Why I started Spin Pottery Studio?
Well, the short answer is because I lost my job…
But I know you want to know more, so here is the story of how I started a Pottery studio in Toronto.
I came to Canada as an international student from India 13 years ago, as millions of people do, and restarted my career from scratch. With an undergraduate in Microbiology and a Master’s in Clinical Research, I was destined to spend the rest of my life in healthcare in some form or another. For 16 years, I was immersed in the world of healthcare, working in hospitals, research organizations, and agencies and I gained a great understanding of how businesses work.
Then in 2020, we encountered the COVID Pandemic and like millions of people in Toronto, me and my then-boyfriend would go for long walks so we didn’t lose our minds. On these walks, we used to pass by a pottery studio and stop to admire the beautiful pieces in their windows. They had a poster for available pottery classes; I applied online, but there were no spots left. I searched for other pottery studios near me—no space anywhere. Who knew pottery was this popular! About a year after that, a friend told me that the Miles Nadal JCC (Jewish Community Centre) had pottery classes. We both walked down to the community center, spoke to the course co-ordinator, and signed up.
At this point, my boyfriend and I were planning to get married and picking out a ring. On my first day in pottery class I was hooked. Taking a lump of clay, feel it spinning in your hands and creating something recognizable yet unique – it’s a transformative experience. I was also half decent at it, thanks to the thousands of YouTube videos I’d watched about throwing on the wheel. I decided that very same day that I was going to handmake all the wedding favours for our wedding.
The next couple of years I was definitely a crazy pottery lady. I took every available pottery class I could find, sometimes taking three classes every week. My whole life revolved around pottery, learning, practicing, and making over 200 pieces for our wedding favours. Soon I became a studio member and helper at a pottery studio and was able to do independent work and try out new things. This experience also helped me understand how a pottery studio works and what it takes to run a studio. As studio members, we had a very limited window of time to actually access the studio and do our pottery. This was a challenge since I liked to work late at night, so I bought a pottery wheel for my home. I know, I was obsessed.
In the spring of 2024, my work paid for me to do a business management course. A major component of the course was to create a business plan for a new business; you guessed it—I made a business plan to open a pottery studio. My goal was to open a pottery studio someday when I’m retired. We got married Sep 1, 2024. It was one of the most fun and exciting days of our lives, and of course, we were broke by the end of it. Then on Oct 7, 2024, a month after our wedding, I lost my job. The economy had been bad for a while and we were starting to feel it at work. Well, now I had all the time in the world, and the first thing that came to mind was that maybe now I have time to open a pottery studio.
Another mirage I had been chasing for a few years now was to see an Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. I follow groups that share data and predictions on aurora sightings. While I don’t understand much of the data, I’ve followed their predictions and driven far up north in the middle of the night, stayed awake many nights hoping to catch the northern lights. Well, the day I lost my job was the day we finally got to see an Aurora for the first time, and then another one that same week. To me, it was a sign to finally chase what I have been wanting to do for a long time.
But opening a business takes money, which was in short supply so soon after the wedding. I guess the stars had aligned, since my husband’s grandmother’s house was sold soon afterwards, and he inherited a few thousand dollars. It was a start, but not enough. We used part of that inheritance and after much trying, I got a business loan to finally start the pottery studio.
However, I had no formal training and expertise in ceramics. How was I going to do this? I felt imposter syndrome creeping in, especially when banks and previous teachers questioned my depth of knowledge in the field. The potential of burning down a building was real!
Doubt started to creep in. Could I do this? Should I do this? Is wanting to do something enough to be successful? Then I found Futurepreneur, a platform that provides training and counselling to budding entrepreneurs. I attended some of their workshops without much expectation. There I met others like
me who had dreams but lacked the knowledge and means to make them happen. Through their counselling, I realized that the CEO of a company doesn’t have to know how to do everything, they just need to be open to learn, and hire Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who can help them run a company. The irony is that I knew this already from my corporate life, but self-doubt can make you forget the most
relevant things at the most important times.
I found a kiln operating workshops, watched every YouTube video I could find, found ceramicists online who were looking for a job—people with the expertise I needed and who were willing to teach me the ropes. What I did have was 16 years of corporate experience on all business functions, from revenue projections, market analysis, running operations and even janitorial services (I used to be a professional
cleaner during my student days).
And so, we started- finding woodworkers, shelving units, stools, a kiln; I drove my husband crazy shopping and setting up the studio. He was my rock throughout this process. Driving me everywhere, hauling heavy boxes in the middle of snow storms, building every shelf at the studio, helping me clean
everyday. I definitely couldn’t do this without him and his unwavering support. I learned small and big things from my teachers and staff, from ceramicists on YouTube, from pottery supply stores, and built this studio from scratch. Made many mistakes along the way, and now I can confidently say that I know enough to be able to run every aspect of the studio and the business myself. But I cannot run this studio alone, not without my amazing team. I was very lucky to find some of the most amazing, intelligent, hardworking, and caring people to work with me at the studio. While we are not perfect, we all give our 100% to everything we do, and that’s something to be proud of. It's been only six months. We are optimistic about the future, and we work hard everyday to ensure everyone who comes to the studio has the best experience.
Come check out our studio at 145 St. Luke Lane, Toronto. We are very close to the Yonge and Wellesley intersection; 3 mins walk away from the Wellesley Subway station. All our classes, and studio membership information is available on our website and you can also follow us on our social media (all links provided below).
I guess loosing your job is not always the end of the world. We will just keep throwing and carry on!
Regards,
Pixy Ghosh
Owner, CEO and Janitor
Spin Pottery Studio