Key Takeaways
- Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary met 11 years ago through a mutual friend at a party in Minnesota.
- They were both immigrants from India, had a lot in common and lived three minutes away from each other.
- They ultimately pooled their personal funds to open their own Color Me Mine paint-your-own pottery studio franchise in March 2025.
A few months ago, a customer walked into Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary’s Edina, Minnesota pottery-painting studio, Color Me Mine, with a plan to propose to his girlfriend.
Color Me Mine allows customers to pick a piece of pottery like a mug, plate or bowl, and paint it. The studio then glazes and fires it, and the customer can pick up in about a week.
The customer wanted to paint a jewelry tray with the question, “Will you marry me?” and use it to propose. Usually it took about seven days for Jain and Choudhary to process a customer’s pottery after they painted it. This time, they agreed to have his piece ready sooner.
Jain and Choudhary also helped create the atmosphere that the customer wanted in the studio. Later, the couple brought them a save-the-date card that mentioned the studio. For Jain and Choudhary, it was a reminder of their impact. They were creating a space where customers could connect and build lasting memories.
A lot in common
That sense of connection is also the foundation of their partnership. Jain and Choudhary met 11 years ago through a mutual friend at a party in Minnesota. Both had moved to the United States from India, were raising children and enjoyed creative projects.
“We started talking and realized we have so many things in common, and just like each other’s company,” Choudhary tells Entrepreneur in a new interview. “We started meeting up.”
They lived a three-minute drive from each other. As their children grew more independent, the friends began imagining building a business together. When they started their search in 2023, they explored franchises and visited a nearby Color Me Mine studio.
“We just loved the whole vibe,” Jain says. “It was such a clean environment, very organized, very colorful. It just felt calming. We both had the same impression.”
They ultimately pooled their personal funds and spent about $300,000 to open their own Color Me Mine location in March 2025. But before becoming business partners, they made a pact: Friendship would come first. Whatever challenges arose, they would keep talking rather than let the business divide them.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Their immigrant stories
Tell me about your backgrounds before you became franchise owners.
Jain: I first came to the United States in 2003 because of my husband’s work project. We went back and forth between India and the U.S. a few times, and then we came here in 2012 and have been here since.
I have a bachelor’s degree in commerce from India. I taught preschool there, and here I worked at Kumon. I was working part-time while my kids were growing up. Now they’re both in college, so this seemed like the perfect time to get into something we would enjoy and have time to invest in.
Choudhary: My husband was already here when we got married, and I moved to the United States afterward. I finished my master’s in electrical engineering. We lived in different states before coming to Minnesota around the same time Antima did.
I have an investment property business on the side, which I still continue. I have two girls: one in high school and one finishing middle school at the time of this interview.
Deciding to franchise
Why choose a franchise rather than create an independent studio?
Choudhary: We didn’t have experience running this kind of business, and that was the scary part: How were we going to do it?
A franchise felt like a balance between owning an independent business and working in a corporate environment. They provide the platform, but we still have independence in running the studio.
Jain: Everything was laid out for us. The guidance and support have helped a lot. Even after our first year, they were still introducing things to make the business easier to operate, including a new point-of-sale system across Color Me Mine studios. We haven’t regretted choosing a franchise.
How did you find your location and fund the business?
Choudhary: The franchisor gave us a territory, and we hired a real estate agent to help find a space. We looked at many places before choosing our location in Edina. There are parks and shopping nearby. The franchise team helped us shortlist locations and think about what to look for, including visibility.
Jain: The startup cost was roughly in the low-$300,000 range. We both invested from our personal accounts rather than taking out a loan. Being partners made it easier to split that investment.
Acquiring customers
How have you worked to bring in customers and grow?
Jain: We joined the local chamber of commerce, which helped spread the word. We participated in an art festival near our location and held Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events. We run recurring promotions and include discount cards with finished pieces to encourage people to return within a month. We also advertise through a platform the franchise recommended.
Choudhary: We’ve donated to local organizations and participated in school fundraising, too. That has helped.
The realities of ownership
What surprised you most about operating the studio?
Jain: Hiring. I never thought keeping a full staff would be such a challenge. It’s a constant process of hiring and rehiring because most of our employees work part-time.
We give opportunities to high school and college students. Their education comes first, and when they finish high school, they may leave for college. We understand that, but before opening, we hadn’t really thought about how continuously we would need to work on staffing.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Choudhary: It’s busy. We don’t currently have a full-time manager, so we handle staffing ourselves. Sometimes we’re both at the studio; sometimes we alternate days. There’s also glazing, payroll, social media, the calendar and other online work. Every day, something needs attention.
Beyond staffing, what has been difficult?
Jain: Calling customers when something happens to their pottery in the kiln. They may have spent hours creating a piece, and then it doesn’t come out perfectly. Telling them that is hard. It happens very rarely — we estimate less than 1% of pieces — but we still dread those calls.
Choudhary: We offer a replacement piece and waive the studio fee so they can come back and paint again. We try to do whatever we can to make the experience better.
Planning ahead and protecting the partnership
How do you keep business disagreements from affecting your friendship?
Choudhary: We knew things would happen because we were new to this. We agreed to keep an open dialogue and talk if something wasn’t working. We’re doing this because we’re friends. If we weren’t going to stay friends, there would be no point in having the business together.
Jain: We’re like sisters. There will be disagreements; we can’t always agree. But I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to do this business with. If I open another studio, I’ll do it with Pooja.
What are your goals for the business?
Jain: We would love to open another studio. We also want to reach the top five in the franchise’s sales rankings. We’ve been in the top 25 and reached sixth place for one month, but we haven’t made the top five yet.
Choudhary: We have similar goals and the same vision for the studio. That alignment is what makes the partnership special. Most of the time, we’re thinking along the same lines.