BY KERRY PIPES
Female Founders
SIP, PAINT, GIVE
Making a difference and having fun
I
n 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated
the Mandeville, La., community where
Cathy Deano (sitting) and her friend
Renee Maloney lived. In fact, it flooded
Deano’s house and destroyed Maloney’s
husband’s three truck stops there. The
pair, who had become friends when their
children attended school together, felt
compelled to do something, but weren’t
sure exactly what.
Looking for a way to be more involved
in their community and to give back, they
brainstormed several ideas before their
“Aha” moment came. They knew their
friends and neighbors could use a distraction, so they hosted a backyard party
that combined painting and relaxing over
a few glasses of wine. The idea was a hit.
Together they invested $10,000 and
opened their company in 2007. Originally
called Corks N Canvas before rebranding
to franchise two year later, Painting with
a Twist was born. They offered two- to
three-hour painting classes four times a
week at affordable prices. “It was bring
your own wine. We supplied everything
else,” says Maloney. Each month, they
NAMES: Cathy Deano, Renee Maloney
TITLE: Co-founders
COMPANY: Painting with a Twist
SYSTEM-WIDE REVENUE: $62 million in
2015 ($152 million since 2010)
NO. OF UNITS: 263 (6 corporate)
NO. OF INTERNATIONAL UNITS: 0
GROWTH PLANS: 100 new studios in
2016; 25% annual growth after that
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? Private
YEAR COMPANY FOUNDED: 2007
YEAR STARTED FRANCHISING: 2009
YOUR YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 6
Franchiseupdate I S S U E I , 2016
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