Meet Valeen Bhat

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Valeen Bhat a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Valeen , so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
As the child of two immigrants who also happen to be artists and small business owners, I’ve always seen risk taking as part of a creative life.

I always dreamed of having a brick and mortar Art Studio (and filled countless sketchbooks with ideas while studying at Pratt Institute). I also spent one summer as a kid designing my own summer camp, complete with brochures, schedules and promotional flyers. Clearly I was always meant to be a business owner!

Rather than accepting jobs after graduate school that didn’t excite me, I decided to branch out on my own and start offering private art lessons while working as a part time admin coordinator for a small non profit. This time in my life was busy and chaotic and so impactful on how I run my business today. I learned to take chances and try something new, but also to be thoughtful and learn from my mistakes. I believe risk taking and learning from mistakes goes hand in hand.

I try to keep this in mind as I continue to recover and grow my business post-covid.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Valeen received her BFA/MS in Art and Design Education, with a minor in Art History and a concentration in printmaking from Pratt Institute. After working at various educational facilities, including museums, early childhood education centers and community centers, she founded Private Picassos in the Spring of 2006. Her main goal was to create a process-oriented art program that valued skill building and exploration over the final product. Valeen crafts the core values and philosophy of Private Picassos, drawing inspiration from her education, experience, and background, especially the influence of her two artist parents. After 10 years of bringing art classes to children and adults throughout the Tri-State Area, Valeen created a home for Private Picassos at their first bricks and mortar Art Studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn! Since opening in the Fall of 2015, PP Art Studio has become a mainstay in the community, offering an engaging space for kids and adults to create art and memories side by side. Valeen lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the most important skills that have impacted my journey as an entrepreneur are:

– ability to take risks
– ability to learn from your mistakes and handle constructive criticism
– ability to ask others for help!

All three of these skills have helped me grow my business for the past 17+ years. Without my ability to take risks, learn from my mistakes and ask for help, I never would have quit my job to run my business full time, open a brick and mortar shop or pivot to virtual classes during the pandemic.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Our biggest obstacle as we enter 2024 is the amazing growth of our after-school program! Our talented teachers who lead our classes have done such a wonderful job at the schools we partner with that many of these locations have doubled or tripled the number of classes they’d like us to lead.

To help with our scheduling and ability to take on more school partnerships, we are looking to hire 1-3 additional art teachers.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made