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Joel Cherrico | Episode 403
Joel Cherrico is back on The Potters Cast for another conversation. This time Joel spends some time talking about the power of chasing goals, finding an audience, and an award that he is helping to sponsor. Together with The American Craft Council, Joel is hosting the Emerging Pottery Business Awards (link below). The goal is the find artists whose work and business embodies talent, passion, and business skills.
SPONSORS
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
How do you test?
I often test very small. In the kiln right now I am testing a bar so I fire a mug hanging from the handle. I am testing some moon meteorite dust, a little dusting of it, and I am testing a pearl that a fan sent me. So every time I fire the kiln I try to have at least one glaze test in the kiln. But in terms of business and marketing, equally small, one little Facebook post of an image that you shot with your iPhone could get a thousand more likes than an image shot with an HDR camera. So I try not to over commit to anything.
It seems odd that you give in order to get. So explain the tension between those two.
There is definitely tension. Almost every time that I have raised the prices of the mugs, you know the first time I put out a 500 dollar coffee mug I gave it away for free as well using a giveaway software. I got a lot of criticism. Then I will explain how it is art and why it is worth it and how I spent hours on it. Someone will get it for free and they always sell out. So there is definitely a tension to cultivate ideas like that. Trying things that no one else has ever tried has led to amazing prosperity by slowly building towards that and working to make it endure.
How does one keep humility as a characteristic and yet still be confident?
It’s tough. Some of my biggest criticisms and biggest blunders have been because of my ego. It’s tough, it’s everyday, I journal a lot. I try to journal every day, once in the morning , once in the evening. I am using something right now called the Daily Stoic Journal. It’s about these ancient philosophies, stoicism that sounds super boring and it’s actually been super helpful. So I am using that right now, but putting thoughts down on paper. I use that Headspace App sometimes. So I use tools. Headspace is a meditation app and I used it for training when I was training for the Guinness World Record Title. I found it helpful and that one hour when I was making all those pots and there was all this commotion I could stay more calm and I didn’t panic. So using tools and help and wake up every day and don’t be so reactive when something happens.
Do you have a morning ritual?
Currently, kind of. I used to really strict about it. I used to have about an hour or hour and a half where I would make a certain breakfast and journal at a certain time and listen to music, but now I pretty much start the day off with waking up and going to the local coffee shop and getting a quiche and a large coffee and a water. I try not to check my email first thing in the morning but we’ve got a system of auto responders that has helped to where I don’t have to respond to anything and I hired four students who are working as interns so I care more about them because they are talking to the customer.
Besides The Potters Cast what podcasts are you listening to?
Let’s see, Seth Godin just started a podcast that is really interesting. He owns a cosmic mug, he’s one of my favorite authors. He has written 17 New York Times bestsellers. The Tim Ferris Show. There is a podcast called Finding Mastery that I really like. Ben Carter’s Tales of a Red Clay Rambler.
What are the tools sitting on your throwing table right now?
Mud Tools wire. Heavy Duty. A small chamois cloth and a measurement tool. It is like a butterfly tool. Not sure if there is a name for it. It s a Japanese tool that you put on the inside of mug it measures the height and width in one motion. I think there are some blue Speedball bats. I use those some times. But that’s about it. I try not to use too many tools.
Book
Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
Contact:
Instagram: @cherricopottery