Maza Hobbies helps people explore their interests through workshops run by local businesses. We spoke with Roxy Promhous, Co-Founder of Maza Hobbies, to learn more about how the company connects the community to creative outlets.
What is your business called and what does it do?
We’re Maza Hobbies. We help people live more creatively in their cities by making it easier to discover and book local creative workshops, from pottery and painting to candle-making, perfumery, and cooking.
We’re starting in Vancouver and Toronto, and we’re building toward a system that not only helps people find new hobbies but also gives them a little more motivation to actually follow through. At the heart of it, we want to help people find their next offline passion while supporting the local businesses that make our cities feel vibrant.
What made you want to do this work?
I’ve always loved hobbies, but as an adult, I found it surprisingly hard to actually start one. Everything was scattered across Instagram, Google, Eventbrite, and word of mouth. I’d constantly save ideas and never actually book them.
A few years ago, I was going through a difficult period personally, and creative hobbies were honestly what pulled me through. I took up wheel throwing, dancing, violin; basically anything that got me out of my head and into my body. That experience showed me firsthand how transformative it can be to just try something. When Mansi and I connected, we realized we’d both been running into the same frustration. We figured we couldn’t be the only ones feeling this way, and we wanted to do something about it.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
We wanted to solve the gap between interest and action, especially in the hobby space.
A lot of people want to try something creative or support local, but the process can feel more overwhelming than it should. It often takes a lot of research just to figure out what’s beginner-friendly, worth the cost, or right for you.
On the business side, many studios rely on seasonal demand, one-off discovery, or discounting to bring in new people. We’re interested in how to make hobby discovery feel easier for customers, while helping local studios turn first-time visitors into repeat customers.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our community is mostly women in their mid-20s to 50s living in Vancouver and Toronto. These are people who are curious, busy, and a little bit tired of scrolling. They want to actually do something, connect with people in person, and feel more rooted in their city. A lot of them have a list of “someday I’ll try that” hobbies that keeps growing without ever getting shorter. We’re trying to help them finally cross something off.
On the other side, we work closely with small, independent studio owners who are brilliant at what they teach but don’t always have the bandwidth to market themselves the way bigger businesses can.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Right now, we run a creative passport-style festival, similar in spirit to something like Hot Chocolate Fest, but focused on hands-on workshops like pottery, painting, cooking, and more.
People buy a pass and use it to explore experiences across multiple partner studios, with rewards designed to encourage them to keep showing up and trying new things. Over time, we want to build this into an ongoing system that helps people maintain momentum between festivals and helps studios build more lasting relationships with their communities.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Because we work with local creative studios, you can really find our work anywhere creativity is happening in the city. A lot of what we do happens online at mazahobbies.com, but a huge part of the business is also spent in studios, at workshops, and in conversation with both business owners and participants to understand what keeps people coming back.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
Question: I can already find workshop recommendations on Instagram or Google, so what makes you different?
Answer: Discovery is only one piece of the puzzle. The bigger challenge is actually following through and turning interest into action. Maza makes that easier by curating local creative experiences in one place and adding rewards and momentum-building elements that make people more likely to try something new and keep going. We’re not just recommending hobbies, we’re helping people build a real habit around them.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
Best part: Seeing someone try a new hobby, love it, and realize they want more creativity in their life. It’s also incredibly rewarding to watch studios meet new customers who become regulars.
Worst part: Small businesses are under a lot of pressure right now, and we feel that. We’re always thinking carefully about how to create something genuinely helpful without adding more to their plate. It’s something we care deeply about getting right.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Running Maza means I’ve become professionally qualified to say:
“I’m not just doing hobbies… I’m doing market research.”
Where can we follow you?
You can follow us on Instagram and check out our upcoming festival on our website.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
One local business we love is Vessel Designs. They’re a beautiful community-focused creative space that supports so many women-led small businesses and workshops. Vancouver is full of places like that, and we’re lucky to have them.
