This Navy Veteran Cashed in His 401(k) to Buy a Business. Now, He Has Two Locations. "The first three years, it was pretty much a 24/7 job."

Jason Stucky never planned to own his own business. But after working at his local Color Me Mine studio in Geneva, Illinois, he couldn't resist getting more involved.

Stucky is a Navy veteran who had a career in retail management. He took a break to become a stay-at-home dad, then returned to the workforce in 2018 by managing his local Color Me Mine studio. "Because of my retail background," he says, "I saw what they were not doing with branding and marketing." When he learned the location was for sale, he wanted in.

Stucky and his husband decided to take a massive risk: They invested most of their 401(k) savings to buy the studio. The first few years were grueling. But Stucky pushed forward, improving operations and fostering a sense of community. The franchise was eventually acquired by Twist Brands, the parent company of Painting with a Twist, and the new ownership was critical in helping Stucky open a second location.

Related: No Experience? No Problem. How This First-Time Franchisee Built a $3 Million Business.

Here, he shares lessons from unexpected entrepreneurship.

What was it like stepping into the franchisee role?

The first three years, it was pretty much a 24/7 job. Not that I was there all day, but I was definitely there every single day, just making sure that things were being implemented properly.

Was there any specific challenge that you ran into early on?

Under the original franchisor [before the sale to Twist Brands], there were a lot of things that were "wild, wild west" and people were just kind of allowed to do whatever they wanted. There wasn't much support, and there was really no attention to the branding, which is what we're focusing on now with this new franchisor.

How have you had to adapt your business style from a traditional retail style?

When I first opened, I would do everything in my power not to give a refund. I got some negative reviews online over stuff like that. And one day I woke up and thought, This is just ceramics. Now, if someone wants a refund, they get it. I don't argue with them, because I want them to leave happy so they'll come back. If you battle with them and act like they're trying to get something over on you — which is what a lot of owners do — you're alienating them.

Related: How to go From Aspiring Entrepreneur to Successful Franchisee in 9 Steps

How much do those soft skills make a difference in your industry?

It's different than normal retail, where if you make sure everything's priced correctly, it's clean, and the staff is friendly, then everything is supposed to fall in place. In this type of business, you have to make a connection with your community. It's not just about coming and spending money and leaving. The staff has fun with customers. We hired an assistant manager who really makes this personal connection with everyone. There are lots of 5-star reviews with his name in them. He and a couple other key new hires are making people feel like this isn't just a space where you're coming to paint, but you're coming to paint with friends — and the employees are your friends, too.

What led you to open a second location in 2023?

I always said I was never going to have a second location, just because staffing is the biggest chore. But a few years ago, I was like, I want to open up another one. I don't know what made me think that, but I just got on this kick and was like, We could totally do this.

Are you done expanding?

I think, for now, this is where we're at, yeah. But I would never say never.