Safiya's Story: She Almost Gave Up. Then the Space Appeared.

Safiya didn't plan to open a clay studio. She planned to take a break.After 15 years in higher education, teaching, research, coaching, she quit her job, moved to Ancaster, and picked up pottery as a hobby. Something just for her. Then the job market dried up. Then she couldn't find a studio space. Then she gave herself six months, and she almost ran out of time.In this episode, Safiya gets into the full story: growing up in Dubai, starting a dessert subscription box business before moving to Canada, the long search for a space, and what it actually felt like to open a creative studio six months ago with no roadmap and a lot of faith. Safiya talks pricing, pivots, building community from scratch, the tension between keeping things affordable and running a real business, and why pottery and small business have more in common than you think.Safiya also shares a moment from her studio that stopped the conversation cold — a story about a family, a funeral, and what healing with your hands actually looks like.Find Safiya at @kreativeklay.ca on Instagram and at kreativeklay.caBecause your story matters.