Meet Teresa Pruitt

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Teresa Pruitt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Teresa below.

Hi Teresa, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My parents are the two hardest-working people I know, and they instilled that same drive in my sister and me from a young age. I’ve never been able to approach anything “halfway,” and I owe that entirely to them. I’m so grateful they taught us that a strong work ethic carries through every season of life—whether you’re at your highest or your lowest, the way you show up and put in the work can remain the same. If you have been around me any number of times, you’ve heard me say my favorite quote is one from my dad, “do the next right thing.” Let me just say, I’ve yet to see a situation where the “next right thing” is not putting in your whole effort. Whether it is with your time, energy, prayer, or anything else, it never hurt anyone to work hard.

Secondly , my work ethic is an act of faithfulness to God, as he has blessed me with so many incredible things—this business, my family, my marriage—and the best way I can honor Him for those gifts is by working hard to make the most of them. My effort is far from perfect, and I often have a hard time shifting out of fifth gear, but I work hard to give my full effort each day in order to respect the great abundance he has blessed my life with.

When you’re a business owner, you’re no longer responsible only for yourself or your family — you’re responsible for your employees and their families, for the clients who come through your doors, and for the community that surrounds your work. If you were ever working just for yourself, that changes the moment you step into that leadership role. Your work ethic protects, provides, and can even inspire them. The impact of your work is bigger than you may ever see, and I want to leave a legacy of growth and hard work behind me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I had been teaching at Vino and Van Gogh for over seven years when I took over as owner two years ago. When I started, I was just a 15-year-old who dreamed of being an artist and didn’t know how to get there. Fast forward eight years, and I graduate from the University of Georgia, move back to Greenville, and purchase the studio from Suanne Hall, the studio’s previous owner — a dear friend and mentor of mine. I am so thankful that she took a chance on this high school girl who was covered in glitter at her summer camps and offered me my dream job.

Our studio is focused on making art accessible and approachable to everyone who may want or need it. Art provides healing, confidence, community, meditation, and so much more. I strive to make Vino and Van Gogh a place where anyone can discover the benefits of art. In addition to offering art to the public, we do a lot of work with nonprofits in the area in an effort to bring art to everyone. People with different abilities, those in recovery centers, and members of nonprofit communities often need art the most but don’t have access to it. I want to provide them with the tools, teaching, and encouragement they need to create!

We offer fine arts workshops, sip and paint classes, craft events, private events for birthdays, bachelorettes, and team building, and so much more. The inside of our studio is a gallery filled with art from over a dozen talented local female artists—it is beautiful! All of the artists at our studio are incredibly kind, hard-working, and talented, and I am so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful team. Owning Vino and Van Gogh has given me such an incredible opportunity to uplift and encourage all kinds of people in the art world, and to make connections and new friends along the way.

In the last year or so, we have worked to grow our Fine Arts Workshops at the studio — four-week sessions designed to teach skill and technique and help students grow in their artistic journey. I have made some absolutely incredible friends through these classes — students come back month after month for new subjects, or just to paint, and I have loved getting to know all of them better. I am so thankful for the connections I get to make at our studio — whether it’s a family that comes back each year for their little girl’s birthday celebration, or a corporate team that paints with us each time they get a new member, I love that I get to build these relationships with so many different people along the way, it is one of the best parts of my job!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Time in the industry, drive, and faithfulness have all been incredibly important qualities as I’ve navigated owning a small business. Learning the ins and outs of the studio as an employee before taking over was invaluable—it helped me understand every part of how the business operates. It also gave me the opportunity to build friendships and strong connections with the wonderful artists who work here. Because I’ve spent years teaching as well as managing, I know what makes their jobs easier and more enjoyable. I do everything I can to create an environment where they can grow in their artistic skill and creativity, feel supported, and can truly have fun with what they do.

It’s easy, when things are going well, to “coast”—to keep doing what has always worked or get comfortable with the rhythm of your business. But it’s served me incredibly well to stay driven and keep pushing the studio to grow. I’m constantly exploring new class ideas, formats, and mediums, as well as fun collaborations and partnerships around town. These challenges help me evolve both personally and professionally, while expanding our reach and strengthening our creative community here in Greenville. My advice: don’t get comfortable. The biggest growth and best moments often begin in places of discomfort.

Lastly, faithfulness. I choose the word faithful rather than optimistic because faithfulness is a deeper understanding that it will all turn out in the end. Optimism can be misplaced, or give a sense of “false hope.” It is important to have faith so that you can keep yourself calm, continue to push yourself, and learn to breathe in the midst of trials so that you can continue on to the brighter and better days.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I’d say this challenge is twofold: learning to delegate tasks and learning to let go of control. I tend to have a bit of a perfectionist approach to things, which can make it hard to hand off responsibilities—I often feel like it’s easier to just do it myself and ensure everything will turn out exactly how I envision it.

But by learning to ask for help, I’ve gained so much more than just extra hands – I’ve been able to see and appreciate the creativity, ideas, and perspectives of others, which often makes whatever we are working on even better! Delegating has also given me the bandwidth to step back and focus on the bigger picture—to dream about what the studio could become, how we can make a greater impact in the community, and what we can continue to improve in our day to day as well as on a larger scale.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vinoandvangogh.net/
• Instagram: @vinoandvangogh
• Facebook: @vinoandvangogh

Image Credits

All Images: Adelle Pruitt