From Paint Brushes to Profits: How Harrison Edwards Built a Scalable Business Before 30

The Entrepreneur’s Journey Podcast with Michael Pallozzi of HFM Investment Advisors

Welcome to Episode 23 of The Entrepreneur’s Journey, where Michael sat down with Harrison Edwards, President of My Painter and Exteriors in Arlington, Virginia. He’s not yet 30 and  Harrison has built not just one, but two thriving businesses. And he’s done it with a humility and clarity that many entrepreneurs twice his age strive for.

If you want to grow from expert technician to all-star entrepreneur, Harrison and Michael explore the path that got him from experimenting with pricing, hiring, and just keeping the lights on to expertise in his businesses. It’ll help you stop guessing at growth—without giving up what made you great in the first place. 

From the Job Site to the Boardroom

Harrison’s entrepreneurial story began like so many do, on job sites with his father, learning the ropes of construction. 

By the age of 20, he was launching his own painting company, armed with a lot of grit, but little formal business education. Those early days were all about experimentation, the trial and error that comes with figuring out pricing, hiring, and trying to keep the lights on.

Over time though, he shifted his focus from working in to working on the business more and more.. And that’s when everything changed. Sound familiar?

Learning the Business of Business

It’s a familiar story to Michael, who regularly sees HFM clients, many who are trades professionals, and Entrepreneur Journey guests struggle to transition from technician to business leader. Those early  years, are more focused on what you liked doing than what the business needed you to do.

For Harrison, that all shifted when he started paying close attention to his numbers: his overhead, margins, and those ever changing labor costs. Pricing jobs properly was a turning point for him. And his growth as an entrepreneur was perfectly captured in his story about revisiting one of his very first clients years later, now at more than double his original price.

A Scalable Company Built on Structure

Today, My Painter and Exteriors generates upwards of$4M in annual revenue and employs more than 20 talented team members. That growth didn’t come from taking on more jobs though. It came from building the right team, refining systems, and learning to delegate over time.

Harrison credits his mindset shift: going from “I’m the best salesperson” to building a sales team that could scale. Now, he’s laying the foundation to have the business run without needing him in the day-to-day. Sound like the dream scenario?

Trash Cans and Long-Term Thinking

With the business running well, diversification experiments started to take shape. Harrison co-founded Be Bright Bins, a residential trash can cleaning business that’s exactly what it sounds like, and a surprisingly smart move. Built on a subscription model and now running with three trucks, the business has carved out a niche by offering a service most people don’t want to do themselves.

It’s not flashy, but it’s effective. And a good demonstration of  Harrison’s knack for building systems around even the most unglamorous services.

Lessons from the Episode

If you’ve ever tried to grow your business without a clear plan, you’ll hear yourself in this story. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the shift from “doing the work” to running a company (or two), and how you can avoid getting stuck in technician-mode, and evolve into a sophisticated and satisfying business.

• Pricing isn’t just about covering costs, it’s about understanding your value.
• Systems and teams are the foundation of any business that wants to grow.
• You don’t need all the answers right now, but you do need to stay curious and ask for help.
• Success doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing what matters most.

Why We Share These Stories

At HFM Investment Advisors, we work with entrepreneurs—especially in the trades—to help them organize their personal and business finances, plan for growth, and ultimately build a business that supports their life (not the other way around).

Harrison’s story is proof that with grit, humility, and a little guidance, you can build something sustainable and meaningful. 

Without losing who you are along the way.

🎧 Listen to Episode 23 of The Entrepreneur’s Journey with Michael Pallozzi wherever you get your podcasts. Listen HERE: https://hfmadvisors.link/r4z 

 

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