“I’ve always been in the paint industry, and I was looking for a change,” said Dan Tirpak, newly-named residential sales manager at CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana.
The need for change is what propelled Tirpak forward to CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana in 2018. Starting as a residential sales associate, Tirpak quickly learned the ropes of providing the superior services that CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana honors.
As an associate, Tirpak was tasked with commercial and industrial painting quotes, painting contracts, and projects around the Northwest Indiana area.
Tirpak has always been on the lookout to better himself including at his place of work, which is why the residential sales manager position interested him from the get-go.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to move up. I always want to grow as a person and grow as an employee, so that was one thing I always said I’d be interested in,” Tirpak said.
Coming from a management background, Tirpak knew that this position would be the best of both worlds – combining both his ability to manage and his accrued sales experience as an associate. He was named residential sales manager in October 2021 during an important year for the company.
“We entered 2021 with the idea of ramping up the residential sales force somehow, some way,” Tirpak said.
Tirpak took on the challenge. Now, he enjoys mentoring other residential sales associates along with the responsibilities he previously had.
“I’m still tasked with selling and producing as much as I was in the past. Now, it’s just the addition of coaching and training the other sales associates that are on my team,” Tirpak said.
Just like how Tirpak was trained by other managers, he finds comfort in sharing the same knowledge with his fellow employees at CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana. According to him, it almost feels familial.
“It’s like when someone tells you, 'You sound like your father.' When I’m doing coaching sessions and I’m training, I hear myself sound like other managers when I’m talking,” Tirpak said.
Tirpak enjoys being the go-to guy for any help the team may need while taking on jobs, formulating estimates, and fulfilling their other responsibilities in this position.
“I have time set aside in the evenings to review other projects,” Tirpak said. “My calendar is set up to do buddy estimates and help other associates out.”
Associates can shadow Tirpak to learn more about management, advanced estimates, and more.
Within the painting industry, obstacles come up every so often, and Tirpak says that is incredibly normal for even the most experienced associates and managers.
“Over the last three-and-a-half years, you’re always going to hit a roadblock,” he said. “Even me.”
But these small obstacles are no match for the CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana team. All it takes is one meeting for the team to get back on track when it veers off.
“Every once in a while, you get something that happens and you have to hit the pause button,” Tirpak said. “The great thing about it, though, is that we are all a team here.”
Whether it’s inside or outside of the workplace, Tirpak advises readers to keep balance in mind since it is something he tries his best to prioritize.
“Balance is key,” Tirpak said. “Everything I do at work is for everything at home.”
At home, Tirpak enjoys cooking, spending time with his wife and three children, and traveling to new places.
To learn more about Tirpak, check out his bio here. To learn more about Tirpak and CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, visit its website at certapro.com/nwi.
