Maya Ratcliff was living in Hawaii when she found herself looking for a weekend hobby, and little did she know that this would just be the beginning of her success story in becoming the founder and franchisor of Hawaii Fluid Art. By Cindy Charette
Maya Ratcliff was living in Hawaii when she found herself looking for a weekend hobby, and little did she know that this would just be the beginning of her success story in becoming the founder and franchisor of Hawaii Fluid Art.
Ratcliff had a background in corporate banking and after taking a few art classes and experimenting with her creative side, she was able to develop her own unique pouring medium and produce original masterpieces in her garage. She first began selling her art at the height of the 2020 pandemic through Facebook Marketplace, which allowed her following to grow very quickly. Ratcliff then started posting ads for classes she taught about her technique, and over the course of six months, she had taught over 1,000 people from her garage art studio.
With such rapid success, Ratcliff decided to open her first retail location in Waikoloa, Hawaii, alongside a mobile unit for off-site events. Ratcliff taught her technique at schools, retirement homes and hotels, and she even held classes for celebrities. However, the experiences that touched Ratcliff’s heart the most were the visits to hospitals, where she presented gift certificates to patients to attend a class when they started feeling better.
When she decided to open a second location after only four months in business, Ratcliff wanted to be sure the concept would be successful in a non-island spot, so she chose Kansas City, Missouri. This location quickly became another thriving corporate art studio.
When it was suggested by some high-profile clients that she should offer her beautiful class experience to everyone, Ratcliff began looking into sharing her unique business model with others through franchising. Founded in 2020, Hawaii Fluid Art was franchised in 2021. Today, it has more than 100 units sold, 22 locations open and 30 scheduled for opening in 2024.
Each Hawaii Fluid Art location offers a special art-gallery feel in the studio and provides retail space for local artists and artisans to display their work on consignment. No matter where a Hawaii Fluid Art franchise is opened, each location offers the warm and welcoming spirit and culture of aloha, which is the heart of Ratcliff’s vision for every franchise.
Cindy Charette