Robin Petravic + Catherine Bailey

Designers Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey stumbled upon a curious factory—one that made ceramics—in an unlikely place: Sausalito, California. It was Heath Ceramics, a company founded by Edith and Brian Heath in 1948. The pair bought Heath in 2003 and quickly set about refounding the company. They boosted productivity; streamlined offerings and created new products; collaborated with artists, mavericks, and companies; and began carrying products from independent makers.

On this episode, Debbie talks with Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey about their qualifications to run Heath Ceramics. “I threw a pot in high school … it was pretty good;” why they don’t advertise: “It’s better to be interesting than to hire someone to make you sound interesting when you’re not;” and their aim to build a holistic business model, one that integrates designing, making, and selling.