In this special year-end episode of Scaling the Gap, Madeleine MacRae wraps up 2025 with a guest who could not be a better fit for the finale. Anthony Kulikowski, a lifelong painter from South Bend, shares how one phone call he almost ignored ended up reshaping everything. He was tired, annoyed, stalling before walking back into a job site, and he picked up the phone just to catch his breath. That simple hello opened the path from a $300K independent business to a $750K franchise in his first year and eventually into a $3M multi location operation, all without ever touching a paintbrush again.Anthony talks openly about the tough parts of growth: letting go of roles he used to love, trusting other people to do things he once handled himself, and discovering the joy of watching new leaders rise. His story shows how curiosity, timing, and a little courage can take you places you never expected.As our final guest of 2025, Anthony leaves us with the perfect reminder heading into the new year: sometimes the moment that changes everything shows up looking ordinary. And as we step into 2026, get ready for even more amazing guests, deeper conversations, and the breakthroughs waiting for you. Wishing you a powerful new beginning and a truly Happy 2026.Key TakeawaysHow a single cold call, taken on a bad day, led to a business doubling its revenue.The critical shift from being the best painter to being the best leader and coach.Why "no" in sales is conditional and how to build a pipeline that accounts for life's changing priorities.The "Money Dance": How to translate daily activities into personal paychecks to motivate your team.The under-discussed grief of growth: learning to let go of the work you love to embrace the leader you must become.Why success is more about your team's satisfaction and customer legacy than your top-line revenue.The power of being a "platform" for your employees' growth and the ripple effect of local business ownership.In This Episode(00:00) Introduction to Anthony Kulikowski(05:33) First year franchise growth and realizations(08:21) Life happens: timing and customer readiness(13:06) The money dance: translating activity to results(17:01) Ripple effect: lifting as we climb(18:17) Biggest challenges in scaling(21:05) The grief of letting go in growth(23:32) Anthony's definition of success(30:50) Closing and contact informationNotable Quotes [09:13] “For me personally, my journey is funny. I wouldn’t have normally answered the phone, but that tenacity made the difference.” – Anthony[15:16] “If you had told me fifteen years ago, while I was rolling walls, that I’d be leading a team and helping people grow, I would never have believed it.” – Anthony[19:05] “Every step of the way, I had to give something up. I had to trust another painter to do as good a job as me.” – Anthony[27:51] “Leaving a legacy behind, building something bigger than yourself, and giving people opportunity, that’s where success really is.” – AnthonyOur GuestAnthony Kulikowski is the owner of three Five Star Painting franchise locations in the South Bend, Indiana region. With 27 years of experience in the trade, starting as a teenager learning from his wife’s grandfather, Anthony scaled from a small independent operation to a multi million dollar company by embracing systems, leadership, and people development. Today he leads a thriving team, mentors rising talent, and continues expanding into new service ventures.Resources and LinksAnthony KulikowskiWebsite: https://www.fivestarpainting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-kulikowski-2b159b68Madeleine MacRaeWebsite - https://mmmacrae.com/making-changes-training-motivating/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleineInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/Book – The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough

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