April 25, 2025 • 34 mins
Matt Yigit shares his journey from software engineer to founder of Tiles Workshop, where guests create beautiful Turkish mosaic lamps while enjoying authentic coffee and baklava in a supportive, structured environment.
• Turkish mosaic art has historical roots in Roman, Ottoman, and Byzantine empires
• Unlike paint-and-sip concepts, this experience lets participants create functional art for their homes
• Workshops serve as "creative escape" from corporate life while blending structure and artistic freedom
• The imperfect nature of tiles helps participants with OCD embrace imperfections and find beauty in differences
• Classes accommodate 5-50 people, with strangers often connecting at tables of six
• Materials are sourced directly from Turkey to ensure authentic, high-quality experience
• Corporate teams book private sessions for team building events
• Future plans include opening a permanent Plano location while maintaining mobile workshops
• Franchise opportunities upcoming following interest from Chicago, San Antonio and Houston
• Matt credits "networking" as the most important factor in his business success
Click the link in below to book a workshop with Matt, or reach out to us directly and we'll connect you with Tiles Workshop.
www.tilesworkshop.com
www.instagram.com/tilesworkshop
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Storie (00:14):
Welcome back to Market it with Atma, where we share the
tips, tools and strategies tohelp your business be successful
.
We have a wonderful guest onthe show today that I'm so
excited about Mr Matt Yigit.
He is the owner, founder andcreative force behind Tiles
Workshop.
I'll tell you what that's about, but first I'll let Matt
(00:35):
introduce what you do and whatyour business is about.
Tell me more, matt.
Matt (00:41):
Hey, sorry, hey everybody you for uh having me here
absolutely and my name is matthijit.
I am the.
I am a mosaic artist first ofall and glass mosaic artist, and
I am the founder of tal'sworkshop.
In tal's workshop, we host uhmosaic lamp making classes and
(01:01):
workshops around Dallas andbeyond, and then we create
meaningful experiences throughart basically.
Storie (01:10):
I love that.
So it's an artistic experiencethat you're doing here, and you
have all kinds of differentareas in Fort Worth, dallas,
arlington that you host them.
Matt (01:20):
Yes.
Storie (01:21):
So this is Turkish mosaic art right.
So for people that don't knowthe turkish culture or know what
mosaic art is, can you give mea little more detail on that?
Matt (01:31):
100.
I am originally from turkey.
I come to states like 15 yearsago and I learned this mosaic
art, which is a really popularart form in turkey, especially
roman empire, ottoman Empire,byzantine Empire.
There is a lot of art forms,especially at mosques, churches
in Turkey.
So I learned this during mycollege years back in Turkey.
(01:52):
I have a math and engineeringdegree from Turkish college and
I come here get a job.
Then we started creating thesemosaic lamp workshops.
Storie (02:03):
Okay.
Matt (02:05):
So these are basically mosaic lamps, and during the
workshops, I think interestingly, we serve Turkish coffee and
baklava as well as part of ourexperiences.
Storie (02:17):
Which is my favorite type of coffee.
I love it.
If you haven't tried Turkishcoffee, y'all try it, preferably
at his event, but try it.
So let me ask this is a verynew.
I mean, no one else is doingthis right.
How and what inspired you?
Give me some background on whatled you to this?
(02:38):
What did you do before youstarted your own company?
Matt (02:41):
Before I used to be a software engineer for a fortune
100 company I worked there for acouple of years, but on the
side I was always like doing myown mosaic lamps.
Some of my friends were askinglike custom orders and things.
Storie (02:56):
I was doing that stuff and a hobby, yeah, kind of hobby
okay hobby experience.
Matt (03:02):
Then I thought about uh, actually one of my friends told
me about paint and sip concept,which I didn't know anything
about painting with a twist,with twist, yes, yes, with twist
, then I think over there theyserve that.
You can like paint things andthen they serve wine.
You can, while you're drinking,you can like just socialize and
then get some experience overthere yes then I thought, oh,
(03:24):
that I think this can be a goodidea, but since I was doing the
actual art of the mosaic lampssometimes it takes days and
things- Right.
Then I thought about can I makesomething in a shorter version,
easier, so people can come tothe workshops?
We can provide all thematerials and things, then show
(03:44):
them, teach them step by stephow to do it Right.
Can come to the workshops.
We can provide all thematerials and things, then show
them, teach them step by stephow to do it right, can they?
I think is there an interestfor that one absolutely then we
start testing market.
I asked like my friends andthings are around, do you think
this can be like the?
Everybody said, oh, I'm surepeople will love it, so I'm sure
(04:04):
I'll be signing up, I'll becoming, like even multiple times
, type of thing.
Yeah, then, with that quickmarket research, we thought that
this can be a good idea andthen we start and design the
workshops around it.
Storie (04:17):
Wow, and so when did you actually launch the company?
Matt (04:21):
So I used to be living in Midwest Ohio, Okay the company
so.
I used to be living in MidwestOhio last more than 10 years or
so right now, so we started thecompany over there Then, right
now I still have my partnerunder a different name and
different branding over there inserving for Midwest region Okay
, and I moved here last Junefrom Ohio to start and open up
(04:44):
our new branding tiles workshopin Dallas and beyond so did you
move specifically to Dallasbecause of the market and the
desire for something creativelike this?
We did research on the citiesin Texas wow.
Austin, san Antonio and Dallas.
Basically, dallas is morediverse than any other city and
(05:08):
Dallas gets a lot of businesses.
Dallas is growing rapidly andit's pretty much, I would say,
in the middle of Texas.
Uh, it's like its own littlecountry everybody can easily
come here or whatever, so it'skind of I will say heart of the
businesses in texas based on,for, for our experience and
(05:30):
things, or experience businesslike that absolutely, and and
there's such a desire.
Storie (05:35):
I mean with with technology and social media
moving so quickly, people wantsomething new and engaging to do
, and I'd never heard of it.
I don't actually get on socialmedia personally, just for work.
Matt (05:49):
Interestingly, you're a social media expert.
Storie (05:51):
Well, no, I'm not.
I facilitate and help thepeople that are experts.
So we have a point person forGoogle, for Facebook, and that's
one thing our CEO did perfectlyhe hired an expert in each area
, so there's no variable.
Matt (06:06):
I do the same thing.
I like what I'm hearing aboutthat.
When I started the business, Itried to do things on my own,
like my accounting, my meta ads,my Shopify, like websites and
everything.
Then, since I have anengineering degree or anything,
I said, oh, I can just pull itout together, right.
Storie (06:25):
But no, there is a whole process.
I learned that, so quickly.
Matt (06:30):
You have to work with an expert.
Yes, you have to find that guy.
That's your job, that's yourfacilitation as a business owner
.
Go find that person that youcan trust and you can have a
good relationship.
Then work with that person assoon as possible.
Storie (06:45):
And that's something that I really appreciate that
you acknowledge, because so manytimes I feel like business
owners or entrepreneurs that arejust starting out don't realize
that part of your job is todelegate, to do your research,
find out if somebody isappropriate for that, for that
task, and then delegate.
(07:05):
You can't just spread yourselfso thin, right?
It's so sad to see such a great, creative or efficient business
fall apart because of that.
So tell me, how do you go aboutcreating your own business and
even possibly a franchise?
maybe how was your process from?
(07:30):
Was it IBM?
Matt (07:32):
My friend, you mean.
Storie (07:33):
No for you, for your technology background, it was a
life insurance company I used towork for.
Matt (07:38):
Oh life insurance, Okay.
Storie (07:39):
So how do you transition from that to starting your own
creative hobby business wherepeople can come and gather and
have events at?
Was there any challenges youexperienced that surprised you,
that you didn't plan for?
Matt (07:53):
Exactly, there's a lot of challenges.
There was, there were a lot ofchallenges.
So, uh, I am an, I am an ITexpert and I right now
especially with the marketchange right now people can be
laid off easily and after thatit's extremely hard to find a
job because there is thousandsof people looking for jobs, and
(08:13):
I was trying to look for a jobfor my friend on LinkedIn.
There is like for one job thereis 5,000 applicants.
There is no way.
I'm sure they have like somekind of automation or something
like that, rejecting everybodypretty much.
And I know I understand thebusinesses or corporates,
corporate world.
They have their own things,interests and things.
So my motivation was what is myescape?
(08:36):
I call it creative escape.
It look like.
So do I want to be still anengineer in like 10 years or 20
years?
Storie (08:44):
Right.
Matt (08:45):
Right now, if you look at the market data for the
engineering jobs, people areusually on their 25 to 35 range.
You won't see like 60-year-oldengineer.
Most of the time you won't belike 50-year-old.
Storie (08:59):
Why is that?
Matt (09:00):
I mean there is, I I think , a natural selection in that
process.
I mean people can get laid offor whatever, and unfortunately,
and with the impact of ai rightnow, it is going to be affecting
this sector a lot.
I feel like it.
So I was looking for what can Ido?
So I did trial a couple things.
I tried to start selling bookson Amazon.
I tried to do print-on-demandon Etsy.
(09:22):
I mean, they kind of didn'twork for me and then I came up
with this business idea.
Then, of course, starting abusiness is not easy.
I had like some money on theside and then I thought, okay,
this should be enough.
It wasn't Then.
So when you say that, okay,this is my date, this is going
to be my first workshop, that'skind of how we start in Dallas.
(09:44):
So June 18th January 18 was ourfirst day in Dallas, so we are
only three months old right nowthree months.
Storie (09:52):
Wow, that's incredible to be so well known three months
in so January is and then.
Matt (10:00):
Then the next fear starts.
How are you gonna find people?
How are you gonna let them knowlike I'm gonna like pass flyers
a door, door, a door, and doyou know people?
Like you know people, I mean, Ihave fear of rejection all the
time.
Storie (10:15):
I think a lot of us do so how are people gonna respond
here?
Matt (10:20):
how am I gonna reach them?
So that was the other fear.
Then, after that, my biggestfear as a corporate you know
corporate is I mean, you are inyour comfort zone, you have your
structured duties, you do thatstuff.
Storie (10:34):
It's black and white right.
Matt (10:36):
After 5 pm you don't have to worry about nothing,
basically.
But here my biggest fear wasworking with people.
How am I going to work withpeople?
I have like five employees thatwork for me and are they going
to hate me?
Are they going to like?
Storie (10:54):
All the what-ifs right that everybody has.
Matt (10:58):
Are we going to have fights and things?
How are we going to havemeetings?
Because, since you are so small, you don't have that much
budget or corporate that does.
Storie (11:07):
Right.
Matt (11:10):
And so those were my challenges and fears.
I will say but when you findthe right people, when you do
your research, spend enough timeand meet with the right people,
then the rest becomes easier.
Your team can serve for you andthen my manager in my corporate
world.
I learned a lot of the thingsin corporate.
(11:30):
I love the structures.
As an engineer, you lovestructures.
Storie (11:34):
You have to have it right.
Matt (11:36):
So I think with that corporate background, with the
strong foundation like teamworkand how things work over there,
that teach me a lot to be ableto manage my own team here right
so my manager was alwaystelling me okay, I am not your
manager, I am like tell me whatI can do for you he wanted to
help you go yes, let me how Ican like remove roadblocks out
(12:01):
of you.
Tell me what I can do.
So that was his mission, thatwas his vision over there.
So, I used the same vision andmission here.
So my guys doing their stuff,one of them doing meta ads
management, the other one isdoing Shopify.
I have a lady doing customerservice and right now, in my
day-to-day job, my job is onlyto remove the roadblocks out of
(12:24):
their way and how we can do moreefficient and better things.
Storie (12:28):
So you took what your manager taught you and led you
by and applied it to your ownbusiness because it works right.
So in that, in that that fear,do you still have those fears
day to day?
Yes, you have fears everysingle day it's great that you
can be candid about it because alot of people don't admit that.
Matt (12:48):
But that's the real truth right now economy.
We outsource our like materialsfrom turkey and from some other
countries.
You know there are right nowtariffs are coming, coming in
and then you have to like, Imean adjust your pricings
according to your profit marginright, yeah, and plus, like
(13:12):
right now we do.
We spend a lot of money on ads.
Are we gonna be?
We are trying to expand ourbusiness.
I'm gonna be planning to hiremore uh thing, more people, so
are we gonna be filling up thosespots?
That's like other things wehave.
These people gonna showinterest because our experiences
are.
We call it experience.
It's not just like somethingproduct or something like that
(13:34):
right, it really is a wholeexperience it is not like cheap.
It started from 110 dollarsbecause we really studied our
experience, so from the firstminute to last minute, so people
can have really cool, reallyunforgettable experience and,
like you said, put their phonesdown and then focus on one thing
(13:55):
.
I have a lot of people comingwith ocds, so especially people
with ocds, they have are a hardtime because they are not our
tiles and beads are notperfectly shaped right, it's
almost for the people who areimperfect, right and then, after
the workshop, most of them, orI would say almost all of them,
say oh, this is perfect for me,help me with my OCD, because
(14:19):
life is like that.
So I have tiles that look likethe same shape and color, but
every single tile, every singleglass has all like little tweaks
and things like humans.
Storie (14:32):
Right, absolutely, we're not just black and white.
Matt (14:34):
Exactly.
But when you put the tilestogether, I believe that really
strongly, it looks beautiful,like, regardless of people,
always, like I stretch out, ismy lamp looks really bad.
I said, of course, this looksthe worst lamp I've ever seen in
my life, by kidding.
But everything looks turnedinto so great, so cool, because
(14:58):
everybody is creative.
So what I?
What I say always my uh guests,the tiles look, I mean right
now, everybody all different,all different colors and things.
But when you put them together,when they become together,
everything looks beautiful, likeus I love that everybody's
different.
Everybody has their own colorand shapes.
Everybody has their own likebelief system or whatever right
(15:22):
and when we come together, Ithink the communities looks more
beautiful right at the end ofthe day.
Storie (15:30):
So you said that it starts at a certain pricing.
So are you primarily using kindof the model that painting with
the twist does and people needto reserve group events?
Are you going to locations?
Would you do on-site Great?
Matt (15:45):
question, since we are new in Dallas right now we are
planning to open up our studiosomewhere in Plano because,
whatever I hear from anybody,plano is pretty much the heart
of the whole business.
So somewhere in Plano so peoplecan travel from downtown up and
from.
I have like a lot of peopledriving coming from, like Ana
(16:06):
Celina, I think.
Storie (16:08):
Yes, up more, north, Up north they can come down easily.
Matt (16:12):
But right now, what we do?
We travel around the city.
So we I sat down with aprofessional realtor and I
studied this city, like whereare the people living?
I talked about my businessmodel to that person, mm-hmm.
And so we sat down where's ouraudience living?
Right what is their price?
(16:33):
Like average income level, looklike right so we picked, I
think, four to five cities, forexample, frisco, allen Plano,
downtown of course, and then weMcKinney as well, and South Lake
area, louisville.
So we're going to be alsoexpanding on that area.
(16:54):
So what we do?
Every week we open up aworkshop in different location.
Storie (16:59):
Okay.
Matt (16:59):
Yeah, that's kind of our model look like.
We bring the workshop On top ofthat.
We get a lot of private clients.
I host event for a dentiststaff.
Storie (17:09):
Yeah, like a team development.
Exactly team building event.
Yes.
Matt (17:13):
So I host a private event for six people in downtown in
one of our downtown venue.
So we host private events, wehave birthday parties, we host
team building events.
I work with corporate plannersas well in Dallas, so I am on
their vendors list.
So if they have a client thatare interested they can call us
(17:34):
and we can take our workshop totheir base.
Storie (17:37):
And it's such a great model for the corporate events
and the team development because, like you said, the workshop in
itself.
You can't be OCD.
It shows that all thesedifferent types of things and
people coming together makesomething beautiful.
And so it leeways perfectlyinto that corporate and you've
obviously done your research,but it seems like you really
(17:59):
have a strong passion.
Matt (18:01):
I do.
I am extremely passionate aboutcreating meaningful experiences
through art.
Storie (18:06):
Wow.
Matt (18:07):
That's kind of my business .
Storie (18:09):
Right.
Matt (18:10):
I don't care about what I'm selling.
If the people are not satisfied, if they want their money back,
I'm 100%, I don't care about.
Like Absolutely, but how?
Storie (18:20):
could people know what type of textile or mosaic art
they're going to create, becauseit's all so different, right?
So?
It's almost like a surprise.
At the end of the day, exactly.
So tell me what is theexperience like, um, what is
your capacity?
On how many you prefer to walkthrough the process?
Matt (18:39):
yeah, so we can serve as minimum as five people up to 50
people at a session.
We can do sessions back to back, but our sweet spot is around
30 people okay, in a session andfor that one people are, of
course, they don't know whatit's gonna look like.
(19:00):
They don't know because thereis like 12 different colors and
with three different shapes, sonot like that 36 different
combinations and permutationsover there, wow.
Storie (19:10):
Wow.
Matt (19:10):
So they don't know.
So that's where our instructorsand me comes into play.
I show them how to make choices.
I don't teach them differentmosaic techniques or anything
like that, because you cannotteach them in two hours and then
make them do something overthere.
Storie (19:25):
Right.
Matt (19:25):
I show them how to make choices.
I was listening to Simon Sinekone day.
He was talking about ashoemaker.
So he says like what is yoursuccess?
What is that behind?
He said two, not three.
What does that mean?
So I only show a person or alady two options instead of
(19:49):
three options.
So pick this or that, a or b,and then, if you don't, if you
want to take another pair, Itake one back and then put the
next one.
Only two options at a time okayso that's kind of what I do.
So I show people two options, sothese are.
I tell them, as a mosaic artist, these are my favorite, just
(20:09):
two options, and then pick one.
Which one you like better.
Oh, I think this like thislooks better.
Storie (20:14):
Okay, there's no wrong choice exactly that's the, the
intrigue behind what you haveand what you're doing, I think,
is the ominousness.
Matt (20:27):
You don't know what you're going to create, and it's
exciting, it's exciting and,like you said, and all of the
most of the people, I will say,says the same thing there is
nothing, no way to get it wrongright here.
Storie (20:40):
Yeah, every single lamp looks beautiful, regardless of
what color you choose, whatpattern you choose right, I was
going to ask earlier, when youmentioned the tariffs and things
like that, where do you getyour materials and do you prefer
a certain type of material tomake the outcome what you want
it to be?
Matt (20:59):
So our coffee and baklava comes directly from Turkey,
specific Turkish coffee andbaklava.
We have a supplier in Turkeybecause I know Greek baklava has
also things here.
Storie (21:12):
Yes.
Matt (21:13):
But ours is.
To me it's better.
Storie (21:15):
Of course.
Matt (21:17):
So it's coming from Turkey and some of our materials are
coming from China.
Storie (21:22):
Okay.
Matt (21:25):
And some boxes and things.
Storie (21:26):
So you don't have a preference.
You just know what type ofmaterial and the variety that
you prefer.
Matt (21:31):
Exactly, and the quality is important for us too.
Storie (21:34):
Okay, why is that?
Matt (21:35):
We don't care about like paying premium pricing for the
quality of the materials and thequality of the experience,
because we need to provide areally unforgettable quality
experience for our clients Right.
It looks like $100 might be toomuch.
Our clients it looks likehundred dollars might be too
(21:57):
much.
Storie (21:57):
But behind the scene we really like work to make sure
everything is in the top rankquality which is wonderful
because, at the end of the day,when you take that home, you
have a quality exactly devicethat you're able to use or see
every single day, probably forthe rest of your life right,
which is handmade by you too,which gives you so much pride
and you want it to last forever.
Right, and that's your spin onpainting, with a twist.
(22:20):
I used to always remember I'veexperienced it a couple
different times and you createbeautiful works of art that are
made by you, but where do youfind a place for it in your
house?
Honestly, guys, it's beautiful,but it's very different than
the, the art I have in my house,but this you can put it
anywhere exactly, and it can.
Matt (22:41):
It's variable with the colors, and so I absolutely I
want to talk about one of myfavorite story, that from a
guest that I had, so she has.
She had a grandma from Bulgaria.
She lives here.
Grandma also lives here, butshe's sick.
She can't leave her room.
She just has to be in that roomfor all day long, every day.
(23:02):
Since she's from Bulgaria, sheknows what that Turkish mosaic
lamp looks like.
She always wanted to get one,and the lady her name was Anna.
She came to my event.
She knew that her grandma likedit and she made the lamp and
she gifted that to her grandma.
So and then she sent me thevideo and recording and
(23:23):
everything.
I was like I want to cry or Isaid, okay, this is like.
This is why I'm doing thisbusiness over here.
Storie (23:30):
You followed what you felt was the right path and look
at what you're delivering inreturn.
A beautiful experience and youknow it really is something
memorable forever that you canexperience with a friend or
family.
So are you, before you get yourstandalone because we know
(23:51):
Plano is where you're going tohave your standalone are you
still going to have differentworkshops?
Matt (23:56):
in the area.
We will still have differentworkshops.
Okay, maybe I might be likestanding alone in my plane
location and while my people cantravel across the Dallas and
(24:18):
Texas.
So we are planning to expandalso in Texas as well so with
those um your staff that you'reteaching to teach?
Storie (24:27):
um do they have a passion for mosaic art?
Are you finding that they arepicking up and grasping it and
enjoy teaching the audience?
Matt (24:38):
So I work with like-minded people.
Storie (24:40):
Great.
Matt (24:40):
So usually the pattern look like me.
They either have some kind of ateaching experience before and
a corporate experience is keyfor me.
Storie (24:51):
Why is?
Matt (24:51):
that they need to have a corporate experience because
they need to have thatstructured model customer
experience look like or customerservice In the corporate world
they always like to talk about.
Our number one priority is ourcustomers, so we serve for them.
And that's that corporatestructured model they need to
(25:12):
have, because otherwise I don'twant to have like people have
issues with their like theycan't, they should be
professional.
Do you see what I mean?
absolutely, you have to have meso this is kind of the pattern.
And plus they are passionatewith art.
Storie (25:25):
So if that's hard to find corporate and art together
you have people, though, why?
Matt (25:31):
Why?
I am saying that I have a lotof friends that are extremely
great artists.
I have another friend called.
I forgot her name now.
Storie (25:42):
It's okay, there you go.
Matt (25:44):
She's a painter, but she can't leave corporate job
because she has to pay the bills.
Do you understand what I mean?
Storie (25:50):
Absolutely.
Matt (25:50):
And when she becomes, she mean absolutely, and when she
becomes, she tried that when shebecomes a like artist, try to
sell the art.
It is extremely hard for them.
So I also open up a like, a,maybe a gateway for them so I
can, while they are doing theircorporate job during the week,
on the weekend they can come anddo the art with me to expand
(26:12):
their mind and activate thatcreative side which is almost
necessary for anyone.
Storie (26:17):
I mean, even if you're an artist, sometimes you need to
have the other side of thebrain activated, and vice versa.
So is that how I was going toask you actually, how do you
keep it engaging for repeatcustomers?
How do you keep it new anddifferent each time?
Matt (26:33):
yeah, so what we do in our like new and different?
Uh, first of all, we have 12different choices color choices.
Multiply by three so you cancome hundred times and then you
will create something uniqueevery single time well, that
answered that question, didn'tit?
The people say that, oh, this,this was my first time.
(26:55):
I loved it.
I have to come again.
I said why?
Because now I know how to do it.
I know what to expect.
I can do better.
I said, okay.
Storie (27:04):
Then that's one.
Matt (27:05):
It's almost a challenge now because, like in their first
event, they don't know what to,they don't know what to expect,
they don't know what they want.
Basically that's, they areconfused.
But when they are done with thefirst one, they know what they
want ah okay, now I can.
And then they see people aroundthem.
That's why our setup, ourworkshop setup, is like a group
(27:29):
of six type of setup, so we letpeople sit with strangers and
then they look each other andthey communicate, they network,
they talk to each other, theysocialize over there wow, that's
a wonderful, wonderfulexperience I always tell them I
still learn every single.
I've been doing this like I'm amosaic artist, but I still learn
every single day new patterns,new color matches, color options
(27:54):
, color combinations.
People are extremely creative.
They have no idea about it.
Storie (27:59):
And you bring that out in them, for sure my biggest
superpower is.
Matt (28:05):
I encourage them.
Everybody says the same thing.
I tell them.
When they ask me how does itlook, I said this looks perfect.
This is one of my favorites.
You are doing a great job.
Keep it up.
You are doing amazing.
I use always encouragementduring my workshops because
people are stressed out, theydon't know what to do and it is
not easy.
It looks easy, it looks reallybeautiful, but while you
(28:28):
actually are doing the worksometimes it might be stressful.
Storie (28:30):
Right, right, but my job comes into play.
Matt (28:33):
I just like cheer them up basically.
Storie (28:39):
Yeah, you provide an experience for them and not just
a hobby.
Right?
You've taken your hobby andexpanded it 15 times over, which
is amazing.
So tell me what's ahead.
What's your vision for TilesWorkshop?
Matt (28:50):
Yeah, my vision was when I started the company okay, I'll
be only in Dallas, I won't beanywhere else, I can just handle
my small business here, justchill it out and then go from
there.
Well, of course, it didn'thappen like that.
Right, I got calls from myfriends in Chicago and in some
(29:10):
other cities San Antonio, now inHouston as well.
So I know we know what you'redoing.
You are doing, I think, a greatjob over there.
So we follow your Instagram,tiktok, your website.
Everything looks amazing and sowe want to expand here.
Can you give us some franchisesdown this way or up this way?
(29:31):
Then now our next vision willbe we will be working with
opening up and growing to newcities and offering franchise as
well, wow.
Storie (29:41):
So you're in the.
In the next few months, maybeyear or so, you'll be searching
for franchise owners.
Yes to, to expand and reallyrelay what you're doing to the
world.
That is so exciting, and whowould have thought when you left
your company it would havegrown like this?
But to bring so much joy to somany lives, it's a wonderful
(30:04):
thing you're doing and I'mexcited for it.
I may be a franchise owner oneday, y'all.
So I ask all of my guests thisto to, to kind of close
everything out.
Yeah, for the business ownersthat are still building well,
we're always still building andthe the people who are just
starting out as entrepreneurswhat's one thing you wish you
(30:25):
would have known in the verybeginning?
That you would have told youryounger self or yourself when
you started one word networkingnetworking yes that is extremely
key, extremely key.
Matt (30:38):
so I moved here last june and starting from july I started
researching and who is, who isthe creative communities in
dallas and who does eventplannings?
There is is a word called DMC.
That's the first time I heardthat word Destination Management
Company.
Those guys sell events forcorporate world.
Ah yeah, I didn't know anythingabout that.
(31:01):
Then I started their events, Istarted to become their member
associations type of thing.
Storie (31:09):
Right.
Matt (31:10):
And I meet a lot of like new cool artists and those type
of I think like relationshipsthat you build help you grow
rapidly.
You cannot exponentially, Iwould say.
Storie (31:22):
Mm-hmm.
Matt (31:23):
So I think that part is actually important.
So what I did?
I spent heavily my time on likeattending attending events,
going to this event, that eventand sometimes two events at
night or whatever, meeting a lotof people passing out business
cards and things, talking aboutmy, my things, you.
You might not get a chance towork with all of them, but when
(31:45):
you find the right people at theright time, they give you a lot
of support.
Storie (31:50):
Wow, and maybe encouragement or creative ideas
that you didn't have beforeright, yes.
And at Advent Trinity wepromote that so much because we
hold networking events here atNUVO Desk.
Okay, great, and we believe inmy experience through all of my
careers when you're referred tosomebody it's so different than
(32:10):
just finding it and seeing it.
When someone's engaged with youand they feel your passion,
like we are in this setting, youwant to know more.
It creates that desire, and Iagree, time is money.
Matt (32:23):
Exactly.
Storie (32:23):
For every business owner , time is money, so I would have
to agree with you on I wish I'dknown that too in the past to
walk out of your shell, even ifyou don't like meeting people
exactly, man, sometimes peoplelike think that what am I gonna
be getting out of?
Matt (32:38):
okay, like this event looks like I mean something, I
might be getting one or twoclients.
Don't think that way it's likeyour business don't think that
way, because you will never knowhow many or how different
people that you might dobusiness that you'll be meeting
in that event.
Do you understand what I mean?
Absolutely you will never haveno idea.
(32:59):
Just go Get yourself out there.
I know you might be someintrovert or something like that
.
People respect that.
Do you understand what I mean?
Storie (33:07):
Right.
Matt (33:07):
As long as you do your job great professionally, people
respect that stuff.
So that's why I think just goout there and talk to people as
much as you can and then go fromthere.
Storie (33:21):
That's wonderful, the wonderful advice, and I really
appreciate, matt, you coming onthe show and telling us more
about it, because I am going tobe a customer and probably a
franchise owner in the future,and maybe we'll have you on
later, once you've expandednationally as well.
Well, hopefully we'll see youthen.
And to all of our listeners outthere, if you're interested in
(33:42):
booking an appointment or havingan event or just having this
experience with Matt, feel freeto click on the link below in
the description of this podcast,or reach out to me directly and
I'll connect you with Matt.
Feel free to click on the linkbelow in the description of this
podcast, or reach out to medirectly and I'll connect you
with Matt.
It's an experience I assure youyou don't want to miss.
We'll see you next time.
Welcome back to Market it with Atma, where we share the
tips, tools and strategies tohelp your business be successful
.
We have a wonderful guest onthe show today that I'm so
excited about Mr Matt Yigit.
He is the owner, founder andcreative force behind Tiles
Workshop.
I'll tell you what that's about, but first I'll let Matt
(00:35):
introduce what you do and whatyour business is about.
Tell me more, matt.
Matt (00:41):
Hey, sorry, hey everybody you for uh having me here
absolutely and my name is matthijit.
I am the.
I am a mosaic artist first ofall and glass mosaic artist, and
I am the founder of tal'sworkshop.
In tal's workshop, we host uhmosaic lamp making classes and
(01:01):
workshops around Dallas andbeyond, and then we create
meaningful experiences throughart basically.
Storie (01:10):
I love that.
So it's an artistic experiencethat you're doing here, and you
have all kinds of differentareas in Fort Worth, dallas,
arlington that you host them.
Matt (01:20):
Yes.
Storie (01:21):
So this is Turkish mosaic art right.
So for people that don't knowthe turkish culture or know what
mosaic art is, can you give mea little more detail on that?
Matt (01:31):
100.
I am originally from turkey.
I come to states like 15 yearsago and I learned this mosaic
art, which is a really popularart form in turkey, especially
roman empire, ottoman Empire,byzantine Empire.
There is a lot of art forms,especially at mosques, churches
in Turkey.
So I learned this during mycollege years back in Turkey.
(01:52):
I have a math and engineeringdegree from Turkish college and
I come here get a job.
Then we started creating thesemosaic lamp workshops.
Storie (02:03):
Okay.
Matt (02:05):
So these are basically mosaic lamps, and during the
workshops, I think interestingly, we serve Turkish coffee and
baklava as well as part of ourexperiences.
Storie (02:17):
Which is my favorite type of coffee.
I love it.
If you haven't tried Turkishcoffee, y'all try it, preferably
at his event, but try it.
So let me ask this is a verynew.
I mean, no one else is doingthis right.
How and what inspired you?
Give me some background on whatled you to this?
(02:38):
What did you do before youstarted your own company?
Matt (02:41):
Before I used to be a software engineer for a fortune
100 company I worked there for acouple of years, but on the
side I was always like doing myown mosaic lamps.
Some of my friends were askinglike custom orders and things.
Storie (02:56):
I was doing that stuff and a hobby, yeah, kind of hobby
okay hobby experience.
Matt (03:02):
Then I thought about uh, actually one of my friends told
me about paint and sip concept,which I didn't know anything
about painting with a twist,with twist, yes, yes, with twist
, then I think over there theyserve that.
You can like paint things andthen they serve wine.
You can, while you're drinking,you can like just socialize and
then get some experience overthere yes then I thought, oh,
(03:24):
that I think this can be a goodidea, but since I was doing the
actual art of the mosaic lampssometimes it takes days and
things- Right.
Then I thought about can I makesomething in a shorter version,
easier, so people can come tothe workshops?
We can provide all thematerials and things, then show
(03:44):
them, teach them step by stephow to do it Right.
Can come to the workshops.
We can provide all thematerials and things, then show
them, teach them step by stephow to do it right, can they?
I think is there an interestfor that one absolutely then we
start testing market.
I asked like my friends andthings are around, do you think
this can be like the?
Everybody said, oh, I'm surepeople will love it, so I'm sure
(04:04):
I'll be signing up, I'll becoming, like even multiple times
, type of thing.
Yeah, then, with that quickmarket research, we thought that
this can be a good idea andthen we start and design the
workshops around it.
Storie (04:17):
Wow, and so when did you actually launch the company?
Matt (04:21):
So I used to be living in Midwest Ohio, Okay the company
so.
I used to be living in MidwestOhio last more than 10 years or
so right now, so we started thecompany over there Then, right
now I still have my partnerunder a different name and
different branding over there inserving for Midwest region Okay
, and I moved here last Junefrom Ohio to start and open up
(04:44):
our new branding tiles workshopin Dallas and beyond so did you
move specifically to Dallasbecause of the market and the
desire for something creativelike this?
We did research on the citiesin Texas wow.
Austin, san Antonio and Dallas.
Basically, dallas is morediverse than any other city and
(05:08):
Dallas gets a lot of businesses.
Dallas is growing rapidly andit's pretty much, I would say,
in the middle of Texas.
Uh, it's like its own littlecountry everybody can easily
come here or whatever, so it'skind of I will say heart of the
businesses in texas based on,for, for our experience and
(05:30):
things, or experience businesslike that absolutely, and and
there's such a desire.
Storie (05:35):
I mean with with technology and social media
moving so quickly, people wantsomething new and engaging to do
, and I'd never heard of it.
I don't actually get on socialmedia personally, just for work.
Matt (05:49):
Interestingly, you're a social media expert.
Storie (05:51):
Well, no, I'm not.
I facilitate and help thepeople that are experts.
So we have a point person forGoogle, for Facebook, and that's
one thing our CEO did perfectlyhe hired an expert in each area
, so there's no variable.
Matt (06:06):
I do the same thing.
I like what I'm hearing aboutthat.
When I started the business, Itried to do things on my own,
like my accounting, my meta ads,my Shopify, like websites and
everything.
Then, since I have anengineering degree or anything,
I said, oh, I can just pull itout together, right.
Storie (06:25):
But no, there is a whole process.
I learned that, so quickly.
Matt (06:30):
You have to work with an expert.
Yes, you have to find that guy.
That's your job, that's yourfacilitation as a business owner
.
Go find that person that youcan trust and you can have a
good relationship.
Then work with that person assoon as possible.
Storie (06:45):
And that's something that I really appreciate that
you acknowledge, because so manytimes I feel like business
owners or entrepreneurs that arejust starting out don't realize
that part of your job is todelegate, to do your research,
find out if somebody isappropriate for that, for that
task, and then delegate.
(07:05):
You can't just spread yourselfso thin, right?
It's so sad to see such a great, creative or efficient business
fall apart because of that.
So tell me, how do you go aboutcreating your own business and
even possibly a franchise?
maybe how was your process from?
(07:30):
Was it IBM?
Matt (07:32):
My friend, you mean.
Storie (07:33):
No for you, for your technology background, it was a
life insurance company I used towork for.
Matt (07:38):
Oh life insurance, Okay.
Storie (07:39):
So how do you transition from that to starting your own
creative hobby business wherepeople can come and gather and
have events at?
Was there any challenges youexperienced that surprised you,
that you didn't plan for?
Matt (07:53):
Exactly, there's a lot of challenges.
There was, there were a lot ofchallenges.
So, uh, I am an, I am an ITexpert and I right now
especially with the marketchange right now people can be
laid off easily and after thatit's extremely hard to find a
job because there is thousandsof people looking for jobs, and
(08:13):
I was trying to look for a jobfor my friend on LinkedIn.
There is like for one job thereis 5,000 applicants.
There is no way.
I'm sure they have like somekind of automation or something
like that, rejecting everybodypretty much.
And I know I understand thebusinesses or corporates,
corporate world.
They have their own things,interests and things.
So my motivation was what is myescape?
(08:36):
I call it creative escape.
It look like.
So do I want to be still anengineer in like 10 years or 20
years?
Storie (08:44):
Right.
Matt (08:45):
Right now, if you look at the market data for the
engineering jobs, people areusually on their 25 to 35 range.
You won't see like 60-year-oldengineer.
Most of the time you won't belike 50-year-old.
Storie (08:59):
Why is that?
Matt (09:00):
I mean there is, I I think , a natural selection in that
process.
I mean people can get laid offor whatever, and unfortunately,
and with the impact of ai rightnow, it is going to be affecting
this sector a lot.
I feel like it.
So I was looking for what can Ido?
So I did trial a couple things.
I tried to start selling bookson Amazon.
I tried to do print-on-demandon Etsy.
(09:22):
I mean, they kind of didn'twork for me and then I came up
with this business idea.
Then, of course, starting abusiness is not easy.
I had like some money on theside and then I thought, okay,
this should be enough.
It wasn't Then.
So when you say that, okay,this is my date, this is going
to be my first workshop, that'skind of how we start in Dallas.
(09:44):
So June 18th January 18 was ourfirst day in Dallas, so we are
only three months old right nowthree months.
Storie (09:52):
Wow, that's incredible to be so well known three months
in so January is and then.
Matt (10:00):
Then the next fear starts.
How are you gonna find people?
How are you gonna let them knowlike I'm gonna like pass flyers
a door, door, a door, and doyou know people?
Like you know people, I mean, Ihave fear of rejection all the
time.
Storie (10:15):
I think a lot of us do so how are people gonna respond
here?
Matt (10:20):
how am I gonna reach them?
So that was the other fear.
Then, after that, my biggestfear as a corporate you know
corporate is I mean, you are inyour comfort zone, you have your
structured duties, you do thatstuff.
Storie (10:34):
It's black and white right.
Matt (10:36):
After 5 pm you don't have to worry about nothing,
basically.
But here my biggest fear wasworking with people.
How am I going to work withpeople?
I have like five employees thatwork for me and are they going
to hate me?
Are they going to like?
Storie (10:54):
All the what-ifs right that everybody has.
Matt (10:58):
Are we going to have fights and things?
How are we going to havemeetings?
Because, since you are so small, you don't have that much
budget or corporate that does.
Storie (11:07):
Right.
Matt (11:10):
And so those were my challenges and fears.
I will say but when you findthe right people, when you do
your research, spend enough timeand meet with the right people,
then the rest becomes easier.
Your team can serve for you andthen my manager in my corporate
world.
I learned a lot of the thingsin corporate.
(11:30):
I love the structures.
As an engineer, you lovestructures.
Storie (11:34):
You have to have it right.
Matt (11:36):
So I think with that corporate background, with the
strong foundation like teamworkand how things work over there,
that teach me a lot to be ableto manage my own team here right
so my manager was alwaystelling me okay, I am not your
manager, I am like tell me whatI can do for you he wanted to
help you go yes, let me how Ican like remove roadblocks out
(12:01):
of you.
Tell me what I can do.
So that was his mission, thatwas his vision over there.
So, I used the same vision andmission here.
So my guys doing their stuff,one of them doing meta ads
management, the other one isdoing Shopify.
I have a lady doing customerservice and right now, in my
day-to-day job, my job is onlyto remove the roadblocks out of
(12:24):
their way and how we can do moreefficient and better things.
Storie (12:28):
So you took what your manager taught you and led you
by and applied it to your ownbusiness because it works right.
So in that, in that that fear,do you still have those fears
day to day?
Yes, you have fears everysingle day it's great that you
can be candid about it because alot of people don't admit that.
Matt (12:48):
But that's the real truth right now economy.
We outsource our like materialsfrom turkey and from some other
countries.
You know there are right nowtariffs are coming, coming in
and then you have to like, Imean adjust your pricings
according to your profit marginright, yeah, and plus, like
(13:12):
right now we do.
We spend a lot of money on ads.
Are we gonna be?
We are trying to expand ourbusiness.
I'm gonna be planning to hiremore uh thing, more people, so
are we gonna be filling up thosespots?
That's like other things wehave.
These people gonna showinterest because our experiences
are.
We call it experience.
It's not just like somethingproduct or something like that
(13:34):
right, it really is a wholeexperience it is not like cheap.
It started from 110 dollarsbecause we really studied our
experience, so from the firstminute to last minute, so people
can have really cool, reallyunforgettable experience and,
like you said, put their phonesdown and then focus on one thing
(13:55):
.
I have a lot of people comingwith ocds, so especially people
with ocds, they have are a hardtime because they are not our
tiles and beads are notperfectly shaped right, it's
almost for the people who areimperfect, right and then, after
the workshop, most of them, orI would say almost all of them,
say oh, this is perfect for me,help me with my OCD, because
(14:19):
life is like that.
So I have tiles that look likethe same shape and color, but
every single tile, every singleglass has all like little tweaks
and things like humans.
Storie (14:32):
Right, absolutely, we're not just black and white.
Matt (14:34):
Exactly.
But when you put the tilestogether, I believe that really
strongly, it looks beautiful,like, regardless of people,
always, like I stretch out, ismy lamp looks really bad.
I said, of course, this looksthe worst lamp I've ever seen in
my life, by kidding.
But everything looks turnedinto so great, so cool, because
(14:58):
everybody is creative.
So what I?
What I say always my uh guests,the tiles look, I mean right
now, everybody all different,all different colors and things.
But when you put them together,when they become together,
everything looks beautiful, likeus I love that everybody's
different.
Everybody has their own colorand shapes.
Everybody has their own likebelief system or whatever right
(15:22):
and when we come together, Ithink the communities looks more
beautiful right at the end ofthe day.
Storie (15:30):
So you said that it starts at a certain pricing.
So are you primarily using kindof the model that painting with
the twist does and people needto reserve group events?
Are you going to locations?
Would you do on-site Great?
Matt (15:45):
question, since we are new in Dallas right now we are
planning to open up our studiosomewhere in Plano because,
whatever I hear from anybody,plano is pretty much the heart
of the whole business.
So somewhere in Plano so peoplecan travel from downtown up and
from.
I have like a lot of peopledriving coming from, like Ana
(16:06):
Celina, I think.
Storie (16:08):
Yes, up more, north, Up north they can come down easily.
Matt (16:12):
But right now, what we do?
We travel around the city.
So we I sat down with aprofessional realtor and I
studied this city, like whereare the people living?
I talked about my businessmodel to that person, mm-hmm.
And so we sat down where's ouraudience living?
Right what is their price?
(16:33):
Like average income level, looklike right so we picked, I
think, four to five cities, forexample, frisco, allen Plano,
downtown of course, and then weMcKinney as well, and South Lake
area, louisville.
So we're going to be alsoexpanding on that area.
(16:54):
So what we do?
Every week we open up aworkshop in different location.
Storie (16:59):
Okay.
Matt (16:59):
Yeah, that's kind of our model look like.
We bring the workshop On top ofthat.
We get a lot of private clients.
I host event for a dentiststaff.
Storie (17:09):
Yeah, like a team development.
Exactly team building event.
Yes.
Matt (17:13):
So I host a private event for six people in downtown in
one of our downtown venue.
So we host private events, wehave birthday parties, we host
team building events.
I work with corporate plannersas well in Dallas, so I am on
their vendors list.
So if they have a client thatare interested they can call us
(17:34):
and we can take our workshop totheir base.
Storie (17:37):
And it's such a great model for the corporate events
and the team development because, like you said, the workshop in
itself.
You can't be OCD.
It shows that all thesedifferent types of things and
people coming together makesomething beautiful.
And so it leeways perfectlyinto that corporate and you've
obviously done your research,but it seems like you really
(17:59):
have a strong passion.
Matt (18:01):
I do.
I am extremely passionate aboutcreating meaningful experiences
through art.
Storie (18:06):
Wow.
Matt (18:07):
That's kind of my business .
Storie (18:09):
Right.
Matt (18:10):
I don't care about what I'm selling.
If the people are not satisfied, if they want their money back,
I'm 100%, I don't care about.
Like Absolutely, but how?
Storie (18:20):
could people know what type of textile or mosaic art
they're going to create, becauseit's all so different, right?
So?
It's almost like a surprise.
At the end of the day, exactly.
So tell me what is theexperience like, um, what is
your capacity?
On how many you prefer to walkthrough the process?
Matt (18:39):
yeah, so we can serve as minimum as five people up to 50
people at a session.
We can do sessions back to back, but our sweet spot is around
30 people okay, in a session andfor that one people are, of
course, they don't know whatit's gonna look like.
(19:00):
They don't know because thereis like 12 different colors and
with three different shapes, sonot like that 36 different
combinations and permutationsover there, wow.
Storie (19:10):
Wow.
Matt (19:10):
So they don't know.
So that's where our instructorsand me comes into play.
I show them how to make choices.
I don't teach them differentmosaic techniques or anything
like that, because you cannotteach them in two hours and then
make them do something overthere.
Storie (19:25):
Right.
Matt (19:25):
I show them how to make choices.
I was listening to Simon Sinekone day.
He was talking about ashoemaker.
So he says like what is yoursuccess?
What is that behind?
He said two, not three.
What does that mean?
So I only show a person or alady two options instead of
(19:49):
three options.
So pick this or that, a or b,and then, if you don't, if you
want to take another pair, Itake one back and then put the
next one.
Only two options at a time okayso that's kind of what I do.
So I show people two options, sothese are.
I tell them, as a mosaic artist, these are my favorite, just
(20:09):
two options, and then pick one.
Which one you like better.
Oh, I think this like thislooks better.
Storie (20:14):
Okay, there's no wrong choice exactly that's the, the
intrigue behind what you haveand what you're doing, I think,
is the ominousness.
Matt (20:27):
You don't know what you're going to create, and it's
exciting, it's exciting and,like you said, and all of the
most of the people, I will say,says the same thing there is
nothing, no way to get it wrongright here.
Storie (20:40):
Yeah, every single lamp looks beautiful, regardless of
what color you choose, whatpattern you choose right, I was
going to ask earlier, when youmentioned the tariffs and things
like that, where do you getyour materials and do you prefer
a certain type of material tomake the outcome what you want
it to be?
Matt (20:59):
So our coffee and baklava comes directly from Turkey,
specific Turkish coffee andbaklava.
We have a supplier in Turkeybecause I know Greek baklava has
also things here.
Storie (21:12):
Yes.
Matt (21:13):
But ours is.
To me it's better.
Storie (21:15):
Of course.
Matt (21:17):
So it's coming from Turkey and some of our materials are
coming from China.
Storie (21:22):
Okay.
Matt (21:25):
And some boxes and things.
Storie (21:26):
So you don't have a preference.
You just know what type ofmaterial and the variety that
you prefer.
Matt (21:31):
Exactly, and the quality is important for us too.
Storie (21:34):
Okay, why is that?
Matt (21:35):
We don't care about like paying premium pricing for the
quality of the materials and thequality of the experience,
because we need to provide areally unforgettable quality
experience for our clients Right.
It looks like $100 might be toomuch.
Our clients it looks likehundred dollars might be too
(21:57):
much.
Storie (21:57):
But behind the scene we really like work to make sure
everything is in the top rankquality which is wonderful
because, at the end of the day,when you take that home, you
have a quality exactly devicethat you're able to use or see
every single day, probably forthe rest of your life right,
which is handmade by you too,which gives you so much pride
and you want it to last forever.
Right, and that's your spin onpainting, with a twist.
(22:20):
I used to always remember I'veexperienced it a couple
different times and you createbeautiful works of art that are
made by you, but where do youfind a place for it in your
house?
Honestly, guys, it's beautiful,but it's very different than
the, the art I have in my house,but this you can put it
anywhere exactly, and it can.
Matt (22:41):
It's variable with the colors, and so I absolutely I
want to talk about one of myfavorite story, that from a
guest that I had, so she has.
She had a grandma from Bulgaria.
She lives here.
Grandma also lives here, butshe's sick.
She can't leave her room.
She just has to be in that roomfor all day long, every day.
(23:02):
Since she's from Bulgaria, sheknows what that Turkish mosaic
lamp looks like.
She always wanted to get one,and the lady her name was Anna.
She came to my event.
She knew that her grandma likedit and she made the lamp and
she gifted that to her grandma.
So and then she sent me thevideo and recording and
(23:23):
everything.
I was like I want to cry or Isaid, okay, this is like.
This is why I'm doing thisbusiness over here.
Storie (23:30):
You followed what you felt was the right path and look
at what you're delivering inreturn.
A beautiful experience and youknow it really is something
memorable forever that you canexperience with a friend or
family.
So are you, before you get yourstandalone because we know
(23:51):
Plano is where you're going tohave your standalone are you
still going to have differentworkshops?
Matt (23:56):
in the area.
We will still have differentworkshops.
Okay, maybe I might be likestanding alone in my plane
location and while my people cantravel across the Dallas and
(24:18):
Texas.
So we are planning to expandalso in Texas as well so with
those um your staff that you'reteaching to teach?
Storie (24:27):
um do they have a passion for mosaic art?
Are you finding that they arepicking up and grasping it and
enjoy teaching the audience?
Matt (24:38):
So I work with like-minded people.
Storie (24:40):
Great.
Matt (24:40):
So usually the pattern look like me.
They either have some kind of ateaching experience before and
a corporate experience is keyfor me.
Storie (24:51):
Why is?
Matt (24:51):
that they need to have a corporate experience because
they need to have thatstructured model customer
experience look like or customerservice In the corporate world
they always like to talk about.
Our number one priority is ourcustomers, so we serve for them.
And that's that corporatestructured model they need to
(25:12):
have, because otherwise I don'twant to have like people have
issues with their like theycan't, they should be
professional.
Do you see what I mean?
absolutely, you have to have meso this is kind of the pattern.
And plus they are passionatewith art.
Storie (25:25):
So if that's hard to find corporate and art together
you have people, though, why?
Matt (25:31):
Why?
I am saying that I have a lotof friends that are extremely
great artists.
I have another friend called.
I forgot her name now.
Storie (25:42):
It's okay, there you go.
Matt (25:44):
She's a painter, but she can't leave corporate job
because she has to pay the bills.
Do you understand what I mean?
Storie (25:50):
Absolutely.
Matt (25:50):
And when she becomes, she mean absolutely, and when she
becomes, she tried that when shebecomes a like artist, try to
sell the art.
It is extremely hard for them.
So I also open up a like, a,maybe a gateway for them so I
can, while they are doing theircorporate job during the week,
on the weekend they can come anddo the art with me to expand
(26:12):
their mind and activate thatcreative side which is almost
necessary for anyone.
Storie (26:17):
I mean, even if you're an artist, sometimes you need to
have the other side of thebrain activated, and vice versa.
So is that how I was going toask you actually, how do you
keep it engaging for repeatcustomers?
How do you keep it new anddifferent each time?
Matt (26:33):
yeah, so what we do in our like new and different?
Uh, first of all, we have 12different choices color choices.
Multiply by three so you cancome hundred times and then you
will create something uniqueevery single time well, that
answered that question, didn'tit?
The people say that, oh, this,this was my first time.
(26:55):
I loved it.
I have to come again.
I said why?
Because now I know how to do it.
I know what to expect.
I can do better.
I said, okay.
Storie (27:04):
Then that's one.
Matt (27:05):
It's almost a challenge now because, like in their first
event, they don't know what to,they don't know what to expect,
they don't know what they want.
Basically that's, they areconfused.
But when they are done with thefirst one, they know what they
want ah okay, now I can.
And then they see people aroundthem.
That's why our setup, ourworkshop setup, is like a group
(27:29):
of six type of setup, so we letpeople sit with strangers and
then they look each other andthey communicate, they network,
they talk to each other, theysocialize over there wow, that's
a wonderful, wonderfulexperience I always tell them I
still learn every single.
I've been doing this like I'm amosaic artist, but I still learn
every single day new patterns,new color matches, color options
(27:54):
, color combinations.
People are extremely creative.
They have no idea about it.
Storie (27:59):
And you bring that out in them, for sure my biggest
superpower is.
Matt (28:05):
I encourage them.
Everybody says the same thing.
I tell them.
When they ask me how does itlook, I said this looks perfect.
This is one of my favorites.
You are doing a great job.
Keep it up.
You are doing amazing.
I use always encouragementduring my workshops because
people are stressed out, theydon't know what to do and it is
not easy.
It looks easy, it looks reallybeautiful, but while you
(28:28):
actually are doing the worksometimes it might be stressful.
Storie (28:30):
Right, right, but my job comes into play.
Matt (28:33):
I just like cheer them up basically.
Storie (28:39):
Yeah, you provide an experience for them and not just
a hobby.
Right?
You've taken your hobby andexpanded it 15 times over, which
is amazing.
So tell me what's ahead.
What's your vision for TilesWorkshop?
Matt (28:50):
Yeah, my vision was when I started the company okay, I'll
be only in Dallas, I won't beanywhere else, I can just handle
my small business here, justchill it out and then go from
there.
Well, of course, it didn'thappen like that.
Right, I got calls from myfriends in Chicago and in some
(29:10):
other cities San Antonio, now inHouston as well.
So I know we know what you'redoing.
You are doing, I think, a greatjob over there.
So we follow your Instagram,tiktok, your website.
Everything looks amazing and sowe want to expand here.
Can you give us some franchisesdown this way or up this way?
(29:31):
Then now our next vision willbe we will be working with
opening up and growing to newcities and offering franchise as
well, wow.
Storie (29:41):
So you're in the.
In the next few months, maybeyear or so, you'll be searching
for franchise owners.
Yes to, to expand and reallyrelay what you're doing to the
world.
That is so exciting, and whowould have thought when you left
your company it would havegrown like this?
But to bring so much joy to somany lives, it's a wonderful
(30:04):
thing you're doing and I'mexcited for it.
I may be a franchise owner oneday, y'all.
So I ask all of my guests thisto to, to kind of close
everything out.
Yeah, for the business ownersthat are still building well,
we're always still building andthe the people who are just
starting out as entrepreneurswhat's one thing you wish you
(30:25):
would have known in the verybeginning?
That you would have told youryounger self or yourself when
you started one word networkingnetworking yes that is extremely
key, extremely key.
Matt (30:38):
so I moved here last june and starting from july I started
researching and who is, who isthe creative communities in
dallas and who does eventplannings?
There is is a word called DMC.
That's the first time I heardthat word Destination Management
Company.
Those guys sell events forcorporate world.
Ah yeah, I didn't know anythingabout that.
(31:01):
Then I started their events, Istarted to become their member
associations type of thing.
Storie (31:09):
Right.
Matt (31:10):
And I meet a lot of like new cool artists and those type
of I think like relationshipsthat you build help you grow
rapidly.
You cannot exponentially, Iwould say.
Storie (31:22):
Mm-hmm.
Matt (31:23):
So I think that part is actually important.
So what I did?
I spent heavily my time on likeattending attending events,
going to this event, that eventand sometimes two events at
night or whatever, meeting a lotof people passing out business
cards and things, talking aboutmy, my things, you.
You might not get a chance towork with all of them, but when
(31:45):
you find the right people at theright time, they give you a lot
of support.
Storie (31:50):
Wow, and maybe encouragement or creative ideas
that you didn't have beforeright, yes.
And at Advent Trinity wepromote that so much because we
hold networking events here atNUVO Desk.
Okay, great, and we believe inmy experience through all of my
careers when you're referred tosomebody it's so different than
(32:10):
just finding it and seeing it.
When someone's engaged with youand they feel your passion,
like we are in this setting, youwant to know more.
It creates that desire, and Iagree, time is money.
Matt (32:23):
Exactly.
Storie (32:23):
For every business owner , time is money, so I would have
to agree with you on I wish I'dknown that too in the past to
walk out of your shell, even ifyou don't like meeting people
exactly, man, sometimes peoplelike think that what am I gonna
be getting out of?
Matt (32:38):
okay, like this event looks like I mean something, I
might be getting one or twoclients.
Don't think that way it's likeyour business don't think that
way, because you will never knowhow many or how different
people that you might dobusiness that you'll be meeting
in that event.
Do you understand what I mean?
Absolutely you will never haveno idea.
(32:59):
Just go Get yourself out there.
I know you might be someintrovert or something like that
.
People respect that.
Do you understand what I mean?
Storie (33:07):
Right.
Matt (33:07):
As long as you do your job great professionally, people
respect that stuff.
So that's why I think just goout there and talk to people as
much as you can and then go fromthere.
Storie (33:21):
That's wonderful, the wonderful advice, and I really
appreciate, matt, you coming onthe show and telling us more
about it, because I am going tobe a customer and probably a
franchise owner in the future,and maybe we'll have you on
later, once you've expandednationally as well.
Well, hopefully we'll see youthen.
And to all of our listeners outthere, if you're interested in
(33:42):
booking an appointment or havingan event or just having this
experience with Matt, feel freeto click on the link below in
the description of this podcast,or reach out to me directly and
I'll connect you with Matt.
Feel free to click on the linkbelow in the description of this
podcast, or reach out to medirectly and I'll connect you
with Matt.
It's an experience I assure youyou don't want to miss.
We'll see you next time.
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