A Renaissance Maker | Leigh Anne Thompson | Episode 546

Leigh Anne Thompson | Episode 546

Leigh Anne Thompson and her fiancé, Steven, are full-time potters traveling around the US selling their work at renaissance festivals as well as online. They have multiple studios and spend a good part of the year living on the road, making pots, and homeschooling their son Ocean. They put just as much creativity into growing their business as they do their pots, always trying new ideas to keep it fresh. They have a line of gourmet coffee all with ceramic inspired names and sell specialty underglaze transfers for other potters to use in their work. They take pride in “Living the dream” and are supporters of other makers finding their way to “artpreneurship” as well.

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How do you go about testing ideas?

That’s an interesting question. Well, since we are talking about pottery I would say that I usually make something and kind of run it by Steven and see what he thinks or come up with an idea or drawing and say, Hey, this is what I am thinking. And he will say, Def not or yes, that’s amazing, let’s roll with that. Or sometimes he’ll come up with an idea and it will be back and forth. So having someone that I value their opinion and also their creativity in the studio with me is really helpful. We kind of bounce ideas back and forth off of each other.

How do you find an audience in general for your work?

In the beginning I was doing festivals and there are thousands of people coming through the gate, so it is easy maybe to say, Oh these people are here for a Renaissance festival so let me make a mug with a fairy on it or a sword on it. Taking the people that come through the gate and molding them into your customer and liking what you do, not necessarily making your pots for what they may be expecting. Similarly on Instagram, yes, you want to make stuff that sells but it is also really important for you to do what you like to do and not necessarily change for the audience.

How do you know when it is time to actually launch a new idea?

I never do, I just do a lot of things. I think of an idea and think, Oh that would be cool. Like yesterday I was saying to the lady who helps with my websites , We should do a monthly membership. It’s not as easy as you think to have it billed monthly, because we do a Mug Club, where people pay up front, and I said, What if we do a transfer of the month club and you get ten of one transfer? Or what if we did coffee of the month? So we went on there and literally this was maybe last Thursday and today, we have a new app installed on the website and we are working on getting memberships so when you go to purchase something it will say, I want one a week. So I think when I have an idea, I just try it and if it works, it works. If it doesn’t work I change it or try something new. I’m not afraid to fail, I guess.

When you see the success of an other person does that stop you or why doesn’t that stop you?

I like seeing other people successful because it means to me that there is room for more success. If we all spent more time helping each other be successful, not only can we learn from each other but it also lets you know that there is plenty to go around. There is no shortage of need for handmade in the world. The more people that show their work to the world and get their work out there, we are going to turn some body onto it and they are gong to purchase, or be interested, or even start making things of their own.

Sounds like you have an abundance mentality as opposed to a limited mentality. How do you balance those two out or is their a balance?

Yeah, there probably is but I think I am an excessive person in general so I don’t know if I ever much look at things as limited. Like I have always been when I am painting, I want all the colors. When I am making transfers, I want all the transfers. When I am doing underglazing I need every color. I can’t work with two. So maybe it is my personality where I don’t see limits generally speaking, it is more like there’s too many options.

Tell me about the importance of building a team as opposed to being a lone ranger?

Oh, my goodness, I love this question. This is the best, because for so long I was doing it by myself and I was stressed out and it was too much for one person, when you start growing. I was listening to a podcast about women entrepreneurs and she was saying how hiring help was not scary, you just have to start. That has been huge for me. Steven quitting his construction job and coming on full time and dong the glazing was scary at first because I was like, That’s not how you pour a glaze! And then watching him know how to pour a glaze and then doing it his way anyways was rough and then when it comes out of the kiln and it looks better than the way I taught him how to do it in the first place, I am like, Okay, well fine. Being able to accept help was really changing in the beginning for me but now that I am able to do it, it’s amazing.

What is the best piece of business advice that you like to give to those people asking you?

Not to quote Nike but literally, just do it. Just do something everyday. If you think, Wouldn’t it be fun to do this? Just do it. Try it. The worst that is going to happen is that it doesn’t work and you have to do it again. If you don’t try you are never going to be able to know. Just do it. Put that pot up on Instagram. Just do something everyday towards what you want to do for your life. Live your dreams and don’t let people tell you that you can’t.