“You always have to learn and adapt to what is going on.”
— Christian Romero
For Christian Romero, resilient is more than a company name.
Back in Mexico, he sold homemade pastries door-to-door as a young boy, while others played in the park. The everyday realities of a single-mother household forced him to drop out of high school and he learned quickly the values of self-reliance and hard work. He’s always been a businessman and today is also a proud husband, father of six, and proprietor of Resilience Painting in Portland, Oregon.
He was born in Los Angeles in 1980, and when he was four years old, his family took the road south of the border. He returned to Los Angeles at 17 and headed north one year later to make Portland his home.
While working for a medical manufacturer of pacemaker batteries he started Three Dream Builders in 2007 with his brother-in-law and a friend. They installed granite countertops and did full house remodelings, handyman work, and painting. In 2012, he dedicated himself full time to his dream of owning his own business, working 12 to 18 hours a day.
That same year, an accident with a tile cutter claimed four fingertips of Christian’s right hand. Trying to not give in to panic, he rushed out to his truck with adrenaline and a makeshift bandage. In a moment the world came to a full stop when a little girl on a bike suddenly appeared in front of his truck. He was able to stop safely despite the pain and blood and then got himself to the hospital.
He learned to write with his left hand while his right hand healed. The incident didn’t cripple him or damage his self-esteem but profoundly changed him and refueled his Catholic faith.
The company has since evolved to Resilience Painting, with residential painting its main service. Christian also works full remodels, handyman contracts and countertop installations and has a stable crew of six employees, adding more when the work warrants it. His passion for delivering the best quality service means he’s often directly involved in projects. Christian believes in knowing all aspects of his business. “In order to sell a product, I need to know how it is done,” he says.
His plans for the future involve commercial and government contracts while learning to work less on the jobsite and find better balance with family and church. He believes in empowering through training and support and says, “You always have to learn and adapt to what is going on.” And that’s the essence of resilience.
(503) 887-3207
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