Jason Hart

In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?

College Works Painting helped me realize that I’m capable of accomplishing complex tasks and running a small business. It also helped me with my interpersonal skills and working with clients.

How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?

I was brought on as a district manager after my intern year. I was then brought over to a division of College Works Painting that was called ISM. From what I understand, ISM and the work that we did helped see College Works Painting through the pandemic when we could not meet with customers in person.

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?

My favorite client was my first big job: Warner Blackburn in 2015. I had gone several weeks with the only job I had signed being a deck power washing job, and I was contemplating quitting the program all together. I kept having potential clients either cancel their consult or balk at the price I gave them, and I was extremely disheartened. When I did Warner’s estimate, it was for a rental and he was not there, so I was told that the chances of him signing were very small. I called him after I had completed the estimate and told him the price which was right around $8,000. I will always remember him saying ” that’s wonderful” and asking when I could come by for him to sign the contract. Warner passed away during the dirty kanza bike race a few years ago, but if it wasn’t for him I probably would not have even got to the summer of my intern year.

What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?

As a leader, you have to be willing to make the hard decisions, and accept the responsibility when things don’t pan out perfectly. The people you serve and the people who work for you will appreciate it.

How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?

My district manager went on to work for Deloitte after graduation, and helped me draft financial plans for a business that I was looking to purchase a few years ago. Nowadays we’re both out of the business world and we regularly chat whenever we see each other. I also really enjoy seeing College Works Painting crews working in the towns that I travel to and I also enjoy seeing people’s flyers and seeing managers get after it.

If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?

Find out what you’re made of, by working with a paintbrush.