Then as he started looking into companies to buy, through mutual friends we actually came across As You Wish Pottery. I had taken my oldest son to paint at As You Wish when he was small so I had an idea of the concept, but it had been a long time since I had been in.
After we started researching it, we both liked the concept of having a venue for our customers to spend quality time with those that are important to them. As you know, in this crazy world it is nice to have a place where you can actually spend time with others. A lot of times we find ourselves with not as much quantity time, so we have to fill it with quality time now.
After much discussion, we decided to purchase As You Wish. At the time, As You Wish had four locations with a fifth location under construction. We finished building out that fifth location and opened it just a few weeks after we bought the company. In 2012, five years later, we opened another, and then in 2014 we opened a seventh studio.
Here’s a funny story I just wanted to share with you. About a week after we bought the company we were headed to a convention, which is where all of the suppliers were going to be and other studio owners. The previous owner went with us, thank goodness, because I still remember walking around the convention hall looking at all of the pieces for sale and I leaned over and I asked her, I said “Everyone keeps talking about this stuff called bisque. What is that?” She just kind of looked at me funny and she said, “That is the stuff you sell.” I knew right then that I had a lot to learn and very quickly. My head was spinning.
