Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Erickson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2012 with a degree in Fine Arts. Upon graduating, the goal for any art student is to find employment in a creative field, but unfortunately openings are usually very limited. Knowing that I was looking for a job, a friend of mine sent me a craigslist ad for a company based out of Boston that was looking to expand. This company was called “Paint Nite” and back in 2012 the idea of a paint-and-sip class was pretty much unheard of. The ad explained that I would teach a group of adults an art class while hosting in a fun atmosphere like a bar. I was unsure but applied just for the fun of it. Within 72 hours I got a phone call from the CEO of this start-up company and after only a 15 minute conversation, he hired me as the new owner of Paint Nite’s Minnesota division. So there I was- a 23 years old with no business experience what-so-ever about expand an up-and-coming art company from the East Coast into the Midwest.
Fast-forward 10 years and I’m still running this same Paint Nite operation in the Twin Cities. I’ve employed over 35+ local artist to teach our painting classes at over 50+ different bars and restaurants around the metro. We’ve taught thousands of painting classes and hosted tens-of-thousands of people over these past 10 years.
I never thought the “silly little job from a craigslist ad” would turn out to be the adventure of my life. I had the art stuff down, but this job forced me to learn so much about being a small business owner: creating an LLC, finding an accountant, unemployment, insurance (of all kinds), inventory, payroll, and HECK– having employees! Of course, I’ve been forced to adjust my business over the years- growing to meet increasing demands and then shrinking when competing paint-and-sips became oversaturated in MN. We faced our hardest of times as a business in 2020 during the pandemic when all bars and restaurants were closed for several months.
As the years passed, I set my eyes on a goal of reaching this decade benchmark. There are so many stats about small businesses not making it past the first couple of years so I decided that I would feel personally accomplished if I could make it a solid 10 years. I accomplished that goal on January 13th, 2024. I could have never done it alone but feel so blessed with great mentors, incredible employees, and loving customers that carried me across this decade milestone.
A job in the arts is so rewarding because not only does it allow me to be creative and expressive every day, but it gives that same freedom to all of our customers (who are usually coming to our classes straight from a 9-to-5 job). The comment I hear most often after the class is over is how much they enjoyed their time off of their phone, not thinking about work and using their hands to create some thing unique and fun like they used to when they were kids. It’s therapy, in a lot of ways.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think people would be lying if they run a small business and say that things are always smooth sailing. Many setbacks, struggles and personal roadblocks have happened over these last 10 years trying to navigate what a successful business in Minneapolis looks like. I’ve been screamed at by venue owners, scammed by customers, stood-up by employees, bankrupt on payday, and hit hard during Covid. I always joke that the best way to learn is by making the mistake firsthand and boy have I done that! I started this business at the age of 23 and am now 34 years old. The lessons I have learned could never have been taught inside of a classroom and only became real when real consequences were on the line. All of which forced me to develop systems that would prevent that mistake from ever happening again. I found better ways to never run out of inventory, better ways to keep track of finances so that money wouldn’t be short on payday, better ways to plan for extra customers, and better ways to communicate my bar and restaurant owners so that they had the proper expectations of what a paint class inside of their venue would look like. I wouldn’t say it was a crash course in business 101 but instead a long decade journey of trial and error.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At a Paint Nite class you can expect to paint on a 16” x 20” canvas with acrylic paints. These paintings are often brightly colored, nature-themed and can be completed within a two hour timeframe. However in my personal life, my paintings are much different. My favorite medium to work with has always been oil paints. I love their ability to blend and move even days after being on the canvas. This is a stark difference from acrylics (used at Paint Nite) which dry completely within a matter of minutes. In my personal work my favorite thing to paint is roses. I paint them almost obsessively- over and over again until they’ve completely filled a large canvas. I enjoy painting with warm tones, like pinks and oranges and creating paintings that leave you feeling nostalgic and romantic.
My favorite artist has always been Pablo Picasso. I dressed up as him and did a book report on him in the third grade and it’s been love ever since. In 2023 my husband and I were fortunate enough to travel to Spain to see several of Picasso‘s major works in museums across the country- which was a dream come true and major bucket list item! The highlight of the trip was seeing my all time favorite painting titled “Guernica”. It’s a 24-foot long painting in mostly black and white about the Spanish Civil War and it was absolutely breathtaking.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Overall, I’m not sure success is something you can capture and hold in your hand. I believe “success” is fleeting and ever-changing. But I do think there is something to be said about having a good work/life balance, and overall happy demeanor. I would never have gone into Art in the first place if I defined success monetarily (haha) but instead I find success in creating beauty in a chaotic world. I find success when a customer tells me they had been having a bad day until they sat down at our table and picked up a paintbrush. Leaving people better than you found them is the ultimate reward and what I think keeps this business of mine afloat.
Paint Nite is such a beautiful concept for many people because it’s low risk. You have the reassurance that the instructor will tell you step-by-step which colors to mix, what brush to use and where to place the paint. However, as the confidence builds throughout the night, I often see customers come out of their shell- explore ideas and colors that are unique to them. By the end of the night, although we’ve all had the same instructions and same materials, you’ll find 30 completely unique and personalized paintings. People often shock themselves with the work they’ve created in such a short period of time and often come back time and time again to continue creating and exploring their artistic side. That in itself is success in my eyes. Unleashing everyone’s inner artist and creating a safe space were no one feels judged by the work they create.
Pricing:
- $45 per ticket to any Paint Nite class
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paintnite.com/calendar/in-person/united-states/minnesota/minneapolis/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintnitemn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaintNiteMN
