Grow Your Local Business, Episode Summary

Podcast: Grow Your Local Business
Host: Leslie Presnall
Guest: Erica Huckaby, High Five Ceramics
Episode: 560 Appointments in One Year: The Pop-Up Strategy That Built Local Demand
Date: February 24, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode centers on how Erica Huckaby grew High Five Ceramics, her local business based in Denham Springs, Louisiana, from the ground up—reaching 560 appointments in her first year. Through a candid conversation with host Leslie Presnall, Erica details the strategies, fears, and mindset shifts that enabled her to tap into local demand, build powerful collaborations, and balance entrepreneurship with being a mom of two young children. The main theme: leveraging local events, pop-ups, and partnerships, combined with a giver’s mindset, to create steady growth and deep community impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Heart Behind High Five Ceramics

• Erica’s business involves creating custom hand, foot, and paw print clay impressions as family keepsakes.
• Her “why” is deeply personal, rooted in her value for tangible memories, influenced by her family’s traditions and her own experiences with loss and cancer survival.
  • "There were two incidents...my friend's brother-in-law was terminal with cancer...I was able to press his thumbs with his kids, and then a week later, he passed away...Same thing happened when a friend's young son passed away, and I had done his prints before he passed." (Erica, 01:55)
  • "I come from teaching...I wanted to move into something really giving to the community and to the world. And this allows me to do that." (Erica, 02:45)

The Givers Gain Mindset

• Erica’s time as a St. Jude’s patient (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor) instilled the idea that generosity breeds success.
  • "St. Jude...is the penultimate example of, like, givers gain, which is give, give, give without expecting anything in return. And people return all the time." (Erica, 03:19-04:10)
• She actively focuses on giving value and support to others in her community and network, confident this will come back "tenfold."

Transition from Teaching to Entrepreneurship

• Inspiration to start High Five Ceramics: becoming a mom opened her eyes to the lack of local keepsake providers and the market opportunity.
  • "Your perspective changes...I went from wanting to give everything to other people's kids in my career to wanting to give everything to my kids." (Erica, 05:55)
• Observed a huge demand and very limited local supply—a pop-up sold out in 3 minutes.
• Leveraged her husband’s business knowledge to avoid common pitfalls and accelerate her own growth.

Managing Growth and Overcoming Fears

• Erica’s biggest fear: growing too fast to the point of burnout or not being able to deliver a quality customer experience.
  • "I had a huge fear...that I would grow out of my space too quickly or I would get too busy too soon and I wouldn’t be ready." (Erica, 08:07)
  • "I never want to make that post of 'I'm one person, please understand.' I never want to do that." (Erica, 08:27)
• Manages demand primarily through strict control over scheduling, number of pop-ups, and studio appointments.
  • "It was a mix of just controlling how many popups I did...how often I was offering studio appointments, how often I was posting." (Erica, 12:59)
• Adjusted operations to control capacity—moved her kiln out of her tiny studio to expand appointment flexibility. (16:00)

The Power and Art of the Pop-Up

• Erica did 21 pop-ups at 14 different locations in her first year.
• Used pop-ups not only to sell but to build lasting demand and local visibility:
  • "You can't do it alone...being in front of their audience, that's a huge thing. That's 3,000, 5,000, 10,000 people who have never heard of me who now see me because of who I'm popping up with." (Erica, 16:51)
• Critical lessons for successful markets:
  • Improved booth design and customer offers led to massive increases in bookings (from zero to 40 appointments at a single market by focusing on presentation and clear attractive offers).
    • "The first market...I'm literally embarrassed...I didn't book anything." (Erica, 18:02)
    • "I booked 40 appointments that weekend. 40. And so I was like, okay, this is what I need to do." (Erica, 20:43)
  • Pro tip: visible signage and clear value proposition is essential for markets with heavy foot traffic (21:31-21:55)

Building and Nurturing Local Collaborations

• Collaborates with businesses in related niches (e.g., boutiques, photographers) and freely promotes partners, embodying the “givers gain” philosophy.
  • "I reach out to business owners who are in my same sphere...and just, like, give, give, give, and then it will come back." (Erica, 23:07)
• She participates in local giveaways and donates products for charity and school auctions to increase exposure.

Juggling Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

• Erica maintains a strict schedule and relies on a strong support network (babysitter, family, spouse) to balance business growth and family.
  • "I have my babysitter come on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays...from like 1 to 5." (Erica, 25:53)
  • "I do try to stick to that schedule...I have a really good support system." (Erica, 27:35)
• Emphasizes to herself that “this is just a season”—and that both the hard work and the challenges are temporary and surmountable.
  • "In the thick of it, you’re like, oh, this is so hard. But...it's temporary." (Erica, 28:03)

Mindset, Community, and Coaching

• Leslie’s LocalPreneur Academy played a pivotal role in Erica’s growth, offering support, real-time coaching, and a sense of belonging she couldn’t find with non-business friends.
  • "As a business owner...your friends who don't own a business don't get it...you need kind of like a new group or, like, some people to talk to." (Erica, 29:38)
  • "My biggest takeaway is, number one, you cannot do it alone...And then number two is stick with one and give it time to, to, I don't know, plant your seed in one thing and then let it grow." (Erica, 31:03)
• Highly recommends joining for the actionable strategies and supportive community.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Give, give, give, and it will come back to you in tenfold." (Erica, 03:52)
• "I never want to make that post: 'I'm one person, please understand.' I never want to do that." (Erica, 08:27)
• "You can't do it alone...being in front of other people's audiences is a huge thing." (Erica, 16:51)
• "If there's a giveaway that I can give...I'm going to give that because again, that's my name in front of an audience that I've never been a part of." (Erica, 24:41)
• "In the thick of it, you're like, oh, this is so hard. But...just knowing you can get past it—it's temporary." (Erica, 28:03)
• "My biggest takeaway is, number one, you cannot do it alone...And number two is stick with one (strategy) and give it time to grow." (Erica, 31:03)
• "Just do it. Just invest in yourself. And I think the place is the greatest investment." (Erica, 32:51)

Important Timestamps

• [01:55] Erica on the emotional power of her keepsakes and the stories behind them
• [03:19] Erica discusses her cancer journey and the impact of St. Jude’s generosity
• [05:55] What inspired her to start High Five Ceramics and recognize a market need
• [08:07] Fears around growing too fast and maintaining quality
• [12:59] How she manages demand and schedules pop-up events to avoid burnout
• [16:51] The importance of collaborations and tapping into other people's audiences
• [18:02-21:00] Lessons learned about booth presentation, offers, and market success
• [23:07] Building a thriving network through a philosophy of giving
• [25:53] Balancing business with motherhood through support and routines
• [29:38] Benefits of a supportive coaching community and mindset shifts through the Academy
• [31:03] Erica’s top business takeaways: don’t do it alone, stick with one strategy, and give it time

Where to Find Erica

• Instagram: @high5_ceramics and @high5.ceramics
• Website: high5ceramicsllc.com

Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for local business owners interested in combining practical strategies with a giving mindset to fuel rapid, sustainable growth. Erica’s story is full of actionable advice about facing fears, building demand, leveraging pop-ups and collaborations, and balancing entrepreneurship with family life—all while focusing on service and community connection. Her journey is equal parts inspiring and instructive, with takeaways relevant for local entrepreneurs at any stage.