Interview with Joe Jumper from The Clay Pot

Hey party people!
We all have people who inspire us. Who awe us. Who make us strive to be better. One of those people for me is Joe Jumper, owner of The Clay Pot in Chattanooga, TN. His creative talent is pure genius and his humility remarkable. He turns the ordinary into elegant and the mundane into magical.

Whenever I’m in Chattanooga, I always stop by The Clay Pot. I always find something fabulous, inspiring and unique. But Joe is more than an owner of an incredible store. He is an artist. His flower arrangements, creations, and ideas are breathtaking. You may remember this rehearsal dinner of his shown on Parties for Pennies: Boots & BBQ Rehearsal Dinner.

In my interview with Joe Jumper, I asked him a few questions about his artistry and his answers will motivate & inspire you.
* What motivated you to open up The Clay Pot? 
Who ever knows if an idea will work or a hunch filled, but you just have to try your best and see what happens. That was the motivating factor in my opening The Clay Pot 21 years ago. I was searching for a creative outlet and decided to open The Clay Pot. I booked my first wedding and had never made a corsage. I got my first order for a funeral spray and I had never made one. I called some friends in the floral business, Gil Cartwright and Curt Hodge at Flowers by Gil & Curt. They said, “Come on over,” and they taught me step by step how to make them. To this day, if I have any floral questions, they are the first people I call. How great is that? My advice would be, always try your best to build great relationships with people in your field, no matter what business you are in. I have always tried my best to never feel like my business is in competition with other flower shops. We all have our own strengths, styles, and the ways we create; but we can always learn from each other. There are many shoppers and customers out there. I’ve always looked at it as, I want customers to come to The Clay Pot if I can provide them with a product or style they are looking for. Other shops might have a different style that appeal to others and that’s great.

Joe used his mother’s old french doors to create a defined area to the buffet.  

* What has been your greatest struggle running a creative business? 
I think in any type of creative business, you have to have the ability and desire to change and adapt in order to keep your business fresh and current. We have implemented many new aspects to the business over the years. We added adult workshops. They have been fun for our customers and brought in many people who are new to The Clay Pot. We started a summer camp, “Camp Joe Joe’s, a Creative Camp for Kids,” originally to fill the slower summer months but they have turned into such a highlight and treat for us all. We also added vendors to The Clay Pot. The help me offer more variety of products for my customers. We have also increased our coordinating, event styling, and designing for parties and weddings.

My biggest struggle running a creative business? Sometimes you have lots of different things to juggle, but that is also one of the biggest advantages of running a creative business. You are always doing something different, everything you do is a new request. That’s what makes running a creative business so exciting. It definitely keeps you on your toes!

Those are brown sandwich bags strung up to create a message.

* What has been your proudest creative moment? 
One of my favorites things to do is creating displays in the shop. It’s sort of my playground to try new things, using different elements in a new way and creating something neat and unexpected. I love it when I can incorporate those ideas into a wedding or event.

This is one of my favorite things in the shop. It’s a newspaper roll chandelier.

Thanks to this awesome project by Joe, we’re going to use this idea in our house. 

I get the opportunity to do so many different things, so it would be hard to name just one proud moment. To me, each bride’s wedding is so special; each event is so special. The fun and gratitude comes to me when I work with someone to create a design that they have always wanted. I’m proud each time I know I have pleased my client. 

* Who or What inspires you the most? 
I am inspired every day.
Personally, my family and friends inspire me. I used to get the biggest kick out of telling my mother all the details after we finish a neat event. My mother worked with me for so many years, before she became ill. She loved hearing all the details. Even though she passed away, a little over a year ago, she still is the first person I think of after each event. That continues to inspire me to do my best.

Succulent boutonniere 

I am inspired by my staff. I realize The Clay Pot “ship” doesn’t sail without a great crew! Nikki Russell has worked with me for over 14 years. She’s a full-time wife, mom, and school teacher now; but any time I need help, she is always there for me. Her work ethic, sense of humor, and friendship inspires me every day.
Professionally, I have many people who inspire me. I love people who think outside of the box. Chattanooga has such wonderful talent. Rodney Simmons, of REVIVAL, is one designer who makes me think, “How in the world did he come up with that?” I love that! Using a red hose as an art element? Are you kidding me? Simply great! I love the shop, Blue Skies on the North Shore. You can go in there and always see great merchandise, great displays, and amazing windows! Such fun! I love walking into an art gallery like Gallery 1401 in Warehouse Row. Sue Markley is the owner and her space would inspire anyone! Beautiful art, wonderful atmosphere…simply love it!

* You do a lot of weddings. Do you have any tips for brides? Maybe an idea of how to make their wedding unique or personal? 
My goal, any time I’m working with a bride, is to build a fun working relationship and guide them in ways to create the wedding they want. I like to share tips with my brides on when to splurge, and when not to. I know it’s probably not considered proper “business,” but it doesn’t bother me to tell my brides ways they can save money. One of my brides wanted a green and white theme. We had a big venue to fill. I suggested using wheat grass in containers for their bulky items (a lot less expense than using flowers). We needed lots and lots of containers to hold the wheat grass, so I told them to go to as many Dollar Trees they could find; look for containers they liked and we could spray paint them all white. No one would ever know. That’s what they did and that tip probably saved the bride hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. We were able to splurge in other areas.

IKEA Expedit Shelving used to create a fun & elegant atmosphere

Renting items is another way to utilize your budget wisely. We have built a wide variety of rental items, specifically at the shop, just for our brides. Most items can be rented for about 25% of the retail price. You can add a lot of extra special touches to your wedding when you don’t have to purchase all of your items at full price.
We have recently added “Wood Grain Rentals” at the shop. With the trend in rustic chic weddings, we have wooden tables of all sizes, benches, wooden cookies, and many more “wood” items available for brides to rent.

Some of the wood grain rental items at The Clay Pot

When styling a wedding or event, I love mixing the old and new. One of my favorite items to use is an old refrigerator shelf. I like to place it on top of a buffet or table; making it very, very tall; cover the shelves with candles and light. It’s a definite WOW!

Notice the chandeliers are covered with old wine barrels!

* What are some of your favorite items that you sell at The Clay Pot? 
My goal, regarding products I like to carry in the shop, is to always have the inventory changing. When I added outside vendors to the shop, almost two years ago, they helped me increase the variety of products that we sell. One of my vendors, SPACES, has great one-of-a-kind vintage items that are always such fun finds, and usually great bargains! We also have many “made by hand” items that are also one-of-a-kind. We sell lots of “Sophie Conran” dinnerware (especially in white), by vendor ADDIAH, to many brides as hostess gifts. Another vendor, LOLA’S, sells a wonderful variety of candles and fun gift items. We are always looking for those unique lines and products that make The Clay Pot a fun place for our customers to shop!

Circus ticket pinwheels

Since our main focus is flowers, we sell many orchid plants, garden baskets, and floral arrangements. Whenever we do any type of funeral work, I would much rather prefer to send out something the family will be able to take home and enjoy. Another hot item we consistently sell is “Mood Moss.” We use it to make beautiful wreaths that are great year round. Mood moss is also great for filling up containers when you need a touch of green somewhere and you can’t keep a plant living. For me, it’s hard to describe our product selection, because it’s always changing and that’s what I like about it.

Mood Moss

* Do you have a personal motto or philosophy that would be encouraging to others? 
After 21 years, the best lesson I’ve learned is when you give to others, it always comes back to you…in so many beautiful ways. Over the years, I’ve had customers come and go; go and come back. That’s just part of owning a business. You just can’t let it get to you. I’ve built my reputation as someone my customers know that they can come to; to ask a question; to ask for a tip; and I’m always happy and willing to share. It still surprises me that they are even asking but it fills me with great pride and a wonderful sense of accomplishment every time they do. And that’s…pretty cool!

Thanks so much Joe!

Visit the Clay Pot in Chattanooga & check out: 

The Clay Pot Blog

The Clay Pot Facebook Page

The Clay Pot Pinterest Page 

Wood Grain Rentals

And if you know of anyone getting married or know someone that would be encouraged by this…share it via facebook, twitter or just shout it out into the street!

Last weekend, I went to Boston to visit one of my best friends & I’m going to post all about the adventure…as well as the BEST cupcake I’ve ever had in my entire life. Look for that post this weekend!

p.s. This is YOUR official invite to the party… on the PartiesforPennies facebook page!  Click here.