Winchester Welcome Bio

Please join us in welcoming to our Crown Franchise family, Eric & Arrianna Nichols from Winchester, VA, Crown #149. We asked Eric to answer a few questions so we could get to know him and his family a little better. If you’d like to extend your own personal welcome message
Eric & Arrianna can be reached at:

Names of each family member including children (ages of kids)

Eric & Arrianna Nichols

When your ownership of Crown began?

We took over the business on January 1st of 2020… right before COVID became the household name that it is today. It was a pretty scary time, but I’m extremely proud and thankful that we made it through with a successful business on the other side of the pandemic.

Who is in the business (family members)?

We share ownership of the business, but I run the show day to day. Arrianna works for a local insurance company and takes care of our business insurance, along with some of the more eyecrossing paperwork required of business owners.

What did you do prior to becoming a Crown franchise?

I worked for a large small business in our town who had several companies under their umbrella. I assisted with their accounting and managed their data analytics, while also running their entire sign business. I was a one-man show sign business, and legit created every project from the initial concept to the installation for my customers. It was a lot, but it was an invaluable experience that prepared me for taking on this adventure.

Why did you decide on a Crown franchise?

To be honest, I scoffed at the prospect when it came up. I think my exact words were “Why would I want a trophy shop?!” when my wife mentioned the opportunity. That said, I had always wanted to be my own boss and even have a degree in small business management, so I entertained the idea and met with the previous owner to get a better understanding of the business and the potential it had. Well… as you all know, we are much more than just a trophy shop, and my skills/talents fit better than I could have ever imagined. I decided to work in the store for a few months before the buyout to get used to the day to day operations and to make sure I actually WANTED to go through with the buyout, and here I am 5 years later a proud franchise owner.

Town you are living in now / Is it close to store?

We live in Winchester, and have a 10 minute drive to the office. It’s great!

Accomplishments / Hobbies / Interests /Passions

Accomplishments

I am really into miniature painting, and actually entered my first painting competition this year! Painting, along with video games and playing guitar is how I keep my sanity. My wife and I also travel the world together, and love experiencing new cultures together. Thailand has been our favorite so far, and we highly recommend traveling there!

How do you typically spend your days off?

My ideal day off would be sitting at my hobby desk painting with my wife, Arrianna. She paints cutesy stuff while I paint ultra grimdark violence. We balance each other out, haha!

Do you have any Pets?

Since I’m allergic to everything in nature, we have fairly exotic pets. We have one hedgehog named Jellybean Dumptruck (she has a big ol’ butt), and then two Sugar Gliders named Sergeant Murder and Lieutenant Ricky Spanish (American Dad fans would know this reference)... They go by Sarge and Lute for short.

Favorite TV Shows

Serious show/s - Breaking Bad has to be my all time favorite, with Peaky Blinders as the runner up.
Silly show - American Dad all the way. Roger the Alien is possibly my favorite written cartoon character ever created.