LIME Painting: 'Living by Values, Not Religion'

Providing the opportunity to own a values based franchise company

As the founder of LIME Painting, my intent is to grow a business that is more than just the delivery of a service or product. Don’t get me wrong; I want to be great at delivering an innovative and top-notch paint service. In fact, I believe that we have one of the best high-end service-based painting business models on the market. Ultimately, I want the business to represent more than just service excellence by also being purpose driven.

I am a values based person, and living out my values is my ultimate purpose and “why.” In bringing my values to the workplace, I am better able to be at my best while taking on the role of founder and CEO. You might be thinking to yourself, “Why the need to be a values based franchise?” The answer is simple: I am the best version of myself while working with purpose, and for those who feel similarly, LIME’s franchise model will provide you with the same opportunity.

Franchising is an opportunity to be a part of an existing systemized business

During the first couple of years of owning a high-end paint company, I realized that it wasn’t just about owning a profitable and reputable business. My inner voice kept telling me that there was more to business than execution and results. In fact, for a period of time I felt stuck, and it wasn’t because I didn't enjoy what I was doing. On the contrary, I loved it. Business is something that I am very good at and that I enjoy.

During that time of wrestling with why I was doing what I was doing, I heard Simon Sinek speak to what made companies great. He explained that great companies have a clear understanding of not just what they do and how they do it, but why they do it. It was in that moment that I realized my “why” didn't have to be limited to my love for entrepreneurship, but my “why” could also be my walk as a values based human being. That combination set the foundation for me to truly thrive.

Franchising is a platform that allows me to steward others to walk down a similar path to business with a values based mission. The franchise model is also great at creating an environment where business owners can collaborate, grow a culture, and establish independent businesses together. In essence, the franchise model allows franchisees to be in business for themselves but not by themselves, while also working with purpose through values.

Our duties as stewards of power, resources, and influence

Power, resources, and influence accompany a successful business in the marketplace. Within communities, the platform of power, resources, and influence that businesses obtain comes with a great sense of responsibility. For LIME, this responsibility is stewarded in a values driven manner. First and foremost, this stewardship is based on the premise that people come before profits. In essence, profits come as a result of a focus on our employees, who go out into the community and reflect the same selfless love and service that was stewarded upon them.

We don’t compromise on values and stewardship

We do uphold values and our duties as stewards. Our purpose as a values driven organization is to be the light to the world through values based mission. When our values are combined with our business it is also referred to as our values based mission.

What it means to be a values based franchise can be confusing to some. With that said, I want to elaborate on our standards for onboarding new members of our team and partners we work with. We do not discriminate based on sexual orientation, age, race, religion, etc. Rather, we define the standards for how we do business and who we do business with as being values driven.

We don't discriminate, but we make it known that we have values so that people we do business with can decide if our business culture is right for them.

Let’s be clear: We live by values not religion

At LIME, our role is not to judge or discriminate, as we adhere to values and not religion. We do not require franchisees, their employees, or any partners to be religious. LIME is an equal opportunity company, and we take that as seriously as we take the Golden Rule. However, we do have a culture that is based on values and stewardship.

We’ve all heard of the Golden Rule. If you boil our values down to one statement, it would be to love thy neighbor. At LIME, we hold that same cultural standard to love thy neighbor. The Golden Rule is the inspiration for why we value relationships and people. This fundamental rule applies to how we do business as well as how we steward our people, power, resources, and influence within our community and circle of influence.

Values based mission is more than business as usual

Being a leading service expert in our field of business is expected. Indeed, it is our priority on people that makes us special. At LIME, we are a people business. Some may refer to our love for people as a culture that reflects family, community, or a tribe. As a values based franchise, the company as a whole is expected to live out values of faith, love, integrity, and stewardship.

This motto of values based mission being more than business as usual is reflected in the acronym that makes up LIME: Love, Integrity, Mission, and Excellence.®. In fact, GET LIMED® stands for our employee core values of Gratitude, Enthusiasm, Tenacity, Love, Integrity, Mission, Excellence, and Discipline. 

Values that we uphold:

Love

Love thy neighbor

Treat others as you’d want to be treated

Integrity

Stewardship

Selflessness

Humility

Compassion

Forgiveness

Peace and shalom

Iron sharpens Iron 

For our LIME family:

Values don’t start and end at home

Values at home and in the workplace are not mutually exclusive to one another. Living by values on a personal note, isn't just for your personal time. Our choices have real implications, we can choose to speak life into others; it is as we are called to be—the light in action.

Our values based walk should not end when we leave home, but should be carried out into our lives and roles as working professionals where we spend upwards of eighty percent of our time. This light in action within business is known at LIME  as vales based mission. It is the vocation of taking up your values both at home and in the workplace. Our mind should not be clouded by a division of what is values worthy versus not, as our mind's focus should always be turned toward the world being worthy of our values based mission—a striving mentality of peace and shalom.

Have you ever worked in an organization that prioritized values and family in the workplace? If so, what did you like or not like about it?