Since 2018, Jerry LaMonica found the unique ability to spread the joys of creativity and art education through our art franchise as a Franchise Owner in Rock Hill, South Carolina. With children and a family of his own, Jerry knew Kidcreate Studio was the perfect fit for fulfilling his desire to pursue a family-oriented business.
Jerry’s journey began in North Carolina, when he moved to Charlotte with his husband, Eric, to live in an area closer to Eric’s parents. Prior to the move, he actually explored other ventures with creativity as he attended college to study music. For the first 18 years in North Carolina, Jerry worked mainly in retail management roles ranging from being a multi-unit district manager for Pier One Imports, manager at Home Depot, and trainer for West Elm. But once Jerry’s children joined the family, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career that would fit his passion for creativity that also allowed for a healthy family lifestyle. That’s when our art franchise came into the picture.
Being the father of two—a 7 year old daughter and 5 year old son—meant that Jerry needed a career that allowed him to complement the lifestyle and dynamic of his family. Jerry and Eric decided they wanted to find something that was “unpoachable, family-oriented, and a service-based business.” Our art franchise specializes in children’s art classes, camps and art-themed birthday parties, combining high-quality art education with a comfortable, kid-friendly environment for children from the ages of 18 months to 12 years. Seeing the different kid and art-oriented features that come with being a Kidcreate Studio Franchise Owner, Jerry and Eric found that our art franchise was the exact business opportunity that they were searching for to transition into their new lifestyles.
Since launching his own Kidcreate Studio in November of 2018, Jerry has found that one of his favorite parts of working as a Franchise Owner is running our Art-On-The-Go program. This program allows Franchise Owners to send teachers and counselors off-site to bring our unique art curriculum directly to families, instead of having students come to a single Kidcreate Studio location. “Anything we can do at the studio, from messy painting classes to air-dry clay workshops, we can do at an offsite location,” Jerry claims. “If a customer wants a birthday party but doesn’t want to come to the studio, we can bring all of our high-quality resources to their home.” We don’t want to limit the services of our art franchises to our specific locations, so the ability to take our fun art curriculum directly to children and parents allows for convenience for all.
Jerry also loves the Art-On-The-Go program not only in the fact that it is exponentially more convenient for parents, but in that it allows his family to meet new faces and get involved directly with his immediate community. While the program brings our art franchise to the direct homes of children, Jerry highlights how he scheduled art classes at “local YMCAs, park and recreation centers, preschools and more” over the summer. The various programs of Kidcreate allows Franchise Owners to get involved in various avenues of their community; for example, Jerry is currently working closely with South Carolina’s Rock Hill District Schools and is in the process of finalizing a partnership. Through this partnership, his Kidcreate Studio will offer after-school art enrichment across South Carolina’s York County. Our various Franchise Owners oftentimes find themselves developing close relationships with multiple sectors of their communities—whether it be elementary and secondary schools, after school programs, or local businesses. The opportunities that exist for growing the presence of Kidcreate Studio in your community has truly great potential.
In our most recent years, Kidcreate has seen immense growth, with five locations in current development. Jerry and Eric will continue to be a part of Kidcreate’s growth as they plan to open three more locations in the Charlotte area, a region that is currently a Kidcreate favorite. For their second location, Jerry stated his hopes to open his second location near the Charlotte area, specifically in the towns of Huntersville, Davidson, or Pineville. As he continues his vision for growth, Jerry gave a shoutout to the support of our Founder, Lara Olson.
“Lara Olson and the rest of the corporate team have been incredibly supportive as we learn what works best for us here,” Jerry states. “As summer is in full swing, we are really hitting our stride.”
To read the original article, click here. Are you looking for a career opportunity that will supplement your family life and offer the flexibility you desire? Consider joining our art franchise as a Franchise Owner! Visit our franchise page to learn more about Kidcreate Studio, what we look for in a potential owner, and how you can spread the joy of creativity through our art franchise.