If you’re standing on the North Pole, and you walk one mile south, then one mile to the east, and then another mile to the north, where do you end up? Aksh Gupta is the CEO of Occasion.app, which is used by 200+ CCSA members. Occasion’s mission is to help reconnect people through shared experiences by being part of your success, and building tools to enable the success faster. Your businesses are pillars of your communities, they bring people together and create more joy.
Aline is a longtime studio owner of Artcentric, which opened in 1998. She started teaching in schools and then opened her studio for walk-in painting and art classes and programs for all ages. In 2010 Aline started working for Colorobbia Art in Florence, Italy, assisting in color lines and new product development and marketing, as well as preparing lesson plans and teaching at conventions and distributor educational events. She’s always excited to be playing with new colors and product and introducing fun painting techniques and classes. When not in the studio or designing and planning for upcoming events, you can find her in her garden—her other happy place!
Ammie Williams is an artist living in Atlanta, Georgia. She creates bright and fun ceramic pieces, most notably Rainbow Mugs. She started her career in the PYOP industry 15 years ago and has been designing bisqueware, silkscreens, and stickers with Bisque Imports for the last 5 years. She teaches painting techniques and social media and branding classes online and in person at conferences across the country. She has built and fostered an extremely dedicated Instagram audience who love following her life and work through daily updates. The same audience often breaks her website trying to buy her handpainted ceramic pieces. When she’s not posting on Instagram (this is rare), she enjoys reading with a beer, watching Real Housewives, or working in her Hobonichi planner.
Anna Scott is a designer and clay workshop instructor from South Lincolnshire in the UK. She has studied art and design throughout school and continued her studies at DeMontford University, where she specialized in glass and ceramics. With over a of running a PYOP studio, Anna set up Cutters for Clay to provide herself and other studio owners with a huge range of clay cutters, stamps, and textured rolling pins to be able to create their very own bisque pieces and clay hand-building workshops for their own studios. When Anna isn't playing with clay and thinking up new workshops, she can be found on long walks with her husband and two dogs or enjoying a cheeky glass of wine in front on the fire with a good book.
Barbara Saslo bought a ceramic studio after getting ripped off by another studio in October 2014. What do you do when you need to quickly learn something new in the 21st century? Turn to the internet, join the CCSA, and ask lots of questions. The Nazareth Ceramic Center emerged six months later and now Barbara firmly believes that “Knowledge is truly learned when shared with others.” The Nazareth Ceramic Center is a hybrid traditional/contemporary PYOP studio specializing in vintage-style ceramic trees and several hundred other slip-cast projects. Barbara's forthright attitude covers the quiet listen and learn part of her creative personality.
Bre has been in the ceramics world for 20 years, bringing innovation and knowledge every step of the way. She started working at the front desk at Chesapeake and a few short years later she became the Director of Sales, Marketing, and Education. She then moved to Mayco, to learn the ins and outs of making and selling glazes on the largest scale possible, and now she’s back at Chesapeake as the General Manager. Bre has a master’s degree in Ceramic Arts and uses that knowledge to help educate the CCSA members on all things ceramics!
Brianna Buchholz is the owner and lead photographer at Brianna Buchholz Photography (Buchholz Photography LLC), a professional St. Charles Small Business Brand Photographer. After moving to St. Louis in March 2020 and graduating from Shawnee State University in May 2020, she opened Buchholz Photography LLC. During her time at SSU, Brianna was a student event photographer, earning her BFA in photography with a minor in marketing.
After moving to St. Louis, Brianna jumped straight into wedding photography, helping other photographers with their overflow of weddings, but she maintains a passion for events, business, and branding photography. After Brianna took her business full-time in late 2021, she began taking classes and learning more about branding photography. Now, with over five years of marketing and photography experience, Brianna works directly with other small business owners to give them the top photography tools they need for their business’s website and social media.
Crista Toler entered the ceramics industry in 1997 when she opened her studio, Stroke of Genius, in Wilmington, NC. During that time she served on the CCSA Board of Directors in a variety of roles including President, Member Benefits Director, and Supplier Liaison. She joined Mayco in July 2013 as Studio Market Manager. Crista’s passion and varied experience—from studio owner to bisque supplier and color manufacturer—give her unique insight in the industry. She believes in loving what you do and is thankful to work with the fun and creative people who make up our organization.
Charlotte Perkins bought The Ceramic Studio Etc. in Howell, Michigan, almost three years ago and never expected it to grow as fast as it has. Her fused glass program has grown and continues to provide a steady income for both her regular walk-in hours business and her scheduled, prepaid, workshops. She created fused glass in her studio as a customer for many years and was excited that it was an established and beloved medium prior to her taking ownership and the studio has now been offering walk-in glass fusion for 17 years. Upon taking ownership, Charlotte expanded the offerings to include fused glass workshops at least twice monthly as evening events and now as afternoon workshops as well. Charlotte has a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from San Francisco State University and has been managing businesses in a variety of markets for over 25 years. Her true passion is teaching and she especially finds joy in building a community of creators in her studio and helping others find their inner artist.
Dan Merkel is a northern Illinois‒based ceramic artist and manager of operations at Ceramic Supply Chicago. Dan has worked with the Standard Clay Company for the last six years, providing customer services, as well as clay and glaze materials for educators, hobbyists, and professionals alike throughout the region. Through his education—earning an AA at Waubonsee Community College, and BFA from Utah State University—he discovered his passion for the process of creating ceramic wares for daily use. As a Ceramics Studio Coordinator for nine years at Waubonsee Community College, and manager at CSC, he has identified some key fundamentals for ceramic studio operations. While providing services in both educational studios as well as professional studio practices, he has gained a deeper understanding of the essential needs for ceramic studio operations and needs.
Debi DelaCruz is the owner and creator of De La Design Pottery Supplies. Debi’s background is in stainless steel design engineering. The company she worked for formed vessels from sheets of steel in much the same way that vessels can be made from slabs of clay. Debi has since combined her 3D design experience with her love for slab-built pottery. De La Design is located in Springfield, Missouri, and is run by Debi and her husband, Jeff. The company also employs Debi’s daughter Corie, son Grant, and Grant’s wife, McKenzie. Debi designs all the cutters, stamps, and tools that are 3D printed by the company’s approximately 130 printers running 24/7.
Donna Bordeaux, CPA, founder of PYOPAccounting.com, understands the passion behind studio ownership—a space meant for art and community, not endless financial management. As a member of CCSA and a trusted advisor in the industry, Donna has empowered numerous studios to thrive and excel. With her guidance, PYOPAccounting.com customers consistently achieve 28% more net profit than the industry average. Donna’s mission is clear: to support studio owners in building prosperous businesses while enjoying the unique joys of this industry. Join her to learn how to elevate your studio’s financial health and reclaim your time for the things you love most about owning a studio.
Erin opened her first studio at 23 years old after writing a business plan for a paint-your-own-pottery studio during her last semester of college. After Erin opened her second studio, Steve quit his job as an attorney and joined her. Erin is the visionary with tons of ideas and wants to do all of the things. Steve ensures that Erin’s ideas make sense (i.e., does the math). Since then they have purchased five more studios and now own seven studios in four states with 80 team members! Erin and Steve live in Ponte Vedra, Florida, and are the proud parents of four kids!
Blending entrepreneurial grit with a zest for knowledge, Ferne Benson’s 15-year journey as a business owner and studio impresario is a testament to her strategic acumen and educational drive. With a firm foundation in mathematics, secondary education, and business, she has championed strategic foresight as the keystone of her business operations.
Ferne—affectionately known among her circle as a “freak in the sheets” (Excel sheets, that is)—always has a spreadsheet for that, turning data into actionable strategies. From her origins creating a grassroots retail store to navigating the challenges of reimagining a studio amidst a pandemic, her innovative approaches have consistently boosted productivity and profitability. Ferne’s adaptive business model and mastery over numbers have led to unparalleled growth, quadrupling revenues and increasing profits tenfold.
As an insightful contributor to CCSA Today magazine and a guide to many, Ferne imparts wisdom from real-world experiences, equipping others with the skills to thrive in business. More than just an owner, she's a mentor and advocate for smart, systematic growth using the indispensable tools of technology, always with a spreadsheet in hand.
Meet Lulu, the crafty go-to person for all things As You Wish! With a background in media arts and animation, she's collaborated with big names in the animation world and even worked with Disney and Cartoon Network. But for Lulu, As You Wish Pottery is her true happy place! With almost 12 years of experience, she’s risen from associate to Custom Artist, curating monthly classes and event projects with boundless enthusiasm.
Her passion for pottery and painting shines through in everything she does. Constantly seeking to elevate her work, she's always pushing the boundaries of her creativity. Lulu is also a proud partner for CCSA’s Designing Dishes.
As a self-described workaholic, you can always find her in her “bat” cave creating, painting, and making messes. When she’s not painting (which is probably never), she’s likely enjoying some Stardew Valley or spending time with her boyfriend and their fur baby, Bowtie.
Jacqui Hauser started The Studio for Art and Craft in Cobleskill, New York, 16 years ago. She has found success offering a variety of media, primarily pottery painting but also glass fusing and stained glass, as well as other types of crafts, to provide a variety of options for both fired arts and same-day take-home projects. Jacqui’s studio offers both walk-in and offsite programming, with significant growth in offsite events over the past eight years. Jacqui is delighted to be able to offer this class on how she has incorporated stained glass into her repertoire and how it works in her studio—the opportunity to give back to other studio owners is one of life's joys as she has benefitted from everyone’s experience and knowledge so much over the years!
Jamie McCabe started Clay Café in 2008 and moved to a location three times bigger in 2018 to expand their services, including creating many events and classes in the monthly calendar. She loves a good theme night and helping others grow and see their true creative entrepreneurial potential.
Jenn Meyer, a pottery studio owner and productivity coach, is passionate about helping fellow entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder. By harnessing powerful systems for organization and planning, she learned to unlock greater productivity and a fulfilling life beyond the hustle. Now Jenn guides ambitious entrepreneurs toward similar breakthroughs, helping them reclaim their time, conquer overwhelm, and find harmony in their journeys.
Jessica Cowan is a Tennessee-based artist and entrepreneur with over 15 years of management, marketing, and hospitality experience, giving her a unique perspective on bringing together people, products, and experiences. Currently in her fifth year of studio ownership with over nine years of experience in the arts as entertainment space, Jess has tried (and failed!) at a lot of things. What she has learned along the way is that there is no community without hospitality and there is no success in this business without community. Leaning into her passion for small business and community building, Jessica is actively involved several local organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association, the Department of Tourism, and arts outreach via the Be the Change Youth Initiative. In her free time, Jessica loves connecting small businesses together through independent consulting, hearing stories from the community, and being an agent of change with the hopes of creating thriving local economies that people love to live and work in.
Jessie Sterling started her studio in Kansas in 2010. She previously taught second grade before staying home with her four kids for a few years. She had four studios at one point, three in town and one four hours away, and is now down to two studios. She originally offered only canvas, until she was turned onto the world of PYOP during the pandemic.
Julia McNair has owned Do It Yourself Crafts in Birmingham, Alabama, for 25 years but has worked in customer service since her first job when she was 16. The common thread seems to be that she likes talking to people. If you’ve met her, you might already know this. She has worked in a bookstore (where she was able to read all day), as a barista (where she drank coffee all day), waited tables (obviously she ate all day), and now paints pottery all day, every day. What a life! Her greatest achievement was getting a handprint from a baby who was less than 12 hours old. The unofficial motto of Do It Yourself Crafts is “Making Babies Cry Since 1999.” She likes to remind children who are having a come-apart that not only did the parents ask her to get that print on a coffee mug, they are paying her money to do it. The kid may not laugh, but Julia does. She’s been involved with the CCSA as a writer for the magazine CCSA Today, served as a Board Member, and served as president of the Board. She has taught several classes at conventions over the years. Julia’s son Henry will be a freshman in college in the fall of 2024, which is insane, because he was a baby at the convention in Orlando, which was just yesterday. No one can believe that he’s a grown-up now, since we certainly are not aging. In her spare time, she's a voracious reader and has reached the stage of life where she's very excited by the birds in her backyard. You can find her non-pottery-related writing at Julia-McNair.com.
Julie Schroeder has been in the paint-your-own pottery industry since 2010. She opened her first studio in Eagan, Minnesota, and then purchased two more. After 12 years in the industry, she sold two of her studios and took a position with Color Me Mine as the Manager of Operations. She loves the PYOP industry!
Kathy Cano-Murillo, The Crafty Chica, is the founder of the award-winning site CraftyChica.com, specializing in creativity. A former syndicated newspaper columnist and now a full-time creativepreneur, she has also authored a dozen books, including two novels and the best seller Forever Frida. Crafty Chica designs have been sold on HSN, at Barnes & Noble, Michaels, and hundreds of pottery, craft, and fabric shops across the country. Kathy’s mission is to promote positivity via creativity! Features include Forbes, the New York Times, Buzzfeed, and more.
Katie Magoon has over 25 years of HR experience, including at a Fortune 100 company. In 2016, she launched People Solutions Center an HR consulting firm for small to mid-size companies and nonprofit organizations. The combination of her HR background and practical experience allows her to advise leaders on how to best leverage their greatest asset—their people!
Katie and her team of consultants provide strategic solutions to organizations across the US. She is well recognized in her field and is a frequent presenter for several state-level Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conferences and many SHRM chapters across the country. In addition, she consistently presents as an HR subject matter expert for several local and national associations.
As an entrepreneur, Katie also understands the challenges facing the business owner. In fact, over the past eight years she has been recognized for the following:
St. Louis Small Business Monthly Top Women Business Owners 2023
Finalist for Best Service Business under 10 employees in 2023 Business Excellence Awards
O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2022
Finalist for Most Innovative Company for the 2019 Business Excellence Awards
Finalist for Best HR Organization in 2020 Business Excellence Awards
Finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022 Business Excellence Awards
Kelly Browning is not only a seasoned ceramic artist but also a thriving entrepreneur in the industry. With over 15 years of experience working with ceramics, Kelly has honed her craft to perfection. Alongside her artistic pursuits, she owns and operates two paint-your-own pottery studios, providing a creative space for others to explore their artistic talents. Additionally, Kelly runs a wholesale bisque company, supplying personalized ceramic bisque to artists and studios worldwide. Her dedication to the ceramic arts extends beyond her personal creations, as she is committed to fostering creativity and providing resources to fellow artists. With her combined expertise in ceramics and entrepreneurship, Kelly continues to make a significant impact in the art community.
Kelley Copelin has been in small business herself, as well as working with entrepreneurs for 20 years. She has been on teams supporting startups, and working with independent owners as well as franchise systems. She has helped new owners navigate the process of opening new businesses for many years. Kelley manages business development for Color Me Mine and has her own Color Me Mine location in San Antionio, Texas.
Lindsey’s designs are inspired by a mix of nature, all things retro, and her wicked sense of humor. Her skillset for creating projects suitable for walk-in customers as well as higher-level designs geared towards workshops results in tons of on-trend resources for Bisque Imports customers. Lindsey loves teaching and showing others how to express their creativity and gain confidence.
Lindsey has been passionate about art since childhood and entered the PYOP industry in 2012. As the Marketing Team Lead for Bisque Imports, she loves teaching and creating fabulous content for BITV. She’s grateful to have a creative career where she can challenge herself to think outside the box and incorporate a twist of personality in her designs.
Liz Martinez has had a wonderful career in the PYOP industry, with over 20 years of experience under her belt. From working in a studio to now creating art full-time, she loves every aspect of this industry! Originally from San Diego, Liz calls the middle Tennessee area home, where she lives with her husband, two children, and four outrageous pets. Her passion for ceramics shines through in her art, which is known for its vibrant colors and playful style. When she’s not busy creating pottery, Liz can be found indulging in two of her other great loves: eating carbs and having fun!
With an impressive 25-year journey in the industry (yes, she practically grew up in it!), Maddie Riegel brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the intricacies to the PYOP world. Known for her warm demeanor and quick wit, she effortlessly combines industry expertise with a touch of charm to engage and enlighten her audience. Maddie has always wanted to excel with customer service and to help others as well. Whether she's cracking a few jokes or unraveling the mysteries of trolls and negative reviews, Maddie’s delightful presence and insightful guidance make her a standout teacher.
Maggie Fretz has over 10 years of ceramics experience. After obtaining an art education degree, she began working in community studios, running children's clay camps and managing shared studio space. She apprenticed at a handmade tileworks in Pennsylvania and a production pottery in Montana. She oversaw slab production as well as glazing and firing at a production pottery in Vermont. She now manages glaze production at The Ceramic Shop in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Maggie makes both slab-built and wheel-thrown work in her home studio.
Michael Harbridge is the Education Director for Mayco colors and is known for his creative ideas and teaching style he's been doing for over 40 years. He has owned studios and knows the challenges of keeping your customers and staff engaged and coming back for more.
Michaela (MJ), is the Director of Social Media and Public Relations at As You Wish Pottery. She has over 10 years of experience in the PYOP industry, ranging from working on the sales floor to working behind the scenes in marketing, event coordinating, sales strategies, and social media management. Her role reaches beyond her job title, allowing her to share all of her expertise with the team and the company as a whole. She has helped the company develop and implement a set of core values that resonate with employees and customers, held training sessions for both staff and managers, and created community partnerships that both mirror the company’s values and drive sales. Her experience with fast-paced retail environments has forged MJ’s passion for sales cultures, problem-solving, and implementing new strategies. Her contagious energy and excitement will inspire you to bring that same passion to your studio! When she’s not writing punny subject lines and creating Instagram Reels for As You Wish, you can find her binging reality TV, rollerskating at the local rink, enjoying a good IPA, making up harmonies to every song on the radio, or grilling up some good eats to enjoy with friends.
Michele is an illustrator, artist, and business owner. She graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a degree in illustration, and illustrated for 17 years for the collectibles market before starting her own business, Art Rave Inc, in 2012. She built her mobile, in-person painting event business into the premier sip-and-paint company in the Chicagoland area. She designed and taught all of her own designs, and trained a team of instructors with her methods, techniques, and systems. Together they taught thousands of painting classes.
Today she teaches painting primarily online, with her two painting memberships. “Michele’s Inner Circle” teaches acrylic painting to beginning and intermediate painters around the world. The other membership, “Art Rave Studios,” licenses her designs to studios across the US and Canada so they can teach her designs in their classes.
Mike Sievers has been the Sales Director for Skutt Ceramic Products for over 30 years and has helped thousands of studio owners, teachers, and artists better understand and deal with the issues of kiln ownership.
Nell began in the industry in 2004 as a studio manager, and became the owner of All Fired Up in Akron, Ohio, in 2006. After serving on the CCSA Board of Directors, she started For Art Sake Stickers & Designs, a wholesale company designed to add retail items to art-based businesses to increase sales at the cash wrap! After work, she is busy being mom to 13-year-old twins and two border collies, and learning to crochet.US and Canada so they can teach her designs in their classes.
Sherry George has been the proud owner of meg-art since May 1997, when she only had one daughter, Megan—the studio namesake! Since then the family has grown, with the addition of two more daughters, Allee and Darby, plus dog-ters Madi, Kodi, and Finnley, who also love to hang out at meg-art (RIP Madi, 2022). meg-art has been so rewarding—seeing all the artwork through the years, watching people find their creative side that many never knew existed, working with the awesome staff, and being a part of so many lives. When not at the studio, Sherry loves family time, cooking, traveling, and mountain biking. She feels lucky to have many fun adventures with husband Scott, family, and friends and hope it all continues for many, many more years.
An established artist with over 30 years of ceramics experience, Tammy Gacek is the staff artist at Gare. She has enjoyed working in the PYOP industry for over 17 years. Early in her career, Tammy worked for Century Reproduction, handpainting and retouching porcelain collectible figurines. Her portfolio includes large in-house wall murals, ceramics, and canvas classes. Not only is she a seasoned ceramic artist, but she taught preschool for many years and enjoyed sharing her love of the arts with her students and using her art therapy skills in the classroom to allow her students to express themselves through their projects. Tammy loves spreading joy with her art. With her upbeat, inspirational vibe, she is a firm believer in uplifting and encouraging others to be positive.
Teresa Johnson has been in the paint-your-own pottery industry for 19 years as a studio owner with multiple locations, a supplier company (PYOP Studio Stuff), and now as a co-owner of Color Me Mine.
Tracy Schultz has owned her studio, Ceramics For You in Gurnee, Illinois, for over 16 years, and offers pottery, fused glass, clay handbuilding, canvas, and stoneware. Her thriving business includes offsite story times in daycares, senior centers, and nursing homes and in-house afterschool programs. Tracy is always eager to help with development of her offsite business so that others can tap into this great source of added revenue that is ripe for the picking.