We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Syd Marguleas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Syd below.

Syd, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Like most potters, I started off making a lot of bowls that had no real consistency in terms of shape, size, or color, and I was gifting them to friends and family who were just happy to have a handmade piece. It quickly became apparent that I needed a theme to help me focus both personally and professionally, to ground myself and build toward a larger business idea and product that felt differentiated. Initially I went the “I make bowls” route – coining myself @venicebeachbowler on Instagram (because an ice cream bowl isn’t the same as a salad bowl) but that felt limiting and flat. I wanted to make a more premium product that felt functional and easily replicable but also unique and personalized.

On a personal note, I had just rescued a 4-month old puppy who had this fear of metal, particularly metal dog bowls, and refused to eat or drink out of them. I started to think about opportunities within the pet category and to what extent pet owners will go to invest in premium products that enhance their pets’ comfort and lifestyle. I decided to create a ceramic dog bowl that my dog would want to eat out of; a bowl was also sturdy in weight, aesthetically pleasing to humans and dogs, and felt unique.

My collection of mismatched bowls evolved into dog bowls with a clay bone on the bottom, which led to custom dog bowls where I stamped individual names onto the bone. That’s when I realized I found my niche to start a pottery business. Since then, two new products launched – matcha sets and ashtrays – all supporting the theme of functional, one-of-a-kind pottery designed to enhance your everyday rituals. Today all three product collections are made in Los Angeles out of recycled clay.

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

My name is Syd and I launched a pottery business called Terroir Ceramics that creates functional, one-of-a-kind pieces designed to enhance your everyday rituals. We focus on three lifestyle-driven products — Pet Bowls, Ashtrays and Matcha Sets — all of which are customizable and made locally in Los Angeles.

What’s unique about Terroir? All products are made with recycled clay. The beauty of recycled clay (aside from being more sustainable) is the combination of colors and textures, making each finished product truly one-of-a-kind. The use of recycled clay also inspired the name of the business, Terroir, a French word that refers to the soil and type of environment where something is produced. Having grown up in the desert – quite literally in the dirt – there is a natural connection to clay and my roots.

I grew up in Palm Springs surrounded by art and design, but my exposure to pottery was when my parents bought a paint-it-yourself ceramics shop. I watched them run the business with full-time careers while raising two kids because it was something they were passionate about, which later inspired me to turn what was once a hobby into a viable business. After being laid off from my full-time job, I saw an opportunity to build something of my own. I had spent the majority of my career building and scaling other people’s brands and wanted to apply my marketing experience to something I was passionate about sharing with others. What started off with personalized dog bowls has led to a narrative focused on functional, one-of-a-kind pieces meant to be enjoyed with the most important people (and pets) in your home.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I find so much joy in sharing my work in person because I get to create that 1:1 connection with my audience and experience their curiosity in my work first-hand. I’ve participated in several local events with organizations like Wags and Walks, Artists & Fleas and the Melrose Trading Post where I’ve been fortunate to create those connections with other vendors and customers, and access audiences who value premium, handmade pieces.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I am a perfectionist at heart and have had to “unlearn” perfectionism in order to make progress as a creative and entrepreneur. When you’re just starting out, you’re doing everything yourself and that first version of the website or new piece of content or pop-up event isn’t going to be perfect, so I’ve had to learn how to put things out into the world before they are perfect and then adjust along the way. Similarly when creating my own products, no two pieces are ever exactly alike. Making pottery is inherently imperfect, particularly when using recycled clay, and embracing that has helped me find beauty in imperfection and build trust in myself to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopsyd.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terroir_ceramics/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneymarguleas/
• Other: Etsy: https://ceramicsbysyd.etsy.com

Image Credits

Jes Workman