The Difference in a Decade: How Joining FinishMaster Changed My Life

It’s amazing what can change in 10 years. A decade ago, I made a decision to put my health and my family first, and soon after, my career at FinishMaster began. Little did I know at the time, not only would FinishMaster allow my career to grow, I would also gain another family in my team and coworkers. But let’s start at the beginning…

I have been in the business all my life; my father owned a shop in Lakewood, New Jersey. On weekends I would sweep the shop, sand bumpers, and do whatever he asked. I’ve always been fascinated by the finished work he did in the good ole lacquer days.

Fresh out of high school I decided to throw my hand in the painting business. I prepped and painted cars at a Maaco for a couple years and then went to the dealership side. Being a lead painter in the few shops I worked was great. I was able to get married, start a family, and live comfortably as I settled into adulthood. However, as I turned 30, I noticed my father’s health start to deteriorate. As I watched him work through the years, he never protected himself from the environment. That is when I decided to take another career path – one that would allow me to focus on my family and my health.

I was hired by FinishMaster as a “Feet on the Street” Account Manager in August 2006. I took a pay cut, but it was important to me to be the heathiest version of myself and build a great, long life with my wife and two kids. After the first year, sales were going well and I was offered a Technical Rep position. I was very excited for the opportunity and quickly realized being technical was my wheelhouse. I loved the role, loved teaching, and I felt like I was making a difference.

I enjoy being challenged, and thanks to the support of my mentor, Kevin Smith, and my own drive to succeed, I continue to have phenomenal career growth opportunities. From the technical role, I moved in to business development and am now the Sales Manager for our west central Florida district.

Throughout my growth with FinishMaster, I always think about my father, who passed away from health issues including inosinate poisoning. When that happened, I knew I made the right decision with my career path.

Almost three years later as Sales Manager for District 57, we have been on the rise with continued growth. The growth is not by one person – it is by our family in and around District 57, as well as outside my team and across the company.

Everything we do ties back to our Core Values. If I can only pick a few, these are the ones I have struck by most throughout my career:

Embrace Change- Accept what comes your way and always strive to improve personally and professionally.

Pursue Growth and Learning- I think if you don’t learn something every day, your day has been wasted.

Be a Family- I absolutely love the company I work for and most of all, my team in District 57.

I truly believe I made the best decision a decade ago. Thank you all who have helped me grow along the way and for helping our company “be part of the solution!”