Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Tanner Sawitz

We recently had the chance to connect with Tanner Sawitz and have shared our conversation below.

Tanner, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My wife and I adopt animals in need of rehoming. We have lizards, snakes, spiders, and a new tortoise. Animals deserve wonderful lives and we do our best to bring them joy, which – in turn – brings us joy too!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tanner and I make miniature, crystalline pottery. I am also opening a community pottery studio in Pasadena, CA, in early 2026 called Stone Coyote Ceramics, so that more people can have a space to work, take classes, and get introduced to the wonderful world of clay!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I thought I was extremely introverted. As a young adult I learned that I’m far more extroverted, and draw energy from being around people. Everyone needs time alone to some degree, but too much time on my own is never good for me!

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I think I have a fear of committing to big changes in life and making the wrong decision. Thankfully I’ve surrounded myself with people who are much better at just going for things, and have made it easier to do as they do without getting analysis paralysis.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I think there is far too much focus on AI. So many companies are using it for everything and there is very little thought as to why; it’s just more convenient and easier to get work done. That is one reason I’m opening Stone Coyote – to encourage community and face-to-face connection, as well as to get people away from their computers and inboxes for a while and give them the opportunity to be truly creative.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I am pretty into healthy eating, which will hopefully pay off for the rest of my life! I am also vegetarian, so I like to think I’m doing my part there as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stonecoyote.la/
• Instagram: stonecoyotela