Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Brooks.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a Nebraska native who transplanted to St. Joseph, MO after graduating college at Northwest Missouri State University. There I met my husband and post graduation we both found jobs in St. Joe and invested in our community as we were surrounded by incredible people. Growing up my mom had worked at the Arts & Crafts center on the air force base in our town. She specialized in stained glass and framing, sharing her creativity with my brother and I. I genuinely enjoyed being creative but found my outlet in dance and sports instead of art class. It wasn’t until I was a young adult that I began creating a variety of crafts, specializing in crochet.
AR Workshop was opened by a friend of mine in 2018 in St. Joseph and it wasn’t until post-covid in fall of 2020 that I reached out for part-time employment. At this point I had an almost 3 year-old and 1 year-old and as a SAHM I was desperate for social and creative interaction. I worked at AR Workshop part-time for 3 years until my friend decided it was time to sell. When I received the news, I was at a local establishment celebrating my now two-year olds birthday, holding my one-week old and watching my two oldest (4 & 6) play. Needless to say our hands were full. I asked my husband if he thought we could do it. We reached out and began the process pursuing ownership of AR Workshop in the following months.
We were excited to move forward and pursue ownership, we attended training with our 3 month old in South Carolina and began taking the reigns in December of 2023. Even though I had worked at the shop for several years there was a huge learning curve we were in for. We wanted to continue the legacy of the AR Workshop so many people had come to love while creating a new dynamic of our own.
Three years in and we are still learning, growing and experiencing the highs and lows of business. Our family is growing and we are continually grateful for the folks who continue to show up and share our dream with the community of St. Joe. We hope we can be around for years to come, giving folks in St. Joe an opportunity to spend creative quality time together.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Having a young family has been the most challenging aspect as an owner. My kids are all under the age of 8 and while I enjoy having them at the workshop, my focus is always divided between mom and business while they are there. Then when I have to cover shifts or instruct workshops I lose out on family time, which is precious at their age.
Financials are of course another obstacle. We have our slow seasons and the economy isn’t doing small businesses any favors but we are hopeful and working hard to stay open.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
AR Workshop is a franchise BUT we are locally owned. When it comes down to it we are on the line for all the finances and keeping the doors open.
AR Workshop is your one stop shop for all things DIY. We offer instructor lead workshops and love partnering with local artisans and creatives to offer a variety of DIY opportunities. Our workshop also includes a boutique for shopping a curated selection of home decor and giftables for you or your favorite people. Many of our boutique items are locally sourced and we partner with local makers to consign several specialty items.
Our goal as a workshop is to create an environment that is welcoming, safe, fun and rooted in excellence for all who enter the shop. As a mom of a young family, I hope other moms know that we embrace chaos and enjoy creating an opportunity for kids to come in and create. Whether you are coming with family, friends or as a work groups, we want you to enjoy quality and creative time of DIY.
There are several options to tailor your DIY experience at AR Workshop. The tried and true experience is to register on our website for an open workshop, choose your project and design and arrive on your chosen date and time to DIY. Our instructors will lead you to completion through your chosen project and you’ll take your finished masterpiece home at the end of your time. Our newer experience is to walk-in during our Walk-in Craft Bar hours. You will be met with a selection of projects that are fabulous and seasonally current. Our instructors assist but many projects are self-lead.
Our final option is to book a private table or event for your group. Whether you are celebrating, team-building or looking to have a night out we are flexible and love providing opportunities for groups to connect and create.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love to host groups and help celebrate special occasions. Our workshop is the perfect place to spend quality time DIY-ing together. Let us help host your birthday parties, bridal events, baby showers or holiday gatherings. We can accommodate 40 people in our workshop but can also travel with a limited project selection to give you the best DIY experience we can. You are always welcome to bring in your own food and drinks to enjoy during your workshop and our instructors are happy to help you, creative or not, to DIY a project of your choosing.
Pricing:
- Walk-in Craft Bar $10-$45
- Chunky Knit Blankets $85-$95
- Candle Pouring $20-$35
- Kids Birthday Party Package (6) $240
- Registrations for weekly wooden projects vary $45-85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arworkshop.com/stjoseph
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arworkshopstjoseph
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arworkshopstjoseph
