We were lucky to catch up with Jee Wipperfurth recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
This story is about how I got my first chef/restaurant client, which is a now the majority of the work I do.
Almost exactly three years ago, my work was placed in my first retail store (Secession Art & Design), along side that of another ceramicist (Erin Hupp), who had overlapped with me at a community studio (SF Clayworks) in San Francisco a few years prior. Although we were only acquaintances, I took a chance and contacted her. She remembered me from our old studio and was excited to have someone to talk to about ceramics. At that point, I was working out of a community studio (Clayroom), but I didn’t have anyone to talk to about trying to make ceramics my business. We had a great first meeting over coffee, during which she shared her ceramics path and how much of her time was spent designing and making bespoke pieces for chefs at fine dining restaurants in the Bay Area. That sounded amazing to me, because I appreciated the experience of eating at restaurants and also love to cook. The only glitch was that I had never done “production pottery”, (making multiple pieces of the same design, with minimal dimensional variation). By the end of our meeting, we were excited to have reconnected and made a plan to meet regularly. That meeting had shown me a new and exciting possibility for my work, and I started to dream about collaborating with chefs, to enhance the dining experience and create memories with their guests. Then COVID happened.
Fortunately, we continued our talks over the phone and at some point, she asked me if I wanted to be introduced to a chef who was opening a new restaurant in San Francisco. I was scared and excited about the opportunity: Would he like my work? If he did, could I make nearly identical pieces within his time frame? How much should I charge? I was filled with insecurity, and it was all unnecessary! Through photos and conversations, we got to know each other; I understood that he had an ambitious vision that was fueled by passion, and he learned about my process and my work. He decided on two of my pieces, and we were off!
Because of COVID, the first time I met him in person was to deliver the work, and I found myself nervous and insecure again. It’s challenging to convey ceramics in photographs, or even video. He took a leap of faith with me, and I was worried that I would disappoint him. He was beyond thrilled, and we have continued to work together ever since. He currently uses six different pieces in his restaurant and a seventh is used in his restaurant’s adjacent lounge.
When I received the deposit for the original order, it felt like my greatest achievement in my ceramics business. I’ve been fortunate to have several others since then, but Chef Seth, his restaurant, Osito, and lounge, Liliana, will always have a special place in my heart. He took a chance on me, and I helped launch his first restaurant, which recently earned a Michelin Star.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Jee Wipperfurth, and I am a Korean- American ceramicist based in Healdsburg, CA. My small business is called Seoul Sister Studio, and I specialize in hand carved tableware and decor.
I took my first pottery class over 20 years ago as a way to break up my long commute home from Silicon Valley to San Francisco. I, like many I know, was hooked the first time I touched clay. My job back then was as a user experience designer at Yahoo!, and most of my time was spent on the computer, working on internet-based products and services. Literally getting my hands dirty was a welcome contrast to my digital work.
I was and am particularly drawn to pottery because it is the perfect marriage of art and function, requires problem solving, and serves as active meditation. I make useful pieces that are also beautiful and, perhaps, even sculptural. I continue to learn and experiment with the limitations of different clay bodies, glazes, and tools to execute my ideas. Pottery requires focus from the very first step of wedging the clay. If I do that incorrectly, air bubbles can be trapped in the clay, which can cause problems down the road, including explosions in the kiln. And even with focus, pots can flop, come out misshapen, or have a multitude of problems, which requires me to accept failure on a regular basis. It is an amazing activity that I feel fortunate to be able to do.
Ceramics continued to be an intensive hobby for several years, and most of the pieces I made were gifted or purchased by people I call “friendlies”, aka family, friends, or friends of friends. Then, one day, someone other than a friendly bought my work, and I started to get more positive feedback about my work. This, in addition to other personal circumstances, motivated me try making ceramics my business 3.5 years ago.
I’m lucky to be married to a brand and marketing guru and during our discussions about my business, I realized that ceramics – as an activity and as a product – has mass appeal because it is of the earth. It grounds us to touch it, to use it, to play with it. My goal is to help people feel the inner peace that comes with connecting to the earth.
I appreciate art, and my work is heavily influenced by sculpture, my favorite medium. People who are able to create works of art from carving marble and stone, which are unforgiving of a slip of the hand or tool, have my greatest respect. My goal is to create functional art that is reminiscent of sculpture that balance the orderly and the organic.
I am most proud of the growth – both personally and professionally – I’ve experienced since starting my business. I collaborate with chefs and other clients to create bespoke pieces and often they challenge my technical and creative skills. Previously, I had only made one of a kind pieces, and the restaurant work requires multiples of the same form. This meant learning new skills. I am proud of my client list (most are recognized and well respected in their industry), which resulted from my version of a “cold call”: a handwritten note introducing myself and explaining why I would be honored to work with them, accompanied by gift of a piece that I have made. I am proud that I had the courage to reach out to them, face possible rejection, and be vulnerable.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
The uniqueness of my products and my collaboration style and attitude have most helped me build my reputation. I do a fair amount of competitive research, and I have not seen many products on the market that are stylistically similar to mine. When I have found products that are somewhat competitive, they are either significantly more expensive, located in a different part of the country/world, or require selecting from a catalogue of pieces (e.g., no customization). My clients seem to enjoy the collaboration process, appreciate the ability to customize pieces, and my positive attitude about doing the work. I often send them photos or videos of prototypes in progress or ideas that are percolating. They seem to like being in the loop during my process. It generates excitement or anticipation of the new work.
My client chefs all know each other to some degree and the pool of possible chefs who could become clients is fairly small, so I do my best to exceed expectations for each client, to strengthen my relationships with them. Many of my clients are repeat customers, which tells me that I have established their trust and respect. Both , are incredibly important in building and maintaining my reputation in my small-ish market.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I feel strongly about being selective about clients, and the selection criteria relate to business goals and/or brand ethos. I have a specific reason for working with each of my clients. For example, in the case of the Montage Healdsburg, they met several criteria. They are a local business, a luxury hotel brand, and provided an opportunity to extend my reach beyond the restaurant. Making pieces for the restaurant led to making votives for the tables in the restaurant and lounge. For Cyrus, a fine dining restaurant that re-opened recently near my home, I wanted to be part of that organism because I dined at their first iteration a dozen years ago, during my first visit to the town that has now become my home. It is important to me to work with businesses in my local community, not only to grow my business, but to establish myself as someone who contributes to my community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seoulsisterstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seoulsisterstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seoulsisterstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeepark/
Image Credits
Joseph Weaver Molly Decoudreax Trish Albano Caroline Bontia