Meet Shawn and Bess Allen | Shrunk3D Atlanta East franchise owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn and Bess Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn and Bess, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Shawn has always wanted to own a business, but we just didn’t know what exactly it would be. This past spring break he and my daughter were visiting his dad in Missouri when he sent me a picture of my father-in-law. I thought it was a picture, but when I looked closely I realized it was a small statue of him! My sister-in-law had gotten a 6″ statue of Dad made for herself, and then she decided to have one made for Shawn and their other sister. Then, she decided the business was so cool that she wanted in! We quickly followed suit. All it took was seeing our wonderful father in law and his mannerisms forever in 3D. There was just something there that far exceeded anything a picture could capture. We saw such potential, not only for parents, but for children and their sports, band, dance, etc. All people in any phases of life, whether it be a special event or an accomplishment, getting it in 3D seemed so exciting and something our whole family could be a part of.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Shawn is an in-house construction lawyer by day, and I am a stay at home mom, so this has been a huge shift and learning curve for both of us, but the owners of Shrunk3D Zack and Micah, have made it a really easy learning process, and they are always there to help. The franchise itself is new, so we are all learning as we go. Having enthusiastic and helpful owners and a sister in the business has made the hurdles much less daunting for sure. We have had so much fun meeting new people at festivals and events, and that is really our favorite part. We love meeting people and seeing their excitement over Shrunk3D, because we feel the same way! It is fun to have a business that you absolutely love and geek out about. Every time I go in and see that the design team has a new statue done, I get absolutely giddy to pull up the image and see the small version of the person I met!
My personal favorite are the ornaments. I am a Christmas fanatic, and my favorite part of decorating each year is pulling out all of the ornaments that have been passed down and have special meaning. I only wish we had this business sooner! I would have had an ornament of my children in their dance costumes, swim team uniforms, favorite Halloween costumes! I think it is such a fun gift to give too, now that we live in a time when it is so hard to find the perfect present.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We think we hit the lottery moving to Alpharetta! We love going downtown on the weekends and visiting the farmer’s market and local shops. Our favorite concert venue is in our backyard, and we have the lovely greenway. The two things I never skip when I have friends in town are-1. Hen Mother Cookhouse. My guests have all had brunch there. Magnificent! We also like to take people to 2. Fermented in downtown Alpharetta for a wine tasting. The owner, Adam, has the most unique wines, you will always leave learning something new and finding a new wine you love. They make it such an enjoyable and unpretentious experience that wine lovers of all types can enjoy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would say Shawn’s mom Sandy is our biggest cheerleader in all we do. She was our biggest support in starting this new adventure, and she has been an enormous help to us! We have so many friends and family that have been jumping in to find ways to make sure that this new business is successful, and it has meant the world to us. It’s something we never want to take for granted. Our community of family and friends is our biggest blessing in life.

Website: https://www.shrunk3d.com/ne-atl

Instagram: shrunk3d_ne.atl

Facebook: shrunk3d.ne.atl

Image Credits
I don’t need to give credit for any of these images.