We were lucky to catch up with Sladjana Ahmetovic recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sladjana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

This is a great question. I knew the idea was specific to a certain consumer. Knowing that the mobile art studio would cater to mostly cannabis users and other artist, I had to focus on that market. With Arizona going recreational, my customers would be at the dispos as well as other art and cannabis friendly events. I had made sure to attend these events to speak to, showcase, and explain how Pretty Dope Paintings works. Thankfully, there is a great community here in Phoenix that really enjoys both art and cannabis.

The idea in itself is catchy, so I had to work on the presentation. When meeting new people, you have only a few seconds to grab their attention. I narrowed my intro to a couple phrases, and let them do some research on their own once I gave them the business card. I knew if they experience the class they would come back!  When the venue for the events was established and the consistency was built, the customer base also followed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

So, my name is Sladjana, I go by Jana. I am a Bosnian woman who came to America at the age of 8. I have spent my career life in various industries, allowing me to gain knowledge in many different roles. I learned to manage other small business’; that experience was later utilized to start my own business. During the pandemic, I was unable to drive due to an ankle injury, and that required my friends to come visit me. Over time, I decided to open the experience up to the public, and Pretty Dope Paintings was established in April of 2021.

Pretty Dope Paintings is a mobile art studio that hosts open art classes that are guided. The studio allows the participants to bring their own bud and learn how to paint a concept. All skill levels are welcome, so you do not need to be an artist to join. You must simply know how to follow instructions. The class is hosted every second Saturday of the month, in Mesa. The participants must be 21+ to join.

Cannabis classes are not the only services that are offered. Private events are available through the mobile art studio and allow the host to select which concept their group will be guided on. We bring the studio to you!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Without the participants this class would not be, so I make sure to allow the participants as much control as I can. Periodically I offer engaging posts that allow the artists to take a poll on which concept they want to be guided on. I also am consistent with my marketing and the open classes. People love consistency and when you remember them by name. I can honestly say, that most of my participants are repeat customers and this I am very thankful for. During each class I like to give thanks by offering a raffle at each event. The class ticket also doubles as a raffle for a chance to win a take home art kit. Building mutually beneficial relationships is a must!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Because I am a mobile art studio, I depend on other business’ for their venues. At the beginning, I had to learn who to partner with. Some of those lessons were tough to learn.

A scenario happened where I had my class cancelled by the venue last minute, or other businesses that did not deliver as promised. To overcome that I had to have a plan B. Finding last minute venues and equipment is not easy, I had to come out of pocket on some occasions to make sure that the services the participants paid for, were delivered. Over time you learn who to collaborate with and reserve to work with people that have the same goals and work ethics.

There was also a scenario where I even had a car accident on my way to host an open class. One of my vendors saw me on the highway, picked me up and we went to the class, like nothing happened. Even though we were chasing canvas on the highway! (Thank you Tajjii )

I can honestly say that God has been on my side every step of the way. That is the reason the classes continue to happen, and hard work of course. In business you must be a problem solver. You must clear the obstacles that are in your way towards your journey. You cannot let those obstacles make you stray away from your goal or your purpose.

Stay true to yourself, and make sure that you are proud of your journey to the pursuit of happiness.

Stay creating!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prettydopepaintings.com
• Instagram: @prettydopepaintings

Image Credits
@Hamzic_Studios & Williamsinframe