Influential Woman · Benjamin Moore paint store owner
Christina Ashley Peterson
Owner of Gateway Paint Center, Self-employed
Simpsonville, SC
Her Story
About Christina
Christina Ashley Peterson is the owner of Gateway Paint Center in the Greenville-Spartanburg area. She and her husband started in construction before moving into retail with cabinetry, flooring, and tile, eventually securing the Benjamin Moore paint line after years of effort; the store opened three months ago following five years of groundwork in the industry. Peterson handles community outreach, social media, marketing, sales, and operations while continuing part-time work as a dental assistant. She earned DANB certification after completing a one-year dental assisting program and worked 17 years in that field following earlier roles as a CNA and in hospitality. In 2024 she successfully advocated for and won Best of the Upstate recognition in the newly added paint and hardware store category.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christina
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Advice to my younger self would be if there's something out there that you know you're good at, try to find a way to make money at it, and don't let somebody in your circle make you question it. Because I've always heard from people who are more successful that if you're really good at something, you'll find a way to make money at it. If wanting to start a business, one of the first things I would probably tell them is it's gonna be a lot of hard work, be ready for it, and take as many notes as you can, and you need to start learning, and if that means take a class on, you know, maybe some small business classes, or find the right people to talk to, because the operations side of business is extremely important.
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