Franchise Update Magazine Issue I, 2016 | Page 49

Female Founders back to the communities we serve, which is something we didn’t realize could be such a huge part of franchising. All of our corporate studios and a large majority of our franchisees host Painting with a Purpose classes regularly. In these classes, the studio partners with a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to that nonprofit. To date, we have raised more than $2 million for nonprofits in areas where we have franchises. It is one of our proudest achievements. How did you grow the brand at first? What changed as you expanded? Maloney: Our growth was truly organic. Social media has been instrumental in the rapid growth of our system. We are a very visual business, and our base customers are women active on social media. Women would go to a class and post photos saying how much fun they had. People would see those posts, look up the website, and see our franchising page. As we expanded, we added a really good franchise development leader, Mike Powers. Mike had 12 years of franchising experience. He was a good cultural fit and has contributed to our growth. How did you transition from founding a brand to leading a brand? Deano: By leading with our core values and keeping in the forefront of our minds that franchising is about people, ideas, and support. As we have grown we have added support staff so that we know our franchisees can get the assistance they need. Successful franchisees are the best tool to securing additional franchisees. How would you describe your leadership style? Deano: Sincere, ethical, fun. What is the key to your company’s success? Deano: The paint-and-sip business has tapped into society’s need to reconnect. In the age of screens, when people who are sitting in the same room are texting each other and all communication is done electronically, people are looking to have a real connection and have somewhere to digitally detox. We are human beings and we’re naturally wired to interact. In the age of technology, we are becoming increasingly alone in a world full of people. It is human nature to want to interact with others, to laugh, to sing, and to share creative experiences. All of that is achieved at Painting with a Twist. In our system, we train our team on how to facilitate that in a class. It’s our “Secret Sauce,” and we really do it best! BEING FEMALE Was being female an advantage or disadvantage for you in building your company? How? Maloney: Painting with a Twist is a company created for women, by women. As women, founding this company has not only been an advantage for us, but it’s given us an edge over competitors. We have a better perspective on what kind of experience our female customers are looking for and will benefit from. Have you found specific advantages or disadvantages to being a woman business ow