Exploring Life & Business with Shanda Luis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanda Luis.

Shanda is a bit of a creative nomad. She was born in Norway, grew up in Germany, spent her teen years in Atlanta, got her Fine Arts degree in Montréal, and spent 10 years doing non-profit work in Spain. Her life has been full of travels and adventures but no matter where she was, she always managed to find time for creativity! Whether it was hosting “Creative Sundays” for friends or working on commissioned paintings, Shanda has constantly found joy in expressing her creativity and offering others a space to do the same.

She moved back to the United States in 2018 to pursue her creative dreams and decided to settle down in Nashville. Within a few months of being in the city, she stumbled across Board & Brush and knew she had found something special. She worked her way up from assistant, instructor, manager, and now to owner! Shanda is so excited to offer a space for creativity to Hendersonville and the surrounding areas. Her favorite part of any workshop is hearing people say, “I can’t believe I just made this!”. Outside of studio life, Shanda loves to travel, drink good craft beer, host dinner parties, and spend all the time she can with her husband Kris!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been smoothish, haha! Moving back to the US after so many years overseas was quite the change – especially as a 30-something with no savings! I jumped into everything full force and according to most of my friends, I was doing it all backwards. I got a car first, then rented a house, and then got a job. Within 7 months of being here I started dating my now husband and then in 2020 bought the business and got married – neither of which I recommend anyone doing during a pandemic.

The past 4 years have been fast and furious. Now I’m in a season of catching up with myself. I’ve been going and going for so long, but it’s time to slow down a bit and reevaluate life. I’m diving into how to truly live out who I am in this season of life that is less adventurous and exciting than my years overseas. I’m learning a lot!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Board and Brush Hendersonville?
On the surface, we’re a DIY studio offering workshops for customers to make wooden home decor – wall signs, trays, coat racks, porch signs, planter boxes, and even doormats. But deep down for me, it’s all about creating a space for people to gather and create. I think everyone has creativity in them and so many people never had anyone to acknowledge that or encourage it. Are we all Picassos or Van Goghs? No. But can we all create? Absolutely! Our workshops are perfect for the “artsy” friend and the “I’m not creative at all” friend. Each workshop is instructor led and the process is done step by step making sure that no one is left behind. It’s very hands-on. Customers get to the sanding, distressing, staining, and even use power drills to assemble.

And then comes the joy of painting! The key is that all of our offered designs are stencils. If you’re the creative one there is so much room to make the design your own through the distressing, paint techniques, color choices, etc. and if you’re the non-creative one there is a stencil to guide you through each step of the way. No two signs are ever alike. I love when customers surprise me with new ways of distressing or color combos I never would have thought of. It truly is a joy to teach our customers. The brand is marketed as “farmhouse” decor, but I think it’s so much more than that. With over 800 designs, 7 stain options, and 80+ colors there really is a way to make something one-of-a-kind and perfect for your home – no matter your style! And there are franchise locations all over – including Nashville and Murfreesboro making it super easy to attend a workshop!

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have had support throughout the process! From the pre-ownership stages all the way til now. I had two close friends look over the business to see if it was profitable and a good financial move before I even considered buying the studio. The previous owners have been fantastic and have been a huge help as I’ve jumped headfirst into the deep end of owning a business and my parents have been my constant cheerleaders.

My husband has supported me every step of the way, he even does all the wood building for me! And my employees have been wonderful. I truly couldn’t do it without them. I have learned a lot in the past few years as a business owner and they have been patient with me as I’ve learned. They are open to my new ideas and a steady support through the ups and downs of business. We’re like a small family and I love it!

Pricing:

• Regular workshops range from $73-78
• Time Crunch workshops are $40-43
• Kids Make & Takes are $20

Contact Info:

• Website: https://boardandbrush.com/hendersonville/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardandbrushhendersonville/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoardandBrushHendersonvilleTN