Elev8 Premier Expectations and Guide To Jobs Success

Home › Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) › z - Elev8 Premier › Elev8 Premier Expectations and Guide To Jobs Succe....

Posted by Steve K on January 23, 2023

Table of Contents

Non-Glass Duties

Introduction:

  • Being a part of Elev8 Premier as a full-time employee can be a very rewarding experience but your goals can also be unclear at times. We want everybody to have a clear understanding of what their goals should be both daily and long term as well. The first thing to remember is where this studio was birthed from: The Silver Surfer Vaporizer. One man’s dream of a vaporizer with fully customizable handmade glass parts made in America. That dream built this studio and continues to be a pinnacle part of keeping it open and running. So in short, Production.  Daily production parts should be the first goal every day during our work week.  We all have an artist inside of us screaming to get out and getting through the grind of production will help teach all the small steps that must be dialed in and mastered to have success for all those cool side projects we want to get to. 

Practice and what to do

  • The first thing you should think about is what is needed.
  • We have the SSV warehouse to keep stocked with surfer parts  and accessories.  This is where we started and has done us well.  The parts pay well and after learned are fairly easy and not too physically demanding.
  • We have 2 head shops with a wide variety of custom part needs.
  • There’s Elev8 Distribution to keep stocked with custom repeatable glass. 
  • We also have our own small glass case to keep stocked with affordable glass for customers we may have at the studio.
  • You can always ask a supervisor if they have any suggestions to keep you in a good lane while practicing.  We do recommend you ask for guidance, we know how easy it is to get lost in this amazing adventure.
  • A lot of times just some prep for a senior blower can be a great thing to do. You can have a lot of fun without having the commitment of finishing the piece.  This is also great as the senior blower can guide you closely on ways to improve.  This is a big win for you, and an amazing opportunity you should take advantage of.

Depending on your skill level there’s numerous things to do.   The following are some examples of what can be done in practice time:

  • Pendants – Don’t try to commit too long on these, we want to try to keep them affordable ($10-$50 retail). You can explore numerous techniques with pendants and you can learn a lot from them.  
  • Marbles – E.P. has 4 custom repeatable marbles we need fairly often: Vortex, Implosion, Mushroom and Flower.  Each of these marbles have a simple design that is just enough to push your skillset from the first one you make all the way up to the 100th and even beyond that. Practicing the repeatable marbles is recommended before you move on to your own.  If you can not make a repeatable, sorry, you just will not be able to finely craft your dream.  We have a ladder to climb, be patient.  
  • Simple prep – We are always needing prep for something.  This kind of prep could be anything from melting frit into slugs to prepping color for our new Butter line. For these types of projects you will want to get with a supervisor for guidance. Just a simple question, “Hey, can I help with any prep for those sexy new Butter colors” Will help get us working with you more sooner than later. It’s also encouraging for us to know you’re ready to level up and help out.
  • Pipes – Let’s be honest….We all want to be great pipe makers, Isn’t that a big reason you wanted to be a glass bowler?   We have a wide variety of pipes that we need BIG numbers of. Somewhere in your first 6 months you should be able to be introduced to the P-95, our most simple pipe design. A simple low risk, fast moving pipe that will sharpen the skills you MUST know to make beautiful pipes.  From there we can move into simple frit pipes, sherlocks, bubbler and more!! But you must master the P-95 for these fundamental skills. The beauty of Elev8 Premier is that the line of pipes is designed to help build the best blowers in the industry, one technique at a time.
  • Simple Dab Straws – Another low risk, highly needed part with wide variations that can be simple and repeatable or completely custom, something from your own mind. You will also need to learn to have some thick skin at times and be prepared to be critiqued on every piece of glass you produce. If there’s something to be said it will be said. Remember, it’s all in the name of growth.  But you will be told how to improve.  Remember we are Elev8 Premier, and we can only put our name on the best of the best. The biggest thing to remember with all parts being practiced is quality. 

We need HIGH-quality glass. Period. Always shoot to make a piece you would be proud to have as your own no matter what it is. As part of this team, your glass is not only your own reputation but all of ours as well. Your glass WILL speak for the team at times. You have a responsibility to yourself and everyone around you to keep the highest standards at all times. 

Elev8 Premier Production

What should be learned in the first 4 years? Here is a short layout of the skills you should expect to have dialed in your first 4 years of employment to keep you on track for greatness. Learn all production glass for all products Videos and info on Elev8 Premier production glass

Year 1: Daily shop operations and glass skills including:

Year 2:

Year 3:

  • Becoming even more proficient with all pipe styles and getting faster
  • Pipes with inside out work and basic windows
  • More advanced prep work
  • Starting to work more with small rigs
  • Sherlocks (both large and 2 piece)

Year 4:

  • You should have all pipes dialed in
  • Working well with switch balls
  • Nice looking bubblers
  • 2 piece sherlocks 
  • Starting to be more of a finisher
  • From small adapters to now working with repeatable mini tubes you should be able to flow back and forth with most parts

It might take 5 – 6 years to really have a grip on being able to handle most anything that comes our way and in some instances even 8 -10 years +. Sometimes, it’s the time you haven’t spent working on a part that is keeping you from fully succeeding with it.   We have a wide variety of parts and it can take time to get them all down as we are constantly shifting back and forth with what jobs we’re working on. We also believe this makes us very versatile and gives us a huge advantage.   Years 4 through 10 –    Now you should be in a versatile position. A place where you can swing from one part to another with little trouble.  This is where all the struggles start to pay off.  Being a glass blower!! This is the dream right? Simple, low risk parts to fill your week with production and your pockets with $. You will now be in a position where you can have higher rates of success and those weekends become a lot of fun seeing what you can create with all the different skill sets you have taken the time to learn

 

Other Duties

Premier Employee Expectation

Expectations:  Elev8 Premier can be a very fun and laid-back place to work but it’s important to remember that it is a job and should be treated as such. 

  • A full workweek is both expected and required.  This is a win for all, your pay, your skills and Premier. 
  • Every employee must work 40 hours per week. Not completing a full work week can result in lost vacation time, a reduction in the hourly pay rate and can hold back any raises until time has been made up 

(Not a good place to be).

  • If time is taken off it is best that it is made up on the weekend.  
  • If your time was scheduled off or PTO is being used you are not expected to make up for those days. Anything outside of those conditions is considered unexcused and should be made up.

As an employee of Elev8 Premier you having your position is validated by us having 40hrs a week of work we need to have done and it is important to know you are needed for those hours.  Not just for daily work but we need you here emerged in what you are doing to continue fast growth for a smooth future.   So if you are reading this congratulations!! You ARE a part of an ultimate glass team!! Practice time: Every 40-hour work week should be accompanied with 4 hrs of practice time. For how long? The first 4 years are required. After that, it is strongly encouraged.  Remember the more you make the better your skills, and what you sell you will be paid for.

  • Ideally we would like to see people who are dedicated to no less than 10 years with us. It should take about 4 years for us to show you how to be able to complete most of the general tasks we have for everyday production.  We have great confidence that you will also develop the skills to be one of the most talented blowers in the world.
  • In that time we will dedicate countless hours of our time, material and we would like to put those skills to work for another 6 years.  
  • We want people to feel like they have a long term commitment as we are willing to put the same into every individual.
  • What should you be working on during your learning time?
    • Production is the easiest answer. What’s the next part you’re going to be learning? Remember, all of these parts will be teaching you a skill set, and a sharp skill set will keep you busy making $ during your work week.
    • So it might not be the “new cool thing” you want to make but we don’t want to see skills stretched too far while learning that we have unnecessary failures. 
    • We do want to encourage you to find yourself.  Watch the Elev8 at 8 interviews, and what most all of these amazing blowers have in common is years of production work refining their skills to become one of the best artists in the industry.
    • Compensation-

Intern Expectations

  • Agrees to the Non Paid Intern agreement
  • 3 for 3
    • This is 3 hours of shop work for 3 hours of torch time learning glass with instruction as needed or requested.
      • This is the first steps in building yourself as a glassblower and will help prepare you for what you need to know to be successful.
    • If 3 for 3 is completed the intern can do what they like without any instruction.
      • This is considered your time to work on what interest you. You are strongly encouraged to keep your projects in the realm of possibility and geared towards establishing basic fundamentals. In other words, lets not shoot for the stars too soon.
  • Outside of the 3 for 3 if there is any shop work available and if the intern would like to help with they will  paid minimum wage. These wages will be paid through a 10-99 as you are an intern.
  • Interns will be paid normal rates for all piece work they learn.
    • These are the same rates as all everyday employees make. Understand these rates are set by skilled blowers with many years of experience and will take some time for you to be able to accomplish them in the set time.  This is where teh 3 for 3 comes into play.   We are here for your success to grow fast.
  • Some glass parts that fall in a low skillset may be paid out at an hourly rate. Interns will be paid their minimum wage hourly rate for all products that falls into this category. This is work that must be learned in the 3 for 3 time or on your time.  Once learned and have the skills to be proficient at a part you will be given any that work that becomes available in the future.

 

 

This is basically a consignment.

1910 views
Updated on August 5, 2026