Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Beigh.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When my partners and I set out in 2019 to open a distillery, we never imagined it would eventually lead us to opening a pottery studio.
After an exhaustive search, we found the perfect property: a historic firehouse built in 1900. The plan was to convert the original brick firehouse into a restaurant and bar while using an auxiliary building behind it as the distillery. We spent nearly a year working through zoning, permitting, engineering, architectural design, and securing financing. We had our funding in place, a contractor ready to begin, and were just two weeks away from starting construction when COVID brought everything to a halt.
What we initially thought would be a short delay turned into more than a year of uncertainty. Construction costs nearly doubled, pushing our budget from roughly $1 million to almost $2 million. Eventually, we had to accept that the distillery project was no longer financially viable.
As time went on, our business partnership dissolved. My partners wanted to sell the property and move on, but I believed too strongly in the location to walk away. The neighborhood was beginning a major revitalization, and I knew the building still had tremendous potential. After talking it over with my wife, Stephanie, we decided to purchase the property ourselves and, instead of building a business around my hobby, we’d build one around hers: pottery.
That’s how Mud Luv Pottery Studio was born.
What started as a modest idea with just a handful of pottery wheels quickly evolved into something much bigger. As we planned the space, we adopted a “go big or go home” mindset. Over the next six months, we renovated the building and transformed it into a fully equipped community ceramics studio with 18 pottery wheels, three kilns, slab rollers, extruders, handbuilding and wedging tables, a pug mill, extensive shelving, and a large glaze selection. Today, the studio has space for 50 members and more than 60 students in classes each session.
As the studio continued to grow, so did our team. We now have six instructors and recently added a full-time studio technician to support our expanding community.
We’ve only been open for two years, yet we’ve already built a thriving pottery community with a waiting list for memberships and many of our classes. Looking back, it’s amazing how a project that seemed like a failure ultimately led us to something far more rewarding. Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you never see coming.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any business, it certainly hasn’t been without its challenges, but overall it’s been a very rewarding journey.
Neither of us had ever owned or operated a pottery studio before, so there was a steep learning curve. While Stephanie was already an accomplished potter, teaching is an entirely different skill, and she had to learn how to become an effective instructor. At the same time, we had to build the business from the ground up by developing systems for everything from clay reclaim and kiln firing to inventory management, finished piece pickup, studio maintenance, equipment upkeep, scheduling, and customer service.
There have been plenty of long days, late nights, and lessons learned through trial and error. Fortunately, the pottery community has been incredibly welcoming. Whenever we travel, we make it a point to visit local pottery studios. We’ve toured nearly 100 studios around the country, gathering ideas and learning from other owners about what works well and where they would do things differently.
One thing we’ve learned is that you’re never finished improving. We’re constantly refining our processes, and most recently we implemented a new digital operating system that has streamlined many aspects of the business. Every challenge has made us better, and we’re always looking for ways to create an even better experience for our members, students, and staff.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Mud Luv Pottery Studio is more than a place to make pottery. Our goal has always been to create a welcoming community where people of all skill levels feel comfortable learning, creating, and connecting with others. Whether someone is taking their very first class or has years of experience, we want everyone to feel like they belong.
What sets us apart is our focus on the experience. We continually look for ways to improve. We believe there’s always something new to learn, and we’re committed to giving our members and students the best experience possible.
What we are most proud of isn’t the pottery itself. It’s the community we’ve built. We’ve watched complete beginners discover a passion they never knew they had, members form lasting friendships, and people find a creative outlet that becomes an important part of their lives. Seeing our studio become a place where people genuinely enjoy spending time, supporting one another, and sharing their creativity has been the most rewarding part of this journey.
How do you think about luck?
We’ve certainly had our share of good and bad luck. COVID completely changed the direction of our original business plans, but in hindsight, that unexpected detour led us to something we’re incredibly grateful for today.
More than anything, we’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing community. From the very beginning, we’ve had talented, generous people who believed in what we were building and wanted to be part of it.
Our very first class was taught by Kurt Brantner, the instructor who introduced Stephanie to pottery over ten years ago. Our second class was taught by Michelle Babbitt, one of Stephanie’s closest friends in the pottery community. Through networking and friendships, we’ve met incredible artists like John Guarnera, who now teaches our Raku workshops, along with many others who have shared their knowledge, experience, and encouragement.
We’ve also been incredibly fortunate to have studio members who have stepped up in countless ways, whether it’s helping with day to day operations, teaching classes, leading workshops, or simply welcoming new members into the community.
People often say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. We worked hard to build Mud Luv, but we also recognize that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the amazing people who have supported us along the way. For that, we feel incredibly fortunate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mudluvpotterystudio.com
- Instagram: @mudluvpotterystudio
- Facebook: @mudluvpotterystudio
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/HhHAo7-8aK
- Other: https://share.google/Lkt62gX9Ux2eMCnED
