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

Vanessa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Hi! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell my story! In the age of viral content- Cinderella stories do exist. However my business, Porcelinen, has been a painstakingly slow work in progress. This reflects my values as an artist (slow living ; savoring the process)- so I am at peace with my pace. Art has always been my passion but never my profession. I took ceramic classes in high school and as an adult I illustrated using pencil and watercolors. Being a musician on the DIY scene in Detroit, I did artwork for my bands’ posters and releases. I illustrated for zines and exhibited in shows. When I picked up ceramics again in 2017, I shared my art with my community via social media. Positive feedback from my peers encouraged me to be prolific with my ceramic creations. Not long after, I decided to sell at a pop-up market called Fleatroit. It was there that my art business was officially born.

Without expectations or a business model, Porcelinen developed organically out of artistic experimentations and interactions with customers. My first products were screen-printed illustrations on up-cycled clothing, handmade jewelry, and hand built pottery. My inventory has grown and evolved since those first markets but my aesthetic remains consistent. All of my work is one-of-a-kind, artfully constructed and visibly handmade. I forgo patterns, molds, and machinery; instead selecting to use slower approaches that leave brushstrokes, fingerprints, and personality.

Self-sustainability can feel so elusive when you are first starting out. Reinvesting in myself helped me to consistently scale up. I started my business with no very little savings and every dime I made for the first 4 years went back into the business. Expanding my own skills in opposition to outsourcing labor has been a wise move financially. I saved a lot of money by creating my own website. This included designing, coding, styling photography editorials, and finalizing product prices and business policies. Having professional photographs of my work and cohesive branding (colors, fonts, logo) elevated my business and gave it credibility. The website also serves as a portfolio and has been instrumental in getting accepted into high end arts and crafts markets.

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 Vanessa Beard and I am the owner and creator of Porcelinen; a small batch ceramics brand and studio storefront in Hamtramck, MI. I am a self-taught artist who built my business through trial, error, and experimentation. While I primarily create and sell ceramics, I also own and operate a studio. My studio offers memberships to experienced ceramicists and it is here that I teach workshops and host events. In the workshops, students learn hand building techniques to create their own versions of my popular products. Because my studio is in a storefront in downtown Hamtramck (an island city of Detroit), I utilize the location to host pop-up markets. For the markets, I invite other local vendors to sell their goods. My studio has also served as a gallery for student artwork and a venue for female musicians. As a creative person who is active in a very talented community, I love having a sacred space to host and nurture the arts. It feels incredible to give back to a community that has been an incubator for my growth as an artist and business owner.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

During the quarantine of 2020, I reflected a lot and decided to take a shot at expanding my small business into something full-time. Living off my art had been a longtime dream that I felt too timid to pursue. That summer, I took my savings from working as a personal cook/assistant and invested all my time and energy into my art. Because of social distancing, there were more opportunities than ever for me to sell outside in open air markets. Selling directly at popups cut out the middle man of shops or online marketplaces. All of my sales went directly to me without commissions, wholesale discounts, or shipping costs. After a summer of highly successful weekly pop-ups outside Detroit’s Third Man Records, I felt it was time to establish a web presence. I spent two weeks building my commercial website. As previously mentioned, finishing my website opened many doors for my business.

As an artist, there is a technical side to my business as well. Before 2020, I had a membership at a small ceramic studio in Detroit. I knew that if I wanted to make more sales, I needed to increase my production dramatically. This influenced my decision to secure my own private studio where I could create limitless inventory. I settled on a 10 x 20 ft space in an artists’ collective in southwest Detroit. It was here that I gained autonomy. The studio had a kiln in the wood shop that I was free to use as needed. Learning to confidently run the kiln was invaluable before investing in one of my own. After two years at the collective, I once again outgrew my space and decided to purchase a kiln and open my own studio.

In the fall of 2022, I moved into my current location in Hamtramck. This was a huge step financially and I was very strategic with my budget. Following a tip from a friend, I took out a 0% APR credit card to purchase a kiln, shelves, worktables, pottery wheels, and other equipment necessary to build out my production space. WIthout interest, I paid off my overhead at a slower pace with no consequence. Opening my studio to members and teaching workshops also helped with financing the new space.

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

Selling in dozens of pop-up markets for over 5 years has made me a familiar face and recognizable brand. At pop-ups, I develop personal relationships with my customers. I enjoy answering questions about my process and getting to know people. Sharing my process adds value to my work because it portrays the effort and creativity required to make handmade goods.

Social media has helped me build personal relationships with customers and fellow artists. I have a relatively small following but I believe in quality over quantity. People interacting with my content are repeat customers who engage with my brand by purchasing products, attending events and participating in workshops. Customers use their social accounts to share their purchases and experiences with Porcelinen. I am very grateful for this exposure as it helps my business grow exponentially.

Connecting with my contemporaries both locally and online has also helped build my reputation. I collaborate with photographers, stylists, designers, vendors, event planners, and models whenever possible. It is very important to me to be a part of a community of creatives. Collaboration has helped elevate my business in many ways that I could not have done alone. We all benefit from shared experiences, exposure and inspiration. Case in point- a friend referred me to you for this interview!

Contact Info:

• Website: porcelinen.com
• Instagram: porcelinen

Image Credits
Head Shot and Studio Shots by Lauren Montgomery Vase Product Photos by Natalie Laginess