40. Business, Risk, and Resilience: What It Really Takes to Go Out on Your Own

On this week of the U Spray Podcast, Mitch and Toddy sit down for an honest conversation about what it really takes to go out on your own and build a business in the painting and spray painting industry. After nearly three years in business, they reflect on the lessons that only come from being responsible for everything yourself—from making the hard decisions and dealing with pressure to learning that not everyone will be as reliable as you expect. They discuss the importance of knowing your value, setting boundaries with customers and clients, and being willing to say no when a job or relationship doesn't fit your business. They also explore why being good at what you do isn't always enough—you need the confidence to stand behind your skills and understand what your time and expertise are worth. The conversation also looks at the realities of running a small trade business today, including rising costs, wages, productivity, staffing challenges, competition, and the pressure to keep improving while still delivering for your customers. A major focus of the episode is failure and accountability. Mitch and Toddy share why making mistakes doesn't have to be the end of the road, and how owning those mistakes can be the first step towards becoming better at what you do. Toddy shares a particularly costly overspray experience from his painting days and how that mistake changed the way he approached spraying. Rather than walking away from it, he used the experience to improve his technique, awareness, and understanding of overspray. They also discuss why fear of failure stops so many people from taking the next step, whether that's starting a business, investing in training, buying better equipment, or simply trying something outside their comfort zone. For painters, spray contractors, and trade business owners thinking about going out on their own—or already in the thick of it—this episode is a candid look at the risk, responsibility, mistakes, and resilience that come with building something for yourself. **Today's Takeaways**: • Being good at what you do isn't enough—you need to recognise and stand behind your value. • Not every customer or opportunity will be right for your business, and learning to say no matters. • When you're running your own business, you can't rely on someone else to get the hard things done. • Trust is important in business, but people need to show that they're trustworthy. • Mistakes and failure can become valuable lessons when you take accountability and learn from them. • Fear of failure can stop people from taking the risks needed to grow. • Investing in training means being willing to admit there is always more to learn. • Business owners need to understand their numbers, manage rising costs, and keep looking for ways to improve productivity. • Accountability gives you the opportunity to identify what went wrong, fix it, and do better next time. • You can't avoid every failure—you can choose to learn from it and keep going. **Connect With Us**: **Instagram**: *@thespraygunclub* **Toddy’s Instagram**: *@yo\_painters* **Facebook**: The Spray Gun Club **Website**: *www.thespraygunclub.com.au* **YouTube**: @thespraygunclub