Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Pizzola.
Hi Brandon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Thanks!
I was living in Los Angeles and was starting to get tired of the entertainment world (acting and some production) and started scouring the market for something that would interest me. I’ve always been an artist in one way or another, painting primarily, and I came across a job offer for a painting instructor. I had never done that before, but knew I could handle it so I interviewed and got the job with a small up-and-coming paint and sip studio. One and a half years later, in 2015, I bought the company!
I continued to develop and operate Paint & Sip Studio LA until I moved back to my PA roots in 2021 where I opened my operation here in Lancaster, PA.
Paint & Sip Studio PA is a mobile painting studio, providing supplies, expert instruction, and stress-free creative fun for any occasion—almost anywhere in PA and beyond.
Since our opening here in PA back in 2022, we have brought the paint and sip experience to many parts of PA and even areas in NJ and MD. Wherever we’re called we’ll bring easy creativity and no-pressure painting instruction to those brave ones who understand the importance of keeping our creative minds alive.
I’ve always admired those who search and hold-out to find their bliss and I’m so fortunate to have found mine. I could not be more passionate about what we do and how we can take nervous folks with no experience and put a big smile on their faces when they see just what they can do with a little encouragement and direction.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I was in Los Angeles and operating Paint & Sip Studio LA when COVID hit and freaked out for about a week until I started seeing all of these innovating people posting things online and then Zoom became a “thing” out of nowhere it seemed. Quickly we pivoted to all online paint and sip events which included public classes and private groups. It was certainly challenging to create and market that pivot, but luckily we were able to stay afloat and even prosper a bit.
The biggest struggle in PA has been figuring out where our target audience is. We’re based in Lancaster, but end up hosting a large number of private parties in the Gettysburg area, Harrisburg area, the Poconos, and even in the surrounding states. It was easy to market to one city of Los Angeles (although large and sprawling), but more difficult to market to a quarter or more of an entire state, but we’re working on it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been running paint and sip events since 2013 and owned my own studio since 2015. I opened Paint & Sip Studio PA in January of 2022 in Lancaster, PA as Lancaster’s and the surrounding area’s only solely traveling paint and sip experience. We have a library of almost 300 custom paintings created specifically for our studio by our artists and with the nervous beginner in mind.
We host private paint and sip parties in customers’ homes, we conduct team building events in offices and we offer classes at establishments and event spaces all over central and eastern PA.
Our mission is to bring the creative spirit to those who don’t normally exercise this part of their humaness. We do so with encouragement and a strict non-judgemental approach. And… of course it’s also an occasion to PARTY!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Yes! Work your butt off, but take time for yourself, your family, and the other things that you love about your life. Self-care for the entrepreneur is key and essential for success.
In regards to teaching a group and giving a show, HAVE FUN and don’t be afraid to “Be the Fool”. When you are the fool, the crowd feels much more at ease to be themselves and enjoy the process.
Pay yourself.
Pricing:
- Know your costs
- Know what your time is worth
- Research materials
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paintandsipstudiopa.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintandsipstudiopa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paintandsipstudioPA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paint-and-sip-studio-pa-lititz-7
