Subscribe Now For A Free Five Step Tutorial
Get a free five-part email course that shows you how to find, validate, and launch your side hustle idea — no experience required.
What It's About
A side hustle that's equal parts Bob Ross and Cheech and Chong!
Business Model
Arts & Crafts
Skills Required
Painting & Organization
Complexity
Medium
Profit Potential
Medium
Words of Wisdom
With any partnership, maintaining trust and respect is crucial. Kelly and Tasha have collaborated from the start, and they work through hurdles by being honest and being able to talk through things. They complement each other with their different skill sets, being able to create a complete business. Never having to hire out anything. Plus, they like to set an example of a hard-working stoner duo, to really break the stoner stereotype. We’d have to say that they’re definitely succeeding!
Fun Fact
Kelly and Tasha aren’t much for social media. But one day, they woke up and discovered Brush Tokes was featured in Rolling Stone magazine! They were shocked and thrilled. As one of the best places to get your paint and pot on in California, Brush Tokes has had other fun PR moments like being in the California Pot Guide and on the Cannabis Talk 101 radio show.
Notes from Chris
Episode 510
What do you do when you’re in Orange County, California and you want to paint while getting high? It’s always been a huge problem—there are places you can paint, and there are places where you can consume recreational marijuana … but until Kelly Pyszkiewicz and Tasha Rindt came along, there was nowhere you could do both. That’s right, this side hustle story is all about combining two passions that both Kelly and Tasha had: painting and pot. As local artists, they were inspired by one another’s endeavors and realized along the way that the cultural topic of cannabis was also a connection. At the time, California was buzzing with the possibility that it might follow suit with the rest of the west coast and make recreational marijuana legal. For Kelly and Tasha, that signaled an idea. In 2017, they decided to commit to creating Brush Tokes, Orange County’s premier 420-friendly art studio. It’s a place that welcomes artists who also enjoy hanging with friends while casually having a glass of wine and a joint. Kelly and Tasha wanted to create a place for folks to get inspired, relax and meet like-minded people. The biggest hurdle for many pot-specific businesses is finding a space that will allow smoking. Luckily, Kelly’s gracious boyfriend offered up a space where he usually works on custom cars, to be used for Brush Tokes classes. Once they landed the space, gathering the tables and chairs to host was the next step. Kelly and Tasha found gently-used options on Craigslist. This approach kept their start-up costs way down to only around $1,000. The first few Brush Tokes classes were filled with their friends, all hanging out and learning to paint. One friend led to another friend...and another. To this day, Kelly and Tasha haven’t spent a dime on advertising. One way they did spread the word was by going to pot dispensaries and introducing themselves, leaving flyers and branded stickers to promote. Classes range in subject matter from Bob Ross landscapes (happy little trees and cannabis plants) to a class coming up around Glass Vase painting. Kelly and Tasha teach the classes themselves and encourage their fellow artists to explore and experiment. And of course, have fun. Classes range from $30 to $40 and they fill up fast. Each ticket includes an 11" x 14" canvas, supplies, step-by-step instruction, and a goodie bag! The goodie bags are filled with fun pot-related freebies like rolling papers, a hemp wick, a branded lighter and stickers. The classes are so fun that people stay sometimes until 10pm or later. The addition of pot can influence people's paintings in some funny and creative ways. Of course, it helps the painters come up with unique ideas. Even the instructors get inspired by the weed, like when Kelly added a ferris wheel at the end of a painting of Newport Pier, and when Tasha added a joint in the Lovely Lion’s mouth. Kelly and Tasha are able to cover expenses and make a profit from each class. Usually, two, two-hour classes a month brings in a profit of $2,400! Proving Brush Tokes is paving the way for art and pot-enthusiasts alike to make and mingle. This is certainly proving to be no one-hit wonder!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Brush Tokes OC: If spending your time getting high and painting happy little trees with others sounds like your idea of a good time (I mean, how could you not?), learn more about what Tasha and Kelly are doing over on their website
- Bartender Writes Statewide Marijuana Guide: Colorado bartender sells 2,000 copies of a statewide marijuana guide in the boom of the budding cannabis economy
- Fulbright Scholar Earns $2k/Month Selling CBD Oil: A lifelong interest in hemp leads a Kentucky woman to start an online marketplace for CBD oil
- Cannabis Cookies Make a Sweet, Soothing Side Hustle: In a growing industry, this Oregon mom achieves high returns from licensed marijuana edibles
- California Moms Get High and Get Well: Two enterprising parents see the legalization of marijuana as an opportunity to help people while also helping themselves
Quote of the Day
"If you're thinking about starting a side hustle, you need to step outside of your comfort zone. Comfort inhibits achievements, and fortune favors the brave!"
—Tasha Rindt #SideHustleSchool
