After a career of more than 20 years in sales and staffing, Kimberly Nelson decided to pursue a pivot and began exploring franchise opportunities. Now, she owns Fresh Coat Painters of Alamo Heights and is working to build generational wealth and a family legacy.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for myself that I could build for the next generation,” Nelson said. “Growing up in a family business, with my mom owning an art gallery, I always had a creative drive, but I also wanted to make a tangible impact. Franchising felt like the best way to combine my experience and ambitions.”
Growing up in a family of “very capable women” and watching her mother run art galleries for nearly three decades, Nelson said she felt the common fears associated with business ownership but always knew, deep down, that she could succeed.
“I think, when you’re starting your own business, there are always going to be fears… The financial fears and the question of whether you’re going to know what you’re doing,” she said. “For me, I knew I could really run a business for myself. And I always felt like I could because my mother did it. Most of my life, she was a single mom, and I saw how hard she worked.”
“I didn’t have fear around whether I’d be able to do it, but I didn’t want to feel like I was a financial drain on my family,” she continued. “Thankfully, my husband has supported us until I reached cash-flow positive, and that phase of the journey was short-lived.”
Even stepping into business ownership in a largely male-dominated field, as a woman, didn’t necessarily intimidate Nelson. Rather, she took the challenge head-on and focused on her own strengths and priorities.
As she has settled into franchise ownership, Nelson has leaned into the unique strengths she brings as a female entrepreneur. While the painting industry is historically male-dominated, many customers appreciate the unique perspective a woman brings to the table.
“This business is actually kind of made for a woman to succeed. I think some women think, ‘Trades — oh, that’s not for me,’ but it’s really not true,” Nelson said. “People often consider women to be more particular and more meticulous, and women are great at building relationships. Whether it’s bringing in new clients or creating strong relationships with existing ones that will lead to referrals, I think women are naturally geared to recognize and nurture those opportunities.”
Nelson also pointed out that, often, women are the ones bringing Fresh Coat into the homes to do the project, and they’re the ones at home when the painters come. In fact, research shows women drive 70–80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, making them a powerful force behind the home improvement choices families make.
Nelson has a painter who is a woman, and many people specifically request her because it puts them at ease to have another woman in the home. No matter which team is on-site, though, Nelson is always sure to show up on the first day of a project to ensure everything gets off to a smooth start, and she’s easily accessible throughout the course of the project should a client want to call her and ask her to stop by.
As she has grown the business, Nelson remains acutely aware of the reach and impact she has as an owner.
“I hire painters. I have one of my daughters working for me. So one of the things that’s always in the back of my mind is that I have to do my best,” she said. “Not that I wouldn’t, but I have to do even better because I have a lot of people counting on me. Kind of like when you’re raising kids… There are a lot of people counting on you, and you have to think of them before thinking of yourself.”
As a mom and stepmom to five kids, this approach is both familiar and fulfilling to Nelson. She has seen her children grow up, go off to college and start careers, and now, while she’s still their mother, they need her less.
“Day-to-day, this is my new baby,” she said. “Fresh Coat is my child right now! That’s how I’ve treated it in my heart and mind, too. I nurture it all the time. Thankfully, I’m at a point in life where my kids are pretty self-sufficient, so it’s a good time in my life to have a business.”
While Nelson recognizes the responsibility of franchise ownership, she’s just as quick to discuss the rewards.
“If I’m going to have my own business, I’ve got to have fun with it, and I have fun with this,” she said. “You’ve got to make your own mark with it, and this just made sense to me because I like people, I like to beautify spaces, and I love to see things changed in a home or business. Before I found Fresh Coat, I didn’t know that owning a painting company was my passion, but it has become that. It’s fun; it excites me.”
Looking toward the future, Nelson knows that her work with Fresh Coat today is setting the stage for a great opportunity for her family. With one daughter currently working in the business, and another who will soon graduate from college and has shown interest in joining the business, Fresh Coat Painters of Alamo Heights is only expanding its reach as a family-owned, women-led business.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
Fresh Coat
SPONSORED
After over two decades in the corporate world, Nelson is leveraging her unique perspective to grow her painting franchise, leading in a new way and creating a lasting family legacy.
After a career of more than 20 years in sales and staffing, Kimberly Nelson decided to pursue a pivot and began exploring franchise opportunities. Now, she owns Fresh Coat Painters of Alamo Heights and is working to build generational wealth and a family legacy.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for myself that I could build for the next generation,” Nelson said. “Growing up in a family business, with my mom owning an art gallery, I always had a creative drive, but I also wanted to make a tangible impact. Franchising felt like the best way to combine my experience and ambitions.”
Growing up in a family of “very capable women” and watching her mother run art galleries for nearly three decades, Nelson said she felt the common fears associated with business ownership but always knew, deep down, that she could succeed.
“I think, when you’re starting your own business, there are always going to be fears… The financial fears and the question of whether you’re going to know what you’re doing,” she said. “For me, I knew I could really run a business for myself. And I always felt like I could because my mother did it. Most of my life, she was a single mom, and I saw how hard she worked.”
“I didn’t have fear around whether I’d be able to do it, but I didn’t want to feel like I was a financial drain on my family,” she continued. “Thankfully, my husband has supported us until I reached cash-flow positive, and that phase of the journey was short-lived.”
Even stepping into business ownership in a largely male-dominated field, as a woman, didn’t necessarily intimidate Nelson. Rather, she took the challenge head-on and focused on her own strengths and priorities.
As she has settled into franchise ownership, Nelson has leaned into the unique strengths she brings as a female entrepreneur. While the painting industry is historically male-dominated, many customers appreciate the unique perspective a woman brings to the table.
“This business is actually kind of made for a woman to succeed. I think some women think, ‘Trades — oh, that’s not for me,’ but it’s really not true,” Nelson said. “People often consider women to be more particular and more meticulous, and women are great at building relationships. Whether it’s bringing in new clients or creating strong relationships with existing ones that will lead to referrals, I think women are naturally geared to recognize and nurture those opportunities.”
Nelson also pointed out that, often, women are the ones bringing Fresh Coat into the homes to do the project, and they’re the ones at home when the painters come. In fact, research shows women drive 70–80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, making them a powerful force behind the home improvement choices families make.
Nelson has a painter who is a woman, and many people specifically request her because it puts them at ease to have another woman in the home. No matter which team is on-site, though, Nelson is always sure to show up on the first day of a project to ensure everything gets off to a smooth start, and she’s easily accessible throughout the course of the project should a client want to call her and ask her to stop by.
As she has grown the business, Nelson remains acutely aware of the reach and impact she has as an owner.
“I hire painters. I have one of my daughters working for me. So one of the things that’s always in the back of my mind is that I have to do my best,” she said. “Not that I wouldn’t, but I have to do even better because I have a lot of people counting on me. Kind of like when you’re raising kids… There are a lot of people counting on you, and you have to think of them before thinking of yourself.”
As a mom and stepmom to five kids, this approach is both familiar and fulfilling to Nelson. She has seen her children grow up, go off to college and start careers, and now, while she’s still their mother, they need her less.
“Day-to-day, this is my new baby,” she said. “Fresh Coat is my child right now! That’s how I’ve treated it in my heart and mind, too. I nurture it all the time. Thankfully, I’m at a point in life where my kids are pretty self-sufficient, so it’s a good time in my life to have a business.”
While Nelson recognizes the responsibility of franchise ownership, she’s just as quick to discuss the rewards.
“If I’m going to have my own business, I’ve got to have fun with it, and I have fun with this,” she said. “You’ve got to make your own mark with it, and this just made sense to me because I like people, I like to beautify spaces, and I love to see things changed in a home or business. Before I found Fresh Coat, I didn’t know that owning a painting company was my passion, but it has become that. It’s fun; it excites me.”
Looking toward the future, Nelson knows that her work with Fresh Coat today is setting the stage for a great opportunity for her family. With one daughter currently working in the business, and another who will soon graduate from college and has shown interest in joining the business, Fresh Coat Painters of Alamo Heights is only expanding its reach as a family-owned, women-led business.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
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