Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Kuyper.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our entire lives were immersed in entrepreneurship since a young age. My father was a successful entrepreneur turned entrepreneur educator, and my husband (and business partner) Matt’s father was an engineer turned “accidental” entrepreneur. So, while we both spent the first ten years of our career working for other companies/organizations, we did everything with the mindset of innovation and entrepreneurship.
My first job was my childhood dream job: teaching, coaching, and eventually moving into administration at a private high school in Nashville, TN. It was everything I ever dream of and I spent my time there rebuilding a program, developing a new curriculum, and finding ways to ignite my entrepreneurial drive. Matt dove into a career in commercial construction. While his end goal was originally elsewhere, he kept feeling drawn to the construction industry and found a great opportunity that led to more great opportunities.
It was not until ten years into working that we both starting wondering if there was a different lifestyle for our family. After much prayer and consult, we opened Harpeth Painting, LLC. as a “side business” in 2017. Work came from friends, family, old colleagues, and referrals. We had one plan: show up for our clients in every way.
Our first year and a half proved to be successful; there was a opportunity in the market. A mere two weeks before I gave birth to our third child, Matt left his day job and took on Harpeth Painting, LLC. full time. While I was majority owner, given the whole third-child-thing I took a back seat for a few months.
Fast forward to 2024 and we are ending the year with 12 office employees and nearly 100 painters in the field. We went from painting only to offering wallcovering, plaster, concrete coatings, and fine finishes. We have some of the most fabulous clients we could dream of and continue to be excited for the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business from the ground up with your partner is one of the greatest gifts I could imagine. Starting a business from the ground up with your partner whom you also share house chores, mortgages, child-rearing, and life with can also be one of the trickiest relationships I could imagine.
Most of our hiccups and bumps along the road (to date) have not been noteworthy. A few problem jobs, a few failed crew members, and a few moments of wondering what we are doing. I call that entrepreneurship 101. I believe our biggest challenge has been making choices that are best for the company as well as our family. The more hires we make, the more families our company has to account for… but also in the end, our family is the number one driving factor for every decisions we make. Marrying these two takes intentionality, wise consult, and humility.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Harpeth Painting, LLC.?
Harpeth Painting, LLC is a commercial & residential painting contractor located in Nashville, TN. We specialize in painting, wallcovering, concrete coatings, speciality finishes, limewash & plaster, and pretty much anything else that can go on a surface to make it pretty!
We are a women-owned business, certified in Fine Paints of Europe, EPA, AAMP, and much more.
Our goal is to provide craftsmanship and character throughout all phases of a project. We bring our core values into everything we do: expertise, continuous improvement, trust, teamwork, and problem solving.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
We totally geek out over the science of paint. Everyone on our team will get swept away in a conversation about coatings or application. It’s pretty awesome.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.harpethpaintingllc.com
- Instagram: @harpethpaintingllc
- Facebook: @harpethpaintingllc
- Youtube: @harpethpaintingllc
