About Sisu Painting

After spending several years working two jobs to make ends meet, Nancy, a single mom decided to go into the construction business for herself.  She didn’t have any real experience or skills one might depend on, but from her Finnish father she had inherited a hardworking tenacity and a fighting spirit he referred to as “sisu.”

After spending one day working with two women who owned a construction cleaning business, Nancy applied for her own CCB (Construction Contractor’s Board) license and suddenly found herself in business for herself.  With a lot of luck, support and hard work, Nancy had booked enough cleaning clients within her first two weeks to quit her day jobs…and she never looked back.

Nancy was a quick study and began to learn about the construction business by being on job sites and asking a lot of questions. After spending a couple of years cleaning, a client asked her if she knew anyone who could paint an apartment interior on short notice. Without giving it too much thought, she volunteered.  Nancy knew little to nothing about painting and, after spending an entire day with a paintbrush in her hand and making very little money for her efforts, she was reduced to tears.  Nancy felt defeated. However, a few days later when the same client called asking for more painting, she suddenly found herself learning how to paint and running a second business. Marketing her painting services to her cleaning clients was productive and she spent her days honing her skills with a brush and roller and working harder than ever before.

Cylina joined Nancy in 2001 as her partner and they decided it was time to learn to paint exteriors.  They approached a current client, asking if they could do an exterior paint job for them for the cost of the paint and sundries.  The client jumped on their offer and gave them a 100 year-old craftsman style house for their first project.  What a house to cut their teeth on, and what a learning experience!

Cylina and Nancy worked so hard on that house and, within just a few days, they presented a beautiful paint job that got rave reviews from the property manager.  That company promptly contracted Nancy and Cylina to paint several more exteriors and interiors.

In those days, Sisu Painting worked long hours painting for several management companies around town.  The ladders were heavy and the work was hard on their bodies, but their business was thriving and they were happy… until the economy began to decline. Suddenly, the phone stopped ringing and business screeched to a halt.  They realized it was time to change the way they did business. They needed to change their model if they were going to expand and grow.  It was time to work smarter, not harder. Nancy credits her Finnish fighting spirit – Sisu – with giving her the courage to move forward in spite of the odds, so it seemed appropriate to call their new company Sisu Painting.

On faith, they hired their first employee.  To generate new business, they joined a networking group and hired a business coach. They said they wanted to be the best painting company in town… and they wanted to get there through hard work and honest business practices.  This remains their goal, and their commitment.

Thanks to hard work, strategic thinking and the incredible support of their coach and the community, they now spend their days working on the strategic side of our business, always striving to improve the experience for their clients… and for their employees.

It’s been an amazing, terrifying, exhilarating, triumphant journey to grow a small entrepreneurial dream into a thriving, successful business. Nancy and Cylina are so proud of what they have accomplished in a few short years.

Today, Sisu Painting is listed among the highest rated painting companies on Angie’s List, Google, Houzz and Yelp. They owe a debt of gratitude to the clients, partners and employees who have walked with them every step of the way and allowed them to become who they are today.  These relationships are the foundation of their business, and they are at the heart of their company.