"I was fresh out of Ontario College of Art, had a student loan as big as me and a portfolio to my name," remembers Pat Schnurr, owner of the Junction's Picture It Framed. “I began thinking about what I could do for a living, and picture framing came as a natural answer. I started out in Yorkville, at a U Frame It branch, and I loved the experience.”
Passionate about her new-found job, Pat poured her heart into her work, which eventually helped her make her way up in the company. “I became the branch manager there after a short while. The company was pretty happy with my work, so they sent me to Winnipeg to open new stores.”
Before leaving, Pat negotiated with the U Frame It brand: should the Winnipeg stores find success, she would like to own her own franchise. The company agreed. As promised, she came back to Toronto as a U Frame It franchise owner. “Eventually, their market, and the company itself, dissolved,” says Pat. “I negotiated a break-up from the brand and opened my own, independent framing business.” Picture It Framed was finally born.
