Workforce Skills with John Morris

Are you willing to put in the work, or are you waiting for someone else to fix your problems? In Episode 142 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John delivers an unfiltered message about work ethic, personal responsibility, and the growing culture of entitlement. He’s tired of the excuses, the complaining, and the lack of motivation—and he’s not holding back. With PHP Commercial Painting experi...

Are you standing in the way of your own success? In Episode 141 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John delivers a powerful message about personal accountability, self-sabotage, and what it really takes to grow in your career and your life. Everyone wants better opportunities, higher pay, and more recognition. But here’s the question: What are you actually doing to earn them? John shares real...

Why should your employees work harder just to make YOU more money? That’s the question every business owner needs to ask themselves. In Episode 140 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John tackles one of the biggest challenges in leadership: getting employees excited about growing a business when they don’t share the same financial investment, risks, or vision as the owner. As PHP Commercial Pa...

Are you actually running a business, or have you just created another job for yourself? In Episode 139 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John challenges business owners to rethink what it means to build a successful company. If you’re handling every estimate, managing every employee, overseeing every project, and making every decision, you might own the business—but you’re still working as it...

In Episode 138 of Workforce Skills, John Morris turns the conversation toward business owners and leaders: Are you actually recognizing the people who are helping build your company? Hard work matters. Going the extra mile matters. But employers also have a responsibility to notice when employees are improving, producing results, showing up consistently, and taking ownership. John discusses the im...

In Episode 137 of Workforce Skills with John Morris, John gets direct about one of the biggest obstacles holding people back at work and in life: attitude. PHP Commercial Painting is growing, landing more work, investing in technology, training employees, and bringing experienced leaders into the company. But John explains that growth isn’t simply about hiring more people. It’s about finding the r...

At just 25 years old, Ricardo Herrera has already experienced the highs, mistakes, uncertainty, and responsibility that come with building a painting company from the ground up. On Episode 136 of Workforce Skills with John Morris, Ricardo joins John for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, hiring, knowing your numbers, social media, and what it actually takes to turn a trade i...

At just 16 years old, Ty Wade was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no possibility of early release. For the first decade of his sentence, he had little hope of ever coming home. Then a letter from his mother changed the direction of his life. In Episode 135 of Workforce Skills, John Morris sits down with Ty to talk about the decisions, discipline, education, and small victories that transforme...

PHP Commercial Painting is landing jobs at a pace John Morris has never seen before—and he says it isn’t because of one big change. It’s the result of two years of rebuilding systems, embracing technology, implementing AI, developing people, and refusing to accept “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” In Episode 134 of Workforce Skills, John talks about why he believes the painting industry—and b...

In Episode 133 of Workforce Skills, John Morris tackles entitlement, negativity, workplace attitude, and the one thing every employee can control: themselves. After making major personnel changes at PHP Commercial Painting, John shares what he’s seeing inside the workforce—the employees who step up when something needs to get done versus those who immediately respond with, “That’s not my job” or “...

John Morris is raising the standard at PHP Commercial Painting—and not everyone is going to make the cut. In Episode 132 of Workforce Skills , John talks about what he saw firsthand while visiting jobs with Maryanne, who is being trained for a superintendent role as PHP prepares to expand into Salt Lake City. The biggest problem wasn’t technology, estimating, sales, or a lack of work. It was perfo...

Larry Wilson walked into PHP Commercial Painting nearly five years ago fresh out of prison, without tools, without a car, and with everything to prove. Today, he’s a working superintendent, trainer, mentor, and one of the hardest-working people John Morris has ever employed. In Episode 131 of Workforce Skills, John sits down with Larry to talk about the journey that took him from riding the bus to...

In Episode 130 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John shares the mindset that’s driving PHP Commercial Painting’s expansion into Utah and why success is built—not given. From growing the company into a new state to building leaders from within, John explains why systems, culture, accountability, and relentless effort matter more than excuses. He opens up about his own journey from homelessnes...

In Episode 129 of the Workforce Skills Podcast, John Morris dives into one of the biggest factors separating average companies from exceptional ones: consistency . From uniforms and jobsite cleanliness to quality control, training, and following proven procedures, John explains how small mistakes can quickly become expensive problems—and why fixing issues immediately is the key to long-term profit...

Even leaders lose motivation. In Episode 128 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John opens up about something many people experience but few leaders admit: feeling stuck. He shares what it’s like to keep showing up every day even when the motivation isn’t there, why discipline will always outlast motivation, and how simply showing up can be the difference between success and failure. John also...

In Episode 127 of the Workforce Skills Podcast, John Morris sits down with Maryanne “Kenner” Kenner , whose life has been completely transformed through recovery, hard work, and a willingness to embrace opportunity. Maryanne shares how she never intended to join a painting program at New Freedom, but a last-minute decision led her to discover a career she never imagined. Less than a year after bei...

Every business owner, manager, and leader eventually faces days where everything seems to go wrong at once. In Episode 126 of the Workforce Skills Podcast, John Morris shares a raw look into the realities of running a growing commercial painting company—from chaotic construction schedules and costly change orders to managing employee attitudes and leading through difficult conversations. John expl...

In Episode 125 of Workforce Skills with John Morris , John is joined by PHP Commercial Painting Office Manager Chastity to pull back the curtain on a real hiring process happening inside their company. After reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and narrowing down candidates, they share exactly what separated the finalists from everyone else—and the common mistakes that cost applicants th...

In this episode of Workforce Skills , John Morris tackles one of the biggest sources of workplace conflict—politics, religion, and personal division. John explains why successful companies are built on a shared mission, not political arguments, and why employees who focus on learning, growing, and working together will always outperform those focused on drama. He also shares his thoughts on leader...

In Episode 123 of Workforce Skills with John Morris, John tackles one of the biggest challenges facing business owners today: professionalism in the workplace. After dealing with a situation where emotions and tempers got out of control on a job site, John shares why leaders must remain calm, logical, and focused on solutions rather than reacting emotionally. From showing up early and leading by e...

In Episode 122 of Workforce Skills with John Morris, John sits down with PHP Commercial Painting Senior Project Manager John Warner to discuss a remarkable story of transformation, accountability, and second chances. After spending nearly a decade in prison, John Warner made the decision to change his life forever. Through sobriety, personal responsibility, New Freedom, and a commitment to growth,...

In Episode 121 of Workforce Skills, John Morris welcomes DJ back to the podcast to talk about his journey from the first painting class at New Freedom to becoming a licensed, bonded, and insured painting contractor in Phoenix. DJ shares how he built Dan Zen Painting, changed his mindset around money, learned the value of systems, and created a future through discipline, patience, and hard work. Th...

Many people believe success makes life easier, but the reality is often the opposite. In Episode 120 of Workforce Skills, John Morris shares the side of success that nobody talks about—the stress, responsibility, sleepless nights, and sacrifices that come with building a company and leading a team. John discusses the misconceptions surrounding entrepreneurship, the loneliness that often comes with...

n Episode 119 of Workforce Skills with John Morris, John dives deep into the mindset traps that keep people stuck in life, on the job site, and in their careers. From victim mentality and blaming others to learning how to take ownership, John shares raw lessons from the workplace, leadership, and training people coming out of prison, rehab, and difficult life situations. This episode focuses on pe...

In Episode 118 of Workforce Skills, John Morris delivers a brutally honest message to business owners about one of the biggest problems destroying companies from the inside out: losing great employees. John breaks down the real reasons top performers leave jobs — and why it usually has nothing to do with money. From lack of growth opportunities and weak leadership to poor accountability, no struct...