Wheel Talk

Updated: 17 May 2025 • 307 episodes
www.wheeltalkpotcast.com

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!

Show episodes

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 tracking these metrics can offer valuable insights for your own business. The conve

152 min
00:00
02:32:26
No file found

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 few seasonal items to keep in mind for later in the year. Maker of the Mome

134 min
00:00
02:14:16
No file found

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 and reflects on what it"s been like balancing his growing pottery business al

175 min
00:00
02:55:39
No file found

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 of virtual summits, and how workshop formats have evolved. Plus, they reflect

144 min
00:00
02:24:26
No file found

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 what they’d do differently next time. Whether you’re a seasoned conference-goer

148 min
00:00
02:28:57
No file found

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 creative business with life’s demands—all while answering listener questions

163 min
00:00
02:43:14
No file found