For Jordan and Cassie Busse, what started as a shared love for creative projects has blossomed into something far bigger than they ever imagined. The couple, who now run J Busse Woodworking in downtown Lawrenceburg, have spent the last few years turning their talents into a thriving business. 

Jordan, once a full-time ICU nurse, found solace in woodworking on the side back in 2016. “I used to sell little cutting boards at Arts in the Park with my parents,” he recalled. “It was just something I did after work, a way to relax.” As the pandemic hit, his desire for something different grew stronger, and he decided to turn woodworking from a hobby into something more substantial.

Cassie’s story took a similar path. A former teacher, she never expected to fall in love with pottery. It wasn’t until 2020, when she took a pottery class with Jordan’s mom, that she found herself hooked. “It wasn’t part of the plan at all, but I just fell in love with it,” Cassie admitted. “We had always talked about having a store, but pottery was never going to be part of it. Now, I can’t imagine not doing it.”

By November 2021, the couple had renovated the downtown space that would become their storefront, a mix of Jordan’s handcrafted wood furniture and Cassie’s pottery. Their work has since reached far beyond Lawrenceburg. Jordan’s furniture is shipped all over the U.S., and Cassie’s pottery has made its way to Japan and Europe. “It’s just the two of us, but somehow we’ve managed to get our pieces out into the world.”

In 2024, they received a $10,000 Backing Small Business Grant, which they’ve used to start renovating the second floor of their shop into a larger pottery studio. “Right now, I’m working out of a tiny room with only two pottery wheels. I can’t wait to teach classes once we have more space,” Cassie said, excited about combining her love for pottery with her passion for teaching.

Looking ahead, the Busses have applied for an additional $30,000 grant, hoping to finish the upstairs studio by April 2025. They dream of offering full-scale pottery classes and work space. “We’re always working on a project. It’s just how we are,” Cassie laughed. “If you’re creative, you should be doing something creative every day—it keeps you young. And we’re just getting started.”