Every tile at Motawi has a story. But sometimes, the hands that craft those tiles hold the most fascinating tales of all. Meet Kaitlin Brown—a pressing team member whose path to Motawi winds through Ford Motor Company, a cheese cave at Zingerman’s, and a master’s degree in applied mathematics. Now, they’re shaping clay and cutting custom corners with the kind of care you can feel in every tile they touch. We caught up with Kaitlin to talk pressing machines, post-rock bands, and why handmade work just feels right.
What’s your role at Motawi?
Kaitlin: I’m on the pressing team. I usually start by trimming and edging tiles—cutting away the excess clay, adding notches, refining the shape. Then I take over on the Ram press in the afternoon and also prep the clay using the pugmill.
What were you doing before you came to Motawi?
Before this, I worked at Zingerman’s Mail Order for two years. I started there as a seasonal employee after I left my job at Ford. I was only planning to stay for a short time, but I ended up loving it. Zingerman’s was fast-paced, fun, and I learned a lot about Lean Manufacturing and quality control. I spent a lot of time in their cheese cave, tasting and cutting artisan cheese—even though I was mostly vegan when I started!
Wait—Ford to Zingerman’s to Motawi? That’s quite the path. What did you do at Ford?
I was a bill of materials analyst in product development. I worked with engineers to figure out which parts were needed for new vehicle programs—how many, what they cost, how to get them to the plant. It was all spreadsheets, data, project planning, and logistics.
It paid well, but it wasn’t work that I’m passionate about. I wanted to do something physical, creative—something with my hands. I was craving a break from the world of overproduction and seeking smaller scale work with more meaningful impact.
What’s your educational background?
I have a master’s degree in applied mathematics. I focused on discrete math and computer science-related stuff. For my thesis, I worked on autonomous vehicle routing—helping develop algorithms to optimize how self-driving vehicles move through a campus or city.
I’ve also done CAD work, tracing archived engineering drawings for the aerospace industry. It was interesting, but it didn’t feel like me. After years of data and engineering, I wanted my work to better reflect my personal ethos.
Did you study art, too?
I did! In high school, I took tons of art and photography classes. At one point, I dreamed of going to art school, but it wasn’t feasible financially. I did ceramics in college—wheel throwing, mostly—and loved it. Coming to Motawi felt like circling back to a piece of myself I’d left behind.
What made you apply to Motawi?
My partner actually found the job listing and said, “Hey, this sounds like something you’d love.” And they were right. I’d admired ceramics for years and even toured Pewabic in high school. I didn’t know much about Motawi before applying, but once I did some research, I was all in.
What was your first impression of the Tileworks?
My first impression was probably during my skills test. They had me come in for a few hours—paid, which was great—so I got to have a little bit of a taste of what the job would be like. I was just really impressed with how clean and organized everything here was. The kata system—I was already familiar with it from Zingerman’s—and I appreciated how everyone here puts it into practice and is really committed to it. That’s how I like to work. I was like, yeah, I want to do this.
What part of your job brings you the most joy?
Honestly, I enjoy all of it. But I especially love custom tile cutting—reshaping tiles for specific installs, like notched corners or L-shaped pieces. It’s quite a challenge to make a handmade cut match the precision of a CNC-milled edge. When you can’t tell the difference? That’s a win.
I also work on custom-cut moldings, which can be tricky because of cracking and other issues. I remember working with Autumn on a batch that came out of the kiln perfectly, which felt great.
What’s something you’ve learned here that was totally new to you?
Running the pugmill! Betty Lou is a beast—she’s old and quirky, and figuring out the right clay consistency took some trial and error. Too dry, it jams. Too wet, same thing. But once I got the hang of it, it felt like unlocking a whole new skill.
What might surprise people about working at Motawi?
How small the production team is. For the quality and volume we put out, you'd think there’d be twice as many people. But everyone here is super capable and thoughtful. It’s such a contrast to Ford, where I worked with people I never even met because they were across the world.
What do you do outside of work?
Too many hobbies! Right now it’s gardening—my partner and I are filling our yard with edible plants and pollinator-friendly flowers. I also do sewing, hand embroidery, and block printing based on designs I draw myself. I make pinback buttons with a button press, and sometimes sell my creations at various art markets.
Oh, and I play music. My partner and I have a band—we bounce between folk punk and experimental post-rock. I play piano, flute, melodica… whatever I can get my hands on.
Lightning Round! Morning person or night owl?
Night owl.
Coffee, tea, or something stronger?
Coffee—cold brew. Always.
Favorite Motawi tile?
Persian Lily in yellow and green. It's just gorgeous.
If your job were a tile?
A 4x4 field tile—unassuming but foundational.
One word to describe Motawi?
Organized.
What are you excited about right now?
Watching my garden grow and continuing to make things—just staying grounded and creative.
What are your dreams for the future—big or small?
Just finding peace and happiness, I guess. I guess that’s kind of what we’re all looking for—just maintaining that as much as possible in the ever-changing world we live in.
Kaitlin’s story is a beautiful reminder that a career doesn’t have to follow a straight line. Sometimes, the scenic route—with its spreadsheets, cheese caves, and 65-year-old pugmills—is what leads you home.
Want to see more of Kaitlin’s work? Catch them at our staff art markets—their buttons and embroidered patches are always a hit.
