The Early Years: From Tradesman to Business Owner

At the age of 21, with a wealth of practical experience and determination, Colby Davis launched his own venture, Davis Painting. The company’s beginnings were lean and emblematic of a bootstrapping entrepreneur. His initial assets consisted of a small Ford Ranger truck, and his first office was a desk in his bedroom at his mother’s house.

For the first five years of the business, Davis replicated the intense, hands-on work ethic he had grown up with. He was the primary painter and operator, sacrificing nights and weekends and enduring the physical toll of the trade, including multiple pinched nerves. This period was characterized by immense effort and “the grind,” but it yielded impressive results. Within just three years of its founding, Davis Painting had grown by over 1600%, expanded its fleet to five vehicles, and employed a team of five to nine people. By 2017, the company was on a clear trajectory to surpass $1 million in annual sales. However, the unsustainable nature of this approach prompted a critical moment of reflection that would redefine his future and the future of his company.