foundation she’s already built: “The goal is to continue to develop those relationships and add additional ones where we can.”
If you'd like to read the full article and read about Sarah's full story, click here.