Galen Kusic, Editor

Madelyn Swanson is a Benicia High School graduate and a transfer student at San Francisco State University. After earning her associates degree in Communication Studies from Diablo Valley College, she chose SF State because it was close to home and allows her to travel back on the weekends to visit her grandparents.

When Swanson arrived at San Francisco State, she found out that she was one of a few hundred students going for a Communications degree and came to the stark realization that next year she would be entering the job market with them.

“I always thought that after college I could point to my degree in an interview and say ‘see this degree? I worked hard for that, can I have a job now?’ Boy was I living in a false reality,” she said.

While she admits earning a bachelor’s degree is something to be proud of, she also realizes it’s not the only thing employers are looking for. She quickly understood that she needed something to set herself apart from the future job market crowd and started looking at internship opportunities.

“When I say I spent hours researching internships, I’d be putting the process lightly,” she said. “I probably looked into over one hundred internships, both local and non-local. I knew I wanted an internship that was business based as I plan on going to go back to school for business when I am done with my bachelors.”

Nothing stood out to Swanson like the College Works Painting internship. The internship not only focuses on one aspect of a business, but gives hands-on experience in sales, marketing, and operations.

“It took me over a month to get the internship,” she said. “Once I expressed interest in the internship, College Works put me through multiple interviews and even had me do in-depth research into the company to decide if their internship was something I was cut out for.”

After doubting whether she had what it took to run her own business and completing the final interview with a cover letter, she was granted one of five internships to run her own house painting business.

Balancing school full time, a part-time barista job, and an internship has been hard, but Swanson has made the sacrifice and embraced the importance of a daily routine.

“You can successfully balance school, work, and social life if you set aside time for each of those things and hold yourself accountable for doing them during those times,” she said. “It’s all about balance and discipline.”

Before COVID-19, she did a lot of her marketing door to door in Benicia. She would map out an area for the day and knock on as many doors as she could to tell everyone she was running her business in the area and would love to give them a free estimate at a later date.

“Benicia is old fashioned in a lot of ways, that’s how the town keeps its charm and remains a quaint place to live,” she said. “On the other hand, its old fashioned ways also propose challenges.”

Swanson did her research before marketing door to door and discovered she needed a special permit to operate her business within the city. She drafted a whole presentation for the California board of her internship’s company and explained to them why investing in a Benicia permit for her was beneficial for both the company and herself.

They agreed and said as long as she took the proper steps, they would pay for the permit.

“I’ve had plenty of doors slammed in my face or folks who ask for one of the business cards that end up never calling me, but I stay optimistic by looking at each door I knock on as another opportunity to make a connection and grow my business,” she said.

When COVID-19 hit, her whole business structure went out the window. Just like other businesses, she has had to adapt in order to keep operations running. For the marketing component, she moved to alternative online marketing. She reached out to the press, joined local groups on Facebook to post her ads, set up a NextDoor account, and asked friends and family to spread the word.

“I haven’t yielded too many results from alternative marketing, but I post everyday,” she said. “With everyone being sheltered in place at home, now more than ever, folks are taking notice of projects they need to get done around their home.”

How does Swanson run a business centered around in-person appointments and on-site estimates online? Three easy steps: FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom. Once she gets a lead that’s interested in seeing a price for interior or exterior house painting, she sets up a quick 10-minute call with them over one of those platforms and has them show her around their home. They talk about the scope of work they’re looking to get done and she takes screenshots of any problem areas she notices.

With the screenshots, the scope of work, and square footage, she drafts up a presentation and contract to present to the client later via Zoom.

“If the client decides that the price is good for the scope of work and they like me and my business, they can sign the contract digitally and put down their deposit online,” she said. “I am also offering 15 percent off for folks who book with me for the summer during this time.”

Swanson is planning to send her crews out (all are licensed, bonded, and experienced professionals who have produced successful work with the company in the past) to paint her client’s homes starting mid-May.

Since the start of the pandemic, Swanson moved back in with her grandparents. San Francisco State closed its campus and moved classes online. Her grandparents are both retired so they spend most of their time at home, but COVID-19 has impacted their ability to run errands or go grocery shopping.

“I am glad I am home and able to help them during this time,” she said.

Residents might remember her grandparents. Years ago, her grandfather would put out intricate dollhouses he built in their front yard during Christmas time. People from all over Benicia would bring their kids to see the village of dollhouses he had out depicting Santa’s workshops and village. He even won the Coldwell Banker Winter Wonderland contest one year. They are also present each year in the First Street 3rd of July Parade driving the Ford Model A’s her grandfather built.

After college, Swanson hopes to get a job either in marketing or communications. Long term, she’d love to be the head of Communications for a major company. Her advice to graduating seniors is the only person stopping you from achieving your goals is yourself.

“If you want to be successful, you have to take the necessary steps to get yourself there,” she said. “Dedication and discipline are key. First ask yourself what you’re passionate about and then see how you can turn that into a career. There is no one path to success, everyone will take different routes. What matters most is not how long or which path you take, but that you work harder than anyone else along the way.”

Swanson credits her mother as her biggest role model growing up. She instilled in her a strong work ethic and taught her to honor your commitments, own your mistakes, and strive each day to be a better person than you were the day before. 

“She taught me that if you want something, you have to work for it,” she said. “You’re going to have to make hard sacrifices in order to be successful. Sometimes you’re going to have to pass on a party to study for an exam. Focus on long term goals, you have one chance to pass that exam, but you’ll have more chances to go to parties.”

For those interested in seeing a price for interior or exterior house painting, Swanson is available to give them a free digital estimate. You can reach her at (707) 291-3884 or calimadelynswanson@gmail.com.