Helen Levi is a potter and small business owner āborn and bred in NYCā. She and her dog Billy now have 100K Instagram followers and she just appeared the September issue of Vogue magazine. Helen and I met about 3 years ago at a clay studio in Williamsburg and became fast friends. During my last visit to NY, I stopped by her studio to ask her some question about how she got to where she is now, how does it feels to be there and what she has learned along the way.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a photographer but I always thought that was a one in a million possibility. I didnāt think that being a working artist was an attainable goal. I thought it was a real fantasy and that it was almost irresponsible to be like āthatās what I want to beā.
What was your favorite job before this one?
To be honest I always struggled to find a job that felt fulfilling. I was always balancing several part time jobs. Thatās why this feels so good. I never had one job that I love as much as this one.
Are there other people in your family who have worked for themselves or designed their own career?
I guess my uncle. My uncle invented the baseball cap with the fake ponytail coming out of the back. And before he did that he did a bunch of weird things. But growing up, I think because his business was successful and always making money, everyone really respected it.
Do you think that influenced you in some way?
Maybe. Maybe feeling that there was absolutely no judgement of him jumping around and doing different things. No aunts and uncles, no grandparents were ever like, āwhat are you doing with your life?ā.
What do you say your job title is what to you tell people that you do?
I say I have a ceramics company. Because I feel like when I say Iām a ceramicist that it might sounds like itās a hobby and I really feel like Iām not just a ceramicist. I am a small business owner.
How would you define success?
Feeling happy and confident about yourself. That is such an amazing feeling ya know? And also not being so stressed about money that youāre not eating food. As long as you have enough money to live the life you want to live and you feel good about yourself, that is success.
Do you remember the point when you started to feel your own success?
Yeah. I think for the first year of my business, I was way too shy to say I had a business. When people asked what I did I would say right now Iām making ceramics and seeing how that goes. Because I felt like, oh well I just got one order, who knows if Iāll ever get another. I think it was after getting certain types of press, like when I watched that Cool Hunting video, that I felt like well if they think Iām a business, I guess I must be a business!
How is the reality of working for yourself different from what you imagined? Ā
I remember very early on someone telling me, when I was like, wow, you run your own business, thatās so amazing, and he was like, itās not so amazing when itās Friday night and all your friends are out and youāre sanding 50 whatevers! And I remember thinking āway to complain about living the dreamā! But that certainly is a reality. Feeling like you donāt have enough time to do everything you want to do. I still feel like people will ask me, did you see that new show at the Whitney? And Iām like, when I am I gonna have time to go to the Whitney? I can barely schedule in having dinner with a friend.
What are some of the ways that you keep yourself on task and on schedule in the studio?
I like having a dry erase calendar where I can write stuff down. Sometimes I like to write out the next 14 day. I map it out, even if I donāt actually look at it again. Because I can get anxious when I think about all the stuff that is due. I get scared that I canāt get it done. Then I write out the next 14 days and I see that itās possible and that helps me to relax.
How do you know when youāve had a productive day?
Well itās easy to tell for me by just looking at all the product Iāve made. If the shelves are empty, it tells me I gotta get to work. And if they are full Iām like, ok thatās a good place to stop.
Do you have a favorite tool?
Oh my god, itās a tool I stole from you. I legitimately stole this from you [goes to get tool].
You DID steal that from me!Ā
But you know what, I gotta tell you something, this wood for some reason, more than my other ones, has changed over time, and worn down in such a good way. This and this little scoop tool.
Do you feel like your days are more fulfilling because you are working for yourself?
Yeah. I mean, when I come in here, especially when Iām by myself, like on a weekend, it is a very good feeling. Really good.
What aspects of being a business owner do you feel like you are really good at?
I think Iām a hustler. And I feel like my friendliness has helped me meet new people, make new relationships, learn from other artists, meet a shop owner and build a friendship. That has all been a good thing.
What aspects do you feel like you still struggle with?
I feel like thereās always a new challenge as your business grows and you are dealing with things that 6 months ago, you didnāt have to deal with. And thatās good because one of the most rewarding things is to feel like youāre learning something. When you stop learning things at your job is when it starts to feel like a drain. That is what is exciting to me, I can see myself getting better.
Is there one thing in particular that you can say you are better at?
Becoming more confident and sticking up for my own self-worth, charging what I believe is a price thatās gonna allow me to pay my rent, saying no to an order if I donāt think itās the right fit for me.
What unique advantages do you think you had to being able to be successful?
I think my willingness to put myself out there and be social and push myself. I think a lot of artists are very talented but they feel very uncomfortable being like, hey look at me, look what I did. And I think, to a certain extent, you HAVE to feel comfortable doing that.
Do you think that you have any unique disadvantages?
If an order doesnāt go well or somebody is not happy with something itās really hard for me to put it out of my head and focus on what I need to focus on. I always want to be able to fix it and sometimes you just donāt fix it, you just move on.
What is the best piece of advice that you could give to someone who is starting their own business?
Do not under price your work because you are not confident in it. Just know that your time is worth something and count that into the cost of what you are making. That was advice that I got early on that was very hard for me to take but I did take it and Iām so glad and now because your time is valuable. Respect your own time.
