Franchisee Stories
Franchisee Matt Boden is more than a business owner — he’s a community champion, using his platform to give back to families across Tampa through Fresh Coat Cares.
Fresh Coat* Painters franchisee Matt Boden is showing Tampa what it means to be a smart, community-driven business owner. Through his growing painting business — Fresh Coat Painters of Tampa — and his commitment to charitable initiatives, Boden demonstrates how franchise ownership can become a force for good.
Boden’s journey to Fresh Coat began in 2022, after a two-decade career in hospitality. “Back in 2022, I decided to go into the franchise industry,” he said. “Went through a couple different concepts and fields and really kind of honed in on the painting industry and got to meet with Fresh Coat and it just felt like a great fit.”
He was drawn to Fresh Coat for its turnkey model and its commitment to community — a value that resonated with his past experience. “In the hospitality industry, you’re always connected to your community and want to stay close with them, so I knew after conversations with Fresh Coat that would be a good fit for us,” he said.
Boden soon got involved with Fresh Coat Cares, the brand’s charitable initiative that provides $500 worth of paint and $500 worth of labor for philanthropic projects. “In my prior career, I always partnered with local organizations because having that community outreach was so important for the business,” Boden said. “When I heard about Fresh Coat Cares, it made my decision to join the franchise even easier.”
Boden’s first major Fresh Coat Cares partnership was with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF), a Tampa-based organization working to fund safer, more effective treatments for children. Boden, a cancer survivor himself — “12 years in remission now” — saw this as a powerful opportunity to make an impact.
“This is a great foundation and it was really important for me to find a way to help them on their mission and give back to my community,” Boden said.
Through the program, Boden and his team painted rooms for children battling cancer, including one special project for a young girl. “The partnership has been going great so far,” Boden said. “We sponsored a local fashion show to raise awareness and money, for example, and we already painted the room of a child named Antebellum while she was in school. She came home and was so blown away — the walls were her favorite color and we got a giant stuffed animal waiting for her. It was really a special experience.”
In another Fresh Coat Cares initiative, Boden partnered with Hands Across the Bay, a nonprofit that helps survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives — a cause deeply personal to Boden. “I experienced domestic violence as a child, so it was one of those things that was close to me. I could definitely connect with it,” Boden said.
For their first project together, Boden’s team painted bedrooms for a family in transition. “We met with Jennifer, who’s the mother, and we repainted her daughter Cheyenne’s room in a unicorn theme,” Boden said. “And then she had two stepsons that were just moving in soon, and we repainted their room half blue and half red to kind of help them give a separate style in each half of the room.”
The team even created a vibrant accent wall for Cheyenne. “Seeing the joy on Cheyenne’s face when she saw her newly transformed room — it was a simple change, but it made a world of difference for her and her mom,” Boden said.
Boden hopes this is just the beginning. “We’re planning to do something similar once a quarter, though we’re open to doing more as opportunities arise,” he said.
Boden says initiatives like these don’t just help the community — they help build stronger relationships with customers and neighbors. “It’s always great to have a personal connection to whatever you’re supporting. But at the end of the day, you want to help people living in your community because those are the people who are helping to push your community forward,” he said.
Looking ahead, Boden plans to keep the momentum going. “Short term, we are excited to help these 10 children we’ve lined up,” he said. “I would really encourage any franchise owner to take advantage of community outreach programs. It really helps drive awareness and allows you to make a difference at the same time.”
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