‘It’s like the tortoise and the hare, but we have to be the tortoise.’ Santa Rosa couple reflects on two decades in the arts

Business owners and arts teachers Benjie and Lauren Kushins have witnessed 20 years’ worth of wildfires, earthquakes and a pandemic that have impacted their Santa Rosa business.

In a world where entrepreneurs want to climb the ladder at lightning speed, the Kushins understand that pacing oneself when starting a business means everything.

Before coming together to create Art & Soul School of Creative and Performing Arts in 2003, they each had a business of their own.

Lauren taught art and dance with her business partner while Benjie taught music lessons with his. Shortly before they married, they separated from their business partners and created Art & Soul.

They moved the school to Sonoma County a few years later.

In the 20 years since, the couple have taught students how to heal through dance, music and art, even bringing these programs to local public schools where arts programs are continuously on the budget chopping block.

The Press Democrat sat down with them to discuss their business. Here are excerpts from our recent conversation. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Sara: What got you into the business?

Lauren: My background is actually in arts therapy so I did social work using the arts. My original plan was to do an art therapy center where I would do art, music and dance therapy.

I see education as prevention in terms of the healing arts. When you get to things before they happen, and you give kids the tools they need when life gets hard — which it will — they can access the arts to help them survive whenever that happens.

It still has been an underlying mission to really help the community in terms of providing therapeutic arts but we’re using it through the means of prevention, which is education.

Sara: Talk to me about how the school got through the pandemic? How did you transition your classes to online?

Benjie: The fact that we’re a small business means we really had an advantage of being able to turn on a dime. School districts called to say they weren’t coming back to school after spring break.

The following week we had everybody on Zoom lessons. Private music lessons were pretty good while group dance classes were difficult. But, being a small business, we were able to learn.

I went and got art supplies and we drove all around Sonoma County to drop them off so people could do their art lessons.

One of the big things that helped us was being a part of a network of other music and dance schools around the country and even around the world.

So when COVID hit, we got together every week over Zoom and shared ideas of how they’re doing music lessons or dance classes. It was vital for us on how to survive and it was really collaborative.

Lauren: Our studio looked like a hospital ward because we had plastic curtains hanging to separate the kids but we never had an outbreak at our studio.

Benjie: A lot of things we did during the pandemic are now the norm.

Sara: It seems as if a lot of teachers have struggled with keeping students engaged and learning has been difficult. So, what’s that been like for you?

Benjie: One of our teachers was saying because they’re COVID babies, they haven’t interacted a lot with many other students. When we were kids, we went to the playground or went on play dates.

But these kids born within the last three years don’t really have those social norms yet and those social skills are a little bit behind where they might have been in years past.

Lauren: Our teachers are having to do more in terms of teaching social skills and conflict resolution.

We were talking recently about how these students are also coming in with so much emotional baggage. They’re COVID babies, they’re fire babies. They’ve been through so much.

Benjie: Our teachers do an exceptional job of creating this culture we want to have here of being caring and empathetic.

But this community has been through trauma before so our teachers have that resiliency, compassion and empathy for what someone else is going through.

Sara: Going into that, what are some of the challenges in arts education you guys have noticed?

Lauren: There’s not that much money. If you want to be an entrepreneur, it’s the story of the tortoise and the hare.

If you really want to be in business in the arts, you are the tortoise. Pace yourself for the long game. We are successful because we are the tortoise.

Benjie: I hope that we are a small part of making sure that the arts are seen as important.

If something needs to be cut at a school because of funding, music and the arts are the first ones to go.

I think people are realizing how important the arts are for personal development and mental health.

Sara: Looking back on what you’ve learned over the past 20 years of owning and operating Art & Soul, what are some things you wish you knew or what would you go back and tell yourself?

Lauren: Make community partners. Find other businesses you can partner with so that you’re not just doing it as a solo entrepreneur. You’re going to need support. We’re in two different networking groups and they are a lifeline for us.

Benjie: Make sure that you realize if you want to go into business, it’s something that you’re passionate about and realize that this is a business.

It’s either a hobby or it’s a business and if it’s going to be a business, you want to have those two different hats. Getting the right people on your team is really important.

And if you don’t know how to do something, hire somebody who knows how to do it, like bookkeepers or tax people, etc.

Sara: Talk to me about running the business together as a couple. How do you do it? How do you make it work?

Lauren: I feel super grateful because we have a strong marriage and part of that is because we start off the day getting fresh air while we process what we’re going to do for the day.

We also wear different hats in our business. We used to step on each other’s feet at the beginning of the business, like we were both doing the finances, and we were both doing the front desk.

We quickly realized this wasn’t working so we figured out who’s going to wear which hat. As soon as we did that, everything worked out.

Sara: My final question for you both is a question I’m asking all small business owners for this column: What is something that keeps you up at night?

Benjie: We always need to check ourselves and ask questions like, “Are we growing too quickly?” We want to make sure that we’re continuing to be on the path and bring in the right people.

We can’t do this without all the teachers and staff. It’s taken us a long time to realize what our culture is so I want to make sure that we continue doing those things.

Lauren: Remembering to be the tortoise. I would love to pay my staff more, but we’re in the arts and I can only pay them where I’m at right now.

Otherwise, the company would fold and I have to keep the whole picture in mind so we can keep our doors open and keep prices where they’re at.

But that’s what keeps me up at night. I want to give all of my teachers full-time salaries and full-time hours, but I just can’t do it yet.

You can reach Staff Writer Sara Edwards at 707-521-5487 or sara.edwards@pressdemocrat. com. On Twitter @sedwards380.