Sunday Reflection: May 24th, 2020
On Sundays I reflect.
I didn’t drink alcohol this week. I gave it up a few years ago, and the benefits are abundant. I attribute these benefits in part to my abstinence, and also to my improving diet and exercise routine. It has taken a lot of hard work to make improvements in those areas of my life, and recently things are all starting to click.
In addition to my morning yoga and stretching routine, I am now weight training 4-5 days a week as well. I spend that time detached from all messages and notifications on my devices, although I use my phone for music. I wouldn’t say that work doesn’t cross my mind, but I make sure to stay active through my entire routine in order to distract myself from letting my mind go back to work and technology.
I’m already feeling results, and I know if I can stay committed to the routine I’ll continue to feel better. The biggest challenge is letting go of everything else and forcing myself to really be present in the process.
Working with Bibi
I’ve been busier than ever before in my life this past week, and I don’t think I turned on my torch once. Due to a communication mishap in the studio, we went almost a week without oxygen, so even if I had the time to blow glass I wasn’t able to anyways. Now that we have a refill and I have completed orientation with Bibi @_barelyb the new intern, I plan to focus on getting on the torch this week.
My entire week at the studio was spent selling and shipping cups, while showing Bibi the ropes and getting her oriented on how to help with social media and blog content. We have been meeting at the studio around noon daily, and working for 5-6 hours simultaneously. In the mornings, before I head to the studio, I fit in a few hours of phone calls and administrative work while simultaneously writing these blogs and communicating with dozens of artists and collectors. By no means am I finished working when Bibi wraps up her shift around dinner time, but I go back home to work from my computer and try to figure out how to make dinner.
Bibi has been helping me to schedule all social media content, she formats blogs, and she has even been helping unpack and process orders. Typically I am on the phone when she arrives at the studio and we use a few hand motions to indicate she should unbox and process incoming packages. Once complete she moves on to packing and shipping as I pace around the studio on my bluetooth headset. Every few minutes I pop into the office to make sure she has it under control and typically she’s way ahead of me. Before I finish a call she has gotten the boxes to the post office for me and is back on her computer editing photos or preparing content.
In between the madness she has found a few hours to start a mural of a few frogs that I am trying to prioritize more time for her to continue working on. You can learn more about Bibi in this week’s artist interview.
Over to Aspen
We also went to Aspen one day so I could visit my bank, which unfortunately does not yet have a branch in the Vail Valley. We popped into Skye Gallery so I could show Bibi the current exhibit that I got to see a week or two ago. We spent the afternoon shooting content with Sam @myshiftdrink for our new cocktail recipe of the week Shift Drink Saturday. Bibi doubles as a model and a photographer, but her primary job was tasting the drinks!
If training one intern wasn’t enough, my buddy Johnny Fetchko is coming by to learn how to use the lathe and hopefully help me with production at the studio. He has about five years on the torch but this is his first time operating a lathe. After two shifts he has a good foundation and I am looking forward to working with him this summer on the first official DV production line being made here at Bat Country Studios.
Making It Real
This week in adulting, I hired my childhood friend Scotty Kaplan as my attorney. Scotty will be drafting contracts for me in regards to consignment, licensing, and shop waivers. For the first time I will also have a formal rental agreement for artists using the studio ranging from daily use to monthly renters. This feels like a big step in regards to becoming a real business.
I also had to hire an accountant to help me to reconcile my books. I have all the data but it isn’t organized well enough and I am unable to extract data I would like. After three years at the studio I finally have enough data to bring someone on to help me organize and analyze it. I look forward to seeing what we uncover and how I can improve efficiency at the studio.
CUPDATE
I am still sold out of my solo cups and my collaborations with Rob @logglass. We also sold out of all of Rob’s production tumblers and pints, but we have a few of his fully worked pieces remaining. Hopefully this week now that we have oxygen we can change all that and get some fresh stuff made for you!
I got three Ned @nedglassman blues. I have one left. Who knows when we will see more.
The Stephan Peirce @stephan_peirce x Scotty Moan @scomomoanet hollow handle mug arrived yesterday, and it is truly an astonishing piece. The hold is comfortable, the colors are popping, and overall it is one of my favorite cups I have ever seen.
I got a fresh batch of tumblers from @eyeholeglass featuring some fume that will be available this week at the $100 per pair price point. This is my first batch from Kevin but I already know I need more.
Bob @whitefireglass sent me three of his first pints and they all found homes before I could list them. He told me he is working on another batch in between other jobs, which hopefully won’t be too long.
I am still sold out of Jason @gordons_glassware and @edwolfesgotglass but hoping to change that ASAP. I did get one fumed wrap and rake pint from Freddy @_skoor_ which will be going live any day!
My dude Keegan @lintz.glass sent a few tumblers and one went out in a mystery box but I still have a pair of CFL shifty peach ones from him that will be available this week as well.
And how could I go this long without mentioning my acquisition of Micah Evan’s @micahglass latest work. After three years his first batch of tumblers came out through Reed at Emerald Glass Gallery @emeraldglassgallery and I was able to scoop a pair for myself, a pair for my brother, and a pair to sell. Obviously these will not last long. I got as much as I could, and I suspect the drop is completely sold out.
Mystery boxes have been selling every day, ranging from $50 to $500 per box and including one to three cups in addition to other goodies like stickers and coasters. It has been so much fun to get to select cups to surprise customers with, and almost everyone has been thrilled with their selections. I ask a few questions when I can about drinking preferences and style before selecting what I hope will be the perfect cup (or cups) for the recipient.
I am down to one pair of shot glasses from True @truekrunk and one pair of her Pilsners. Don’t miss an opportunity to own one of her first pieces of drink ware from the drop at my show in February because I will probably be keeping whichever pair doesn’t sell first. I would rather keep the shot glasses if anyone was wondering.
I appreciate you tuning in and a special thanks to everyone who purchased a cup this week. I suspect this week may have been the largest number of sales I have made in a single week, and a lot of the packages are headed for new customers and first time cup collectors. I am thrilled to see things progressing this way, but I am also exhausted (still) and need a nap.
Enjoy your week!
BB
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