CREATIVITY AND CAN-DO COME TOGETHER AT OPENING OF MAINE’S FIRST BOARD & BRUSH CREATIVE STUDIO

New Portland Business Now Open, Ribbon Cutting Friday, 10/18 4:30 pm

PORTLAND, Maine (Oct. 15, 2019) – From the outside, it looks like a charming shop with an artsy feel. Once inside, there’s no mistaking this is a place for creativity to blossom, DIY confidence to take hold, and memories to be made. The Portland, Maine, Board & Brush Creative Studio, located at 98 Cross Street North, is now open and booking workshops. A ribbon cutting with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce will be held Friday, October 18th, at 4:30 pm. Complimentary wine, beer and light bites will be served. Attendees will get a look inside the studio decorated with lots of signs to get the creative juices flowing, with a regular schedule of workshops already posted on their calendar. The ribbon cutting is free and open to the public. For more on the new studio and to register for a workshop to create your own home décor piece of art, log on to boardandbrush.com/portlandme.

​You need not be a master craftsperson to sign up at the Portland studio, with novices feeling right at home at Board & Brush thanks to the instructor-led format of the workshops during which attendees are guided through the ins and outs of power tools, paint, art and assembly, with all materials supplied by the studio. Each workshop lasts about three hours and attendees can select from hundreds of design templates, with new ones added each month. The company works with top graphic designers around the country to create the designs, most with a vintage farmhouse look. A workshop cost is $68 and pre-registration is required. While this is the first Board & Brush studio in Maine, it is the third studio for mother/daughter owners Lori Goddard and Brittny Daly. Their other two studios are in Portsmouth, N.H., which opened in 2017 and Amherst, N.H., which opened in 2018. Assisting them is studio manager Linda Haas, a former professional landscape designer who helped with the Portsmouth location and recently relocated to Portland where she’ll continue her Board & Brush career. “As it turns out she always wanted to move here and it was a gift to us that she was interested in managing the studio, so you might say our third Board & Brush was meant to be,” said Goddard. Goddard and Daly both had previous careers too. Goddard worked in the dental industry for many years and also ran several successful franchise businesses. Daly is her oldest of four children. “I consider myself an entrepreneur and this is a refreshing change of pace for me, plus people love to attend Board & Brush workshops so they don’t come in with fear but rather a smile on their face,” chuckled Goddard.

Daly, who went to college in Maine, got married in Maine and now lives in Maine, was a physician assistant who set aside that career to focus on her two young boys. When a middle school friend posted on Facebook about her Board & Brush experience, Daly thought it would be fun to give it a try. There was just one catch. “The closest studio to us was sold out for months,” said Daly. “When I discovered it was a franchise, I thought of my mom right away, with no intention of me being involved, although that’s another story,” she laughed. It didn’t take long for Daly to reconsider the idea of working with her mom. “I thought, we can do this!” said Daly.
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Interestingly, their first Board & Brush workshop ended up being at the corporate studio in Wisconsin. “We were in the process of researching this as a business opportunity and went to Wisconsin on a wing and a prayer to finally experience a workshop,” shared Goddard. “We immediately thought, we have to bring this to our community.”

So what is it that the pair finds so appealing about Board & Brush that they’re jumping into studio number three?
“The family piece was key,” said Goddard. “The entire family has been involved in all three studios and there’s so much gratification in that.” For Daly, she loves that Board & Brush is a place for friends and family to spend time with each other. "It's much needed therapy for many people, the chance to get together to relax, they put down their phones and connect with others, and there are not many experiences like that these days” said Daly. Goddard echoed that sentiment. “Our favorite part is when they peel off the stencils and they’re so proud and excited about what they’ve created, we connect emotionally with our customers at that moment, even give them a hug as they head out, feeling like they’ve become our friends,” said Goddard. The Portland studio is located in the city’s Old Port district with views to the ocean in the distance and lots of restaurants and entertainment within walking distance. The building itself has lots of character. “We loved it the minute we walked in, there’s so much history to it, with the stone and brick walls and pillars,” said Goddard. The studio easily seats 36 and there is an ADA table as well.

When asked which sign designs they think will be popular with their Portland customers, the two were tripping over each other’s words. “Anything that has to do with the ocean and New England, lobsters and lighthouses!” said Daly.

As with their other two studios, the owners plan to host fundraising workshops for local non-profits and they have a soft spot in their hearts for the anti-bullying work of schools, having donated “Choose Kindness” signs to schools in their other locations.

About Board & Brush Creative Studio
What started as a holiday “girl’s night out” in Hartland, Wis., with wine and crafts in the founder’s basement turned into a business idea and then a reality in March of 2015. The founder of the company, Julie Selby, has a passion for helping women and couples follow their dreams to be business owners and empowering workshop attendees to try a DIY project to put them on a path to new confidence and creativity. Board & Brush Creative Studio was ranked one of the top 50 fastest growing franchises in the U.S. for 2019 by Entrepreneur magazine, with more than 250 locations in 41 states and counting. Board & Brush offers a wide variety of hands-on experiences including workshops, private parties, bridal showers, bachelorette gatherings, corporate events, and fundraisers. All projects are a flat fee and include everything needed to leave with a piece of art that looks professionally made. Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at a workshop.The company’s website is www.BoardandBrush.com. Board & Brush Creative Studio has its corporate headquarters in Hartland, Wis.

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Contact
Lori Goddard and Brittny Daly, Owners
Portland Maine Board & Brush | [email protected] | 207.536.0009