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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 yo... more

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Artwork for Wheel Talk

Latest Episodes

In this episode, Becca and Taylor Swilley answer listener questions about plants and pottery, covering everything from drainage holes and planter design to succulent care and specialized pots for different types of plants. They also share thoughts on... more

YouTube

Natalie Wagner joins the podcast to share her efforts to revive and expand the ceramics program at the Peterson-McCormick Boys & Girls Club in Chicago. She discusses rebuilding the program after the original kiln failed, how community support helped ... more

YouTube

Ryan is joined by Heidi Fahrenbacher for a conversation about balancing growth, production, and sustainability while building a ceramics business. Prompted by listener questions about burnout, workflow, and scaling a pottery side hustle, they discuss... more

YouTube

Replay Episode: In this replay, Ryan and Becca are joined by Tim See to discuss a range of topics including: workshops, selling at shows, social media, and more.

Ryan and Becca have a great time chatting today with Tim See from Tim See Ceramics. He ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Natalie Wagner
Ceramic artist and organizer of Boys & Girls Club ceramics program in Chicago
Self-organized program with Chicago Boys & Girls Club
Episode: Reviving a Community Ceramics Program with Natalie Wagner
Heidi Fahrenbacher
Recurring guest on Wheel Talk, potter
Episode: Scaling Your Pottery Business Without Breaking It (with Heidi Fahrenbacher)
Tim See
Potter, educator, and community-builder known for Clay Buddies, online streams, and extensive pricing/workshop experience
Independent potter; Clay Buddies; ClayScapes
Episode: Finding success with Tim See (Replay)
Laura Hall
Ceramics artist with masters in arts administration; expert in grant writing
Southern Utah University (education), independent artist
Episode: How to Write Better Grant Applications with Laura Hall
Liz Cohen
Ceramics artist, Liz Cohen Ceramics
Liz Cohen Ceramics
Episode: Adapting Your Work and Business Over Time with Liz Cohen
Megan Auman
Artist, metal smith, writer, teacher, and creative business coach with 20 years of experience.
Episode: #338 - Building a Sustainable Creative Business with Megan Auman
Will Donovan
Potter based in Greenville, South Carolina
Donovan Pottery
Episode: #335 - Is paid advertisement worth it? with Will Donovan from Donovan Pottery
Rachel Durbin
Vintage decor seller and upcycler, former flight attendant
Decades NKY
Episode: #330 - Building a Creative Business from the Ground Up with Rachel Durbin
Gabriel Kline
Professional potter and co-author of the upcoming Amazing Food-Safe Glazes book.
Odyssey Ceramic Arts
Episode: #318 - Amazing Glaze: Food-Safe Recipes with Gabriel Kline & Bill Collins

Hosts

Ryan Durbin
Host focused on pottery making, studio ownership, and practical business insights.
Becca Otis
Co-host with a focus on studio practice, production balance, and audience engagement.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 220 ratings
  • Changed?

    I was just warming up to these two. I like Ryan and Becca and enjoy listening to both of them while I work. I didn’t love the bad language and just found it unnecessarily excessive but the topics keep me interested. Recently they seem very business focused and it doesn’t apply to me anymore. Bring the pottery chat back!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Loolaamiiina
    United States2 months ago
  • Edit, please

    Every episode has extraneous moment needing an edit. For instance, I don’t want to listen to everyone order their food from the waiter. I don’t want to hear about connectivity issues. I don’t want to know you forgot what you were going to say. It feels unprofessional in a way I can’t stand.

    I enjoy your banter about your day, and your business acumen. I feel you hang up from a call and immediately hit publish without any other thought to what should be edited.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    spongekathotpants
    United States6 months ago
  • Long but entertaining

    I like this podcast it’s a little long with a lot of rambling but interesting that it’s pottery related. I like to listen while I work or in my car. I assume they don’t have kids because there is a ton of cursing and unfortunately can’t listen to this with my children in the car.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Loolaamiiina
    United Statesa year ago
  • My favorite

    I love this podcast. I listen to it in the car and when working on pots. Becca and Ryan are a wealth of information and make me smile and laugh!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Erikayf
    United Statesa year ago
  • My favorite pottery podcast!

    When I first started listening to this podcast, I thought, “are they ever going to talk about pottery”. However now that I have been listening for over a year, I can say I absolutely love everything about this podcast!

    Ryan and Becca are both super knowledgeable and two totally different personalities that play off of each other so well. The opposing yet funny and friendly nature of the two host, makes for very entertaining listening.

    I want to note that I love the new maker of the moment segm... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Three Lick Pottery
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few listeners wish for shorter episodes or less rambling, but many enjoy the depth and guest variety.
The show is valuable for long studio sessions and actionable pottery/business tips.
The community feel and transparent sharing of experiences are frequently highlighted.
Listeners praise the hosts' knowledge and down-to-earth banter.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Designing Better Planters (with Taylor Swilley)
Q: Should planters be glazed on the inside or left unglazed, and why?
Inside glazing is not strictly required if the planter is vitrified; historically, some planters were left unglazed on the inside to allow airflow and reduce water retention, and they could be stacked to save kiln space.
Reviving a Community Ceramics Program with Natalie Wagner
Q: How is Natalie planning to restart and sustain the ceramics program within the Boys & Girls Club?
She started with a proposal, GoFundMe outreach, and in-person advocacy to secure initial funding, then outlined a three-year plan: stabilize with year-one funding for kiln maintenance, staff, and admin; expand in year two; and introduce an apprenticeship in year three, with the aim of making the program self-sustaining.
How to Write Better Grant Applications with Laura Hall
Q: What are the six questions that guide grant writing?
The six questions are: what is your story, what is your purpose, what is your mission statement, what is your budget, what is your elevator pitch, and what is your letter of intent.
#338 - Building a Sustainable Creative Business with Megan Auman
Q: What conditions assures someone that they're charging the right price?
If you're selling out and you're like, I'm making all the money I need to make, then your pricing is good.
#338 - Building a Sustainable Creative Business with Megan Auman
Q: How do you personally convey that value to your customers?
I always tell people that like selling, in-person selling is like stand up. You say the things and you see how it lands.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Wheel Talk

What is Wheel Talk about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show blends practical pottery how-tos with candid conversations about building a small ceramics business. Across episodes, topics range from design and production optimization to pricing, marketing, grant writing, and community programs, often interwoven with personal stories and humor. A standout aspect is the down-to-earth, mentor-like vibe—guests include potters, artists, and nonprofit organizers who share real-world strategies for scaling studios, running programs, or navigating markets, all delivered with accessible banter and a focus on actionable takeaways for makers and small business owners.

Where can I find podcast stats for Wheel Talk?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Wheel Talk. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Wheel Talk and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Wheel Talk get?

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What are the audience demographics for Wheel Talk?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Wheel Talk, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Wheel Talk have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Wheel Talk has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Wheel Talk are there?

Wheel Talk launched 7 years ago and published 355 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Wheel Talk?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Wheel Talk?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Wheel Talk from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Wheel Talk?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Wheel Talk. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Wheel Talk?

Recent guests on Wheel Talk include:

1. Natalie Wagner
2. Heidi Fahrenbacher
3. Tim See
4. Laura Hall
5. Liz Cohen
6. Megan Auman
7. Will Donovan
8. Rachel Durbin

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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