Creating a Flexible Lifestyle with Debbie & Katrina: A Franchisee Case Study

Debbie & Katrina took only six weeks to open their first Pinot & Picasso studio in Redcliffe, Australia. Their pure enthusiasm and passion for bringing a phenomenal customer experience to their community drove them to being the ultimate movers and shakers! 

We talked to both Debbie & Katrina about their journey so far, the benefits they’ve seen with working on their terms, and advice they’d give to those thinking about investing into a Pinot & Picasso studio. 

HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT PINOT & PICASSO? 

KATRINA: “After spending Saturday afternoon looking up franchise opportunities on random websites, Pinot & Picasso popped up as an ad on my Facebook feed later that night – they are always listening! I was immediately interested – not because I can paint but because it sounded like a fun & profitable business!”

WHAT CONVINCED YOU TO JOIN PINOT & PICASSO AS A FRANCHISEE? 

KATRINA: “After doing all of the Facebook stalking I could on Pinot & Picasso on a Sunday, I told Debbie about it on Monday at work. We decided then and there that it was the business for us and made contact with HQ that day. The biggest convincer for me was that the franchise information said we could have a studio up & running in six weeks… so, that’s what we did!”

DEBBIE: “I was convinced to join Pinot & Picasso as it was told to me that it’s a ‘lifestyle’ business, and that appealed to me.”

YOU HAD YOUR FIRST STUDIO UP & RUNNING IN SIX WEEKS! WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE BECOMING A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISEE?

KATRINA: “It was a whirlwind and a blur, fuelled by coffee and wine! HQ met our pace and everything was pretty straightforward – they assisted when we needed help, and answered every question we had. We were given comprehensive guides for each step we needed to take in order to open in our desired timeframe. Everything fell into place quite easily. 

That being said, to save money, we did most of the shop-fit ourselves which was hard work! We completed a huge fit-out, flew to Sydney for a weekend of training at HQ, and hired & trained our staff in six weeks. At the time it was challenging, but looking back it was the most exciting and wonderful time watching it all come together with my bestie – we don’t like to do things slowly!”

DEBBIE: “The process was exciting. The training was empowering and encouraging – that propelled us to work hard to get it up & running. It was a whirlwind – a lot of planning and trips to hardware stores! It was busy work as we did a lot of the physical labour ourselves, and that has brought us plenty of satisfaction looking back. All that combined with learning a new business made for a busy time, and having someone to share the workload was invaluable!”

WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY BEEN LIKE TOWARDS YOUR STUDIO? 

KATRINA: “One of the best things about having our studio where it is, is the friendly people and businesses around them. We are amazed how far guests travel to visit our ocean view studio in Redcliffe, Queensland after someone tells them about us. The view is unbeatable! 

We always make sure to be wearing our Pinot & Picasso shirts while out & about, and people stop us to ask about our studio no matter where we are. We have sponsored, supported and donated to every local community group that has reached out to us, and this has created amazing connections with locals.”

DEBBIE: “We have had great support from the community. The location of our Redcliffe studio has helped – who doesn’t love looking at the ocean? We have been contacted by many local businesses to organise pop-ups and we love being out meeting local businesses too.”

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES AS FRANCHISE OWNERS?

KATRINA: “Paperwork and number crunching. Not having structured or set work days have been a bit challenging for me, but I am making progress!”

DEBBIE: “The biggest challenge as a Franchise Owner for me is keeping up with the behind the scenes bookwork. The studio work is easy and a lot of fun, so it is easy to do. Whether it is adding sessions or sending out rosters, setting up for an event or even going into the studios to clean – I enjoy that! I don’t get excited by reconciling receipts, so that is a challenge for me.”

WHAT BENEFITS IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE HAVE YOU SEEN SINCE BECOMING A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISEE? 

KATRINA: “We get to work with each other every day – how many best friends can say that! The lifestyle that the Pinot business offers us is the biggest benefit. We can and have operated our business from anywhere in the world now that our teams are established. We can spend more time with our families, holiday whenever we’d like to and work on our business at times that we choose.

Not having to go to work as an employee everyday allows a lifestyle many can only dream of. It’s very rewarding and empowering to know that the more we put in, the more we get out. Running our own business is not always easy but being part of Pinot and Picasso makes it easier and we are so glad we chose to take the leap of faith and open studios.”

DEBBIE: “My favourite thing about Pinot & Picasso is that it is a lifestyle business. When I know I have the best work-life balance where my life is more than my work. The team at HQ is a great group of people to work with.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE THINKING OF BUYING A PINOT & PICASSO FRANCHISE? 

KATRINA: “JUST DO IT! Feel the fear and do it anyway! You won’t regret it – it’s the perfect balance between work and play. I would suggest diving in with a friend so you can share the adventure, the work, fun moments, the decisions, and make memories together. It has been an amazing ride so far and I am so glad I am part of the family that is Pinot & Picasso.”

DEBBIE: “I highly recommend this business if you want a fun, happy business to work in that gives you freedom in your everyday life. I strongly recommend having someone to do it with. Not only does it share the workload, but you get to enjoy it more when you have someone to share the fun times with too!”