Exploring Life & Business with McKenzie Stanley of Driftwood Ceramics

Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie Stanley

Hi McKenzie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I fell in love with pottery in high school my freshman year, so I decided to go to Truman State University to get a Bachelor of Arts Degree, focusing in ceramics.

After college, I moved around a lot, working at different pottery studios and learning the ins and out of running a pottery studio. In 2018, my husband and I moved back to Kansas City and decided to start a pottery studio of our own!

It’s been an amazing 6 + years seeing the studio grow and the amazing people we’ve had walk into our space.

We really wanted to create a safe space and create a studio for art lovers and admirers.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business always has some ups and downs, especially when you start it right before the pandemic! But lucky we got creative and had a ton of support to get us through that hard time.

We’ve been impressed with Driftwood Ceramics , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We offer a variety of classes at Driftwood! We have more instructional Month Long classes, date night Pots & Pints classes, Private classes, and Kids Camps!

We also offer 24/7 memberships to those who have a little experience and need a space to make work. A lot of our students move from classes to memberships and it’s so fun to see them coming from not knowing anything to making wonderful things!

I think I am most proud of seeing students having fun in the space! This is in part to the amazing staff I have, who do such a great job teaching and making people feel comfortable when learning something new. It’s so fun to watch students kind of get that “ah-ha!” moment when learning pottery. Like “I can do this too!”

We also have a couple sales a year, one around Mothers Day and one around Christmas that members can participate in and learn how to sell and promote their work.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think the most important lesson learned along this journey is just to “trust your animals”- trust your gut!

As a business owner in any business, you’re going to have a lot of different opinions and interactions and I think just staying true to yourself and your vision and mission is so important.

I created this studio to share my love of pottery with people and with that, the studio has become a sort of therapy to some. I really try to keep the studio a fun and safe space for people.

Pricing:

• Pots & Pints “date night” class – $45/person
• Month Long Wheel classes – $145/person
• Month Long Hand Building classes- $125/person
• Private classes- $40/kid & $45/adult
• Kids Camps- $140/kid per week

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.driftwoodceramics.com/
• Instagram: @driftwood_ceramics
• Facebook: @driftwoodceramicskc