In June 2024, I opened Color Me Mine Winter Garden, a paint-your-own pottery franchise just outside Orlando. Today it's one of the fastest-growing studios in the brand, and it has given my family something we went without for a long time: a community to call home.

We still have the pottery my kids painted at Color Me Mine in California back in 2012. Those pieces moved with us from California to Washington, D.C., to Florida, wrapped carefully in boxes alongside everything else a military family carries from one home to the next. I never imagined that the figurines we painted on weekend afternoons would one day lead me to business ownership.

Finding Direction in the Navy

In high school, I didn't have a plan for after graduation. When a Navy recruiter came to our school offering a steady paycheck and independence, I didn’t need convincing. I left for boot camp in 1995, right after graduation, and served eight years: four on active duty and four in the reserves.

The Navy took me from Spain and Turkey to Thailand, where I worked as a cargo handler operating forklifts and cranes. It was hard, physical work, but I made friends for life, learned a craft and sharpened skills like discipline, organization and direction—lessons that have guided every chapter since.

A Career Built One Chapter at a Time

After my service, I used my GI Bill to earn a degree in medical assisting, which launched a 20-year career in the medical field. Along the way I added a decade in life insurance and earned my Florida real estate license, which I still use today to grow my portfolio. All the while, I was raising three children through duty-station moves.

Each move meant new schools, new jobs and new neighbors, rarely getting to put down lasting roots. But one thing traveled with us everywhere: pottery painting. In California, I would take my kids, often with other military wives, to our local Color Me Mine. It was a fun, family-friendly way to spend an afternoon, and our collection grew with every visit.

From Customer to Franchisee

When we settled in Central Florida and were looking for activities to do, my youngest daughter suggested pottery painting, and we discovered that the nearest Color Me Mine was over an hour away. That’s when my daughter suggested we open our own studio.

At first, I scoffed. I had no artistic ability whatsoever, and owning my own business felt unattainable. But my daughter submitted an interest form through the Color Me Mine website, and we received a call back the next day. After a few more conversations, I realized this was something I could actually do, and decided to go for it.

The franchise model made that leap possible. As a first-time business owner, I had plenty to learn, from sales tax and personal property tax to licensing and the day-to-day management side. Having a proven system and a support team to lean on gave me the kind of structure I knew from the Navy, and over time I grew into the role of ownership.

Running the Studio Like a Mission

The Navy made me goal- and task-oriented, and I run my studio the same way. We set clear targets, track them and stay on mission. We've grown through social media, themed painting events and partnerships with local organizations. For most of the past year, our studio has ranked in the top 5% for month-over-month growth across the Color Me Mine system.

I don't take that credit alone. Most of my staff has been with me since opening day, and they're like family to me. My team can run the studio without me, but I still like to be present most days to greet customers, be part of the team and be an example of teamwork and dedication to customer service and community to everyone.

Finally Putting Down Roots

As a military family, we said a lot of goodbyes. Here in Orange County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, I've finally found a community I belong to. I know customers by name and watch families come back again and again. Our studio is a place to sit down, unwind and be creative and being part of that is an honor.

I'm the first entrepreneur in my family, and I'm building this business with my children in mind. I hope to hand it down to them one day. I'm already looking ahead to a second studio, along with deeper community involvement and charitable giving.

My Advice to Fellow Veterans

To any veteran considering franchise ownership: just do it. Jump in feet first and take the risk, because what you get out of it depends on what you put in. The discipline, organization and perseverance you built in uniform are exactly what a franchise system rewards. You already know how to follow a proven plan, lead a team and adapt when things change. And if you've spent years moving from place to place, owning a business might be how you finally find your community.