HQ Painting's Olga de la Cruz on Leaving Corporate Behind for Good

Olga de la Cruz, co-owner of HQ Painting, recently sat down with Sabrina Jones on the Not Fragile Podcast to talk about what it actually took to build one of Northern Utah’s most trusted painting companies. The episode is called “The Mother’s Day That Made Olga de la Cruz Walk Away From Corporate for Good,” and it’s worth a listen if you want to know who’s running the company you’re inviting into your home.

She Came From Marketing. Not Painting.

Before HQ Painting, Olga spent years in marketing, sales and fund development.. Her husband Uriel had been running the painting company on his own for years, and Olga was deep in a demanding corporate role that had her traveling internationally, mostly throughout Latin America.

Year three of that role is when things changed. The travel had worn her down physically and emotionally. Then a work trip landed on Mother’s Day. She emailed her boss to confirm the dates. Never heard back.

That was enough.

She stepped away from corporate and while looking for another job, she stepped into Uriel’s business. It turned out to be the decision that changed everything for both of them.

“I didn’t have a plan, didn’t have a next strategy, but I just felt like whatever is out there, I’m sure I’ll find something.”

A few days after stepping in to help in the office, she had a thought: I bet if you teach me how to estimate, I could probably help you.
He showed her how to estimate two or three jobs. Then summer hit, the busiest season in residential painting, and there was no more time for training.

“He had time to show me like two or three jobs, and then it was just like, you’ve got to go do it.”

She Brought What No Painting School Could Teach

Olga had never picked up a paintbrush. She walked into customers’ homes with a laser measuring tool and zero technical knowledge. And people loved her.

“People loved me because I would listen to what they needed. I’d walk into a home and I’d fall in love with the cat or the dog. I want to hear about the project they were starting and how we could help them.”

What gave her confidence wasn’t a paint color guide. It was knowing what Uriel and his crew could deliver.

“I felt very confident in our level of execution. Whatever we promised, we could execute it. Because my husband has over 25 years in the business, he’s seen every type of project, and he’s an excellent trainer to the painters.”

That combination, her ability to connect with customers and Uriel’s depth of experience on the production side, is still how HQ Painting operates today.

What Actually Makes a Paint Job Last

If you’ve ever gotten a bid from a painting company and wondered why the prices vary so much, this is the part worth paying attention to.

Olga is straightforward about what separates HQ Painting from the cheaper bids:

“You can use the most expensive paint, but if you haven’t prepared the surfaces, it’s not going to look good. Our painters are excellent at preparation. They do the same level of preparation whether it’s a one-room project, the whole house, or a new build.”

That means protecting your furniture, your flooring, everything in the room before a brush touches a wall. Customers sometimes call on day one of a multi-day project wondering why painting hasn’t started yet. Olga’s answer is always the same: you do not want us to rush the prep work.

She’s also heard the follow-up call more times than she can count. “I’ve had people call me and say you were the more expensive bid. I hired this other person and I wish I would have hired you.”

The Same Painters, Year After Year

One thing that doesn’t show up on a paint bid but matters a lot to homeowners: who’s actually doing the work, and have they been there before.

“We’ve been able to maintain the same painters. A lot of companies can’t do that. Our painters are not handymen doing other kinds of stuff. They’re just painters. That’s all they do, day in and day out.”

Some of HQ Painting’s crew has been with the company for close to ten years. When you hire HQ Painting, you’re not getting whoever showed up that week. You’re getting people Uriel has trained, mentored, and trusted with his customers’ homes for years.

If you’re looking for interior painting in Northern Utah and want to talk to someone who will actually listen to what you need, call (435) 772-9426.