Building Community and Connection in Business with Paul Flick
Paul Flick, Founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands, joins The Bliss Business Podcast to unpack franchise culture and belonging: the communication systems, autonomy, and purpose-driven Kids Lift initiative that turn a distributed home-services franchise network into a real community.
Franchise culture and belonging do not happen by accident once a business spreads across hundreds of independent owners. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Paul Flick, Founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands, the multi-brand franchisor behind 360° Painting, ProLift Garage Doors, and Kitchen Wise, to explore how communication, autonomy, and purpose turn a distributed franchise network into a real community.
In this episode we explore:
• How systems and culture drive belonging across multi-location brands
• The role of emotional intelligence in sustainable leadership
• Why purpose is the foundation of connection
• How unlimited PTO and autonomy build ownership instead of chaos
• How Kids Lift turns franchise profit into local community impact
• How trust and love translate into measurable business performance
Paul leads two communities: head office, and franchise partners he sees in person only a few times a year. “The number one thing that I have found is communication,” he says, pointing to quarterly calls, newsletters, and advisory councils that vet new tools before rollout.
That trust shows up in how Premium Service Brands treats time, too: 14 to 16 paid holidays plus unlimited PTO, because “I really believe that they feel ownership, and they have autonomy to get their jobs done and to do it well.”
Purpose entered personally. “Eighteen years ago I had a daughter who had special needs, and that was the purpose of Kids Lift,” Paul shares. What began as filling backpacks with weekend meals now runs in 70 to 90 franchise locations nationwide.
Underneath it all is empathy. “You have no idea what’s going on in somebody’s life,” Paul says, and it extends to how he talks about the people who’ve staked their savings on his brand: “I love every one of them and I’m concerned about them and their families.”
That instinct, treating a network like a community you build trust with, is the same discipline Zero Company carries into its clients’ own marketing systems.
Key Takeaways
• (2:16) On what holds a distributed franchise culture together: “The number one thing that I have found is communication… it’s a huge part of our culture here in being able to communicate what we’re doing down to the franchise partners.”
• (4:49) On autonomy: 14 to 16 paid company days off a year plus unlimited PTO, because “I really believe that they feel ownership, and they have autonomy to get their jobs done and to do it well.”
• (13:26) On where Kids Lift came from: “18 years ago I had a daughter who had special needs and I wanted to create a purpose for her, and that was the purpose of Kids Lift.”
• (16:41) On its reach today: Kids Lift now runs in “70, 80, 90 locations throughout the United States” giving back to their communities weekly, monthly, or annually.
• (26:11) On emotional intelligence: “You have no idea what’s going on in somebody’s life… you got to be empathetic. And I think that is first and foremost.”
• (34:21) On love in business: “I love every one of them and I’m concerned about them and their families, because if they’re distracted or they’re under stress, that’s going to impact them coming to work.”
FAQ
How does Premium Service Brands build franchise culture and belonging across hundreds of locations?
Paul Flick relies on layered communication: quarterly company-wide calls, monthly brand newsletters, franchise advisory councils, and pilot groups that test new tools before a system-wide rollout, so franchise partners get a vote before any change reaches their business.
Why does Paul Flick give franchise partners unlimited PTO?
Flick, Founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands, sets clear expectations and then trusts partners with the autonomy to meet them, including 14 to 16 paid holidays a year and unlimited time off, because he has found people return to work more focused when they are trusted to handle life outside it first.
What is Kids Lift and how did it start?
Kids Lift is Premium Service Brands’ philanthropic initiative, born when Paul Flick’s daughter was born with special needs and he wanted to build a purpose around her. It began by filling backpacks with weekend meals for kids and now runs in 70 to 90 franchise locations nationwide.
Culture, for Paul Flick, is a communication system before it is anything else, and a purpose worth funding once the business is healthy enough to give back. Learn more about Paul Flick and Premium Service Brands at premiumservicebrands.com. See his guest profile, and explore more Featured Guest Series conversations.
Founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands
Paul Flick built Premium Service Brands on a belief. A belief that ordinary isn’t ordained. Mr. Flick founded 360° Painting in 2006. The brand quickly grew into one of the top painting franchises in the nation. Soon after, Mr. Flick began to acquire several home service brands, building a franchise family throughout the United States and parts of Canada.
Premium Service Brands is now an industry leader with 492 units and 9 brands across the US. Mr. Flick is also a passionate philanthropist. He founded Kids-Lift, the nonprofit affiliate of Premium Service Brands, in 2008. Kids-Lift works to provide food, clothing, school supplies, and more to underprivileged kids in local communities.
