Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary brought different backgrounds to Color Me Mine, a pottery-painting franchise.

A few months ago, a customer walked into Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary’s Edina, Minnesota pottery-painting studio, Color Me Mine, with a plan to propose to his girlfriend.

Color Me Mine allows customers to pick a piece of pottery like a mug, plate or bowl, and paint it. The studio then glazes and fires it, and the customer can pick up in about a week. 

The customer wanted to paint a jewelry tray with the question, “Will you marry me?” and use it to propose. Usually it took about seven days for Jain and Choudhary to process a customer’s pottery after they painted it. This time, they agreed to have his piece ready sooner.

Jain and Choudhary also helped create the atmosphere that the customer wanted in the studio. Later, the couple brought them a save-the-date card that mentioned the studio. For Jain and Choudhary, it was a reminder of their impact. They were creating a space where customers could connect and build lasting memories. 

That sense of connection is also the foundation of their partnership. Jain and Choudhary met 11 years ago through a mutual friend at a party in Minnesota. Both had moved to the United States from India, were raising children and enjoyed creative projects. 

“We started talking and realized we have so many things in common, and just like each other’s company,” Choudhary tells Entrepreneur in a new interview.

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