Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Dossey.
Amanda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion started in marketing and I was in digital media sales for almost 15 years prior to opening my first Painting with a Twist studio in 2015. After I had kids, I knew it was a great time to start something for ME, where I could control what I did and when I did it.
When my best friend took me took to my first Painting with a Twist class in Dallas, I immediately thought, “There is no way I can do this!” But after the class, I had an amazing painting and I had an even better time. I also left with a huge sense of confidence that I could actually create a painting that I loved.
That same friend ended up opening her first studio in Pennsylvania and soon after that, I left the corporate world to open my own studio in Georgia. I opened my first Buckhead location in March 2015 and a second location in Dunwoody in August 2017. My passion for Painting with a Twist started as a customer and developed into something much bigger. It’s about making people happy and giving them an escape to create something special. People always ask me if I am an artist and I tell them, “No, and that’s the point!”
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for me has been time management. When you work in a corporate job, there is a time to start and a time to end. When you work for yourself, it can easily become a 24/7 responsibility with no time off. I have a lot of people that count on me and I take that very seriously. It’s a passion of mine but one that I need to keep in check!
I have also learned a lot about business along the way. I’ve made a lot of mistakes but I have learned from all of them. We aren’t perfect but we always work to be better than we were yesterday.
Please tell us about Painting with a Twist .
Painting with a Twist brings the fun and creativity of painting to everyone, regardless of artistic talent. We were the first paint and sip and our founders, Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney, created the vertical as a way to raise money for Hurricane Katrina efforts. The popularity spread and now there are over 350 locations nationwide. What I love most is, that the company hasn’t lost its focus on giving back to others. Each month, every studio hosts a Painting with a Purpose event, where a portion of the proceeds go back to local charities. Together, we have been able to donate over $4 million back to our local communities.
Painting with a Twist also provides an escape for people – from life, from stress and from hardships. For two hours, you can come in, paint, laugh and drink a little wine. It’s the only job I have ever had where, I end the day in a better mood than when I started.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was definitely driven growing up! No matter what I was doing, I put my heart and soul into it 150 percent. I also loved making people happy. I would say that holds true even today.
I was a dancer, so I definitely had a creative side to me but art was always something I was afraid of – it didn’t come naturally to me.
Pricing:
- $35 per person for a 2 hour class
- $45 per person for a 3 hour class
- $25 per person for kids classes (1.5 hours)
Contact Info:
- Address: 2140 Peachtree Rd., NW Ste 305 Atlanta, GA 30309
- Website: www.paintingwithatwist.com/atlanta-buckhead/
- Phone: 404-975-3423
- Email: studio120@paintingwithatwist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pwatbuckhead/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/pwatbuckheadGA
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pwatbuckhead?lang=en
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/painting-with-a-twist-atlanta
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