We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stormy Tripp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stormy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

When we first started, we only had one public venue where we held our painting events, and it felt like a huge milestone to get that first partnership off the ground. But as we started to build relationships with other venues, we realized that expanding our reach was the key to growing the business. The best strategy for us turned out to be something simple but incredibly effective: just asking around. We reached out to venues that were already hosting painting events and asked if we could join in. This not only gave us the chance to test different spaces, but it also allowed us to gain credibility in the market.

Some of the venues we work with today didn’t even offer painting events when we first approached them. But after seeing how well our events went, they were eager to continue partnering with us, and it became a natural growth path. Over time, we went from that one original venue to six regular venues where we host events every month.

Social media played a huge role in helping us grow too. From starting with just a few followers, we’ve built our social presence to nearly 1,000 in a little over a year. This growth has been completely organic, driven by the energy and excitement our customers have shared with their own networks. It’s been a reminder that genuine, grassroots marketing is so powerful when you’re engaging with people in a way that’s authentic.

One of the most significant things we’ve learned is the power of marketing. In the early stages, we didn’t always put enough focus on our event promotions, and sometimes the turnout was disappointing. But we quickly realized that the more we invested in marketing and paid ads, the better the results. Even the timing of the event mattered more than we initially thought—there were times when we picked slots that weren’t ideal for our audience, and we learned to avoid those mistakes moving forward.

Of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were definitely moments when we missed the mark, whether it was underestimating the need for promotion or selecting the wrong time for a crowd. But every setback was a lesson, and we got better at recognizing what worked and what didn’t. The key to scaling up has been persistence, trial and error, and learning from every experience to make each event and partnership even stronger than the last.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey, I’m Stormy Tripp, the proud owner of The Painting Joint, where we bring the art to you! Whether you’re in Los Angeles, Orange, or Ventura counties, (sometimes even Riverside county), we’ve got you covered. We travel across these areas to offer a fun, relaxing, and an accessible painting experience for people of all ages—no experience required! We bring all the supplies, guide you step-by-step through the process, and by the end, everyone leaves with their very own masterpiece.

My passion for art started at a young age, and it’s something I’ve carried with me through every stage of life—from my middle school sketchbooks to my college art education classes. After college, I worked for a Paint n Sip franchise for over 5 years, where I discovered how to apply my love for teaching. It wasn’t just about painting—it was about seeing people light up when they realized they could create something beautiful themselves. I loved that part more than anything, and it inspired me to continue pursuing that dream.

But then, in December of 2022, the franchise location where I worked closed its doors. I thought that was the end of my journey, but a few months later, a friend reached out, asking if I could host a painting event for her women’s group. Without even thinking, I said yes… and immediately panicked because, well, I had zero supplies! But that’s when The Painting Joint was born.

In November 2023, we officially launched, and it’s been a wild ride ever since. In just a short amount of time, we’ve grown to host six public classes a month and offer private events like birthday parties and social gatherings almost every month. We’ve found so much joy in teaching, bringing people together, and making art fun for everyone. Our motto is simple: “Everyone can paint!” Whether you think you can’t or you’ve never picked up a brush in your life, I’m confident we can prove you wrong. And trust me, the experience is even more rewarding than you might expect.

The Painting Joint is all about creating memorable moments, one brushstroke at a time!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Like most new businesses, our social media started off small. But we quickly realized that the best way to grow was by being intentional about marketing ourselves at every event. We made sure to always encourage guests to share their photos and videos, tag us, and tell their friends about their experience. And, of course, we invited them to follow us for updates on our upcoming events. It’s all about creating that buzz and letting our guests do some of the talking for us!

We also invested more into targeted marketing campaigns on Meta, which made a huge difference in reaching new audiences and expanding our visibility. It wasn’t instant, but gradually we saw our community grow.

For anyone looking to build a social media presence, here’s my advice: be persistent. Even on the days when you feel like skipping a post, don’t. Keep showing up, keep creating content, and keep pushing yourself to engage with your audience. The more you post, the more you put yourself out there—whether it’s in person or online—the faster your following will build. It’s a slow burn at first, but with consistent effort, the momentum will come!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best way we’ve found to attract new clients is a combination of social media and the power of word-of-mouth from friends and family of our loyal customers. We always encourage people who’ve attended our events to spread the word and bring their friends or family along the next time. It’s an organic way to build our community and create lasting relationships!

Of course, marketing plays a huge role in our growth. Our advertisements help us reach new faces, while keeping our current clients in the loop about upcoming events. It’s all about staying visible and top of mind—whether that’s through engaging social media posts or crafting effective ad campaigns to bring both new and returning clients through the door. The mix of organic recommendations and strategic marketing has been a game-changer for us!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepaintingjoint.com
• Instagram: @thepaintingjoint
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554618055174
• Other: Public Event Tickets – www.linktr.ee/thepaintingjoint

Image Credits

Stormy Tripp (The Painting Joint)