From Artist to Business Mum with Jay: A Franchisee Case Study
From a Pinot & Picasso artist to a Pinot & Picasso Franchise Owner, Jay Wassell has seen all the levels of working for this paint and sip franchise.
Now a working mum, she has the flexibility in her life to raise her family as well as see her investment grow thanks to her wonderful studio manager. We chatted with Jay about how she opened a studio overseas in New Zealand, the benefits to her life since becoming a franchisee, and being an active player in the New Plymouth, Taranaki community.
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE PINOT & PICASSO AS THE FRANCHISE TO INVEST INTO?
Jay: “I worked as an artist and ran the social media for a few different Pinot & Picasso studios in NSW, Australia. We were looking to invest in something and felt like Pinot & Picasso might be a great opportunity!
I was lucky enough to watch the Wetherill Park and Hawkesbury studios come to life and get an inside scoop on the whole process. The owners of these studios were amazing mentors for us, thank you Elayna, Hany and Sharon!
I also ended up working for HQ creating the original artworks we paint in studios. This was invaluable, as I was able to see the incredible effort the HQ team put in behind the scenes. In particular, James and Aaron’s dedication to the business and their staff is something that we loved! If we were going to invest in a franchise business, we wanted to be part of this one.”
WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE BECOMING A FRANCHISEE WITH PINOT & PICASSO?
Jay: “It was a fairly smooth process! We really enjoyed the training and definitely felt equipped to open our business. Once we settled on a territory, it was really just about finding a location for the studio and everything else flowed after that.”
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A PART OF A FRANCHISE?
Jay: “We love the team atmosphere, the marketing, the dedication to fresh and creative ideas to move the business forward, and the support that we have access to.”
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISEE OR PART OF THE NETWORK?
Jay: “Our favourite thing is connecting with other studio owners, particularly our fellow NZ owners, and the support and ideas from HQ. In particular, we love meeting with the marketing team and seeing their expertise in action!”
AS A CUSTOMER-FOCUSED BUSINESS, WHAT HAS THE FEEDBACK OR STORIES FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS BEEN LIKE SINCE YOUR STUDIO OPENED IN THE COMMUNITY?
Jay: “We have loved opening in New Plymouth, Taranaki in New Zealand. The community there is already so creative and they’ve welcomed us with open arms!
As such a new studio, we have been gathering feedback from customers after each session. This feedback has been invaluable, and so very positive! People have loved being able to let their hair down and get creative without any pressure attached. We’ve had a customer return seven times and a couple travel over two hours just to visit us!”
OUR FRANCHISING GOAL IS TO SEE FRANCHISEES BUILD A LIFE AND CAREER THEY ARE PROUD OF. WHAT BENEFITS HAVE YOU SEEN IN THESE AREAS SINCE BECOMING A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISEE?
Jay: “We’re so proud to be part of a positive experience in New Plymouth, Taranaki. We adore our staff, especially our phenomenal manager Sonja, and have loved watching our studio evolve! We also love that we have the freedom to continue to work on our own careers while this investment is ticking away in the background. We touch base with our manager regularly, but really it’s Sonja who is running the show.
A few weeks after we opened we welcomed our first baby, Ruben, into the world. There are not a lot of franchises where we could enter the newborn bubble just after opening and know that our studio was set up securely enough to keep running smoothly!
YOUR STUDIO IS IN TARANAKI. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO OPERATE A STUDIO HERE?
Jay: ”My family live in New Plymouth, Taranaki and Blake (my husband) has also had family live in Taranaki over the years. We both love the area and it is a particularly special place for me, visiting as I grew up and watching it evolve into the bustling tourist destination it is today. Knowing my parents would be so close to the studio definitely helped us make the decision to open a studio from overseas.”
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO BECOME A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISEE?
Jay: “You have the flexibility to set it up and not be too involved, but you could also run the whole show! Opening a studio overseas meant we automatically needed to be more hands off (although we visited and fit out the studio with my parents!). We couldn’t run without our manager, Sonja, and finding a good quality manager was our top priority.
Keep more savings up your sleeve than you’re planning to, surprise costs always pop up in a fit out process. Enjoy the fact that opening this franchise would be providing a fun and creative experience to so many people!”
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING WITH YOUR FRANCHISE?
Jay: “We love being involved in our local community and are looking forward to raising more money for local charities. We can’t wait to be part of the Arts Trail this year! Long term, we’re looking forward to reaching even more people in Taranaki and making the most of such a big territory.
Tired of working the 9-5 grind for someone else? Want to have a more flexible work-life balance? Want to spend more time with your family? Pinot & Picasso is the franchise opportunity for you.
Learn more about becoming a franchisee with Pinot & Picasso via the button below!
