262: Behind the Potter’s Wheel: How East Fork Successfully Grew an Unconventional Business

Growing a team is challenging for any company. But going from two people to 90 in just 10 years with a non-traditional business model? That’s an almost unbelievable feat.  

Connie Matisse, cofounder and CMO of East Fork, joins us today to talk about how she built a successful business with a 90+ person team without following the path of many traditional businesses. 

Tune in to learn how East Fork created a memorable marketing engine with a self-described “laughable” budget, what they’ve found to be one of the most critical business functions that’s often ignored, and how they’ve kept their store running through the challenges of COVID-19. 

Episode Highlights

• 4:44 How the 2008 economic recession introduced Connie to the world of craft pottery
• 7:00 Reinventing pottery to reach the modern household
• 11:16 Connie’s organic approach to content marketing and building a holistic brand
• 13:35 The challenge of being the voice of the brand for a fast-growing business
• 16:41 What East Fork leadership spends 90% of their time on to ensure successful growth
• 19:23 Moving from WordPress to Shopify and the effect it had on demand
• 21:27 How East Fork is managing production and customer expectations in a COVID-19 world
• 23:36 Analyzing profitability and venture capital funding for a capital intensive business 
• 26:21 How East Fork’s leadership style has evolved during COVID-19
• 27:59 The many hats Connie wears as a cofounder
• 30:30 Connie’s process for creating honest and authentic brand collaborations
• 33:05 How to stop following the herd and create space for radical thinking