In the 55th episode of Simply Business, John sits down with Paula Blankenship, founder of a thriving DTC paint brand, to unpack her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey.

From humble beginnings at her kitchen table to scaling into an 8-figure powerhouse,

Paula shares how she transformed a simple DIY project into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Discover how early Facebook traction validated her business idea, why she ditched big-box retail for direct-to-consumer success, and how she navigated pandemic-induced chaos to take control of her supply chain by acquiring her contract manufacturer.

Paula opens up about the tough decisions, like scrapping lucrative deals for long-term freedom, and her inspiring choice to share ownership with her employees through an ESOP.

Key themes include:

Turning passion into profit Pivoting from wholesale to DTC

Leadership resilience in crisis

The power of employee ownership

Building a business for legacy, not just exit

🎯 Listen in for Paula's "lead from the trees" philosophy and a refreshing take on running a business by intuition, not instruction manuals.

If you’re building, growing, or exiting your business, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-talk wisdom.

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