Barbie Dorsey is proud to be a part of The National Association of Women in Construction

Barbie Dorsey is the owner of CertaPro Painters, which provides residential and commercial painting Servicing Wilmington—New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties. To provide customers with a worry-free painting experience, CertaPro Painters® develops a customized project plan that is complete with safety and cleaning guidelines.

What made you realize you wanted to start a business?

My past encompasses everything from leading teams and Land Development; to interior design and commercial design…I realized I was protecting everyone’s business as if it was my own. Over the years, I realized that I needed to do this for myself…run a business, own a business and create a culture. It goes back to about 2005, I was looking into painting my home and after doing my due diligence I came upon the CertaPro Painters® brand. It was an easy, good guy family company. I had a great experience and, fast forward to 2011, I ended up joining their team, running residential and commercial sales for 8 years. That was the catalyst for me opening CertaPro Painters® in Wilmington.

Do you have a secret sauce for hiring and/or retention?

I never lose sight of the fact that I’m not producing the work; somebody on my team is producing the work. So, my role is hiring the labor and getting to know them. When you start a business, you create your own mission and culture. The biggest thing has been speaking to the crews, understanding their needs and goals, letting them know that I’m not working for you and you’re not working for me, we’re working together. That’s essential because ultimately, they are the last point of contact for our customers. Speaking with intention, passion and conviction is also essential, because in this male saturated industry, I’ve learned a lot from being open, listening and not talking so much …basically just understanding who’s there to support you. It’s not easy all the time being in these businesses, but I think it’s important to have fun and remember your why. It’s important to build your brand, to inspire your crews and your customers, so can you can create that culture.

What does success mean for you?

Part of success for me is finally having a NAWIC chapter here in Wilmington. It’s fabulous that we can all get together and be supportive colleagues to each other. For me, delivering on my promises is paramount. Doing what you say you will do is not always easy, but when the team delivers on time because of the culture you created, it’s a great feeling.