360º Painting Franchisee Partners With Trackside Teen Center in Wilton, Connecticut

Mike Handel, a 360º Painting franchisee in Stamford, Connecticut, says community involvement has always been one of his main priorities. When he first signed on with the residential and commercial painting franchise, he immediately began looking for ways he could give back. Recently, Handel partnered with Trackside Teen Center in Wilton, a center that helps pre-teens and teens to develop positive social skills and social competence, foster moral development and enhance self-esteem.

Before franchising, Handel worked in marketing and advertising, handling sales for global technology companies like IBM and Adobe, as well as smaller boutique tech companies. Soon, Handel decided he was done with corporate America, and after seeing a friend take a similar trajectory into franchising, he started to do some research. When 360º Painting came up, Handel loved what he saw.

“I looked at several organizations and really liked 360º Painting the best,” said Handel. “I was trying to keep the initial investment down and had no interest in opening a brick-and-mortar store. With 360º, you can get off the ground without office space or storefront and ramp up the business quickly. Also, as someone who had done some painting on and off in the past, I knew I could bring some professionalism to an industry that didn’t necessarily have it. Best of all, it would be rewarding to go into a home or business and leave it looking better than when you got there.”

Handel officially opened his 360º Painting operation in April 2019 and says he’s been growing steadily year after year. “It is nice not having to answer to somebody — the thing that gets frustrating in the corporate world is having to answer to people, prove yourself over and over again,” he said. “With this franchise, I get to run the show and be the boss. My favorite part is meeting the customers’ needs and getting involved in the community.”

Now, this partnership with Trackside Teen Center is giving Handel the chance to do just that. Trackside Teen provides an enriching place for teens to go after school to escape everyday pressures and feel good about themselves. The center offers jewelry making, a garage band, theater and acting classes, a robotics program, a quiz bowl, and even a running club.

“I was chatting with one of my daughter's teachers when the teen center came up,” Handel said. “I was familiar with them and had always wanted to help out, whether it be painting or anything else. I helped clean out and refresh the space and also brought some color to the walls.

But it was also a place to give back. Coming out of COVID, it has really been tough for kids who thrive on being around peers and friends, so part of the appeal of this organization to me was being able to help middle schoolers in any way I could. They deserve a place in town to call their own and hang out with friends.”

While Handel says this type of community involvement is a good way to get the 360º Painting name out there, that’s not why he does it. “We moved to this town seven or eight years ago, so this is a great way to get to know people, give back and be part of the community,” he said. “There is no shortage of ways to do it, and I’m proud to be able to give back through my business with 360º Painting.”