Nawal Motawi's guest appearances

Nawal Motawi

Art Fair Artists Success Show 

ForbesBooks Radio

Leading with Genuine Care

Roshi Joan Halifax

Jerry Colonna

Kristin Neff

George Mumford

Elisha Goldstein

Tami Simon

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Gino Wickman

Mark Divine

Chip Conley

Julieanna Hever

Stephen King

Julianna Raye

Andrew Weil

Scott Kriens

OwlTail

Nawal Motawi is the award-winning owner and artistic director at Motawi Tileworks in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1992, Nawal launched Motawi Tileworks out of her basement and sold her one-of-a-kind artistic tiles at local farmers markets. Today, she runs this thriving, nationally recognized company with over 30 staff members. The tiles are currently sold in over 450 showrooms, stores and galleries around the country. A practitioner of open-book management and the Toyota style of lean manufacturing, Nawal leads Motawi Tileworks with a vision of positivity and accountability. This mentality has led her company to top success, and through hard times as the team worked to find solutions together. In addition to her art, Nawal’s leadership has also gained national attention. In 2017, Motawi Tileworks landed on the Forbes America's Best Small Companies List. In 2016, she received the Woman-Owned Small Business Award presented by the Michigan Small Business Development Center. Nawal and Motawi tiles have also been featured in publications like the New York Times and Dwell Magazine, and can be seen at destinations like Disneyland, the University of Michigan Medical Center and Yale University. In this week’s donothing podcast, discover what inspired Nawal to realize her artistic dreams, how she grew Motawi Tileworks to prosperity, why she’s always striving to be a better leader and much more.  Connect With Motawi Tileworks  Website Twitter LinkedIn 

Nawal Motawi is the award-winning owner and artistic director at <a href="https://www.motawi.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Motawi Tileworks</a> in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1992, Nawal launched Motawi Tileworks out of her basement and sold her one-of-a-kind artistic tiles at local farmers markets. Today, she runs this thriving, nationally recognized company with over 30 staff members. The tiles are currently sold in over 450 showrooms, stores and galleries around the country. A practitioner of open-book management and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Toyota style of lean manufacturing</a>, Nawal leads Motawi Tileworks with a vision of positivity and accountability. This mentality has led her company to top success, and through hard times as the team worked to find solutions together. In addition to her art, Nawal’s leadership has also gained national attention. In 2017, Motawi Tileworks landed on the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/boburlingham/2017/05/09/forbes-small-giants-2017-americas-best-small-companies/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Forbes America's Best Small Companies List.</a> In 2016, she received the <a href="http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/blog/mcsb-awardee-motawi-tileworks" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Woman-Owned Small Business Award</a> presented by the Michigan Small Business Development Center. Nawal and Motawi tiles have also been featured in publications like the New York Times and Dwell Magazine, and can be seen at destinations like Disneyland, the University of Michigan Medical Center and Yale University. In this week’s donothing podcast, discover what inspired Nawal to realize her artistic dreams, how she grew Motawi Tileworks to prosperity, why she’s always striving to be a better leader and much more. Connect With Motawi Tileworks <ul> <li><a href="https://www.motawi.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/motawitileworks" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/motawi-tileworks" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li> </ul>

Episode 22: From Farmers Markets to Big Business Success: How This Entrepreneur Built an Arts Empire with Nawal Motawi 

Nawal Motawi joins us to talk about her journey from art school graduate to founder of an award-winning Ann Arbor-based nationally known art studio that creates unique handmade tile reflecting the classic styles and craftsmanship of 20th Century American design.Nawal Motawi founded Motawi Tileworks more than 20 years ago. A University of Michigan art school graduate with a restless spirit and an interest in applied arts, she moved to Detroit to learn tilemaking at Detroit’s storied Pewabic Pottery. She returned to Ann Arbor after a few years and began making her own tiles in a garage studio and selling them from a stand she rented at the local farmers’ market. Today, Nawal is still designing and making tiles in Ann Arbor. Her companies, Motawi Tileworks and Rovin Ceramics, employ more than 30 people. The tiles are sold in over 400 stores across the United States.The Motawi business philosophy:We make distinctive ceramics in a healthy way. We share our story. And we have fun.Why? We believe that we can make the world a better place by making beautiful things for everyday places and modeling healthy company practices.How do we do this?We make things that are valued for their design and quality.We cultivate an intentional workplace culture that fosters constant improvement, positivity and consistently high performance.Listen to learn how she made the move from her first art classes to a successful business owner, plus her best tips for building a sustainable career in the arts.

Nawal Motawi joins us to talk about her journey from art school graduate to founder of an award-winning Ann Arbor-based nationally known art studio that creates unique handmade tile reflecting the classic styles and craftsmanship of 20th Century American design. Nawal Motawi founded Motawi Tileworks more than 20 years ago. A University of Michigan art school graduate with a restless spirit and an interest in applied arts, she moved to Detroit to learn tilemaking at Detroit’s storied Pewabic Pottery. She returned to Ann Arbor after a few years and began making her own tiles in a garage studio and selling them from a stand she rented at the local farmers’ market. Today, Nawal is still designing and making tiles in Ann Arbor. Her companies, Motawi Tileworks and Rovin Ceramics, employ more than 30 people. The tiles are sold in over 400 stores across the United States. The Motawi business philosophy: We make distinctive ceramics in a healthy way. We share our story. And we have fun. Why? We believe that we can make the world a better place by making beautiful things for everyday places and modeling healthy company practices. How do we do this? We make things that are valued for their design and quality. We cultivate an intentional workplace culture that fosters constant improvement, positivity and consistently high performance. Listen to learn how she made the move from her first art classes to a successful business owner, plus her best tips for building a sustainable career in the arts.

What to do with a BFA:  How Nawal Motawi Created a  Robust Ceramic Tile Studio