Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Narayan.
Hi Teresa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked for Sprint HQ for several years, let’s just say over 15 years, because I would like people to continue to think I am as young as I look! Toward the end of my corporate career, Sprint was in the process of being acquired, and the new company was no longer the perfect fit for me. I have been an entrepreneur in the past, so I knew I either wanted to buy a business or buy a franchise. I wanted to work in the area of education, art, or finance. Three areas that I enjoy more than anything. I am a life-long learner, I enjoy the realm of personal finance, and on the weekends or in the evenings, I would always find some creative outlet, whether that was making & pouring candles, crocheting on my king-size blanket, making jewelry, or finding something artsy fartsy to do. A few years ago, I stumbled upon fluid art, or acrylic pour art. I was hooked. Then I saw a Hawaii Fluid Art location, popped in and made some art, and told myself, “My gosh, I could do this every day.” Fast-forward a few years, I got in touch with a franchise coach who helped me look around and get information on different franchises. I just happened to ask him if he knew whether Hawaii Fluid Art was a franchise, and when I found out it was, I began the journey of preparing to buy the Overland Park location.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say things have been a combination of some smooth and easy areas, and, of course, to be expected, some areas have proven to be challenging. For starters, I don’t have a business partner or a partner to bounce around operational ideas, and everything I have done has been self-funded and all on me. When I was looking for space in Overland Park, I felt I had my boundaries set too far and too wide. I was looking as far south as 159th, East to Nall, West to Switzer, and North to 75th St. It was overwhelming. Then one evening, when I was in downtown Overland Park, driving around the area, lo and behold, there was not one, but three potential locations that I thought could be perfect. One of the spaces was a white box, meaning it was just partially finished commercial space with four walls and would require a buildout. The next-door neighbor at the time was Freestyle Poke, and the owner happened to be working that evening. After a quick conversation with him, he let me in the back door, and as soon as I saw the space, I was able to visualize the exact layout I wanted for the studio. I knew then that I had found my perfect spot. The next morning, I got on the horn with my commercial RE agent and gave her the addresses and told her I was very interested in receiving more information about it. Luckily, a good portion of my background was telecom construction, contract audit & negotiation, and finance. I was able to leverage all of those experiences into this exercise.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Fluid art is a very forgiving, abstract technique where a medium is added to paint to help thin it out a bit for it to be “pourable.” Then, depending on the size of your canvas, that will determine the number of colors you choose. For example, our small adult-size canvas is a 10×20, so you would get 3-4 different contrasting colors and layer them on top of each other. We give you a base for your canvas and then you pour those layered colors onto the canvas. We help you tilt, move, and manipulate the paint around to all the corners, creating a visually appealing piece of art. Because we pour so much paint on the canvas it takes a few days to dry. And after it dries customers can choose to have their piece finished in resin which gives it a glossy finish. While it may not resonate with everyone, fluid art is a great concept for people who think they are not artistic. It is also simple, so those who may have different abilities are able to come into our studio and create. We found that with some assistance from parents, young kids can make some pretty neat pieces. When it comes to fluid art, I love to say we cater to those ages 3 – 93. I mean of course, you can be 103, the 3-93 just has a cute ring to it! We love fluid art parties! We have just as much fun instructing as the participants have during their art session. We have hosted corporate parties and team builders for places like Synchrony Financial, Fantastic Sams, and Haas & Wilkerson, as well as birthday parties, girls-night-out, date nights, family gatherings, and a pretty special proposal party. The interesting thing about us is that we not only instruct on how to do fluid art, but we also have other creative activities such as Glass Painting, Mosaic Art, Resin Tumblers, Trucker Hat party, Resin Beach Scene, and a 4-Set Coaster making session-all instructor-led, no experience necessary. So instead of people buying products and materials, and trying out these activities at home, they can come to my studio. We supply everything you need. You make the mess here, and don’t have to worry about the clean-up! The number one thing I feel that sets us apart is that we offer a lot of choice. We are BYOB beer & wine friendly, but our spin on paint & sip is a tad bit different.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think people who know me think I always operate from my Type A personality. They are surprised to learn I tap into my side B quite often and operating an art studio gives me the luxury of both worlds. I feel it makes me a well-rounded individual!
Pricing:
- Fluid Art-starting at $65 (Adults)/ $35 (Kids)
- Mosaic/Glass Painting $65
- Resin Beach Scene-starting at $85
- Coasters/Trucker Hat Patch Party-starting at $25
- Resin Tumblers $65
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hawaiifluidart.com/overland-park-ks/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawaiifluidartoverlandpark/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiFluidArtOverlandPark/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawaiifluidartopks?lang=en
