Ryan & Becca discuss how they think about adjusting their business & finances when sales are harder to come by. We've seen slower sales to start the year online, at shows, and general sentiment around folks having less disposable income. We hope you get some valuable takeaways to get yourself prepared in the case of finances tightening or product being harder to sell. Resources Wheel Talk #233 - Is paid advertisement worth it? with Will Donovan Listener Questions On this episode: - What ...
May 18, 2024•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 251
Ryan & Becca go in deep on finding shows early in your selling career. Becca plays interviewer on this one to ask Ryan all about his early shows, what he hopes to get sales-wise these days at a show, and how the progression has evolved year to year. There's also some discussion about where and how to find the shows for you. Thanks for the question Tiffany! Resources Sign up for Becca's upcoming Nesting Mixing Bowls virtual workshop on Wed, May 15 at 8pm EST Wheel Talk #208 - Optimizing your ...
May 11, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 250
Ryan & Becca are back together once again to discuss risk taking in our businesses. What's the most risk we've taken lately, how do we think through risks we're willing to take, how having a support system influences our decisions, and how do we prepare ourselves when something doesn't go right. We hope you enjoy our discussion today. Resources Sign up for Becca's upcoming Nesting Mixing Bowls virtual workshop on Wed, May 15 at 8pm EST Listener Questions On this episode: - How do you decide ...
May 04, 2024•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 249
Ryan & Becca have the whole crew here today, joined by Heidi Fahrenbacher from Bella Joy Pottery and Isaac Shue from Gallery Mostaza. They talk a lot more about our hot topic as of late: pricing. Heidi continues where we left off last time to ask Ryan about his approach to pricing and digging into Isaac's pricing philosophy. ----- Find more about Isaac's business below----- Instagram - @isaacshueisart & @gallery.mostaza Gallery Website - https://www.gallerymostaza.com/ Isaac's Facebook -...
Apr 27, 2024•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 248
Ryan & Becca are proud to share the topic of "Resources for your business" live at the NCECA 2024 clay conference hosted in Richmond, VA. We hope you enjoy the discussion as we share how our friends and peers become some of the best resources for our businesses. Thanks to Ben Carter ( Tales of the Red Clay Rambler ) and NCECA for co-producing the podcast and graciously inviting us back for the NCECA podcast room. Also, thanks to everyone who came to our talk in-person and asked questions liv...
Apr 20, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 247
Ryan & Becca chat about preorders today! We cover a few pros and cons of doing a preorder, what we've preordered before, what we'd like to preorder in the future, and customer considerations when receiving an online preorder. Enjoy and good luck if you're planning to preorder anything this year. Resources Join the waitlist for Ryan's future Bookkeeping Workshops Listener Questions On this episode: - Taxes/keeping track of income/expenses @dirtboyceramics Send us questions so we can answer an...
Apr 13, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 246
Ryan & Becca welcome back Heidi Fahrenbacher from Bella Joy Pottery for third time to chat all things NCECA and catch up on Becca's pricing. They recap how NCECA went for them as demonstrators & presenters, what makes the conference so overwhelming, dig into Becca's pricing and sales since we last met with Heidi, and hunting apparently. Stay tuned for the next appearance when we dig more into Ryan's pricing and sales with Heidi. Enjoy everyone! ----- Find more about Heidi's business belo...
Apr 06, 2024•2 hr 19 min•Ep. 245
Ryan & Becca are heading home to Cincinnati with Erica & Jessica from Richmond, Virginia after attending NCECA 2024. Enjoy the events that made this week special and some of our key takeaways as we get home, rest up, and get back into our studios soon. We hope to see everyone in Salt Lake City, Utah for 2025 and Detroit, Michigan for 2026! Follow Erica at @erica_irene_k and Jessica at @overbrookclay on Instagram to see what they are up to. Listener Questions Send us questions so we can a...
Mar 30, 2024•2 hr 29 min•Ep. 244
Ryan & Becca are getting excited about NCECA, which just concluded at the time of this release, before answering a listener's question about gauging the shows they're selling at. Sandrine's in her second year of selling and wants to make sure the shows she's looking into are good fit for the potential customers out there for her. We get into how you should think about the shows you choose, improving little by little by comparing to yourself only, and planning for selling outside your home st...
Mar 23, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 243
Ryan & Becca share some stories today about how the podcast started and how it's changed over the years. We also get into how we see it progressing into the future and some dream scenarios we may see come to fruition at some point. Thanks for continuing to listen! Listener Questions On this episode: - How did the podcast start? How did we manage it early on & plan for discussions? Where are we now with it and how do we feel about it? Did we have plans long term for it & what opportun...
Mar 16, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 242
Ryan & Becca are joined today by Melanie Westheiden from Swell Ceramics. Melanie shares about her business’ evolution from a home studio to brick and mortar, preparing for the holiday season, setting boundaries on Instagram, & shifting her body of work. Thanks so much to Melanie for taking the time to share with all of us. ----- Find more about Melanie’s business below----- Instagram - @swellceramics Website - https://www.swellceramics.com/ Listener Questions On this episode: - Do y’all ...
Mar 09, 2024•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 241
Ryan & Becca are back together once again and this week we're talking mobile studios! We received a question about the viability of using a mobile studio in a trailer, van, etc to assist in teaching small kid classes and selling at shows from it. Becca's insights may surprise you on this one. Thanks for the question Lilly! Listener Questions On this episode: - I have been trying to get a little more consistency in my drying. Currently I have a rack that is taped up with plastic but occasiona...
Mar 02, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 240
Ryan & Becca are joined today by Sara Davis from Golden Earth Designs. Sara shares about her process of making custom wholesale mugs, selling full time the past year, getting back to production after the holidays, and clay buttons! Thanks so much to Sara for sharing some time to chat about her work and business. ----- Find more about Sara's business below----- Instagram - @goldenearthdesigns Etsy - https://goldenearthdesigns.etsy.com/ Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer any...
Feb 24, 2024•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 239
Ryan & Becca welcome Em (Paz) Stevens to the show to discuss balancing a full time job in the service industry and part time pottery. We get into how her business did in 2023, how she's building out her home studio, funding the build through Kickstarter, setting realistic business goals, and digging into Etsy shop advice. Thanks again to Em for sharing her time with us. ----- Find more about Em's business below----- Instagram - @pazfuldesigns Website - https://www.pazfuldesigns.com/ Facebook...
Feb 17, 2024•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 238
Ryan & Becca Welcome Em (Paz) Stevens to the show to discuss balancing a full time job in the service industry and part time pottery. Em has a number of questions for us, especially related to how Ryan was able to sell $95k worth of work in a year that averages $35 while selling "part time." We cover a number of topics on this first installment of this chat with Em and we're grateful for her sharing some time with us. ----- Find more about Em's business below----- Instagram - @pazfuldesigns ...
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 237
Ryan & Becca are back to chatting just the two of them on today's episode. Most of the discussion involves updating everyone about their busy lives the past few weeks before getting into their time at Clay Con West this January. It was another great year spent with new and old friends and we hope to see you at NCECA 2024 in Richmond, Virginia or next year for Clay Con West 2025 in Saint George, Utah. Join Ryan's upcoming workshop: Bookkeeping Workshop with Ryan - Feb 10 Listener Questions Se...
Feb 03, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 236
Ryan and Becca are joined by Rebecca Ickes Carra, host of The Maker's Playbook podcast and co-owner of Carra Terra, a small pottery business in Milwaukee, WI. Drawing from her 14-years as a self-employed photographer, Rebecca sheds light on the dynamics of building their pottery business alongside her husband Francesco. We cover the art of juggling multiple commitments, insights into working with a spouse, reflections on a year of selling at in-person shows, tips on pricing handmade items, and a...
Jan 27, 2024•2 hr 41 min•Ep. 235
Ryan and Becca are joined by Joshua Reed from Wellness with Joshua to talk how we can ensure our bodies can hold up long-term as potters and small business owners. Joshua has a varied background in physical therapy, biomechanics, physical training, nutrition coaching, and more to share his expertise with us for long term body care as potters. We hope you get value from our discussion and please let us know what you'd like to hear from Joshua if we have him back in the future. ----- Find more abo...
Jan 20, 2024•3 hr 24 min•Ep. 234
Ryan and Becca welcome back Will Donovan of Donovan Pottery to discuss a range of topics, including: sharing end of year recaps, growing your business with help, using paid ads to sell your work, and geeking out on Lord of the Rings. We learn a ton from Will's second time on the podcast and we hope you take some good nuggets into your own practice. Previous episode with Will Wheel Talk #181 - Meeting customer demand with Will Donovan of Donovan Pottery ----- Find more about Will’s business below...
Jan 13, 2024•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 233
Ryan & Becca share insights about what they look for when seeking out workshop opportunities to expand their skills. We also share what valuable takeaways we typically come away with once we’re leaving a workshop. Join Becca or Ryan at a future workshop they are teaching soon: Throwing Efficiency with Becca - Jan 10 Selling at In-Person Shows with Ryan - Jan 25 Bookkeeping Workshop with Ryan - Jan 29 & Feb 10 Throwing Oil Bottles with Ryan - Apr 10 What would you do if… a more famous cer...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 232
Ryan & Becca try a different approach on today's episode to discuss some of their top performing (and worst) Instagram Reels over the past 6 months. We chat about what we think made them so successful, some takeaways to think about as we produce content for future reels, and why some just completely flopped. We hope this is a useful discussion as you think ahead to content creation and finding interesting snippets of the work we all do in clay. Listener Questions On this episode: - I have a ...
Dec 30, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 231
Ryan & Becca welcome Noah Smith to the show today to chat about getting a community studio up and running very recently in Portland, Oregon. Noah's been making pottery for a few years, but has recently embarked on opening Heirloom Ceramic Studio in the Sellwood neighborhood outside Portland. We chat about the growth so far, how he's enjoying the teaching & managing side of the business, his offerings, and how he's planning for the long term of the studio with his local community in mind....
Dec 23, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 230
Ryan & Becca discuss leaving early for in-person shows from a recent experience Ryan had at a show before wrapping up their key takeaways from their year, even though there’s still a few weeks left in it. They get into goals, money, & possible plans for next year. Thanks for listening and have a great holiday season everyone! Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through Instagram @wheeltalkpodcast or ema...
Dec 16, 2023•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 229
Ryan & Becca have some thoughts today about how to handle negative feedback, whether it's a customer, fellow business owner, business you partner with, or otherwise. Handling these situations can be pretty tricky and we hope you get some good insight from today's discussion. Thanks for listening! Listener Questions On this episode: - What's the best way to ship out 60 or more packages? Do you need to contact the post office? Do you just show up with a mischievous smile? Would scheduling a po...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 228
Ryan & Becca welcome Henrik Van Ryzin today from VanTiki Studios. He shares a wealth of knowledge about his evolution from a special effects artist to a full time ceramic artist focused in mold making & slip casting. Henrik and his wife Denise focus on producing ceramic tiki mugs and other goods that share their love of tiki with customers all over the world. Check out his YouTube channel for in-depth knowledge about the technical side of his slipcast and mold-making process. ----- Find ...
Dec 02, 2023•2 hr 35 min•Ep. 227
Ryan & Becca get deep into kilns on today's episode to give some insight into how you may choose your next kiln based on your studio production. They cover a range of kiln body sizes from the L&L & Skutt lines, as well as a few others along the way. Good luck if you're in the market for a kiln and let us know if you have any questions to help you make the decision a little easier. Enjoy! Listener Questions On this episode: - Do you use Etys ads? If so, how do you decide what listings...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 226
Ryan & Becca are back together this week to recap some of the points discussed last week on Becca's solo episode about her shows. To relate back to a more broad topic, Ryan get's into what he feels influences buyers to purchase from you at shows. Hopefully you were able to reflect on your booth set-up and interactions at shows to see where you're doing well and maybe some areas of improvement. Thanks for listening! Listener Questions On this episode: - As the holiday season is gearing up, I’...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 225
Becca shares some thoughts on her drive back to Indianapolis after a show weekend in Louisville, KY. She covers some thoughts around what a positive show looks like for her, how she's feeling about shows this year, and how she plans to move forward. We hope you enjoy this raw solo episode with Becca and stick around next week when Ryan shares some thoughts about it. Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through I...
Nov 11, 2023•37 min•Ep. 224
Ryan & Becca answer a frequent listener questions about how to keep your studio clean, from handling water usage, clay dust, reclaim, equipment, managing a packing & shipping station, and how we can make the space sustainable for the long term. Enjoy and happy cleaning! Resources For Flux Sake Podcast Safety in the Ceramics Studio by Jeff Zamek Listener Questions On this episode: - How do you know when it’s time to change thermocouple? I have a Skutt. The metal part of thermocouple looks...
Nov 04, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 223
Ryan & Becca share some updates about their lively week together before getting to some listener questions and finally the topic for today: building partnerships with companies. There's no copy and paste message you can send out to the companies you'd like to partner with, but you can certainly be yourself and share how you'd make a great person to talk about their products. Best of luck if you're thinking about reaching out to some companies for collaborations. Listener Questions On this ep...
Oct 28, 2023•2 hr 14 min•Ep. 222
