Bill Ferst
- President
- First Place Painting, LLC
School Information
School: Penn State University
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2004 to 2010
Career Information
Working For: First Place Painting, LLC
Title: President
Industry: Construction
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
As the president of the company, I do all the estimates, I manage and oversee the jobs and I make sure that every customer is satisfied with the work that we do.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?My proudest accomplishment since leaving College Works Painting is starting my business and proving to myself, my friends and my family that I’m able to achieve those goals.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting taught me all the skills needed to successfully run a business.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
Through the mentoring of my VP I was able to conquer some of my short comings in business like organization and accountability. Now those are things I can call strengths in my business.
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
Chris Fenton comes to mind. He was one of my first clients I ever did work for. He let me know early on that he wasn’t fully pleased with the prep we were doing. We corrected it right away and I learned fast how to manage customer’s expectations. We also had great conversations about Las Vegas. This was in 2004.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The greatest lesson I learned from College Works Painting was how to effectively manage people and because of that it made me realize I want to be a business owner.
How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?
Well for starters, two of my best friends were in my wedding. Brent Miller married my wife and I while Zack Matush did a reading during the ceremony. I was also one of Brent Miller’s groomsmen at his wedding. I also drove to St. Louis, MO (20 hours each way) to go to Chris Heerdegen’s wedding. Why? Because I love that guy. I’ve traveled all of the country and have ALWAYS had a place to sleep thanks to my friends from College Works Painting. I’ve gone to Vegas, been to Denver, CO for a Broncos game, California, Boston, etc. just to see these people that have made an impact on my life.
If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?
We tried this once before, remember Lulu? My favorite then and still favorite now is Don’t be nervous, this is our first time too.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
My biggest piece of advice is simple – just work hard. Sounds simple, but most people fail in this internship because they think it’s too hard or they would rather party on weekends than learn the skills needed to compete in today’s job market. College Works Painting will teach you how to be successful but some will embrace it and some will run from it. Don’t be afraid of hard work.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
If you’re entering my major of marketing, there’s no way to learn how to market from a book. You need to DO IT. College Works Painting, lets you learn by doing and because of that you have a much better learning experience than reading a text book.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Too many to count, but if I had to select one, it might be holding up the Division of the Year award back in 2008 (I think). From my first year as an intern, I vividly remember the first time I saw the beach at Cancun. I remember dipping my toes in the sand and telling myself, This is why I worked so hard.
Last words of wisdom?
You truly can be and do whatever you want in life. You just can’t be afraid of what others might think and you can’t be afraid to work for it. Spoils go to the victor and the victor is that person who is willing to work just a little more than the next guy. Don’t wish to have a great career and a great life and HOPE that it will just happen…nothing just happens. You need to bust your ass because life won’t just hand you all your wishes and dreams.