Director of Franchise Support Carrie Robinson Shares Her Journey with the Painting Brand
Carrie Robinson worked her way up from blogging for Color World Painting as an Indiana college student to becoming director of franchise support for the 27-year-old brand. During her career climb, she learned the residential and commercial painting (and more) franchise inside and out.
“I joined the Color World Painting team when I was offered an opportunity to write for the business blog while studying at DePauw University,” Robinson says. “As the company began franchising in 2016, I joined the team full time as the assistant to the chief operating officer. I’ve since grown into my current role, where I work to promote franchisee success. I also work closely with our vendors to achieve the most efficient and transparent relationships possible. My ongoing goal is to support all Color World franchise locations throughout the process of building their productive businesses.”
Robinson is just a phone call or email away, sometimes when she’s not even on the clock. “I make myself very accessible to franchisees, and if I am available to respond on evenings or weekends, I usually do.” She’s motivated by franchises’ progress: “It is always rewarding to see the entire life cycle of a franchise from signing the franchise agreement to completing training to growing a successful business and starting to think about their succession plan.”
Work-Life Balance
Her day-in-day-out dedication means that “finding work-life balance is always a challenge.” When she needs a timeout to travel or hang out with friends, family and her dog, Quincy, it’s no problem, though. “Our team works hard to encourage each other to take breaks, use vacation time when we need it, and fill in when others are out of the office. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people, and I think our team also does a good job at differentiating between days when we are out of the office but still available if needed, and time off when we are completely unplugged.”
Always on her to-do list is nurturing that collegial, cooperative team spirit among franchisees and throughout the entire Color World franchise. “We host monthly town halls, owners meetings and various webinars. At these events, all of the franchisees are given a chance to speak, ask questions, and collaborate with each other and the corporate team.”
In addition, Color World’s annual conferences facilitate networking and learning. “The conferences connect me with our franchisees located across the country,” Robinson says. “Color World’s emphasis on strong relationships throughout the company will make anyone feel like family.”
She takes pride in that welcoming culture. “Color World offers equal opportunities regardless of background. We promote a culture of respect and understanding to foster an inclusive franchise network where everyone feels valued and supported.”
Equity and Inclusion
Robinson also praises franchising as a whole for its diversity, equality and inclusion practices. “DEI initiatives and flexible work schedules will hopefully open the doors for more women and people from different backgrounds to get involved in franchising.”
Women already have a seat at the table at Color World — Robinson is proof of that — although she needed time to hit her stride. “When I first started, I felt like I was not always taken seriously as a young woman in business. But over the years, as I have gained more confidence in my abilities, others have followed suit.”
She urges businesswomen to be assertive and share ideas. “Speak up! Recognize the importance of your voice in franchise discussions and decision-making processes. It can be easy to sit back and listen to others, but remember that you were hired as a team member, and in a team, everyone’s opinion matters.”
About Color World Franchise
Color World Painting franchises handle all types of interior and exterior paintwork for commercial and residential clients. They paint cabinetry, brickwork, garage doors, decks and fences. Franchisees undergo intensive training to prepare quotes, close sales, hire contractors, and manage their finances. The training starts with a six-week pretraining program and is followed by 80 hours of in-person classroom training held at corporate headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.
Franchisees benefit from multiple, diverse revenue streams that bring in income year-round: powerwashing, interior and exterior painting and staining, gutter installation, carpentry services, including repairs to damaged window frames, drywall installation and repair, siding replacement and holiday light installation.
For more information about the Color World Painting franchise, visit https://www.colorworldfranchise.com/.
