Art That You Can Cook With - Clay Coyote Gallery & Pottery

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts and craft but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Morgan Baum, owner, and CEO of Clay Coyote Gallery & Pottery, located in Hutchinson, MN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Clay Coyote Gallery & Pottery is located in central rural Minnesota. Clay Coyote is well known for making specialty pottery designed for cooking over direct heat: Flameware. Most pottery cannot do this. In fact, only two other potters in the USA make flameware for wider audiences. The Clay Coyote also makes a Bakeware and Serving line in stoneware clay.

Clay Coyote is the go-to place for handmade pottery to cook and bake within the USA. Clay Coyote's most popular items are a Flameware Tagine, a heavy-bottom stoneware Casserole, and a Flameware Grill Basket (the only one of its kind). They say "cooking is an art," we make art you can cook with.

Tell us about yourself

I am a second-generation owner of the Clay Coyote Gallery & Pottery. As a child, I earned my allowance working in the Studio alongside my parents and was often seen doing homework behind the booth at art fairs. In 2016, I and my husband moved back home to take over the business. Since then, I have grown the team from two potters to eight. I am a passionate advocate for the arts and for putting pottery into people's hands. I love to cook and share all the ways to use pottery.

From 2004 to 2016, I worked for the national nonprofit Consumer Reports, where I educated the public and helped to empower consumers to make the marketplace more fair, safe, and healthy for everyone. Most recently serving as the Associate Director of Development, leading the major donor giving efforts of the Consumer Reports. I previously worked for the Center for Public Integrity as an investigative reporter and researcher.

I am a 2001 graduate from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, where I studied political science, journalism, and art. In 2013, I graduated with honors from Columbia University, completing my Master's in fundraising and nonprofit management.

In my spare time, my husband and I enjoy traveling, golfing, and working with local nonprofits like the Minnesota Pottery Festival, Riversong Music Festival, and the Hutchinson Center for the Arts. I was also appointed to the Hutchinson Public Arts Council and work as a TigerPath mentor in the local school connection program.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Transitioning from a business, even within a family, to a new owner comes with many opportunities and challenges. When I took over the business, I put my background in marketing and community engagement into action., Since 2016, the business has grown from two potters to eight, revenue is up 57% YOY, and the brand has introduced three new, successful products.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Sometimes you'll feel all alone, and you're not. But there are times when the business's weight and success fall squarely on you, and you need to be the kind of person who can own that responsibility.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Create a support network from financial advisors, marketing professionals, and other small business owners. You can't do it alone, so building a core team of trusted advisors is essential.
  2. Look for ways to empower your staff, give them the tools they need to be successful, constantly provide constructive feedback, and allow people to shine.
  3. Know your core values. When you feel like you're going outside your brand or not following the intention of your values, you can pull back.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.claycoyote.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claycoyote
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclaycoyote/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coyotepot
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbaum/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.