After a combined 27 years in food service distribution, Betsy and Alan Carleton were familiar with the corporate scene, but the appeal of the corporate ladder was fading. The pair had become experts at navigating the demands of fast-paced, high-stakes work, but organizational shifts left them underwhelmed.
“It got to the point where we got tired of the scene,” Alan said. “New owners would come in, buy our divisions out, and promise us the world. We all know how that goes.”
This frustration became the catalyst for a life-changing pivot to Fresh Coat Painters, the national painting franchise with over 190 units across the country. The Carletons found Fresh Coat “by accident,” but years later, the investment has turned into both a successful business and a family legacy defined by flexibility and partnership, providing a “safety net” and security that corporate life couldn’t.
The transition from employees to business owners required the Carletons to take a careful look at their individual strengths. Alan, a career salesman, knew he wouldn’t do well stuck behind a desk. Betsy, however, had spent her career as a food service coordinator, mastering the logistics and data that keep a business running smoothly — all from behind a desk.
While Betsy originally stayed in the corporate world for benefits and stability, as the business grew, the two began to realize how her skills would benefit Fresh Coat.
“His strength is my weakness, and my weakness is his strength,” Betsy said. “I take care of all the back-end books, the scheduling, the P&Ls … All the things he’s not great at. He takes care of everything on the outside: operations, managing crews and taking care of customers.”
With Alan’s “sell-anything” mindset, he knew he would need Betsy’s analytical eye to ensure the business would run smoothly.
“I would go sell, sell, sell, but I didn’t pay much attention to the back end,” he said. “That’s when we decided Betsy would leave her position and take a leap of faith to work as a partnership.”
While the Carletons knew they would work well together, they still had some apprehension about the transition from the corporate world to business ownership. For some first-time business owners, the lack of a roadmap can be detrimental. Fresh Coat offered structure through the franchise model without the bureaucracy the Carletons were looking to leave behind.
“When Alan decided to do this, it was a really struggling economy,” Betsy said. “He researched and researched, and he just kept going back to Fresh Coat because it had more support. It had structure. With us never owning a company before, it was that safety net for us, and we really caught on to it.”
As they’ve grown over the course of 12 years, the Carletons have consistently engaged with the support structures Fresh Coat offers. For example, in High Performance Groups, the Carletons engage with their fellow franchisees, talk through challenges and exchange ideas.
“You have the best of both worlds,” Betsy said. “You’re self-employed, but you still have that accountability. Fresh Coat has your back.”
The freedom and flexibility that define the Carletons’ success have to do with time and financial freedom, but the pair is also proud to be building a business alongside people they trust. Fresh Coat has been the backdrop to their family life for over a decade.
Their son, Josh, has been a part of the journey since the very beginning. When Alan and Betsy launched Fresh Coat, Josh was in high school, and he was able to join the team through a work-study program. With this, he worked alongside painting teams to learn the trade, and he began to understand the craftsmanship and attention to detail necessary to deliver Fresh Coat-level quality. Now, he has grown into the role of project manager and represents the future of the family business.
The family atmosphere in Fresh Coat Painters of Buford extends beyond blood relatives to long-standing professional relationships and community members. For example, Alan’s former manager from the corporate world joined the family franchise nearly a decade ago, and he’s now the sales manager.
“Our sales manager used to be my sales manager in corporate America,” Alan said. “He hired me, and now he works for us. He’s been with us for about nine years, and we just let him do his thing because he’s like family. So, when I say it’s a family affair, I mean it’s a family affair. He’s a very big part of this.”
By bringing people who share their values and work ethic into the fold, the Carletons have created a business culture and environment that feels truly personal. This level of trust allows Alan and Betsy to take a step back from the day-to-day grind of the business and rest assured that the operation they’ve built is in good hands.
This structure has both fueled growth and provided emotional fulfillment that was missing in the corporate world, turning a business venture into a long-lasting legacy.
“It has been a great ride,” Alan said. “It has given us a lifestyle that we were never able to have before. You have some ups and you have some downs, but overall, it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
Fresh Coat
SPONSORED
Alan and Betsy Carleton traded the uncertainty of their corporate food service careers for a painting franchise that allowed them to prioritize partnership and a long-term family legacy.
After a combined 27 years in food service distribution, Betsy and Alan Carleton were familiar with the corporate scene, but the appeal of the corporate ladder was fading. The pair had become experts at navigating the demands of fast-paced, high-stakes work, but organizational shifts left them underwhelmed.
“It got to the point where we got tired of the scene,” Alan said. “New owners would come in, buy our divisions out, and promise us the world. We all know how that goes.”
This frustration became the catalyst for a life-changing pivot to Fresh Coat Painters, the national painting franchise with over 190 units across the country. The Carletons found Fresh Coat “by accident,” but years later, the investment has turned into both a successful business and a family legacy defined by flexibility and partnership, providing a “safety net” and security that corporate life couldn’t.
The transition from employees to business owners required the Carletons to take a careful look at their individual strengths. Alan, a career salesman, knew he wouldn’t do well stuck behind a desk. Betsy, however, had spent her career as a food service coordinator, mastering the logistics and data that keep a business running smoothly — all from behind a desk.
While Betsy originally stayed in the corporate world for benefits and stability, as the business grew, the two began to realize how her skills would benefit Fresh Coat.
“His strength is my weakness, and my weakness is his strength,” Betsy said. “I take care of all the back-end books, the scheduling, the P&Ls … All the things he’s not great at. He takes care of everything on the outside: operations, managing crews and taking care of customers.”
With Alan’s “sell-anything” mindset, he knew he would need Betsy’s analytical eye to ensure the business would run smoothly.
“I would go sell, sell, sell, but I didn’t pay much attention to the back end,” he said. “That’s when we decided Betsy would leave her position and take a leap of faith to work as a partnership.”
While the Carletons knew they would work well together, they still had some apprehension about the transition from the corporate world to business ownership. For some first-time business owners, the lack of a roadmap can be detrimental. Fresh Coat offered structure through the franchise model without the bureaucracy the Carletons were looking to leave behind.
“When Alan decided to do this, it was a really struggling economy,” Betsy said. “He researched and researched, and he just kept going back to Fresh Coat because it had more support. It had structure. With us never owning a company before, it was that safety net for us, and we really caught on to it.”
As they’ve grown over the course of 12 years, the Carletons have consistently engaged with the support structures Fresh Coat offers. For example, in High Performance Groups, the Carletons engage with their fellow franchisees, talk through challenges and exchange ideas.
“You have the best of both worlds,” Betsy said. “You’re self-employed, but you still have that accountability. Fresh Coat has your back.”
The freedom and flexibility that define the Carletons’ success have to do with time and financial freedom, but the pair is also proud to be building a business alongside people they trust. Fresh Coat has been the backdrop to their family life for over a decade.
Their son, Josh, has been a part of the journey since the very beginning. When Alan and Betsy launched Fresh Coat, Josh was in high school, and he was able to join the team through a work-study program. With this, he worked alongside painting teams to learn the trade, and he began to understand the craftsmanship and attention to detail necessary to deliver Fresh Coat-level quality. Now, he has grown into the role of project manager and represents the future of the family business.
The family atmosphere in Fresh Coat Painters of Buford extends beyond blood relatives to long-standing professional relationships and community members. For example, Alan’s former manager from the corporate world joined the family franchise nearly a decade ago, and he’s now the sales manager.
“Our sales manager used to be my sales manager in corporate America,” Alan said. “He hired me, and now he works for us. He’s been with us for about nine years, and we just let him do his thing because he’s like family. So, when I say it’s a family affair, I mean it’s a family affair. He’s a very big part of this.”
By bringing people who share their values and work ethic into the fold, the Carletons have created a business culture and environment that feels truly personal. This level of trust allows Alan and Betsy to take a step back from the day-to-day grind of the business and rest assured that the operation they’ve built is in good hands.
This structure has both fueled growth and provided emotional fulfillment that was missing in the corporate world, turning a business venture into a long-lasting legacy.
“It has been a great ride,” Alan said. “It has given us a lifestyle that we were never able to have before. You have some ups and you have some downs, but overall, it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
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