SL_PROFILE_Rathgeb Painting_0324 - edit_Layout 1 4 / 2 / 24 3 : 43 PM Page 1 that stage . They get so overwhelmed that they want to give up , and trust me , I thought about quitting a bunch of times at that stage . ” Yet he fought through the doubts and faced every challenge . “ Eventually you’re able to hire people and you learn to delegate and to systemize things , ” he adds . “ It’s been quite a journey and sometimes I don’t know how I got through it , but it was really just waking up every single day , doing the little things behind the scenes , and never giving up , no matter what . ” Those lean years are long gone for Rathgeb , who in two decades built Rathgeb Painting into a flourishing business . He recently joined forces with a national partner and rebranded his company under the name Groovy Hues . Devoted to “ spreading positivity through paint , ” Groovy Hues provides an array of painting services — interior , exterior , and commercial , as well as ancillary services such as power washing . Although his business is now part of a larger overall home - services corporation known as HorsePower Brands , Rathgeb owns 100 percent of Groovy Hues Greater Philadelphia . His enterprise will act as the flagship location of the painting division and be a model for other franchises across the country . “ We’re taking the systems and processes that we’ve implemented and have made us successful locally , and applying them on a national stage to support franchisees who are opening painting businesses throughout the country , ” he says . “ They’re going to follow our model , which is customer - centric and uses software , technology , and CRM to make The Artist it a more pleasant experience for the client . “ Other than a few exceptions , there haven’t been a lot of professional painting models in the industry , which is why we wanted to support other franchisees , ” he continues . “ It’s been awesome for me to be in a position to offer them help to grow their business . They reach out to me all the at Work time with issues they have day to day , and I help coach them through it . ” here were many points along his journey by M AT T CO S E N T I N O The fact that Rathgeb is now guiding to becoming a successful entrepreneur photos by N I N A L E A P H OTO G R A P HY others is a testament to his own work ethic when Matt Rathgeb easily could have and a credit to the mentors who helped foster given up on his dreams . Even now , as his success . He learned the values of a blue - T he looks back on his path to over - After building a highly collar career while growing up in the Lawncrest coming addiction , only to struggle with getting section of Northeast Philadelphia , but he got his then - fledgling painting company off the successful painting business sidetracked by substance abuse and home - ground , he’s not sure how he survived . lessness . After fully committing himself to his in the Philadelphia area , But Rathgeb is nothing if not persistent . recovery , he was attending an addiction His tenacity , creativity , and positivity enabled Matt Rathgeb expands his meeting one day when he was introduced to him to beat the long odds stacked against a fellow recovering addict in painter’s overalls . him . customer - centric blueprint That man , Bob Morrow , took Rathgeb under “ In the beginning you’re wearing every his wing and changed his life . single hat : the estimator , the salesperson , to the national stage with “ I could tell [ Morrow ] was a great person , the person who answers the phone , and so I started asking him for help in the the painter , ” he recalls . “ It’s tough because Groovy Hues . recovery space , ” Rathgeb recalls . “ His you’re doing every single job , and that’s demeanor and how he carried himself as a why most people don’t make it through SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 15 ISSUE 7 38 |