I never expected to end up in the paint industry, but life has a way of taking unexpected turns. My father-in-law, Russell, has been in the business for decades. He started in a paint store right after high school, then moved on to a company in Hollywood that specialized in paint for movie sets. Over time, he became a manager, built a successful career, and eventually worked in international sales. Just before COVID hit, he was at a crossroads—should he start his own paint store? He took the leap, and that’s how Paint Garden was born.
At the time, I was in engineering school, struggling to focus with all the disruptions COVID brought. Russell offered me and my wife, Sarah (Russel's daughter), jobs at Paint Garden, and we saw it as a great opportunity to try something new. We originally planned to open in January 2020, but the pandemic delayed things until June. Our first year was solid, thanks to strong recommendations from manufacturers like Benjamin Moore, who helped guide us with software choices, shelving, and other essentials.
For our point-of-sale system, we initially went with Decor Fusion. I didn’t have much experience with POS software, but even I could tell it felt outdated—it had an old-school Windows look and limited flexibility. Russell was comfortable with it, but as we grew, I started seeing its limitations. It wasn’t easy to modify, and it lacked the kind of modern technology that would help us scale efficiently.
Joe from Rundoo had been reaching out to us for a while, but we weren’t quite ready to make a change. A year or two later, Clara reached out and when we finally revisited the idea, the timing was right, and we decided to switch to Rundoo.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we made for Paint Garden. The transition was smooth, and while we had a few minor hiccups—mainly with how formulas were recorded in our old system—Rundoo’s reporting tools and Excel exports made it easy to navigate any challenges. The support team was great, and we were able to work through everything quickly.
What I love most about Rundoo is the flexibility and modern features. The mobile app has been a game-changer. Being able to manage discounts, margins, and inventory from my phone makes running the business so much easier. Sales have been seamless, and the whole team has adapted well to the new system. We’re excited about future updates like a scheduling app and a chat feature for staff communication, which would make things even better.
Switching to Rundoo has streamlined our workflow, given us more control, and set us up for long-term success. Paint Garden is growing, and with Rundoo by our side, I’m confident we have the right tools to keep moving forward. What started as an unexpected opportunity has turned into an exciting business journey, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
