How do you go from a farm with a woodfire kiln and two potters to an industrial warehouse that already feels too small? Vision. And a bit of luck. At least, that's what worked for Alex Matisse, founder of the one and only Eastfork Pottery. On this episode, Alex shares insights into the pros and cons of growing such a large, successful business and how taking the time to get clear on a vision is the lynchpin of it all.

At the time of this replay, Asheville, North Carolina (where Eastfork Pottery is located) is currently beginning the slow and arduous process of recovering from the devastating affects of Hurricane Helen. If you are able, please consider donating to any of the following organizations helping with recovery efforts:

World Central Kitchen: On the ground getting meals to those affected.
CERF+: Provides emergency relief grants specifically to craft artists.

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We’re taking a quick season break but in the meantime, enjoy this chat from way back in Season 1 that I had with Katie Meili. We chat about the difficulties of mental health and how it feels when life takes unexpected turns that throw you off a path everyone else around you is on, the silver linings that brought us to clay, and the importance of having a community that supports and pushes us as artists.

Additional Resources since this episode first aired:
Listen to the follow-up conversation I had with the founders of the Village Potter’s on episode #212 here.

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Leap and you’ll learn to fly… The key to success is action… The best way to predict the future is to create it… How many of these tropes have you heard? They are usually associated with that scary first step of making a change in your life to go after something you are dreaming about. And while yes, sure, there is often a moment where, regardless of preparation or planning, making a big change feels scary and you just have to finally do the darn thing - at the same time, there are also very real considerations to be made before you take that leap.

While encouraging each other to go after our dreams and make them happen is important, and while I do believe it is possible to build viable small art businesses for ourselves (clearly), these entrepreneurial tropes - leap and you’ll learn to fly - might actually be doing more damage than good. Sometimes, we leap with the best of intentions, excitement and even planning, and life doesn’t go the way we had envisioned. And frankly, that process isn’t something that gets talked about very often. Which is exactly why I was so impressed with Xioma Ortiz of Hello Xioma and creator of the Domies when she was sharing publicly about the painful decision to close her solo studio.

If you're looking for support in taking your own leap or just starting out and trying to figure out what these crazy steps are, inside of The Community is the place to be. We'll be closing out the year talking about Email Lists - How to start one, how to build one manually vs. with tech assistance, and most of all, how to help be less reliant on the ebbs and flows of social media algorithm robots. Come learn more about the perks of membership by visiting: makersplaybook.com/community

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Have questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com