BNI - Westside Business Partners

Who's a good referral for Chris Petkau at The Proud Paintbrush? Honestly — almost anyone who owns a home. But a few situations make it perfect timing:

Your HOA has been on you about the exterior. You just moved into a new place and want it to feel like yours. You're going through a big life change and want a fresh start — Chris jokes that painting is a way to "get the ghosts out." Or it's simply been a while — Chris recommends repainting your home roughly every 7 years, inside and out, not just for looks but to protect it: caulked windows, sealed baseboards, and drywall that's actually holding up over time.

Know someone who fits this description? Tag them below — Chris would love to connect.

Since joining BNI Westside, Chris Petkau of The Proud Paintbrush says it's become his #1 source of revenue — full stop.

Chris has been in BNI for two and a half years, part of a different chapter before landing at Westside a little over a year ago. In that time, BNI quickly grew from a nice-to-have to his second highest source of business — and once he joined Westside specifically, it became his number one. Chris calls himself a total believer — he half-jokes that he's "joined the cult" — and says it's not just about the leads. It's the relationships and what he's learned along the way. He's even said that when he eventually retires, BNI will be the last part of his business he gives up.

Curious what a room full of people genuinely rooting for your business looks like? We meet every Thursday at 7:00 AM at Midway BBQ. Comment VISIT below and we'll save you a seat.

Out of BNI's seven core values, Chris Petkau of The Proud Paintbrush says his favorite is Recognition.

Chris has visited a lot of different BNI chapters over the years — often as the painter guest, since so many chapters don't have one — and it's given him a front-row seat to how different businesses and different rooms operate. What stuck with him is how much he genuinely enjoys learning how other businesses work. Every business looks different on the surface, but Chris has found that at the core, they're often solving the same problems — and he finds that fascinating.

That same curiosity and respect for other people's work shows up in how Chris runs The Proud Paintbrush — building real relationships with clients and referral partners, not just transactions.

Come experience this culture in person. We meet every Thursday at 7:00 AM at Midway BBQ. Comment VISIT below and we'll save you a seat.

Before you hire a painter, Chris Petkau of The Proud Paintbrush wants you to know two things: price isn't the whole story, and color is more science than guesswork.

On price — Chris explains that the wide range in painting quotes usually comes down to who's actually doing the work. Some outfits are uninsured and subcontract the job out cheap; others are running a legitimate, accountable business. That's often why one quote comes in thousands cheaper than another. His advice: don't chase the lowest number — look for who's going to treat your home with respect and take responsibility for the work.

On color — start with what you can't change, like your flooring, since the undertones there affect everything else. Then gather inspiration, test samples in different rooms and different light throughout the day, and don't be afraid to ask for help narrowing it down — Sherwin-Williams alone has 1,700 color options.

Chris and his team help homeowners navigate both of these every single day.

Chris will be at our BNI Westside meeting this Thursday at Midway BBQ — 7:00 AM. Come ask them yourself.

What actually makes The Proud Paintbrush different? According to owner Chris Petkau, it's what happens after the job is done.

Chris says the biggest problem in the painting industry is that once a company gets that final check, they disappear — and if you have an issue later, good luck getting them back out. Chris built his business the opposite way. Every job comes with a 2-year or 5-year warranty (and he's actually in talks with Sherwin-Williams about extending that to 7), and his team follows up with customers a year or two later to make sure everything still looks right. If something's off — a missed spot, a drywall repair that didn't hold — they come fix it, no questions asked.

For Chris, painting a house isn't a one-and-done transaction. It's the start of a relationship.

Want to hear more from Chris? Come see him speak this Thursday at 7:00 AM at Midway BBQ. We'd love to have you — just show up.

Every great referral partnership starts with knowing who works well together — and for Chris Petkau of The Proud Paintbrush, the industries that pair naturally with painting are interior designers, general contractors, plumbers, HVAC techs, flooring pros, and realtors.

Makes sense — if you're redesigning a room, remodeling a home, replacing a floor, or getting a house ready to list, fresh paint is almost always part of that picture. Chris and The Proud Paintbrush are the piece that ties it all together.

Know someone in any of these industries? Tag them below — they need to meet Chris.

This week on the BNI Westside Member Spotlight, meet Chris Petkau, owner of The Proud Paintbrush — our go-to painting and drywall pro here in the Westside chapter.

Chris has been in construction in some form since he was 12 years old, working summers on job sites with his dad. Funny enough, he swore off construction after high school — his dad's concrete work was some of the toughest, most physically taxing trade work out there. So Chris went a different direction for a while, working as a bartender and restaurant manager, where he picked up a lesson about customer service that still shapes how he runs his business today: if a customer isn't happy, you don't argue — you make it right. In his words, "the job isn't considered done until the customer considers it done."

The Proud Paintbrush has been in business 6 years now, and it wasn't a straight line to get here — Chris and his family actually moved to Houston and pivoted the whole business model because of COVID. What started as one guy with a ladder, a brush, and a paint sprayer is now a crew of 5 full-time painters.

Follow along this week as we dig into what makes Chris and The Proud Paintbrush different, what to know before you hire a painter, and how BNI has become one of the biggest parts of his business.