Women Lead the Charge in Fresh Coat Franchise Success

In industries traditionally dominated by men, women are breaking barriers, proving that leadership, innovation and success are without bounds. The home services sector is a prime space for women looking to do just this, and Fresh Coat Painters, the 170-plus-unit painting franchise, is transforming how women can thrive as business owners.

As the demand for professional painting services continues to grow, Fresh Coat is empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs, including a rising number of women who are running successful businesses and reshaping what it means to be successful owners in a traditionally male field.

Turning Passion Into Profit

After 20 years of steady work in the insurance industry, Jennifer Burgh began looking for her next opportunity. As she contemplated, she weighed the risk of staying complacent with the risk of doing something new, all the while consistently visiting her daughter in Arizona. During one trip, Burgh dove into the in-flight reading materials and found herself in a franchise deep dive.

“I thought, ‘I have money. I can buy a business,’” she said. “I was looking at ads and ended up tearing a page out and taking it home. I put it in my nightstand to look into later and quickly got in touch with some franchise professionals.”

After exploring several options in the home services space, Burgh found her way to Fresh Coat. She met with the leadership team, reaffirmed her interest in the business and launched Fresh Coat of Monrovia in 2019. Over the past five years, Burgh has noted the satisfaction she finds in completing projects. In the insurance world, the sales cycle can feel never-ending as teams are consistently prepping for next year’s coverage. With Fresh Coat, she can close a deal, complete the project and admire the work.

“With this, you go in and — no matter how big or small the project is — you get it done,” Burgh said. “Not only are you accomplished, but people are happy and you can move on to the next project that will make more people happy. That’s a great feeling.”

As she has grown her business, Burgh has become an important part of her community, contributing to annual charitable events and taking part in major projects with national brands.

“We recently completed a project in a large Harley Davidson dealership,” she said. “Harley Davidson has rebranded themselves with new logos and color schemes, and we recently completed a third phase of the interior of the 30,000 square-foot building. Given the logistics of doing such a large building and the pride associated with working with such an iconic brand, this has definitely been one of my biggest accomplishments as an entrepreneur.”

A Leap of Faith and New Career

Fresh Coat gave Mandy Mundh, who had no prior business ownership experience, an opportunity to support her family’s dreams while building a new, exciting career of her own.

Mundh is from Toronto. During the pandemic, her contract as a project manager came to an end, and her husband was working in insurance, which he could do from almost anywhere.

“It was January of 2022, and I remember my husband came home one day and said, ‘What about moving to Florida?’” Mundh said. “This was something we’d always wanted to do. We wanted to move from Toronto, but we never really took that risk because we didn’t know if we would be able to get a job or what would happen. We used to dream big. Our kids were young and adaptable, so without hesitation, I said, ‘We have nothing to lose. Let’s see if we can get the visa to go to Florida.’”

Mundh explained that, at the time, she was completely fine with staying in Toronto if the visa did not come through, but the E-2 visa was a viable option for entrepreneurs. Through their research, Mundh and her husband found Fresh Coat and began the process to invest and relocate. 

Two years ago, the family moved to the Tampa area, and Mundh launched her woman-owned Fresh Coat franchise. As she has grown, Mundh said she has seen just how grateful clients are to work with a friendly, communicative business owner, and she is largely fueled by the positive feedback she receives as proof that she is making a real impact in the community.

“Right now, I still consider myself new in the game, but when clients are happy with their results and even leave really heartfelt reviews, it’s like a breath of fresh air,” she said. “It’s really nice to know that my clients are happy because that’s my passion. I want them to be 100% satisfied with their home, and to know we’ve delivered on that satisfies my soul.”

For anyone looking to take a similar leap, Mundh says to face your fears.

“Before we even thought of coming to Florida, I was wondering if I would be a stay-at-home mom forever or what I would do with my life. Thinking of moving to Florida, away from all of my friends and family in Toronto, to open this business — I was very scared,” she said. “It was hard, but knowing that my kids look at me and know I’m a businesswoman, and that my clients are happy … It just makes me want to do it 10 times over. Face your fears! It’s hard, but you can make it happen.”

Connecting More Deeply With the Community

A numbers person, Sarah Ross, owner of Fresh Coat of Southwest Austin, understood quite clearly that franchising could be a great fit for her when she began considering options beyond the corporate world.

“I got burnt out sitting behind a desk. I needed to do something else, but it had to be something with flexibility,” Ross said. “I wanted to get out into the community and see others rather than just working with numbers all day long. I wanted to own my own business, but I was risk averse. I’m a numbers person, and I knew I’d need coaching on all the other aspects of the business. That’s why I started looking at franchising.”

Ross said although she knew painting was a male-dominated industry, Fresh Coat seemed like a fit.

“It felt like a process I could manage,” she said. “It is a male-dominated industry, but I feel like it can attract women because of our attention to detail. Sometimes you’ll see a little bit of shock when a woman shows up to the job, But I can use my attention to detail, reliability and strong communication to stand out.”

In addition to connecting with the community through high-quality service, Ross has also found unexpected fulfillment in the ability to employ painting teams.

“The biggest rewarding point that I didn't expect was the ability to employ others,” she said. “I knew that was the model with Fresh Coat, but I didn’t realize how much some painters struggle. My teams are thankful that I can keep them busy and they’re not out trying to sell the next project every time something winds down. They’re skilled at what they do, and they just want to be respected, be busy and do their trade.”

Looking toward the future, Ross continues to stay involved in the community, both within her business and beyond it noting, “My upcoming goal is to hit $3 million. I want to push for my teams to achieve that.

A Strong Opportunity in a High-Demand Industry

Amy Wasserman, who owns Fresh Coat of Sarasota, Florida, felt a strong connection to the brand and its values shortly after she learned of it. While Wasserman had prior experience renovating her own home in Canada and experience in a family-owned company that did some painting, it was never her primary focus.

“After COVID, I realized that the home services industry was full of those essential services that people always need. There’s always going to be a need for painting, no matter what happens in the economy,” Wasserman said. “That was part of what made me want to own a painting company. When I came across Fresh Coat, I really connected with the brand and what it stands for. Everything about the high levels of customer service really personified who I am and my background — I’ve always been in customer service. I wanted a company that really prides itself on that as a way of doing business, and that certainly made Fresh Coat stand out.”

Since launching, Wasserman has consistently grown and networked, breaking into the commercial industry and building a plan for steady ongoing growth.

“I truly believe that a lot of clients actually view women owners and project managers as a valued asset in our industry,” she said. “If you believe you can do it and are willing to take the time and effort necessary to train and educate yourself, I think you can do it. Any woman can do it!”

Each of these women has redefined what it means to lead, not just by growing profitable businesses but by enriching their communities and setting new standards of excellence in quality and service. As more women continue to step into leadership and ownership roles in the home services industry, their influence will continue to expand, paving the way for future generations of female entrepreneurs.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.