Work Series: Rethinking the Field Model (Episode 1)

This is the first episode of our Work Series: a three-part look at how painting companies are rethinking their organizational models.

When the numbers stopped working, Austin Ilsley and his wife Lacie faced a decision that would change everything about how they run their field team at Ai Painting Plus. Austin walks us through the financial turning point that pushed them away from a full W2 model and what the shift to subcontractors actually looked like on the ground.

Lessons from the Shift to Subcontractors

From rebuilding their team to redefining where control lives in the business, he shares the real lessons behind a transition that’s now producing true financial health.

Halfway through 2026, what’s actually moving the needle in marketing and what’s just noise? David Kryszczak, Founder & President of Spartan Digital, joins the show for a mid-year reality check on AI, search behavior, and where trades businesses should be spending (and not spending) their marketing dollars. From AEO and “robots tricking robots” to the return of direct mail and the truth about AI voice agents, David breaks down what’s working, what’s hype, and how to keep your business visible no matter how fast the algorithms change.

Stop bleeding cash during your busiest seasons and discover how to project exactly where every dollar goes before a financial crunch hits your business. In this episode of Business is Messy, Brian Nolan and Colin Nolan discuss how to dismantle “camel leadership” to get your management team rowing in perfect sync, plus a practical blueprint to audit your operations for AI adoption without triggering employee panic. Tune in to master the exact tools needed to eliminate the back-end chaos, reclaim your peace of mind, and turn everyday operational messes into structured, predictable victories.

What does it really mean to run a business at the highest level? In this episode, Molly sits down with NCG Senior Business Coach and Director of Operations Kathryn Freeman to break down the Nolan Consulting Group Business Excellence Certification: a multi-faceted framework that looks beyond revenue to measure how a business performs financially, how it treats its team, and how it shows up for its customers. Kathryn walks through how the certification was built, what the review process looks like, and which metrics tend to be the hardest to hit. Plus, a well-deserved congratulations to the 2025 recipients: Kennedy Painting, Olympic Painting, River Birch Builders, and Textbook Painting

Chris Kiefer and Cody Hopkins of PaintOS powered by Boolean break down two separate ladders that determine how much value you’re actually getting from AI: how you use it, and how clean your data is. They walk through real tools they’ve built for painting businesses, explain why understanding the true cost of AI matters more than most owners realize, and point listeners to a free scorecard to find out exactly where they stand on both. Whether you’re just getting started or already deep into building with AI, there’s a clear next step waiting for you.

June is National Safety Month and this episode is our way of honoring it. We gathered five leaders from NCG’s Safety Peer Group, each representing a different role and a different corner of the trades, and asked them what safety really looks like inside their businesses. What you’ll hear isn’t theory, it’s hard-won experience, honest conversation, and a few stories that will stick with you. If you’re a business owner thinking about where safety fits in your company, we think this one’s for you.