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
320 episodes
#316 - Decorating, Glazing & Sanding: Tools We Trust
This week, Ryan & Becca are back with more of their favorite pottery tools—covering everything from decorating to glazing to sanding. Whether you’re setting up a home studio or just curious about what they reach for in theirs, you’re sure t...
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Episode 316
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1:34:01
#315 - From Clay Prep to Trimming: Tools We Love
This week, Ryan & Becca share their favorite pottery tools—from clay prep to throwing to trimming. You’ll likely recognize a few of your own go-tos and maybe discover some new ones to try. Plus, they announce an exciting new sponsor joining...
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Episode 315
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1:34:53
#314 - Making It Work When Sales Slow Down
Ryan & Becca dig into a listener’s question about what to do when your big, higher-priced pieces stop selling—and you don’t want to pivot into teaching. We talk honestly about adapting to shifts in the buying market while staying t...
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Episode 314
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1:30:36
#313 - Taking Creative Risks with Isaac Shue
Ryan welcomes back Isaac Shue for an open conversation about taking risks and growing beyond what’s comfortable. They explore the leaps Isaac has made to expand his pottery business — from scaling production and diversifying sales channels to t...
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Episode 313
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2:22:22
#312 - Growing a Nonprofit Clay Community with Trevor Daugherty
Ryan & Becca welcome back Trevor Daugherty to dive into the story of the Northern Indiana Clay Alliance — from its founding vision and organizational structure to the events it organizes, including the renowned Michiana Pottery Tour. They d...
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Episode 312
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2:02:09
#311 - Creativity vs. Exhaustion: Managing Burnout as Artists
Ryan & Becca discuss the realities of balancing work and life as artists, sharing thoughts on preventing burnout and navigating career transitions. They also highlight the importance of self-care, building support systems, and offer strateg...
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Episode 311
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2:35:23
#310 - Finding What Works (for Us) on Social Media
As Wheel Talk approaches its 6-year anniversary, Ryan and Becca reflect on the podcast’s growth and the incredible community that’s formed around it. Ryan shares highlights from his recent anniversary trip to Hawaii, and the conversati...
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Episode 310
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1:34:48
#309 - Wages, Worth, and Working for Yourself
Ryan & Becca explore the realities of small business finances—from paying livable wages and employee compensation to navigating the shift from salaried work to self-employment. This episode follows a slightly different format, and we hope y...
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Episode 309
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1:40:42
#308 - Converting Followers Into Buyers
Ryan and Becca kick off with a recap of Ryan’s recent Nashville workshop. The episode then centers on a listener question about converting social media engagement into actual sales—especially when platform limitations make linking to your shop ...
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Episode 308
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1:33:16
#307 - Building a Soda Kiln: Materials, Costs, and Lessons Learned
In this episode, Ryan shares his recent visit to Isaac Shue's gallery opening in Kansas and offers practical advice on building and maintaining a soda kiln—including materials, costs, and construction tips. He also discusses upcoming pottery wo...
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Episode 307
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2:15:39
#306 - New Job, New Chapter: Navigating Change with Grace
In this episode, Becca opens up about her recent transition into a new job and the mental health challenges that came with it. She shares her experience stepping away from pottery and social media, reflecting on how that break impacted her crea...
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Episode 306
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2:05:22
#305 - Art & Fear with Taylor Swilley
Ryan and Becca return for the fifth chapter of the podcast book club, diving into Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Joined once again by Taylor Swilley, they unpack ke...
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Episode 305
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2:23:14
#304 - How Much Is Too Much to Pay for a Booth?
In this episode, Ryan and Becca dive into the nitty-gritty of participating in art shows—from understanding different fee structures to handling logistics and boosting your profits. They break down common models, including flat booth fees, low ...
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Episode 304
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1:49:38
#303 - Where the Time Goes—And What You’re Earning with Heidi Fahrenbacher
Ryan & Becca welcome back Heidi Fahrenbacher of Bella Joy Pottery to catch up on her new studio build and share advice on a few business topics. They dive into Ryan’s current work hours and revenue from pottery as a side hustle, and how tra...
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Episode 303
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2:32:26
#302 - What to Make for Spring Shows
Ryan and Becca catch up on recent life updates and share what’s on the horizon for Ryan’s upcoming shows. They also dive into ideas for spring show inventory, discussing functional and decorative forms that are popular this time of year, plus a...
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Episode 302
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2:14:16
#301 - The Jigger and Jolly Journey with Jody Lewis of Good Wheel Ceramics
Ryan and Becca are joined by Jody Lewis of Good Wheel Ceramics, a Canadian potter whose journey from hobbyist to full-time artist is as thoughtful as his work. Jody shares how he incorporates jiggering and jollying techniques into his process a...
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Episode 301
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2:55:39
#300 - The Art of Teaching Workshops with Tzipporah Schvarcz from Sipor Ceramics
Ryan and Becca welcome back Tzipporah Schvarcz of Sipor Ceramics for her third appearance to dive into the ins and outs of hosting and teaching pottery workshops, both in-person and online. They explore marketing strategies, pricing, the rise o...
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Episode 300
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2:24:26
#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