We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Tartaglia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Courtney, appreciate you joining us today. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment

The best investment that I have made in my business was spending the money on quality displays and set ups for my markets. Having a professional and inviting tent at art markets has not only been better for drawing customers in, but for sales too!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my journey into creating porcelain jewelry in 2019 and Contour Clay Designs was born out of the Covid-19 pandemic and having too much free time on my hands. I had signed up for a pottery class at my local recreation center in 2017 and the rest is kind of history. I realized early on that i really enjoyed making tiny things out of clay and from there, i began to prototype my first earrings.

It has been a lot of trial and error over the years and i am constantly learning and growing with my medium. Contour Clay Designs is something that i hope to be able to do more full time in the future as i have so many ideas to grow my business.

I think that people tend to like my jewelry because they are unique and one of a kind. Living in Colorado, i draw a lot of my inspirations from nature and the outdoors and those themes show up in my work.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have always been a community centered person. Community has been influential in my success as a small business owner. I have met so many other small business owners over the years and have developed a lot of meaningful connections. I would like to think that i have a reputation where people feel included and welcome. I produced small art markets in the past where other small business owners and locals artists felt like they had a safe space to sell and showcase their goods in a low key environment. I know that creating spaces like that for others to thrive has been key in their success as well.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients has definitely been the in person art fairs and markets that i have vended at. This is the best way for customers to meet me in person and see my creations up close! People like feeling connected to the maker when buying local art and goods and i love being able to make those connections too. I see many repeat customers come through markets that i am at!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.contourclaydesigns.com
• Instagram: Contourclaydesigns