The Great Franchisee: Skye Templin, 360° Painting, Colorado

Skye Templin spent nearly two decades working in residential real estate as a broker and a project manager for a moving company. Earlier this year, Templin decided to leverage her expertise in the home services category to open her own business with 360° Painting, the 120-plus-unit residential and commercial painting franchise, which is now servicing the Littleton and South Metro Denver areas.

We spoke with Templin to learn more about her journey to franchise ownership.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Skye Templin: I worked in the corporate world in a sales management role for many years. In 2003 I acquired my real estate broker’s license, and alongside my real estate business, I contracted as a project manager for a move-management company for. Now, as I transition into life as a franchise owner, I feel like I’ve set myself up for success with lots of highly transferable skills. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner? 

Templin: I was introduced to franchising through a friend of mine who was looking into the opportunity for himself. After he decided to move forward with becoming an owner, he shared the name of the franchise consultant that he was using with me. I reached out and things developed from there. I had never thought much of franchising before I decided to look into it for myself and honestly, when I thought of franchising, I thought of major fast food chains. As I started to delve in and do some research on my own, it seemed like something that I could really build a future around and use as an opportunity to create a stronger retirement plan for myself. 

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Templin: I was looking for something that would give me the opportunity to create something for my future and my family’s future and also giving me the ability to give others in my community a way to earn an income to support themselves and their families through job opportunities with my company. After connecting with an incredible franchise consultant who explained the many different types of franchises and the opportunities they offered, I decided to move forward with the exploration of becoming a franchisee.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Templin: I worked with my franchise consultant who took the time and effort to get to know me. He was able to recommend several franchising choices for me to consider. I then with his guidance did my due diligence with each franchise taking into consideration the opportunities each had to offer.

1851: Why did you pick 360° Painting? What excited you most about the potential?

Templin: After meeting with the corporate team, I felt comfortable with them, and the mission of the company really resonated. I liked the business plan and the concept behind 360° Painting, and it felt like a brand that aligned with my own skills as a real estate agent but also had longevity as a long-term business solution. When I decided to move forward with the training process, it all really sunk in. The training is quite intense: five days a week, all day, for a month, but it also made me feel more comfortable with and confident about my decision. The training program was an amazing opportunity to soak up new information and continually learn, but I also felt like there was already a familiarity with the work that I was doing and a nice complement to my real estate business, which was helpful. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Templin: Right now, my time, energy and attention are focused on getting my territory up and running and becoming successful. Eventually, once things are in place, I could potentially see myself acquiring another brand within the Premium Service Brands umbrella to add to my existing territory or expand 360° Painting to a new territory. There are lots of opportunities to grow both vertically and horizontally, depending on how the future looks. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Templin: I would advise anyone who is thinking about franchising to really look into it as a viable option. My franchise consultant was absolutely incredible, and I’m thrilled with the place that I’m currently in. My consultant took the time to get to know me and find opportunities that felt like the right fit for me rather than just pulling brands out of the air. He was incredibly thoughtful and specific, and now I feel like I am perfectly positioned for success with a brand that I’m both comfortable with and excited about. I think that more people who are interested in starting their own business should take a long look at franchising. Anyone who would like assistance with the possibilities of becoming a franchisee and would like to speak to a fantastic franchise consultant I am happy to connect them with my consultant.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Templin: I work with a nonprofit children’s organization, The Westernaires, which has been such a highlight to my life. It’s a children’s organization that teaches life lessons through horsemanship. The kids range from 9 to 19 years in age. They learn responsibility and teamwork. They learn how to ride mounted drills at speed along with other types of events and skills. I’ve worked with the organization for 23 years and my own children have gone through the program. I’ve built a community of friends and family within this organization and cannot say enough good things about the ways this program has enriched my own life while continuing to benefit the local community.