This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re delighted to introduce you to Wendy of Fruit Fly Pie Ceramics.

 

 

LBC: When did you start your business and what inspired you to take the leap as an entrepreneur? 
Wendy:  Sometimes in life we make the wrong decisions. Sometimes those decisions leave us in a position where we must use our minds in a way we never had to before and make a choice. We can choose to be creative and come up with a plan to get out or we can simply choose to be a victim, a sitting duck and watch our lives crumble before our eyes. I was put in this position where I had to sink or swim. I chose to swim out of necessity and become an entrepreneur and started Fruit fly Pie. It was in 2004 that Fruit Fly Pie was created and I introduced ceramics in 2006. I had just finished school for graphic design and made the worst decision of my life to sell our home in Florida and move to another state. If it was not for this horrible mistake I would most likely be designing websites today, which I love, too. So, out of something bad, comes something good. I cherish everyday that I am able to work from home making and selling what I love the most.

 

LBC: How would you describe what you create?
Wendy:  I create handmade vintage design ceramics for your home and garden. Fun little treasures to make your living space sparkle and bring joy to your heart. I only make products that I would love to have in my own home and I make each piece one at a time with lots of love.

 

LBC: Where can we find your products?
Wendy:  You can find my products available online in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fruitflypie

 

 

LBC: What inspires you? 
Wendy:  Nature and animals inspire me the most. I just love seeing all the frogs, lizards and birds do their day to day thing. We are lucky and have wilderness surrounding our home. During the day we have cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, mocking birds, you name it, it is out there. In the night, we have all the cute frogs that come out and raccoons, a few skunks, armadillos and on some nights coyotes.

The dream of having my own shop where I can share the joy of ceramics with everyone really keeps me going. I have purchasing a commercial property as my number one goal and priority.

 

LBC: Tell us about a few of the best business decisions you’ve made.
Wendy:  One of the best business decisions to date was creating my Etsy shop. I used to sell on various online auctions, indie marts and such. Then one day to make it easy, I closed them all. Now I have more time to create and less time changing listings everywhere. Etsy makes it easy to sell and keep up with emails and listings all in one place. It was Etsy that allowed me to be a success with selling handmade. I am so grateful Etsy exists and love everything about the company.

 

 

LBC: What’s been one of the biggest obstacles you’ve encountered during your journey as a maker and how have you managed to conquer or mitigate it?
Wendy:  One of the biggest obstacles I have had was selling my home in Florida to move to another state.  I had a dream that one day I would be living in Florida again, in my own home with a pool surrounded by blue sky’s and the sounds of birds all around. Well, It took six years and I have all of that now. I have been truly blessed with a wonderful neighborhood and all my family is safe and well.

I take from the bad experience as learning to live and breathe with joy inside no matter what is going on around you, even if it is your worst nightmare. Keep a positive mental attitude and you can conquer anything. Know what you do want and never talk about what you don’t want, because what you think about, you bring about.

 

 

LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If we blasted ourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?
Wendy:  You would see Fruit Fly Pie Ceramics as a paint your own pottery studio and gallery. Everyone could come in and choose a ceramic piece to make themselves. I will offer classes for those just starting out and advanced techniques for those wanting to learn something new and fun. I would also offer my products along with other fabulous handmade items for sale in the front gallery. It will be a very tranquil environment with handmade fountains, aquariums and bamboo everywhere you turn. It is going to be great and I am counting the days it will be before it materializes. The most important reason why I want this is so my mom can come into work with me and it would be great for her spirit and enrich her life as well.

 

 

LBC: Tell us about a pearl of wisdom someone has shared with you. Who said it and how did it help propel you forward?
Wendy:  My longest friend Joanna Graves used to say the quote “When life gives you lemons make lemonade.” That in it self is the best advice ever. I use it to this day. In the ceramic world things do not always go as planned. One of the biggest obstacles I had that made life feel full of lemons was every time I would make a Mexican piggy bank. It would come out with pin holes all over the top. Out of every six I made only one or two could be made into banks. So I decided to cut a hole out the top and make planters with the “bad ones”. They have become such a hit and are one of my best sellers. Always think about what lemonade you can make when things “appear” to be going wrong. You could come out with your next best seller, too.

Another pearl of wisdom come from my husband, Jason. While we went through the journey of the not so fun move, he always inspired me by saying “If you can find happiness in hell, imagine what paradise will be like.” That really propelled me to move forward and take action for the life we wanted. It helped, because it gave me hope.

 

LBC: What is your favorite food?
Wendy:  My favorite food is a white margarita pizza with daiya cheese and lots of basil.

 

LBC: Do you have a favorite number?
Wendy:  My favorite number is 3, good things happen in threes.

 

 

LBC: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Wendy:  To stop time. There never seems to be enough time in each day. I have been praying to be able to keep up with orders and make other types of products. I have so many ideas, so many things to create and a huge passion for them all.

 

Connect with Wendy + Fruit Fly Pie Ceramics all around the web:

Company Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Instagram

 

Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your fabulous ceramics line with us! We look forward to all the fabulous things to come.

 

Want to see your brand featured in our continuing “Meet the Maker Monday” series? Drop us a line: hello@luckybreakconsulting.com. Please use “MEET THE MAKER” as the subject line and be certain to include your web address. We look forward to hearing from you!