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Health & Fitness

Giving My Career a New Coat of Paint

How I used my professional background and passions in life to open up my own ProTect Painters franchise after being laid off.

Although the U.S. economy may be showing signs of improvement, many Americans today are still struggling to recover from its drastic downfall. I was among those struggling, figuratively jumping through hoops to re-enter the working world after being laid off from my corporate position.

I am now my own boss and the proud owner of ProTect Painters of Roswell. The main reason I chose to open a ProTect Painters franchise was because it allowed me to combine two of my greatest strengths, which I knew would allow the business to flourish: my extensive professional background in quality and customer service as well as my passion for helping others.

KNOWLEDGE:

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For more than 25 years, I worked as a Quality Assurance and Quality Control professional in a corporate setting, most recently as a Global Quality Executive for an Atlanta-based, Fortune 500 company. Amidst the ongoing economic turmoil in November 2011, this company decided to eliminate my position. For over a year, I did all I could to get another job, mainly by attending local networking events, expanding my search nationally and even considering a position overseas in China, which eventually fell through.

I remembered a conversation I had with a franchise broker whom I met at one of the networking events. Among several companies, we discussed ProTect Painters, which offered me a path to owning my own recession-resistant franchise with low overhead and requiring only a modest initial investment. It also appealed to me that the ProTect Painters brand prides itself on exceptional customer service and “quality that lasts;” two things I had become an expert at for the past 25 years. 

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PASSION:

Nothing satisfies me more than knowing I made a difference in someone’s life, regardless of how big or small. ProTect Painters allows me to achieve this on a daily basis. It’s truly remarkable how a seemingly mundane paint job can transform the appearance of someone’s home, provide protection from future structural damage, add market value, and ultimately bring a smile to their face.

When it comes down to it, knowing I’m improving the lives of others in the community (even if it is only with a coat of paint) is what gets me out of bed every day. Owning a ProTect Painters franchise gives me the opportunity to integrate my extensive professional background and my passion for making a difference, which has put me back on the path to self-fulfillment. 

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