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!
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Knowing When to Take the Leap with Isaac Shue
Isaac Shue of Gallery Mostaza joins Ryan to discuss taking big risks and making difficult decisions as a creative business owner. Isaac shares his journey from leaving a
Nov 7 2 h 06 min
Surviving the Holiday Season as a Potter
Ryan and Becca discuss gearing up for the busy holiday season and finding a balance between production demands, creative work, and personal time. They share practical tip
Oct 31 1 h 26 min
What’s the Best Way to Sell Pottery? with Curt Hammerly
Curt Hammerly of Hammerly Ceramics returns to Wheel Talk to share how his pottery business has evolved over the past eight years. He discusses moving away from high-deman
Oct 24 2 h 12 min
Talking Honestly About Depression (with Taylor Swilley)
Becca and Taylor share their experiences with depression and the challenges of navigating mental health as artists and small business owners. Becca reflects on a recent s
Oct 17 1 h 22 min
Building a Pottery Business That Fits Your Life with Jon Schmidt
Jon Schmidt returns to Wheel Talk seven years after his first appearance to share how his pottery business, content creation, and priorities have evolved. He discusses sh
Oct 10 1 h 45 min
Rethinking Where We Spend Our Time and Energy
Ryan and Becca are back for the fall season of Wheel Talk and taking a look at what they want to make more (and less) room for in their creative lives. They reflect on wh
Oct 3 1 h 57 min
Everything You Need to Know About Pot Swap 2026
In this special bonus episode, Ryan is joined by new Pot Swap team members Tzipporah of Sipor Ceramics and Rachel Durbin to kick off Pot Swap 2026! They cover everything
Sep 19 37 min
Wheel Talk Book Club: We Need Your Art (with Taylor Swilley)
Ryan and Becca return with another chapter of the Wheel Talk Podcast book club, exploring We Need Your Art by Amie McNee. Joined once again by Taylor Swilley, they reflec
Aug 29 1 h 36 min
Motivation as a Maker (Replay)
Replay Episode: To celebrate another year of Wheel Talk, we’re going all the way back to where it started! This week, we’re replaying our very first episode and revisitin
Aug 22 1 h 08 min
The Realities of Making and Selling Pottery
Ryan and Becca are back with another listener Q&A, tackling questions about the realities of making and selling pottery. They discuss wholesale pricing, communicating the
Aug 15 1 h 54 min
Leaving the Studio Better Than You Found It with Erica Kilroy
After four and a half years as Ryan’s studio assistant, Erica Kilroy returns to Wheel Talk to reflect on her time in the studio before starting a new chapter in Cleveland
Aug 8 2 h 03 min
Life on the Road as a Ceramic Artist with Laura Williams
Laura Williams joins the podcast to share her experience as a traveling ceramic artist, teaching workshops and exhibiting her work across the country while living on the
Aug 1 2 h 02 min
The Questions Every Ceramic Artist Eventually Asks
Ryan and Becca are back with another listener Q&A, answering your questions on everything from finding your artistic voice and balancing creativity with profitability to
Jul 25 1 h 56 min
Building Successful Gallery Relationships with Michelle O'Brien
Michelle O'Brien joins the podcast to share the story behind Elliot Fouts Gallery and what it takes to build lasting relationships between galleries and artists. She
Jul 18 1 h 02 min
How to Grow Your Art Business Close to Home
Ryan and Becca discuss practical ways artists can build stronger connections within their local communities and create lasting opportunities for their businesses. From fa
Jul 11 1 h 43 min
Building BuschKraft Tools with Nicholai Busch
Nicholai Busch joins the podcast to share his journey from developing tools at DiamondCore to launching his own company, BuschKraft Tools. He discusses the decision to bu
Jul 4 2 h 03 min
Designing Better Planters (with Taylor Swilley)
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
May 30 1 h 18 min
Reviving a Community Ceramics Program with Natalie Wagner
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 rebu
May 23 1 h 38 min
Scaling Your Pottery Business Without Breaking It (with Heidi Fahrenbacher)
Ryan is joined by Heidi Fahrenbacher for a conversation about balancing growth, production, and sustainability while building a ceramics business. Prompted by listener qu
May 16 1 h 38 min
Finding success with Tim See (Replay)
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 an
May 9 3 h 16 min
Chart trend
Position in the Entrepreneurship chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#98#195OctNov
#120
all-time peak
9
days in the top 200 since Dec 2024
Chart positions
Where Wheel Talk ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 10, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I’m a potter and what do potters love most? Talking about pottery! This podcast feels like hanging out with friends and chatting about all things clay which is honestly a dream. I love the casual nature of the show and I feel like Becca and Ryan create a truly relaxed and laid-back atmosphere that allows guests to simply be themselves. This is not a slick show, it’s a comfortable one - in the absolute best way possible. The hosts are disarming and human and I love how they approach topics and get guests to talk shop in such a relatable way. They are thoughtful and funny and it’s incredibly charming. I highly recommend it no matter where you are in your ceramics journey!
RedheadedPatti · Sep 2026
This is my favorite podcast of all time! I’ve learned so much and furthered my ceramic career vastly by being involved with the podcast. Because of Ryan and his soda fire workshop shop I attended because of the pot-cast, I started to build my own soda kiln and can’t wait to have it up and running. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate Ryan and Becca’s knowledge and advice they share on this podcast. Additionally, as much as I like to hear Ryan’s analytical answer I always look forward to Becca’s out of pocket answers more (sorry Ryan). Anyways, I always recommend to Listen to Wheel Talk, especially in the studio!
CoolGuy_Charlie · Sep 2026
I love Wheel Talk. I’ve been listening to Becca & Ryan for a while now & they’re definitely my favorite pottery podcast. I feel like I learn something from pretty much every episode. I love how both of them are willing and happy to share knowledge and information with others, and how honest they are about the business side of ceramics. As someone who is building a ceramics business myself, their suggestions have been so helpful over the years.
I’ve met both Becca and Ryan in person, and they are as genuine, funny and awesome irl as they are on the podcast. So I say from experience that they’re not only very knowledgeable potters, but also really good people.
Jessi ANF Pottery · Aug 2026
I listen every Saturday!! Love how happy they are to share info and insights. My favorite pottery podcast by far!
Honeybeepottery · May 2026
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Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Wheel Talk, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
