Wheel Talk
Ryan Durbin (@rdceramics) & Becca Otis (@5linespottery) share their experiences as potters, makers, small business owners, and creatives. Becca is a full time studio potter, while Ryan is a full time website developer and part time potter. We'd love to share our ups and downs along the way as we build our skills as makers and small business owners in an honest, informal manner. We hope to bring you helpful tips we've learned over the years, learn from each other, and share expertise from a number of guests with you also. Please join us for some Wheel Talk!
Episodes
303 episodes
#299 - Making the Most of NCECA—Without Breaking the Bank
Ryan and Becca share highlights from their recent trip to Salt Lake City for the annual NCECA pottery conference. They dive into the highs and lows of the experience, explore practical ways to navigate the costs of attending, and reflect on wha...
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Episode 299
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2:28:57
#298 - Show season strategy with Isaac Shue
Ryan is back with Isaac Shue to share practical tips for pricing pottery, creating effective displays, and making the most of art fairs and festivals. They also talk through website strategy, studio expansion, and the challenges of balancing a ...
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Episode 298
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2:43:14
#297 - Between Two Podcasts with Mike Griffin of Between Two Ewers
Ryan & Becca are joined by Mike from Mike Griffin Ceramics and the Between Two Ewers podcast to chat about the difference between capital ‘P’ and lowercase ‘p’ potters, Ryan’s day job, bisque mug butts, mid-range soda workshops, an...
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Episode 297
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2:01:04
#296 - Beyond Social Media: Why Your Mailing List Matters with Heidi Fahrenbacher from Bella Joy Pottery
Ryan sits down with Heidi Fahrenbacher to dive into the world of email marketing and how potters can make the most of their mailing lists. They also chat about time management strategies and the ongoing challenge of balancing productivity with ...
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Episode 296
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2:23:33
#295 - Craft Show Chaos: Managing the Busy Season
Ryan and Becca dive into the ups and downs of running their pottery businesses, sharing experiences from craft shows, strategies for managing busy seasons, and the nitty-gritty of pottery production. They swap tips on choosing the right art mar...
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Episode 295
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1:50:33
#294 - Mastering ceramic decals with Isaac Shue
Ryan and Isaac Shue discuss preparations for Gallery Mostasa's spring show, covering pottery production, glaze techniques, and marketing. They dive into ceramic decals for customization, along with pricing strategies, custom order challenges, a...
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Episode 294
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2:18:12
#293 - Side hustle or full-time? Weighing the pros and cons
Ryan and Becca discussed the pros and cons of running a side business versus full-time self-employment, emphasizing the importance of routines and boundaries. They also touched on financial planning, upcoming events, and the differences between...
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Episode 293
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2:09:44
#292 - Q&A Part X
Ryan & Becca are back with another Q&A episode! They answer a range of questions from wedging tables to storing your inventory efficiently to developing new product lines. Thanks to everyone who continues to send us questions on Instagr...
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Episode 292
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1:30:21
#291 - Profit First with Taylor Swilley
Ryan and Becca return for the fourth chapter of the podcast book club, diving into Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. Joined once again by Taylor Swilley, they explore key takeaways and connect the book’s themes to their own businesses....
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Episode 291
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2:34:25
#290 - Building a ceramic collection, one mug at a time – with Layla Lynn, aka The Mug Maiden
Ryan & Becca are joined by Layla Lynn, also known as the Mug Maiden, a passionate ceramic mug collector with an impressive collection of over 700 pieces. Layla shares her love for handmade ceramics and dives into her experiences within the ...
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Episode 290
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2:07:46
#289 - The art & business of ceramic jewelry with Deanna Poelsma from Glazed & Confused Creations
Ryan & Becca chat with Deanna Poelsma from Glazed & Confused Creations about the art and business of ceramic jewelry. They discuss clay types, firing processes, tools, and materials for crafting and displaying ceramic jewelry. Deanna sh...
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Episode 289
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2:30:16
#288 - Authentic growth & "The Essential Pottery Notebook" with Kara Leigh Ford
Ryan & Becca are joined by Kara Leigh Ford, a potter based in the United Kingdom, to discuss her journey from a full-time career in marketing to building a thriving pottery business. Kara shares her insights on pricing handmade ceramics, se...
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Episode 288
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2:24:09
#287 - Making progress: From setting goals to staying inspired
Ryan and Becca kick off the episode by answering listener questions about point-of-sale systems and the enjoyable (and less enjoyable) parts of their making process. Then, they dive into the topic of the day: setting achievable goals to improve...
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Episode 287
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2:20:02
#286 - Simple steps to organize your business finances
Ryan and Becca dive into the importance of maintaining separate bank accounts for business transactions, efficiently tracking expenses, and staying on top of quarterly tax payments. They also discuss the value of understanding business structur...
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Episode 286
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2:02:07
#285 - New year, new focus
Ryan and Becca kick off the new year by sharing their personal and professional goals for 2025. They dive into strategies for improving time tracking in their small business, discuss aspirations like securing a role with Speedball, and outline ...
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Episode 285
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2:33:09
#284 - Reflections on 2024: Business Wins and Challenges
Ryan and Becca reflect on their 2024 business journeys, sharing the highs and lows and evaluating whether they met their goals. They dive into their financial strategies, the importance of tracking expenses and income, and the lessons learned a...
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Episode 284
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2:31:18
#283 - Essentials for a small studio
Ryan and Becca share some strategies for boosting attendance at upcoming workshops, emphasize the value of clear communication and marketing, and offer tips for optimizing studio spaces. They also explores affordable kiln firing options for beg...
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Episode 283
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1:59:43
#282 - Handling problematic customers & soda kiln visions
Ryan and Becca share candid experiences with challenging customers and explore how their personalities and appearances can shape these interactions. Wrapping up the episode, they discuss the dream of Ryan building a soda kiln in the backyard an...
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Episode 282
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1:22:39
#281 - Teaching, digital art & craftsmanship with Bryan Wilkerson
Ryan and Becca chat with Bryan Wilkerson, a professor of art and design, about his journey in teaching, digital art, and the Impostors Cup Show. They dive into the challenges of firing techniques, behind the scenes of the Impostors Cup Show, wh...
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Episode 281
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2:18:49
#280 - What we're thankful for in the ceramics community
In this episode, Ryan and Becca reflect on the many reasons they’re grateful for the ceramics community, from shared knowledge to the friendships formed through clay. They also tackle listener questions about navigating challenging show require...
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Episode 280
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1:46:58
#279 - Worth it or not worth it
In this episode, Ryan and Becca discuss a range of tools, techniques, and business practices that have tried and whether they have been worth it or not worth it. These range from buying a pug mill to mixing your own glazes to selling at pop up ...
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Episode 279
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2:15:28
#278 - Hands-on tips for teaching short workshops
Ryan & Becca share advice about hosting your own 2 hour workshops. Becca has been hosting a number of these recently and has so much to share! Questions include: how much should I charge, what’s reasonable to complete in 2 hours, and how sh...
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Episode 278
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1:58:41
#277 - How do you feel about preorders?
In this episode, Ryan and Becca answer a few listener questions before diving into the topic of preorders. Inspired by an Instagram story series from @themugmaiden, they discuss Ryan's exper...
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Episode 277
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2:06:56
#276 - Turning Ideas into Art: Steal Like an Artist with Taylor Swilley
Ryan and Becca return for the third chapter of the podcast book club, diving into Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon. Joined once again by Taylor Swilley, they explore key takeaways and...
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Episode 276
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1:43:49
#275 - Exploring Etsy HQ and brewing success at the Cincy Coffee Festival
In this episode, Ryan and Becca recap their time at the Cincinnati Coffee Festival, comparing sales, discussing what changed from last year, and exploring the new items Becca introduced. They also share highlights from Ryan’s recent trip to Bro...
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Episode 275
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1:31:16