In conversation with Mississauga entrepreneur, Jacquie Blondin, owner of Jacquie Blondin Ceramics.

1. What does your company provide/do?

Jacquie Blondin Ceramics empowers clay enthusiasts with creative solutions through ceramics and education. Our ceramic product lines provide collectors with uniquely designed handcrafted housewares. Our virtual and in-person learning experiences are your entry into the world of craft, designed for adults from beginner to intermediate levels. Whether you are looking for 1:1 lessons, group sessions or independent learning, you will find a warm community here. Our Spin Wiper pottery glazing tool helps potters achieve a parallel glaze line as they prepare work for kiln firings saving them time and money.   

2. What inspired you to start your company?

I began working in clay over 20 years ago and have been creating ceramic housewares and sculptures ever since. In the last few years, I added ceramic instruction and pottery tools to my business. My passion for teaching never waivered over my 30 years as a Visual Arts teacher even during the pandemic. Before I retired, I started to plan how I could inspire others to find joy within the clay community. By honing my virtual teaching skills, I created an online course Hand Building Basics and began to teach those skills in person at the Mississauga Potters’ Guild. While completing student work after a Youth Clay Camp, I invented the Spin Wiper pottery glazing tool to speed up the glazing process and now help other instructors and potters create efficiencies in their process. 

3. What's been the most impactful lesson you've learned being an entrepreneur?

This biggest impact in my entrepreneurial journey has been applying for and being accepted into the Starter Company Plus Program through IDEA Mississauga. Having the framework and deadlines allowed me to fully complete my Business Plan and Cash Flow Projections and refine my pitch.  

4. How do you unwind?

My extraverted self loves to connect with friends over lunch, book club meetings, pottery social and critique groups. My introverted self needs to recharge with historical fiction, daily walks while listening to humorous or knowledge building podcasts, and late-night TV crime dramas. I’d be lying if I didn’t include a little daily dopamine rush of Instagram and iPad games. 

5. What succinct advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Ask for help. Find a mentor or surround yourself with like-minded people. 

6. What are your goals for 2025?

Jacquie Blondin Ceramics will be introducing new workshops, courses, and digital downloads to help you on your creative journey, providing inspiration or step-by-step help as needed, firing solutions for students, and a community of like-minded learners. We’re increasing our line of Spin Wipers to include a rugged classroom-durable surface and two new sizes to fit different potter’s wheels. Keep an eye out for a new glaze in our Poppy Pod housewares.  

7. How did the Mississauga Starter Company Plus program help you start or expand your business?

The Mississauga Starter Company Plus program helped me expand my business, first by providing structured learning program including mentorship, secondly by hard-earned business insights attained through completing the required Business Plan, Cash Flow Budget and Business Pitch Presentation, and finally, through the strategic use of funds, targeting areas that I previously overlooked or could not afford. The additional mentorship, grant funds and ongoing support from IDEA Mississauga will help achieve my goals more quickly and in a more productive and proactive way.

jacquieblondin.com