Entrepreneurship is in Samantha Chan's blood. Both her grandparents were self-starters in printing, packaging, and clothing, leaving sparks of innovation brewing in Samantha.

She started in the arts, embracing her creative side. I did water colouring when I was a kid, she says. I started when I was two or three years old and I took private lessons until I was 15 or 16 and I also did it in high school as well. From there, Samantha enrolled in engineering in university, showing she wasn't just an artist, and that she could use both sides of her brain.

After graduation, she did investment banking in Asia. Little did she know that that's where she would find her combined passion and inspiration for her future.

In Asia, that's where I found studios where I could go and just paint, she says. I found that it was such a creative, fun way to just relax and express yourself in a way that you can't really do when you're working long hours; it was a really great way to just relieve stress.

When she brought her idea home, she started tailoring it to Canadian customs. I wanted to make the concept a little more casual and social. Coffee and tea really bonds people so that's why it's not just an art studio but it kind of merges two concepts together. You can have your coffee or your tea while you paint.

And just like that, the concept for Paintlounge was born. Through help from the Markham Small Business Centre and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Samantha was able to see her idea come to fruition. Her first location opened in Markham, Ontario in 2010, with a second location in downtown Toronto in 2013.

Initially, Samantha's biggest challenge was getting her unique business out there to the public. Because it's a new concept and we're in Markham, it was a popular area and you had to drive in to see us, so in the beginning not a lot of people knew about us so it was tough just getting the word out. We didn't have too much money to spend on advertising, so we had to think of creative ways to get the word out, which include social media, special events, Google ads, print ads, signs in supermarkets, and website listings.

Now that there are two studios and Paintlounge is more well-known in the community, Samantha's encountering new obstacles. I think the most challenging part is marketing and balancing your budget because you don't want to spend too much money, she says. You can't just open and wait for the people to come; you have to continuously market yourself all the time.

Samantha attributes her success to her unique idea and vision, as well as the rapid spread of information on social media. Most of all, she recommends  all entrepreneurs to stick to what they know and never give up.

You need to start with a passion and once that's set, don't give up. You will face really good days and really bad days. You will get over the bad days. You just have to keep focused on your end goal and keep it up.