Wheel Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Wheel Talk

Ryan Durbin & Becca Otis

Business

Arts

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/7d. Total Eps: 339

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!

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https://www.instagram.com/wheeltalkpodcast
884 shares
https://www.instagram.com/rdceramics
627 shares
https://www.instagram.com/5linespottery
573 shares

https://www.wheeltalkpotcast.com/
563 shares
https://hotkilns.com/wheeltalk
135 shares
https://www.speedballart.com/our-product-lines/speedball-ceramics/
28 shares

https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast
1051 shares
https://patreon.com/superpotlady
84 shares
https://www.patreon.com/Earthnationceramics
4 shares

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RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 68%

Publication history

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#332 - Chat GPT Has Questions. We Have Thoughts.

Episode 332

Saturday, December 6, 2025 • Duration 01:33:52

Ryan and Becca flipped the format on this episode and answered a set of thought-provoking questions generated by ChatGPT—sparking a really honest conversation about how our businesses have evolved, what we’re learning, and where we’re feeling challenged. We talk about shifts we’ve made this past year, goals that no longer serve us, experiments that surprised us, and the habits we wish more potters would adopt early on. We also reflect on how hosting the podcast has shaped our creative and business growth. It’s a candid, wide-ranging chat that pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening behind the scenes.

Sponsors
L&L Kilns - The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com
Soolla® - The brand-new Studio Pouch from Soolla is the perfect sidekick to your studio bag, designed to keep your favorite tools organized and close at hand. Available in eleven colors and durable, machine-washable canvas. Find your new studio bag at soolla.co and save 15% at checkout with coupon code "WHEELTALK" (exclusions may apply).

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramics
@5linespottery

Visit our website:
www.wheeltalkpotcast.com
Wheel Talk YouTube Channel

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#322 - Pot Swap 2025 is coming!!

Episode 322

Saturday, September 27, 2025 • Duration 01:06:09

Ryan and Becca are back with a special episode all about #PotSwap2025—our 8th year hosting this global ceramics exchange! There are some exciting updates for this round, and we’re breaking everything down in today’s episode.

Registration opens Saturday, October 11th at 12 PM EDT and costs $5. Spots are first come, first served with:

1,200 spots for USA/Canada
200 spots for international participants

Set a reminder, because these fill up fast! We’ll also post a heads-up in our Instagram stories over at @potswapofficial.

We’re also shouting out the incredible volunteers who help make Pot Swap run smoothly every year—we couldn’t do it without you!

Get all the details at: https://www.wheeltalkpotcast.com/potswap

Sponsors
L&L Kilns - The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com
Soolla® - Soolla Studio Bags are designed by potters, for potters that come in 25+ colors and equipped with 30 pockets. Machine washable, durable, and quick drying canvas. Find your new studio bag at soolla.co and save 15% at checkout with coupon code "WHEELTALK"

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramics
Visit our website:

#232 - What do you look for in a workshop?

Episode 232

Saturday, January 6, 2024 • Duration 01:38:58

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 ceramicist copied one of your designs.

Listener Questions
On this episode:
- What product or what system do you use to package and ship your pottery? I believe I heard Amy Brummond’s episode where both Amy and Ryan mentioned they used the ram pack system. I’ve been looking for a good packaging system and I was wondering where you purchased it. @kevinsceramics

Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through Instagram @wheeltalkpodcast or email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast
Follow us on Instagram:Visit our website:

#231 - Analyzing your best & worst Instagram Reels

Episode 231

Saturday, December 30, 2023 • Duration 02:24:34

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 kiln question. I have 3 kilns (one currently working) but it has a manual sitter that I have to flick switches on. Can I, or rather how difficult (or expensive) would it be to switch it over to a digital. Is it even possible or worth it? For reference I have a Gare kiln (3.5cu ft I think) with a LT-3K sitter. @grit.an.grace
- My question is related to studio visits by potential clients. If/when and how to manage them, especially when it comes to time spent and energy spent on visits when you're in the middle of projects and aren't really in the mood to have visitors. I know that some ceramists do a 'open studio' once a year, and others don't do visits at all. Maybe you could talk a little about your thoughts about the importance or non-importance of having visitors in a home studio, which type of boundaries you think are important to set, and different possibilities of managing studio visits to the curious client. @peakstonepottery

Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through Instagram @wheeltalkpodcast or email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/WheeltalkpodcastFollow us on Instagram:Visit our website:

#230 - Starting a community studio from scratch with Noah Smith from NWS Ceramics

Episode 230

Saturday, December 23, 2023 • Duration 02:12:32

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. Thanks to Noah for joining us on this very enjoyable conversation!

-----Find more about Noah's business below-----
Instagram - @nws_ceramics & @heirloomceramicstudio
Website - https://www.nwsceramics.com/ & https://www.heirloomceramicstudio.com/

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 email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramics
@5linespotteryVisit our website:

#229 - 2023 wrap up

Episode 229

Saturday, December 16, 2023 • Duration 02:01:51

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 email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramics
@5linespottery

Visit our website:
www.wheeltalkpotcast.com
Wheel Talk YouTube Channel

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramicsVisit our website:

#228 - How do you handle negative feedback?

Episode 228

Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Duration 01:56:57

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 post office home pick-up thing (which I haven't ever actually done) possibly be better? @bluenosetrading
- I just finished a 3 day holiday show at a brewery (best sales to date🙌) and received an email from a customer that bought 2 of my carved winter mugs. She said when she unwrapped them the following day she saw one of them had chipped. She mentioned she was careful with her bag and knew I wrapped them up but asked if there was anyway I would replace the mug for her, and said she could maybe pay for shipping. - Have you come across this before and how did you handle it? - Does the type of item play a factor into your response? (These mugs sold out so I’d be making another for her specifically. -She spent $105 with me, before tax) - I’m reading this like she wants the replacement for free. Would you make a free replacement for the sake of keeping a positive customer experience/return orders? Vs customer having negative experience (even if based on false expectations) that could leave a bad review etc? @moonlight_mud

Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through Instagram @wheeltalkpodcast or email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: Follow us on Instagram:Visit our website:

#227 - Tiki Technical Talk with Henrik van Ryzin from VanTiki

Episode 227

Saturday, December 2, 2023 • Duration 02:34:43

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 more about Henrik's business below-----
Instagram - @vantiki
Website - https://vantiki.com/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/vantikistudio
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vantiki

#226 - Kiln size matters

Episode 226

Saturday, November 25, 2023 • Duration 01:58:32

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 are best to advertise, and how much money to put into ads? Thanks friends @bluenosetrading
- I would love to get a larger kiln when I expand my studio space next year and I’m totally sold on an L&L! But I don’t know which kiln to get. Can y’all do a segment (sponsored or not) on kiln sizes? I currently have a Skutt 822. Not sure I could get a much taller kiln because I’m short (5’2”) but really am outgrowing the kiln size. What’s a great next size up for potters who do “semi-production” work? @thepotterymason

Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through Instagram @wheeltalkpodcast or email us at wheeltalkpodcast@gmail.com.

Sponsors - L&L Kilns
The durable kiln that potters trust to fire evenly & consistently. Find your L&L kiln at hotkilns.com

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 per month: https://patreon.com/Wheeltalkpodcast

Follow us on Instagram:
@wheeltalkpodcast
@rdceramics
@5linespotteryVisit our website:

Wheel Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

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Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

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Wheel Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Instagram99+

Other99+

Patreon5

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Instagram99+

Other99+

Patreon5