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What began as a simple COVID-19 lockdown hobby for Jackie Ose has blossomed into a thriving 2,400-square-foot ceramic business in Concord, New Hampshire. Seeking to merge her artistic passion with community building, Jackie made a deliberate career pivot from education and nonprofit project management. In September 2025, she opened the doors to Black Olive Pottery Studio, affectionately named after her five-year-old black lab mix, Olive. The studio found its home in a former candy store on Loudon Road. Jackie thoughtfully transformed the space into a fully equipped studio featuring durable tile floors and enough room for two kilns, all while preserving quirky historical touches like a sink formerly used for cleaning ice cream scoops.
The journey from concept to reality was heavily guided by SCORE mentor Dave Picarillo, whom Jackie connected with about a year prior to opening. Drawing on his own background of opening a brewery, Dave helped Jackie navigate the harsh realities of business ownership, facility planning, and financial forecasting. When Jackie initially envisioned a very large facility, Dave wisely advised her to scale back to a more manageable footprint that could survive early operational hurdles while still allowing room for growth. Despite the demands of her full-time job, Dave kept her moving forward by setting firm meeting agendas. Crucially, he provided a comprehensive three-year financial template. This tool allowed Jackie to adjust variables such as class schedules and pricing to pinpoint exact profitability thresholds.
Armed with a startup loan from Bangor Savings Bank, Jackie launched functional, "good enough" procedures to ensure the studio opened on time, saving system upgrades like website and CRM overhauls for the slower winter months. This strategic planning, coupled with immense community interest, propelled the studio to its break-even point in just four months. Today, the facility serves as an inclusive, supportive hub for the local creative community and employs five staff members, including a studio manager, two studio assistants, and two instructors, all with decades of combined ceramicsexperience.
The studio has a range of offerings for beginners and experienced ceramicists alike. Black Olive Pottery attracts beginners with two-hour themed workshops like affordable "Sip & Spin" events, one-on-one lessons, and private group parties. For those who want to perform their craft more frequently, monthly membership options grant independent access to the studio, equipment, and storage. The entry tier is the most popular, offering affordable access to expensive glazes, wheels, and kilns. For more structured learning, 8-week Wheel-Throwing and Hand-Building classes are available, which include guided instruction and provide students a deeper understanding of the life cycle of clay.
Black Olive Pottery Studio goes above and beyond for its members offering Members Only Workshops, discounts, guest passes, and even by handling the logistics of selling their pottery at local craft fairs. This unique value proposition returns a large portion of sales directly to the artists while simultaneously boosting the studio's brand awareness. With marketing driven primarily by word of mouth and highly targeted Facebook and Instagram ads, the studio boasts an impressive 80% retention rate among its 100+ current members. In fact, due to high demand and limited drying shelf space for fragile clay, there is currently an active waitlist for new memberships.
Looking ahead, Jackie continues to meet with her SCORE mentor to map out future expansions and offerings for the New Hampshire ceramic community. Recognizing a regional gap in retail pottery supplies, she also plans to start selling glazes and tools directly to local ceramicists. For this holiday season, the studio now offers gift cards (made of clay!) and will be welcoming the public to their inaugural BOPS Holiday Pottery Sale on Small Business Saturday, November 28th from 12:00 to 4:00 PM.
Made by Hand, Made by You!
You can visit Black Olive Pottery Studio at their website at https://www.blackolivepottery.com/ or on FaceBook or on Instagram or by email at hello@blackolivepottery.com.
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