The Pin Tool Podcast | Pottery | Ceramics | Small Business

Calm isn't a personality trait you either have or don't. It's a learned response, and you build it by having a system before the crisis hits. These are actual steps I'm taking right now at Creek Road Pottery to build something more resilient. In this episode, Alford Wayman walks through the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle as a studio practice, not a management seminar concept. PDCA came out of industrial...

Two weeks ago, I talked about the steps I'm taking to build something more resilient at Creek Road Pottery — the garden, the wood kiln, the solar system, the treadle wheel. Today is the field report. The solar equipment is starting to arrive. The garden was planted on Memorial Day, and the plants are growing. Here's what's actually happening on Creek Road right now. Links mentioned in this episode...

Last episode, I talked about the financial philosophy: know your numbers, price for sustainability, diversify revenue, and eliminate debt. This episode is the follow-up nobody asked for, but I'm doing anyway: the actual steps I'm taking right now at Creek Road Pottery to build something more resilient. The garden. The wood kiln. The solar plans. The treadle wheel. What I'm doing, why I'm doing it,...

In this episode, Alford Wayman talks honestly about financial pressure, debt, and what it actually takes to build a pottery business that is financially stable, not just creatively alive. What We Cover in This Episode The emotional truth first. There's a particular kind of shame that comes with being a maker who is also broke. You chose this. You chose clay over stability. And some days that feels...

Hard times don't ask permission before they show up. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about what it means to keep making work when life is pressing in from every direction; when the bills are real, the struggles are personal, and the studio feels like the last place you have the energy to be. But it might also be the one place that saves you. I share a few practical tips for staying at the wh...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we're discussing direction setting and goals for 2026. The Pottery Dailies: https://creekroadpottery.com/the-pottery-dailies/ The Creek Road Pottery LLC Blog: https://creekroadpottery.com/blog/

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss how to tell your story with your work and reconnect. Whether y...

S4E14: Selling Local – Start With One In this episode of The Pin Tool Podcast, we talk about what it means to sell local—starting small, starting close, and starting with just one customer, one connection, one sale. I share three approaches that have worked at Creek Road Pottery: joining or starting a local art trail with other businesses, doing custom work by choosing the right people to make for...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss when and how to ask for help. Whether you’re at the wheel, in...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we delve into the craft, philosophy, and business of creating pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, is a post from a live feed from my substack, The Pottery Dailies The Pottery Dailies: https://creekroadpottery.com/the-pottery-dailies/ The Creek Road Pottery LLC Blog: https://creekroadpottery.com/blog/

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss letting go of what's holding you back. Whether you’re at the w...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss building community with my AI bot, Project Planner Amelia. Whe...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll talk with my A.I. bot, Project Planner, Amelia, about Taking Inventory...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we're discussing being overwhelmed. I don’t have it all figured out. Most days, I’m just like you, swimming through resistance, elbowing my way through the chaos, and trying to remember why I started making pots in the first plac...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll talk with my A.I. bot Project Planner, Amelia, about taking creative R...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll talk with my A.I. bot Project Planner, Amelia, about how to overcome c...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art and life intersect. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. This episode explores the challenges of reduction firings, show prep, and how the Creek Road Pottery Spring Show 2025 went. Website: https://creekroadpottery.com The Pottery Dailies: https://creekroadpottery.com/the-pottery-dailies/

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today; we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll talk with my A.I. bot Project Planner, Amelia, about how to overcome c...

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today; we’re exploring a powerful framework that blends creative recovery, mental resilience, and business strategy. If you've ever felt stuck in your art—whether creatively, emotionally, or even in the way you run your business—this ep...

Welcome to the latest episode of "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art meets entrepreneurship. I'm your host, Al Wayman, from Creek Road Pottery LLC. In this episode, I discuss with my virtual assistant, Amelia, an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot, the topic of  "Peopleing".  Understanding people can play an essential role in creating work that matters. Connecting with others through generosity, empath...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where creativity meets organization. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. In this episode, I have a discussion with my virtual assistant, Amelia, an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot, on the tools that help us stay productive—planners and Google Calendar.  Whether you’re managing a pottery studio, balancing creative projects, or just trying to ke...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art and life intersect. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. This episode explores the challenges of organizing a Holiday Trail with other small businesses and how the Creek Road Pottery Christmas show went. Website: https://creekroadpottery.com The Pottery Dailies: https://creekroadpottery.com/the-pottery-dailies/ The Back Road Christmas...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art and life intersect. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. In this episode, we explore the challenges of staying focused amid distractions, the importance of taking responsibility for both successes and failures, and the need for empathy and collaboration, especially in shared creative and political spaces. Whether in the pottery studio...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art and life intersect. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. Today, we talk about my Fall show 2024, what went right, and what I may need to work on. I then read one of my posts on the Pottery Dailies. Generosity and Pricing: No One Owes You Anything https://thepotterydailies.substack.com/p/generosity-and-pricing Website: https://creekroa...

Welcome to "The Pin Tool Podcast," where art and life intersect. I’m your host, Alford Wayman of Creek Road Pottery LLC. Today, we talk about a quiet moment of connection at a rainy Sunday market, capturing the value of showing up, even when the weather and conditions aren’t ideal. Through a chance encounter with a single customer, meaningful exchanges are often worth more than any sale, and the i...