Last month, I embarked on what I thought would be a simple project: repainting my home office. After a year of staring at the same beige walls during video calls, I needed a change that would refresh both my space and my mindset.
After researching painters in Winchester VA (where my weekend home is located), I found Brackens Painting through a colleague’s recommendation. What I expected to be a straightforward service call turned into an unexpected lesson in business management.
“Your walls tell a story about your environment,” Kevin Brackens, owner of Brackens Painting, told me during our consultation. “Most people choose colors based on trends, but rarely consider how those colors affect their daily mood and productivity.” This simple observation stopped me in my tracks. How often do we make workplace decisions based on trends rather than their actual impact on our teams?
As Kevin and his team transformed my dreary beige walls into a sophisticated blue-gray, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the recent redesign of our company headquarters. We’d spent months debating aesthetics, but had anyone asked how the environment would affect our team’s wellbeing?
The renovation process also highlighted something I’ve observed in successful businesses: clear communication prevents complications. When Kevin’s team encountered unexpected water damage behind my bookcase, they immediately presented options rather than making assumptions about my preferences or budget.
By the time my office was complete, I had a list of business insights drawn from watching skilled professionals at work:
- Expert advice comes from experience, not just credentials
- The environment we create directly impacts performance
- Good communication prevents costly misunderstandings
- Sometimes you need to strip away old layers before you can build something new
Who knew that finding painters in Winchester, VA would lead to rethinking our company’s recent restructuring approach? Sometimes the best business lessons come from unexpected sources.
Until next time, Kay
P.S. I’m writing this from my newly painted office, and yes, my productivity has increased. Kevin was right about the power of environment!
