- Deborah Pratt
- | November 12, 2025
Color Me Mine Franchisee Channels Love for the Craft into Thriving Business
- A Color Me Mine franchisee builds one of the top pottery painting franchises in less than a year of ownership.
- Ana Paula Pisani Bourroul’s passion for pottery painting led her to choose franchising with Color Me Mine.
- Customer service, staff teamwork and an ideal location contribute to success, Bourroul says.
- Support and training from Color Me Mine’s corporate team eased the transition into business ownership for the Brazilian-born franchisee.
Painting pottery was more than just a pleasant hobby for Ana Paula Pisani Bourroul during the pandemic. “It became a source of therapy,” she says. “Painting allowed me to unplug, forget the daily stresses, and focus on being creative and building positive memories with my family during a difficult time. Once the pandemic ended, I knew I wanted to share with others the same sense of peace and creativity that pottery painting brought to me.”
She found a way to put her resolution into action by investing in a Color Me Mine paint-your-own-pottery franchise, opening a studio in 2024 in Culver City, Calif., near Los Angeles. Bourroul initially planned to start an independent pottery painting business, but her research of the industry pointed her to the advantages of working with Color Me Mine. “It was the perfect fit since they provided more than 30 years of expertise and tools while still allowing me to have the freedom to add my own personal touches,” she says.
Through her dedication and diligence, Bourroul’s studio has become one of Color Me Mine’s top 25 franchises in less than a year since its opening. “Our success is built on a few key factors: our focus on customer experience, our incredible team and our location,” she says.
Keys to Franchise Success
Bourroul’s emphasis on customer service and teamwork among staff members grew out of her decades of owning a hotel in Brazil before she and her husband immigrated to the U.S. to be closer to their two daughters, who were attending college in the Los Angeles area. “Every decision is made with the customer experience in mind and how we can elevate it. We want every person who walks through our doors to feel welcome, informed and ready to create,” she says. “We can only achieve this high standard because of our amazing team, who are dedicated to making each customer’s visit as special as possible, from the moment they arrive and begin pottery painting to the moment they pick up their finished pieces. Our staff is always ready with a smile, helpful tips and creative tricks to ensure a wonderful time.”
Finding the right location for the pottery painting franchise was a critical step, and Bourroul searched for an area where the business could thrive. “We wanted to be part of a creative, engaged and lively community, and Culver City went above and beyond in checking all those boxes,” she says.
Color Me Mine’s support proved to be essential, especially given the hurdles Bourroul faced in opening a business in a new country. “Even though I had previous business experience in Brazil, it was definitely intimidating thinking of all the different laws and regulations of the U.S. Color Me Mine gave us all the tools, expertise and support to ensure the smoothest, safest path for a first-time U.S. business owner,” she says. “From the discovery day until today, Color Me Mine continues to give us helpful, informative tools that ensure we maintain our success while giving us something to strive for.”
Crafting: A Booming Industry
Since its founding in 1991, Color Me Mine has expanded to more than 130 pottery painting franchises in the U.S. and Canada as the arts and crafts market has flourished. About 71 percent of U.S. consumers identify themselves as crafters, according to Mintel, especially Gen Z and millennials, as well as parents seeking bonding activities with their children. Color Me Mine capitalizes on the interest in crafting by making pottery painting accessible to people of all skill levels, with no art experience required.
Color Me Mine provides franchise owners with training, centralized marketing and operating systems that simplify business processes. The company also focuses on ensuring long-term stability by continually innovating and diversifying its products.
Bourroul also understands the importance of new offerings for her customers. “I carefully curate our selection of pieces weekly, as well as rearrange and restock our shelves so that they always feel fresh and inviting to our customers. I’m at the studio almost every day since it’s my favorite place to be. I’m very proud of the welcoming, creative space that we have created. My daily presence also allows me to oversee operations and continuously work with our staff to improve every aspect of the studio,” she says, adding that her husband and daughters (shown with her, below) are also closely involved in the operation, frequently spending time at the studio and interacting with customers.
The success of her pottery painting franchise has been a dream come true, Bourroul says, especially given all that she has accomplished in a short time. “It’s tough to pick just one favorite moment, but the first time I saw the studio completely full — not a single open table — with families and friends having a great time and creating art, it felt like a total ‘mission accomplished’ moment,” she says. “That’s a memory I will treasure forever.”
To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit the Color Me Mine website.