We had the good fortune of connecting with Ann Augustin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ann, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Reinventing my work, while remaining true to myself, keeps my brand moving forward and thus contributes to my success. I always want my work to be recognizable by my targeted customer base but also fresh enough that they keep coming back to see what’s next.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Let’s face it, in the world of functional pottery, just about every shape has already been created. It’s what you do with those shapes that can make or break you. So with that belief I think what sets me apart from others is my use of shapes, texture and color. I strive to create products that fun and exciting while keeping functionality in mind. It was an evolution to get where I am today. When I first started most of my designs were pretty traditional in shape and functionality but I used bright colors – oranges, purples, and reds. Within a couple of years I felt I was limiting my customer base plus I was becoming bored with my own work. My business was pretty much stalling. It was at that point that I realized I had some tough decisions to make. I slowly introduced more traditional pottery colors, blues and greens, into my work. And then over time added textures and made more use of color but in a different way. While I primary still glaze in blues and greens I introduced bold color in a more subtle way to create some excitement. What do I want the world to know about my story? Well, I would like to address this to anyone that wants to start a creative business but feels they don’t have the right what-evers. You can do this! While many of my fellow potter’s have fine arts degrees, I’m a self-taught potter. It wasn’t always easy. Many times I wanted to hang up my apron. Find your place. Know what you want to do and do it. It was by discovering my inter creativity that I was able to move my creative business forward and thrive. Now we are all facing new challenges. The world as we new it has changed. Embrace those challenges. Just do it- don’t be afraid.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
All of our visitors love to eat and they expect to do so when whey come visit. Naturally they want bar-b-que so our first stop on the way from the airport is Hard Eight in Coppell. Our visitors are always in awe at their first visit to Hard Eight especially when they see the pit Masters at work. Eyes are always bigger than their stomachs. A trip to the Green Gator in Frisco, to visit with our favorite server Shawn, is always on the itinerary. Some standard menu items for us include fried crayfish tails and the brisket stuffed onion rings. And of course ice cold beer which is even better if patio seating is available. We also love minor league sports. So, depending on the season, we take in either a Frisco Roughriders or Texas Legends game. And what’s a ballgame without snacks – popcorn, roasted nuts, hot dogs and of course more ice cold beer. A full day trip out to the Blue Ostrich winery in Saint Jo is a must. Along the way we stop at, Rumpy’s, the first of two bakery stops to enjoy German sweets. The Blue Ostrich offers live music on the patio which overlooks the vineyard. A tasting room is also on-site and often there is a food truck for lunch. After leaving the Blue Ostrich we stop for a delicious meal at one of the German restaurants then make our way to the second bakery, which can be found inside the Exxon station, for dessert before heading home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Even though it may sound like a cliche I would not be where I am today without the encouragement and support of my husband Jack Augustin. Jack provides the muscle, and sometimes brains, behind the madness of my business. He listens when I’m self doubting myself, he celebrates with me and is sympathetic when something goes wrong. He keeps me company during the long work nights, Plus, he knows exactly when to bring me wine!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annaugustinpottery