Behind the Brush | The Painter and Decorator Podcast

In this episode of Behind the Brush, I’m joined by Sean Kelly, who shares his story of  43 years in the painting and decorating trade so far.We go right back to where it all began, how Sean got into the industry, how the trade has changed over the decades, and some of the biggest lessons he’s learned along the way.We also get into the realities of being self-employed, the pressures that can come with running your own business, mental health, suicide prevention, family, cycling, staying active, giving back to the industry, and the importance of looking after yourself as well as your business.Sean has a huge amount of experience, but what really comes through is his perspective on life, work, community and helping others.A proper honest conversation with plenty of stories, lessons and advice from more than four decades in the trade.Real. Raw. Relatable.🎙️ Behind the Brush with Sean Kelly

Behind the Brush with Danielle Donaghy | Business, Family, Sacrifice & What Success Really MeansThis might be one of the most important and personal conversations we’ve had on Behind the Brush.I’m joined by my wife and business partner, Danielle, for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a business while trying to build a life and raise a family at the same time.We look back at our journey from two young people trying to figure it all out, through growing Paintworks, taking risks, employing teams, investing in vans, equipment and premises, making mistakes and learning some very expensive lessons along the way.But this episode is about much more than business.We talk about the pressure that comes home with you, being physically present but mentally still at work, the sacrifices families make behind successful businesses, money, parenting, relationships, learning when bigger isn’t necessarily better, and how our definition of success has completely changed over the years.Danielle also shares her side of the journey - raising our family, working behind the scenes in the business, supporting my ambitions and carrying responsibilities that people on the outside rarely see.This conversation isn’t about pretending we got everything right. We absolutely didn’t.It’s about sharing what we’ve learned so that another painter, tradesperson, business owner, husband, wife or young couple starting out might recognise themselves in our story and perhaps avoid some of the mistakes we made.If you’re building a business and a family at the same time, this episode is for you.What are you actually building - a bigger business, or a better life?

🎙️ Behind the Brush – Adam Hughes | Starting From Scratch at 26This week I’m joined by Adam Hughes from AH Painting for a really raw, relatable and good craic episode.Adam has a teaching degree, travelled through Thailand and eventually came home with a decision made -he was going to back himself and start his own painting business.Only six months in, we talk about the reality of starting out at 26. Buying his first van outright to keep his overheads down, struggling to get his pricing right, becoming VAT registered, finding a good accountant, dealing with a customer who didn’t pay and learning the hard way why terms and conditions matter.We also go right back to where it started — the painter who took Adam under his wing when he was younger, the lessons that stuck with him, his hunger to earn money and how those early experiences shaped the way he works today.We get into his love for spraying, where he wants to take AH Painting, what success actually means to him and the pressures and pain points that come with trying to build a business in your 20s.What made this one especially interesting for me is that Adam started his business at 26 - exactly the same age I was when I went out on my own.Two completely different stages of the journey, but a lot of the same lessons.Over two hours of honest conversation, plenty of laughs and absolutely no pretending to have it all figured out.If you’re a young painter, recently self-employed or even thinking about going out on your own, there’s plenty in this one for you. 

This week on Behind The Brush, I sit down with Tony Pearson-Young for a fantastic conversation about a career that has taken him from apprentice to decorator, business owner, sales, qualified tutor at the Dulux Academy and now Business Development Manager with A J Systems, helping bring Corona Brushes to decorators across the UK.We go right back to Tony’s apprenticeship and ask how training has changed over the last 30-40 years, whether the decorating trade needs licensing, and the real pain points of running your own business.Tony opens up about stepping away from decorating into sales, the skills that gave him, returning to the tools, and eventually taking the leap to apply for the Dulux Academy -overcoming his own limiting beliefs along the way.We talk about the fulfilment of becoming a qualified tutor and trainer, helping hundreds of decorators develop new skills, confidence and push themselves further than they thought possible.And now, another chapter - back on the road, back in sales and helping grow Corona Brushes in the UK with A J Systems.A brilliant story about change, experience, self-belief and never being afraid to start another chapter.Real. Raw. Relatable. This is Behind The Brush with Tony Pearson-Young. 🎙️

A real, raw and relatable solo episode about being too busy, struggling to find good people, dealing with negativity and underperformance, charging the right rates and becoming more efficient. No filters-just honest lessons, practical solutions and plenty of craic from life behind the brush.