Wheel Talk
270 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 109 ratingsRyan 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!
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Episodes
#18 - From Rich to Poor, How to Handle the Dreaded Winter
December 28, 2019 16:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk about transitioning from the busiest time of the year during the holiday hustle and bustle to the slowest during the first quarter of the new year. Our motivations & workflow may need to change as the days get shorter and night comes earlier. Becca & Ryan love the chance to ramp up production, figure out what forms worked & didn't for the year, and take a little time off. We're making our lists for weekly & monthly production goals. How about you? Thanks f...
#17 - Balancing a Full-Time Job & Side Hustle
December 21, 2019 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBOn this episode, Ryan answers a question he received on Instagram about balancing a full-time job and small business on the side. Ryan works from home as a website developer from 9-5 and runs his small business (RD Ceramics) outside those hours. How does he prioritize his down time and what can you do to optimize your own down time after work and before going to bed? Ryan also share some of the realities of what may seem like high priorities to others that are much lower for him. Tune in to ...
#16 - No Ma'am.. This Isn't a Hobby.
December 14, 2019 08:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss things to keep in mind if you are thinking about transitioning from side hustle to full time artist/maker. Lots of makers may be in this same situation currently where they sell their work on the side at shows, online, or at a few local shops while still having a day job. Becca has been working as a full-time studio potter for 5 years and has some great insights about the reality of 'making' full-time. Ryan has aspirations of being full-time someday as h...
#15 - Two Broke Potters
December 07, 2019 08:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk about the business side of pottery, specifically taking on debt to grow your business. Each of them have their own perspectives on the topic with Ryan doing this on the side without the need to pay the bills from pottery sales & Becca relying entirely on her pottery business for a living. Becca has some experiences taking on business debt over the 5 years of her business, so it's worth a listen to get an in-depth look behind the scenes. Thanks for joining ...
#14 - What's Up Guys?! (with Jon Schmidt aka Jon The Potter)
November 27, 2019 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBOn this episode, Ryan sits down for a chat with Jon Schmidt aka Jon The Potter after attending his workshop in Columbus, Ohio recently. Jon's most known for producing & sharing entertaining videos to his 76,000+ YouTube subscribers teaching pottery techniques, successes, failures, & his overall love for clay. He works out of his home pottery studio in Waconia, Minnesota and owns 3 coffee shops nearby called The Mocha Monkey. We enjoyed our chat with him to talk about his first workshop, YouT...
#14 - What's Up Guys?! with Jon Schmidt aka Jon The Potter
November 27, 2019 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBOn this episode, Ryan sits down for a chat with Jon Schmidt aka Jon The Potter after attending his workshop in Columbus, Ohio recently. Jon's most known for producing & sharing entertaining videos to his 76,000+ YouTube subscribers teaching pottery techniques, successes, failures, & his overall love for clay. He works out of his home pottery studio in Waconia, Minnesota and owns 3 coffee shops nearby called The Mocha Monkey. We enjoyed our chat with him to talk about his first workshop, YouT...
#13 - Glazed and Confused
November 23, 2019 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk all things glazing. Each started working out of studios where mixing glazes was commonplace, so it's no surprise they each mix their own these days. There are many considerations when starting the process of testing new glazes and mixing large batches. Give it a listen for a glimpse into our process and build your confidence as you start some testing of your own. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and ...
#12 - Why Be a Depressed Bee, When You Can Play with Pottery?
November 16, 2019 08:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBOn this episode, Becca discusses her experiences with depression over the years & how it affects her as a small business owner now. She discusses some tangible tips that help her make it through those tough days/weeks when she gets into the studio and isn't sure what to do. Whether you struggle with depression or not, this episode is just a good authentic take from a fellow maker. Have a listen and please let us know how you are working to work through depression & improve yourself when ther...
#11 - Should I Stay or Should I Go?
November 09, 2019 00:00 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss things to keep in mind if you are thinking about starting your own home studio. Lots of clay makers start creating & learning in the comfort of community studios where the equipment, tools, firing, etc are all part of what you pay for in your rental space or class fees. We wanted to dive into some things to consider as you may be pondering the idea of having your very own home studio besides just the obvious things, like getting a pottery wheel or kiln. ...
#10 - Pot Swap 2019
November 01, 2019 16:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk all things Pot Swap! Pot Swap was started back in 2018 as a way for potters on Instagram to connect and participate in a holiday secret santa with other clay makers around the world. Listen to hear what it's all about, why it's such a fun event throughout the holidays, & how you can join in this year! Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow us on Instagram: @wheeltalkpodcast @rd...
#9 - How much does a mug cost to produce?
October 25, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca go deep into some numbers! They discuss what costs go into producing one handmade mug (materials, time, firing) & the profit once a sale is made. Becca & Ryan each share their expenses & their answers differ, but see who makes the most profit on their mugs. If you love to geek out on numbers & spreadsheets, this is the episode for you! Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow us on In...
#8 - Improve Your Art Show Sales
October 19, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk about how they have improved their sales over time at art shows. Everyone starts off at a place where sales are really tough to come by and we want to share some ideas that you can consider when preparing for your next show and beyond. It's a long process, so don't get discouraged when you have a bad sales day or wonder why someone else is selling so well and you aren't. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to disc...
#7 - Transitioning from Fall to Winter
October 13, 2019 03:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca talk about transitioning from the busy show season to the slower time of year during the winter. As makers, lots of us have to hustle during the winter months to pay bills after the holiday spending frenzy. For us, it's a time to relax a bit, restock inventory, look back at your year, and start thinking about your year ahead. Stick around to the end where we each commit to what we expect to sell for the remainder of 2019 (with actual numbers)! You don't want to ...
#6 - 21 Questions
October 05, 2019 07:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca jump into a rapid fire list of questions to get to know them better. Some are clay related, others aren't, but they have fun along the way. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow us on Instagram: @wheeltalkpodcast @rdceramics @5linespotterystudio Email us any questions or topics you'd love discussed: [email protected] Support the Show.
#5 - Ways to Sell: Consignment
September 28, 2019 22:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss pros & cons of selling on consignment in the second installment of the Ways to Sell series. There is so much that goes into selling your work and this is another. Ryan sells some work at a few galleries on consignment & Becca has sold this way a little bit. We hope you enjoy both perspectives. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow us on Instagram: @wheeltalkpodcast @rdceram...
#4 - Ryan's Best Show Ever!!
September 21, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca recorded their Instagram Live discussion after having 2 great shows! Ryan shares how a new experiment was a HUGE success! Becca shares some details of her weekend at Leavenworth. They also go behind the scenes to talk about the podcast as it was getting close to being release & how it compares to the other new clay/business podcasts out there. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow ...
#3 - Ways to Sell: Art Shows
September 14, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss pros & cons of selling at art shows in the first installment of the Ways to Sell series. There is so much that goes into selling your work and this is just one of them. Ryan & Becca both enjoy selling at in-person shows and we'd love to share our stories and tips for you today. Thanks for joining us and we would love to hear your feedback on future topics to discuss and help us improve! Follow us on Instagram: @wheeltalkpodcast @rdceramics @5linespott...
#2 - For Love or Money?
September 07, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss a question that came in through Instagram recently from a college student. She asks about how and when we decided to pursue ceramics to assist her in choosing between majoring in something she loves doing vs something that will make her money. Ryan has a full time job and is working to grow his pottery business on the side. Becca graduated with an art degree and has been working in the ceramics field in some way since graduating. Listen in on their outlo...
Trailer-Wheel Talk Podcast
August 22, 2019 22:00 - 2 minutes - 1.58 MBWhat is in store for some Wheel Talk! Support the Show.
#1 - Motivation as a Maker
August 22, 2019 20:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBOn this episode, Ryan & Becca discuss motivation as a maker. Becca speaks on her perspective as a full time potter and studio owner & Ryan as a part time maker while he works a typical 9-5 during the day. Each maker/artist/craftsperson/small business owner gets motivated by different things and we share some of our experiences related to overcommitting, list-making, goal-setting, selling at shows, and why you should focus your time on what you love doing. Thanks for joining us for our first...