Every year November rolls around and suddenly all of the marketing campaigns kick into full gear. Sales, discounts, BOGO and more flash across my various screens. It can be more than a little overwhelming, and honestly…who doesn’t love a good deal. As a small business owner, the pressure to join the Black Friday/Cyber Monday fray is contagious.

Last year, after a lot of thought, I made a conscious decision to remain small. It was a struggle to come to this decision with some of the opportunities that were ahead. Ultimately, this decision allowed me to stay involved in the making process in a way I would not be able to do if I kept expanding. I can continue to create and deliver the quality of work that I am proud to put my name on, and I can continue to support a small, talented team to help me in the studio and showroom.

All of this is to say, this year, I will not do Black Friday or Cyber Monday. While it is easy for small businesses to look bigger than we are (thank you Shopify, Mailchimp, and Instagram), many of us are independent artists, and we are a lot smaller than the internet makes us seem. I know I often get sucked into the desire to look bigger (and act bigger) than I really am. It alway seems smart to offer free shipping during the holidays. Almost everyone from the smallest of businesses to someone like Target does so. The truth is my work is heavy, and my team and I pack extra carefully. That leads to shipping costs that aren't quite...Prime.

I have tried to do the deals before...the free shipping...the holiday discounts and more. Each time I do so, I get mad at myself. I make my work with intent…I make work for a reason, and my team and I make it year-round, staying true to our mission to get the best work we can make into your homes so you can use it on a daily basis. We are small and we are different, therefore we don’t play by the same rules that the big dogs do. 

I'm fully aware that my work may seem expensive, and I don't disagree. I also strongly believe that the value is there. I have spent a lot of time developing my craft and creating my collections. I know that not everyone can afford full-priced wares all the time. I do Seconds & Sample sales a few times a year when there are order overruns and older items. I love these moments because I want to make sure our community in Austin, which has been so supportive, has a chance to bring some porcelain home. I'm also planning to do some flash sales via Instagram to share the love with our non-Austin friends. Look for more of this soon.  

Thank you, as always, for supporting the work my team and I do. We love making your plates and vase and cups and mugs...and we look forward to doing so for a very long time.