Wheel Talk

Ryan & Becca dig into how they get a grasp on who their customers are and why they enjoy their work. Thee are so many potential customers out there for all of us and narrowing in on who your product is made for & who you most resonate with can help you so much in the long run. So much of your small business revolves around gaining new customers, maintaining your existing ones, and even fir...

Ryan & Becca sit down with a new friend in clay, Chris Burch. This lengthy discussion covers many topics from fulfilling a 500 piece order in 9 weeks, pursuing clay full time, balancing family and small business duties, pricing your work appropriately, teaching on the wheel, understanding how you find happiness in the work you do, and much more. Thanks so much to Chris for being very gracious...

Ryan & Becca bring you a special episode discussing all things #potswap2021 . Follow along with all Pot Swap happenings on Instagram @potswapofficial . Registration is free and open to the first 600 entries this year starting on Sunday, October 17th at 12pm EDT. First come, first serve on sign-ups so set a reminder (we have a reminder shared in our Instagram stories)! Spots WILL fill up very f...

Ryan & Becca jump into the deep on tracking their business income and expenses. Becca is pretty invested in Quickbooks for her business. Ryan tracks everything using Google Sheets/Forms. If you ever wanted to know how Ryan stays so organized and on top of his business books, you're in the right spot! Enjoy and check out our Instagram for visuals if you're looking to follow along as R...

Ryan & Becca have a different one for you today as they talk through a new line of work Becca is starting. Sometimes it's nice to chat with a friend about something new you are planning and need a second perspective. We cover sales goals, pricing, branding, making efficiency, various forms, and timelines. We hope you enjoy this informal conversation between a couple of friends who love to...

Ryan & Becca are back for yet another question and answer episode covering topics in clay, small business, personal, and plenty of others. These continue to be fun for us to record and we hope you enjoy them also. Thanks to everyone who continue to send their questions via Instagram and email! Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a f...

Ryan and Becca start off with some breaking news before discussing expenses for your business today. What should and shouldn't be considered a business expense and considerations as you think about your past purchases. There are different approaches Ryan & Becca take here and hopefully it helps to hear some varying perspectives on the topic. When in doubt, always consult your bookkeeper o...

Ryan and Becca answer some more listener questions about art shows. This week we cover how much work you should take to a show to have ample inventory, what items sell well besides mugs, & a final inquiry about how you deal with other vendors who wants to trade work. We hope you enjoy another short episode and it helps those of you selling at shows these days. Resources: #86 - Art show Q&A...

Ryan and Becca get into the finance side of selling mugs of different styles: 'basic' production mugs and 'fancy' detailed mugs. We breakdown the time to produce, opportunity to experiment, how to manage your inventory effectively, and what other variables should be considered as you grow your customer base. We are pretty used to producing 'basic' work in high quantit...

Ryan & Becca chat with their good friend Isaac Shue, a former high school teacher to full time ceramic artist. Isaac runs Gallery Mostaza, a curated selection of their handmade pottery and other local makers, with his wife Karina in Harper, Kansas. They cover many topics on today's episode including: transitioning from teaching to making pots full time, renovating a new gallery space, fin...

Ryan & Becca decide to rehash the topics discussed on the 2 year anniversary of releasing their first episode. Topics include motivation to get in the studio, list making, how/when we prefer to work in the studio, and how we set goals for ourselves. Let’s see what’s changed in the past 2 years. References Kiln wash recipe https://suemcleodceramics.com/how-to-make-a-good-kiln-wash-to-protect-yo...

Ryan & Becca look back as they hit the 2 year anniversary of hosting Wheel Talk. A lot of things have progressed since we first started, we've covered so many topics over the past 100+ episodes, and have spent time interviewing some great peers inside & outside of clay. Thank you all so much for listening & letting us join you in your studios on a weekly basis. We are very gratefu...

Ryan & Becca start by sharing how the Backyard Craft Show went for both of them at Ryan's parent's home in Louisville, KY. They then go into specifics about each of their 3 favorite cups: likes, dislikes, & the story behind how they got them. It's fun for us to share our favorite pieces with you and would love to see your favorite cups and tag us on Instagram. Follow us on P...

Ryan & Becca recap their weekend after returning from the Berea Craft Festival and answer a listener question. A listener has a good question about how they should go about raising their prices. Pricing is always a tough task but having confidence in whatever you decide is the best advice we could give you. Good luck out there! Listener Questions On this episode: - I need to up my prices due t...

Ryan & Becca finally get to a question that has been left unanswered for a while now: pros and cons of selling on your own website vs an Etsy shop. There is a lot to this topic but we hope to cover a number of angles to be considered before decided what's right for your situation. Selling online is a great source of revenue and we encourage you to open up your business to the wider custom...

Ryan and Becca give some insights about recycling your mountain of clay scraps effectively. They recap how they have handled reclaim in the past, what they do now, and what you should consider adapting to your situation. The price of new clay, time invested/lost by recycling, clay consistency, and studio spacing are a few factors to consider. Resources: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRgvplFi372/...

Ryan and Becca answer a question about handle making and share their experience with various handle making processes. There's no one handle technique that fits all mug styles but it's good to break down how and why you make handles the way you do. Listener Questions On this episode: - I’m switching from extruded cut and placed handles to pulled from the cup handles Matthew Kelly changed...

Ryan & Becca share some of their favorite moments from the first 100 episodes. This is the first of multiple “best of” episodes since we couldn’t fit everything into just 2 hours. Thanks for all of the support these past 100 episodes & here’s to the next 100! Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those throu...

Ryan & Becca break down what makes a great show after Ryan gets back from his 2 day show in Louisville, KY. A number of factors are accounted for when determining whether you may want to participate in a show for the first time or return in the future. Don't base your reasons entirely on sales, but think about all that went into your experience beforehand, during, and after your show. The...

Ryan & Becca answer a question from our MVQ (Most Valuable Questioner) @aleathabean about how we analyze inspiration vs. 'claygiarism.' How do you draw the line of making based on inspiration vs. copying someone else's work? How do you react to someone copying your work? Have you ever been accused of copying another person's work? This is a pretty open ended discussion toda...

Becca spends the day in the studio with her clay friend of 8+ years, Val Flynn of Val Flynn Pottery in Snohomish, Washington. They chat about building a new studio from scratch, experimenting with new forms, pricing your work/worth, and learning to grow her pottery business. Thanks for having us in your studio Val! Resources from today's episode: Flammable Entrepreneur ----- Find more about V...

Ryan & Becca are back for a fourth question and answer episode covering topics in clay, small business, personal, and some off-the-wall questions. These are always enjoyable for us to record and we hope you love them as well. Thanks to everyone for submitting their questions via Instagram this time around! Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking...

Ryan & Becca sit down for a conversation with Link Henderson, owner of Kentucky Mudworks & Dirty Girls Pottery Tools, to go in depth about clay & tools. We learn how Kentucky Mudworks begun almost 20 years ago and how Dirty Girls Pottery Tools came about. We also answer a number of listener questions related to finding the right clay body for you, reclaiming clay, properties of various...

Ryan and Becca answer a question that has come over multiple times: how to quality test your pottery. We cover a number of testing methods to ensure your work is safe for food or drink & resistant to high stress situations. Enjoy and run a few of these tests on your own work to feel more confident in your finished products that are purchased by customers. Resources: Shrinkage/Absorption Test -...

Ryan and Becca are trying out a shorter episode today to answer a listener question in depth about the profit potential between various items. There are many factors that go into pricing your work and just because you have a larger form doesn't mean it has to be less profitable. Supply and demand play a big factor as well when you're deciding how to price your work appropriately for the...