Tina Miller

In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?

Like I previously mentioned, College Works Painting literally spring boarded me into my career in sales. I had no idea I wanted to be in sales, until I started performing estimates. Who would have thought that a house painting internship would help me discover not only where my talent was in business, but also where my passion was.

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

I was an intern for College Works Painting initially as a freshman, and went on to be a DM my sophomore year. From their, the experience I gained helped me get a Fortune 500 internship which eventually led to a full time position after college as one of the youngest sales representatives in my field nationally. That would not have been possible without the College Works Painting experience on my resume and the lessons I learned in those two years.

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 client. They were not the first ones I booked, but they were the first ones I painted. When I went in for the estimate, they had already researched me and could tell me where I was born, went to high school, what I ran in state track and even what I was doing at school. I was stunned and even a little worried. I had to work hard for that sale, considering they were both in sales and were not going to allow me to get off easily. When it was all said and done, I received hugs and a $1 bill with the words “first of a million” written on it. They believed in me then, and that kind of belief is what has kept me so driven all these years.

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

Sometimes you have to fail to succeed. There were a lot of things I did very wrong in those two years with College Works Painting, but I learned from it, and I became a much stronger person because of it. Having College Works Painting, my teammates and my DM at my back allowed me to make the mistakes I would learn the most from. You do not learn those lessons in a classroom.

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

I made so many friends during my time with College Works Painting, and will still reach out to them regularly for career advice and personal advice. Even 5 years after the fact, my DM remains the top reference on my resume.