Wait, TWO grand? For someone to just tell you to find a niche? That's insane, I would have expected maybe a few hundred bucks for some basic pep talks, but that price tag is for a real plan.

Man, that's rough. I feel for you and @thomas_campbell. Honestly, I wouldn't go below 200 for anything bigger than a poster.

Yeah that grayscale trick is smart.

I've used both over the years. CertaPro is a franchise, so your experience really depends on the specific crew they sub it out to. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's rushed. I strongly prefer Millcreek Painters because they have their own dedicated guys. The attention to detail on our trim work was night and day better with Millcreek.

Wow, @samschmidt, I've been to enough fan meetups to know it's NOT always the big life changes that shift your view. From my experience, a fun thing like that pizza gets people talking way more than just sitting around with comics. I remember a Star Wars themed drink once led to our group setting up a yearly movie marathon. It's those small shared moments that BUILD something real.