An Olympic Gold Medalist Fell in Love With This Franchise

Olympic gold medalist Michael Cherry, 30, is accustomed to exhausting work paying off. Cherry certified for his first Olympics in Tokyo in 2020, competing in each the boys’s 400 meters and males’s 4 x 400 meters relay. He received gold within the relay, incomes his first Olympic gold medal.

Now Cherry is bringing an Olympic-style work ethic to his subsequent enterprise: a paint and sip studio. For years, he harbored a ardour for Portray with a Twist studio occasions, making it a degree to go to their areas throughout the nation wherever his working profession took him. 

“I attended at the least about 30 lessons myself, simply to see what it was like, and I all the time loved it,” Cherry tells Entrepreneur in a brand new interview. “I went there for a date one time, and after that I type of fell in love and began to go in each single metropolis that I stayed in and lived in.”

Cherry lived in Orlando, Los Angeles, New York Metropolis and Miami. He made positive to go to Portray with a Twist areas in every metropolis. “I really feel like I’m all the time nearer to the shopper than I’m to the precise proprietor,” Cherry says. “For me, it’s enjoyable artwork, not positive artwork.”

Why he lately purchased a studio

In October 2025, Cherry acquired a Portray with a Twist studio in his hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia. On the time, income was down about 16% from the prior 12 months. 

“What I noticed was a studio that was declining, however had potential,” he says. “I simply thought it might be tremendous particular to personal one thing like this.”

Since taking possession of the studio, he has led to a metamorphosis, reversing the income decline and producing greater than $168,000 in income by way of early June, an 11.5% enhance in comparison with the identical time final 12 months. 

General, Cherry’s studio generated $231,000 in income throughout 2025 and is presently on tempo to achieve as much as $275,000 in annual income in 2026.

“If I needed to make this choice another time, I might nonetheless select Portray with a Twist,” Cherry says. “We’ve got so many sources to assist us. I might select it over 1,000,000 occasions.”

The next interview has been calmly edited for readability and concision. 

From Olympic monitor to franchise operator

How did your earlier profession as an athlete translate into working this type of enterprise?My most important occasion in monitor was the 400 meters, the longest dash, and that race teaches endurance, ache, tolerance and execution below strain — all of which enterprise requires. You may’t panic in a 400, and you may’t panic in enterprise. There will probably be gradual days, however it’s important to belief that issues will flip round in case you preserve working. In sports activities, you retain displaying up, staying disciplined, constructing the muse and doing the precise issues, and finally it pays off.

I take a look at enterprise the identical means. That’s why I really like being an entrepreneur — it forces self-discipline, calm execution below strain and fixed experimentation. In monitor, you would possibly attempt one thing totally different in a race to get higher outcomes; in enterprise, you would possibly put out one thing that doesn’t work one week after which attempt one thing new the following week that turns into a success. The bottom line is to remain recent, attempt new issues, stay disciplined and by no means panic.

How he received a gold medal

What routine or mindset set you up for achievement in monitor and area — and the way did you win that gold?It comes right down to self-discipline and execution below strain, backed by a constant routine. Daily you get up and observe a structured plan. Observe and area is unforgiving as a result of it’s important to execute completely in a short window — these 43 to 45 seconds of a race. There’s no “subsequent play” like in soccer; you put together for that actual second. I constructed a way of life round that: waking up early round 6 to 7 a.m., hydrating properly, consuming clear (no junk meals, sweets or alcohol), and sticking to that self-discipline for 15 to twenty years. That routine made me profitable within the sport I really like.

I’ve merely transferred the identical self-discipline and construction to enterprise. Being an athlete offers you the reward of self-discipline and a framework for chasing targets; in monitor, that aim was profitable Olympic gold, and in enterprise, it’s constructing a sustainable, high-performing studio. Daily requires dedication and sacrifice, and finally that pays off.

Why Portray with a Twist

Stroll me by way of the origin story of the way you began your individual Portray with a Twist franchise.It actually started with me attempting to determine what I needed to do subsequent. I knew I needed to be an entrepreneur as a result of I like creating my very own schedule and doing issues by myself time, and I already cherished the Portray with a Twist model. So, I began wanting on-line for companies on the market and noticed {that a} Portray with a Twist studio was obtainable in my hometown. I believed that if I took it over and poured within the love and care the earlier proprietor couldn’t, it may grow to be one thing particular once more. I envisioned it as a spot the place individuals may escape their weekly troubles and stresses, have enjoyable and create while not having to be “actual” artists.

This enterprise is about experiences, not simply portray. I’m an “expertise man,” so proudly owning a Portray with a Twist felt like the proper solution to supply new experiences to the group whereas having fun with them myself.

Deciding to purchase a franchise

What have been a few of your most important issues when deciding if it was price it to purchase a franchise?My first query was if I may actually personal and run a enterprise. I went to highschool for advertising and marketing, however this was a distinct area. My previous work was in retail and gross sales — clothes, sneakers, smaller jobs — so I’ve all the time had a enterprise mindset however by no means owned one thing like an artwork studio. I’m not an artist, so I knew I’d must construct the enterprise from the bottom up, considering like an entrepreneur reasonably than a painter.

I requested myself if I may flip the enterprise round with out understanding the way to paint, and that really labored out properly as a result of I approached it with a enterprise mindset: fine-tuning small issues contained in the enterprise and creating methods that may assist it flourish. The numbers confirmed the studio was declining, so I targeted on whether or not I may give it the love, care and a spotlight to element it wanted to enhance.

Fixing a declining studio

What have been the primary weaknesses you recognized?One massive difficulty was that the earlier proprietor was hardly ever within the studio. The enterprise lacked distinctive occasions; it was simply commonplace paint nights. Now we’ve added extra specialty occasions like chunky blanket workshops, candle-making, homicide thriller nights, thriller work, trivia and extra. The thought is to supply experiences reasonably than simply portray classes, as a result of individuals will get bored in the event that they’re simply portray the identical means time and again. We additionally launched extra collaborations with native creators — yoga occasions, chunky purse workshops, totally different artistic add-ons — to provide individuals extra causes to get out and have enjoyable. One other main weak point was our virtually nonexistent social media presence. As a advertising and marketing man, I knew we needed to clear up our social media and lift consciousness.

Drawback fixing

Are you able to inform me a couple of time one thing went improper and the way you mounted it?I haven’t had a serious disaster, however I’ve had smaller buyer points, like visitors not being proud of sure sketches, brushes or the quantity of art work on the partitions. My method is to leap in shortly and sort things to maintain prospects joyful; I’m a “buyer man” first and imagine the shopper is all the time proper. For instance, one buyer talked about that the earlier proprietor had extra work on the partitions and didn’t just like the lowered quantity. I instantly responded by portray and hanging 60 extra canvases to deal with that concern.

Secrets and techniques for progress

What ways have you ever used to develop the enterprise?The largest ways are higher social media and native presence. I be sure that we publish constantly and preserve our branding sharp, so extra individuals locally acknowledge us. I additionally bodily exit into the group to introduce myself to different enterprise house owners, letting them know we’re right here and what we provide. If I’m in Sam’s Membership or Michael’s, I’m handing out playing cards. It’s about displaying we exist and are able to serve the group. Contained in the studio, I concentrate on all the time having one thing for each sort of buyer — occasions, workshops, pop-in choices — so individuals wish to spend time with us and are available again.

What are your targets 5 to 10 years from now?In 5 to 10 years, I see myself proudly owning a number of studios. My first aim is to show this studio into the best-performing Portray with a Twist location within the franchise. I feel we’ve already improved it considerably, however there’s nonetheless quite a lot of upside and plenty of issues we are able to add to make it higher. As soon as this studio is at that degree, I’d like to accumulate different areas — beginning with those in Virginia, after which doubtlessly studios in different states if house owners resolve to promote. Ideally, I’d find yourself proudly owning 5 studios after which presumably discover new ventures. For now, I’m targeted on bettering this studio after which repeating the method with others.

Olympic gold medalist Michael Cherry, 30, is accustomed to exhausting work paying off. Cherry certified for his first Olympics in Tokyo in 2020, competing in each the boys’s 400 meters and males’s 4 x 400 meters relay. He received gold within the relay, incomes his first Olympic gold medal.

Now Cherry is bringing an Olympic-style work ethic to his subsequent enterprise: a paint and sip studio. For years, he harbored a ardour for Portray with a Twist studio occasions, making it a degree to go to their areas throughout the nation wherever his working profession took him. 

“I attended at the least about 30 lessons myself, simply to see what it was like, and I all the time loved it,” Cherry tells Entrepreneur in a brand new interview. “I went there for a date one time, and after that I type of fell in love and began to go in each single metropolis that I stayed in and lived in.”