The Painted House with Kim Johnson

Show Notes

Join Kosta and his guest: Kim Johnson, Owner of The Painted House, and Founder of 100 Women Who Care Cookeville, an impact-driven nonprofit dedicated to providing resources and financial support to outreach organizations in the Upper Cumberland.

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

Find out more about Kim Johnson and The Painted House:
https://thepaintedhousetn.com/

Find out more about 100 Women Who Care Cookeville:
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/XkWhG0G/100-Women-Who-Care-Cookeville

Find our more about Kosta:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

What is Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev?

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a podcast about business, parenting and living life intentionally. We're here every week to bring you intentional conversations on making your own path to success, challenging the status quo, and finding all the ways we're better. Recorded in Cookeville, TN, Kosta joins guests from all walks of life to bring fresh perspective and start your week with purpose. We're better together.

Kim Johnson: If we didn't have
all the coffee shops, we didn't

have all the little home and
gift stores. We didn't have even

your little specialty tea shops
and things like that. So I think

if you invest in your community,
and people know you and they

know how you love what you do,
they start spending their money

here instead of taking in other
places. And once people see

that, and I think it helps other
people want to open their own

business.

Morgan Franklin: Welcome to
Better Together with Kosta

Yepifantsev, a podcast on
parenting business and living

life intentionally. We're here
every week to bring you

thoughtful conversation, making
your own path to

success,challenging the status
quo, and finding all the ways

we're better together. Here's
your host, Kosta Yepifantsev.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Hey, y'all,
it's Kosta. Today, I'm here with

my guest, Kim Johnson, Owner of
the painted house and founder of

100 Women Who Care Cookeville,
an impact driven nonprofit

dedicated to providing resources
and financial support to

outreach organizations in the
Upper Cumberland. Kim, there's

something so timely about your
story and how the painted house

started, that I think will
resonate with our listeners. Now

more than ever, you decided to
start this business after being

laid off during the recession.

Tell us about that experience.

And what happened.

Kim Johnson: We were living in
Nashville, okay, in Nashville.

And then we were in Franklin a
little bit. And we decided after

I had my second son to move
back, because our family was

from here, we were from tech, or
we had went to tech, you know,

we were both working at home.

And it was so silly to be in a
city and not have any of your

family there. So we were like,
you know, let's just let's move

back. Let's be close to family
members. So we did. And after we

did about two to three years
after we move back the recession

hit. And the company that I
worked for at the time, it was a

big corporation and merged with
another company. That was

another bank. Okay. And so they
decided to let my whole division

go, which, yeah, so I've been
there 14 years. That's a long,

long time. So when we did that,
I had about a year to think

about what I really wanted to
do. And I realized, you know,

when I traveled with heart
before I was hitting all the

antique stores and thrift stores
and, you know, used to yard sale

of my mom growing up. And even
in my early 20s, the National

flea market was like a big thing
for me to do every weekend. So,

you know, maybe I'll just dabble
in that a little bit, had a

friend and we decided we were
going to start selling things

out of her basement. So we would
buy things, repurpose them,

paint them, you know, sell them
to friends and family. And we

were at the Nashville flea
market one weekend, and Melrose

had seen us and she's like, What
are you gonna do with that? And

we're like, well, we're gonna
make this big, like toolbox into

a planter. So she's like, okay,
all right. She goes, What do you

want to be on the show and talk
about it? And I'm like, sure,

you know, so we get in the car,
we're driving home, oh, gosh,

she's never gonna call us.

There's no way. Well, Monday
morning, she called and she's

like, we want you to be on the
show. And we're like, we don't

have a license, we don't have a
place to sell things on it that

can't be come into your basement
to buy things, you know, we

decided to get a place to rent a
fountain place, got our business

license. And it started out as a
partnership with a good friend

of mine. And it just went from
there. After that, we decided to

be open like once a month. So we
chose three days out of the

month, bought things over the
whole month of repurposed and

painted and then would sell it
in three days. So we're like,

oh, this is kind of fun. You
know, I had a year to really

think about what I wanted to do.

So maybe this will work. So
after doing it about four

months, she was like, I don't
know if I really want to do this

anymore. And I'm like, well,
maybe I should turn this into

something that I really love.

Yeah, you know, you think about
if you can do something you

love, you work harder at it. It
doesn't bother you. It's doesn't

seem like a job to you. So I
think that's kind of where we

got started.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Was it called
the painted house before? It

was? Okay, nice. So right off
from day one day one, you know,

and I am curious, like in that
environment of 2008 when all

that stuff was happening, and
when you said you were in

banking, were you like a loan
officer or what was your job

title?

Kim Johnson: Well, at that time,
I was actually servicing

employees, okay, I was a
technical service person. So

they would call in and say, I'm
having a, you know, an issue

booking this loan. I'm getting
this error code. And so I'd have

a dual monitor on beat, like
seeing what was going on with

it, we would fix the issue. But
you know, I'd had several other

roles. I used to travel with
them and try new employees and

be in the branch and just a lot
of different things. But at the

time, that's what I was doing
was like a technical person. Did

you grow up in Cookeville? I'm
actually from Crossville. Okay,

husband's from here. We both
went to tech.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Okay, great.

So it's 2008 and you have
obviously no source of income,

and you decide to get into
antiques which you is a huge

divergence from kind of the
technical background that you

were working in, right? I mean,
you're, you know, essentially

working behind a computer
screen. Was it difficult to make

the transition into working for
somebody versus owning your own

business and doing something
that is much much different than

anything you've done in the
past?

Kim Johnson: Well, you know, the
company I worked for was say

micromanaged, okay? You mean,
your calls would come in, you

would answer the call, you would
fix the problem, you do a

ticket, and I'm sure that's
probably maybe similar to what

they do now. And, you know, I
used to deal with a lot of

mortgages and things like that,
too. So you could see people

that would invest in things, and
then it fail. And then when you

did that, it kind of you had to
be very cautious about how you

spent your money. Was it worth
it? Is it something people want?

So that I think helped me, you
know, financially, especially

start the way I did, because we
started with, I'll be honest, we

started with $1,500, we split
it. And we just started

reinvesting that money back into
the business. And so I probably

didn't pay myself really, the
first couple years, I had a

great support system at home had
my your severance. So you know,

that's what was the great thing
is that, you know, my husband

was very supportive.

Kosta Yepifantsev: You know, I
watched an interview you had

with Michael Aikens in 2021. And
you said something that really

stuck out to me, you started the
painted house, in part because

there weren't many small
businesses in Cookeville. How

was the landscape of small
business in the upper Cumberland

changed over the past 15 years?

Kim Johnson: You know, that is a
great question. Because when I

first started, you know, it's
been 12 years ago, roughly, we

didn't have all the coffee
shops, we didn't have all the

little home and gift stores, we
didn't have even your little

specialty tea shops and things
like that. So I think if you

invest in your community, which
I had so much support, you know,

I was word of mouth, I didn't do
hardly any advert advertising,

because I knew I could save a
little bit of money that way. So

once you do that, and people
know you, and they know how you

love what you do, they start
spending their money here

instead of taking in other
places. And once people see

that, then I think it helps
other people want to open their

own business. So

Kosta Yepifantsev: the things
that you sell, you know, we were

talking about it earlier, it's
very relevant in the period of

time, you know, it's not like
you're picking things from, you

know, 10 years ago, and bringing
it here, you very much have the

thumbprint kind of on the on the
heart of what will sell in

Cookeville. And what people
want. And I think honestly, it's

kind of like when I talked to
Tatum Hill, and she was talking

about how she, you know, makes
decisions and gets inspired by

interior design, the products
that you sell, you're bringing a

very classic, higher end product
to Cookeville. And people are

like, Yes, I love that I thought
I could only get this in

Nashville. Was that the original
mission? Or did it evolve over

time, when you realize like, I
can take in a one of those

little houses with the glass all
around it, and the little green

lawn balls or whatever you call
it and put some you know, lights

in it. And it turned into a
centerpiece on a dining room

table?

Kim Johnson: Well, I think, you
know, my taste has changed. I

think your taste changes and
evolves, it evolves over time.

So I think, you know, just
having that and wanting to bring

things here that maybe you had
to go to Nashville to get. And

you want to have a lot of
Nashville customers that come

in, and they're like, I can get
this here. And it's much less

expensive. Yeah. So, you know,
and I think that's attributes to

that is the rent here is less
expensive. Yeah. And you know, I

don't know, it's just, I just
have a lot of, you know, a lot

of Nashville people that come

Kosta Yepifantsev: Interesting.

Yeah, one of your biggest pieces
of advice to entrepreneurs is to

start where you are and build
with your business. What does

this look like for you as a
business owner? And how did you

know it was time to grow a team
or invest in a larger space?

Kim Johnson: Well, funny, you
should ask that. Because I think

I was pushed into it to be
honest, because, you know, I had

all these customers coming in,
and they would say, are you

going to be open more than, you
know, three days a month? And so

I would change it to three days
a week, and then it was four

days a week. And then I was
like, how am I gonna build my

business bigger? If this is
really what I want to do and

succeed, if I don't have a
bigger space, and the building

that I was in, my landlord
actually said, you know, I think

I'm going to sell this property.

And I was like, Oh, well, maybe
I should buy this property. So I

had somebody come over and look
at it, and they evaluated it.

And they're like, well, we can't
build out. That's the only

problem. We can renovate it. And
then it just got me thinking and

I was talking to my husband
about it. And he'd always want

to own a commercial property. So
maybe this is the time maybe

this is what we need to do. And
I said the only thing is, is I

need you to be okay with me, you
know, being open six days a week

because this is a big
commitment, right? He's never

complained since. So I think
having him in my corner and

being able to do that he was
excited for me. He knew I loved

it and and that was it was time
to do something about it. And we

found the perfect property for
that, you know, have three

levels and a workspace and
storage and you find

Kosta Yepifantsev: something so
amazing like that. I mean, where

are you guys are at and this the
house itself, you know,

obviously in your name is
painted house I mean it looks

beautiful. What's the story
behind it?

Kim Johnson: Well, the painted
house a lot of people think the

John Grisham book, The Painted
house. But back in the 1800s and

early 1900s. If you had a
painted house, it meant that you

had made it that you actually
were above poverty and that you

actually met swept the whole
preface of the store name is

it's not a wood house. It's a
painted house.

Kosta Yepifantsev: I love it.

And where were you guys before?

Kim Johnson: We were on Spring
Street, okay, and a little bitty

house.

Kosta Yepifantsev: And you went
from how much square feet?

Kim Johnson: I guess we were
probably 900 square feet there.

And we have probably 3800 of
regular retail space.

Kosta Yepifantsev: That's
incredible. Yeah. So and have

you did you guys have to hire a
lot more employees. As soon as

you moved into your new,

Kim Johnson: full time employee,
we had a full time and at one

time, we had seven employees.

And so and then they come and
go, Yeah, because of everybody

wants to tech? Sure. I hope that
they've learned and been able to

take what they've learned with
them.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Are there any
businesses to your knowledge in

Cookeville, that do what you do
that sell the type of products

that you sell? Because I
personally don't think that

there is I think you guys are
extremely unique,

Kim Johnson: we have a lot of
everything, I guess so and, and

my thing with having a lot of
everything is I want somebody to

come in and be able to buy at
least one thing in their chair,

whether it be a $5 card or a
picture frame, or if they want

new bedding, that's great. But I
want anybody of any age to be

able to come in and bought one
thing. And if they can do that,

and that's my goal.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Let's talk
about people that can buy

anything, because people can buy
anything online. And most of the

time they can buy it for less.

So as a small business owner
with a specific market and

audience, what's your advice on
attracting the right clientele

and serving their needs?

Kim Johnson: You know, when you
bought online, it's hard to feel

it, it's hard to touch it. When
you get it. You don't know what

the quality is. And I think a
lot of people now want to go in

and look at things and hold them
and touch them and feel them.

That's the whole point in having
a retail space. So it's the

experience and creating a story
in every room that you have.

Kosta Yepifantsev: I only have
one question before we move on

to your nonprofit. How
embarrassing. Did I sound

whenever I was trying to explain
that prop the glass house with

the little lawn balls and the
string lights inside of it.

Because the reason why I brought
it up is because Jessica did go

to the painted house and bought
she she buys stuff from there

all the time. But she bought all
of the accessories to make it

you know into what I described
it as which I thought you know,

it came like that. But anyway,
long story short, if anybody's

listening to it, and they're
like, What is this guy talking

about? Just go to the painted
house and you can build your own

table centerpiece?

Kim Johnson: Definitely. You got
it. Good. Got it.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Let's talk
about your nonprofit 100 Women

Who Care Cookeville, which has
already raised and donated

$30,293. First of all,
congratulations. And second,

what inspired you to start this
community?

Kim Johnson: Well, a friend of
mine, actually one of my best

friends out of Knoxville is a
part of a similar group. And you

know, we would talk we talk
almost every day she owned a

store in Knoxville. And when you
have that partner, you really

you know your bond with them. So
she would say hey, I've gotta

go, I'm going to this meeting, I
really want to go have worked

all day. And but then the next
day, she would be like, it is so

amazing. We were able to give
this much money I learned about

this nonprofit organization. And
I was like, Oh, I really want to

do that here. I think we have
the community to help support

it. That's how I got started. So
we started 100 Women Who Care

Cookeville we have right now 44
members, and I'm hoping to reach

the 100. Okay, so if anybody's
interested reach out to us.

Kosta Yepifantsev: So what
happens when you reach 100?

Members? Well,

Kim Johnson: after you reach
100, were able to give 10,000 a

quarter. So that's 40,000 a year
to any nonprofit around the

community. That's amazing.

That's a lot of money. Yeah. And
you know, I'm not the decision

maker on that it's the members
so you can nominate all through

the quarter, however many you
want, we choose three out of a

hat if there's more than three,
and then we vote. And I don't

ask that you come for hours and
hours into a meeting. It's a 30

minute meeting once a quarter,
we try to invite the nonprofits

to come in and give a three
minute speech on what they need

the money, and then we just vote
and that's it.

Kosta Yepifantsev: So when you
get to 100 women, do you have to

change the name to like 150
Women Who Care Cookeville or is

you're gonna keep it at 100

Kim Johnson: Keep it at 100 But
the more we have, the more we

can get. Absolutely. How can
women get involved? Well, you

can visit great find.org. And
our 100 women care is on on the

website. And we actually have an
Instagram page, you're welcome

to visit us there and messages.

If you message us or even call
the shop, we can send you a link

to sign up and give you more
information about it.

Kosta Yepifantsev: And how is it
different than the other

organizations that have kind of
a similar vibe, but I want to

make sure I say this correctly.

It's like, oh, woman based
organization.

Kim Johnson: It's a woman's
based organization, or women

based organization, that if you
don't have time to volunteer,

we're all busy, a lot of us work
still full time jobs, I want you

to be able to give and not feel
like you're obligated to come to

the meetings even. So I just
think because you are there, you

learn about these nonprofits.

And that's important to me,
because there's so many I have

no idea how many we had in the
area. And if you learn about

him, you can still give back to
your community in a small way.

And if you pull your money
together, you can do even more

work.

Kosta Yepifantsev: And I'd say a
lot of the success that

Cookeville has is because we
have such a philanthropic

nature, you know, I mean, you
see it obviously, in some of the

worst of times, like when the
tornado happened, and literally

the entire community, you know,
came whether it was volunteering

with their own labor or
resources or financial, there is

a an energy in this community.

And we won't get into politics.

But I'm just saying I think a
lot of the problems that we face

as a society if people were more
philanthropic we could solve in

Cookeville is a great example of
that. Definitely. I agree. I

think there's something so
special about the entrepreneurs

turn philanthropists in this
area. And I think it speaks to

the growth mentality and
leadership you bring from

business into service. What's
your message to other

entrepreneurs who are interested
in starting their own nonprofit

or service organization?

Kim Johnson: Do it. No matter
what you can do for your

community? Just do it. Whether
it be your volunteer work,

donating money, if you can, you
know, have small events just to

raise money, do whatever you
can, it doesn't have to be a big

thing. Or you can do small parts
to make it big.

Kosta Yepifantsev: Are there any
specific nonprofits that you

think are really needed in this
area right now?

Kim Johnson: Oh, gosh, there's
so many, we hope we've gave a

lot of the money that actually
need them with our organization,

but there's just too many I
can't even tell you and it's

that's what the hard thing is,
is when you go into there and

you're trying to decide who gets
the money and and what they do

for the community. It's, it's
hard. It's really hard. I can

tell you the one that sticks out
more than any other because

they're all important so

Kosta Yepifantsev: so we always
like to end the show on a high

note. Who is someone that makes
you better when you're together?

Kim Johnson: I would have to say
my husband, he's been the

biggest support.

Morgan Franklin: Thank you for
joining us on this episode of

Better Together with Kosta
Yepifantsev. If you've enjoyed

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