The Maker's Playbook

Rebecca Ickes Carra
  • 4.8 (107)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
The Maker's Playbook

A podcast where we talk all about what it's really like to make a living from the things you make. Featuring candid interviews with other ceramicists and makers, as well as helpful business tips to make your side-hustle into a life-giving, viable business.

  1. FEB 14

    Ep 611: When Things Need to Change with Megan Sward

    Send us a text Most of us dream of turning our craft into a thriving business, but what happens when achieving "the dream" — the large following, sold-out shop updates, and steady sales — still doesn't translate into a sustainable living? When former full-time potter Megan Sward faced this reality, she discovered that the gap between making work you love and building a viable business involves far more than just mastering your craft. What if the key to longevity isn't just about making better...

    1h 45m

  2. FEB 7

    Ep 610: Business is... Boring?

    Send us a text There is an underlying current of anxiety about keeping up with the latest trends and strategies, especially when it comes to running your business online (and even more especially when it comes to social media). But what if the real secret to success isn't about chasing every new thing, but rather embracing the "boring" parts of business? Trying every new trending strategy often leads to scattered efforts and minimal results, not to mention most definitely leads to burn out.&n...

    37 min

  3. JAN 24

    Ep 609: Where are They Now? - Restarting through Trauma with Sarah Wells Rolland

    Send us a text When I last spoke with Sarah Wells Rolland, The Village Potters in Asheville, North Carolina was 13 years into it’s incredible, communal existence. And frankly (at least from my perspective) was a well oiled machine. With a residency program, community classes, a gallery, and 17 kilns it wasn’t on my short list wondering “gee, I wonder where they are now?” That is, until Hurricane Helene hit. And absolutely everything changed. Introducing: Where are They Now? A new series...

    1h 21m

  4. JAN 17

    Ep 608: The $20 Mug with Isaac Shue

    Send us a text The ways in which our decisions in life are so interconnected it feels endless. The same is equally true in business, especially a ceramics business. And there's no way you stay in business, as a fully self-employed household with kiddos, while offering a $20 mug without thinking through all of that interconnectedness. My chat with Isaac Shue on this week's episode perfectly highlights how every step of our making process can also inform the endless steps of our small business ...

    1h 21m

  5. JAN 10

    EP 607: Financial Systems with Seanin Rosario

    Send us a text When it comes to the topic of money, for many of us, it stirs up less than happy feelings. But in many ways, money is just data. Yes, it has an outsized effect on our lives and the decisions we do (or can) make, and that’s annoying as stepping on Legos. But, as much as we can feel a variety of emotions around money, finances are actually just neutral data points for us to track, recognize, and use to make decisions. In this conversation with part-time potter and full-time finan...

    1h 30m

  6. JAN 3

    Ep 606: Not your usual year end recap {The Launch}

    Send us a text I had thought this solo episode would be some nice big grandiose end of year recap for you. I also, had intended it to actually air in 2024, but alas… here we are, kicking off 2025 with it. The plan was lists of what worked and what didn’t in our ceramics business this year and a nice, reflected wrap-it-all-up and make-it-make-sense so you can apply the lessons we learned to your own life in whatever way works for you. The kind of thing you perhaps have come to expect from thes...

    25 min

  7. 12/20/2024

    Ep 605: Finding Your Niche with Sue McLeod

    Send us a text A self-described “failed production potter” Sue McLeod still very much makes her living from ceramics. Yet, she doesn’t make her living from actually making pots… As is true with any industry, we often forget just how many different supporting and tangentially related sub-topics and professions there are available to us. And, at least for me, when we start to see those, a whole myriad of options opens up to how we just might make this crazy dream - of making a living from the t...

    1h 17m

  8. 12/06/2024

    Ep 604: Working with Intention with Bill Schwenzer of Aliveguy Pottery

    Send us a text Described as the most supportive guy on the internet by numerous people, today’s interview with Bill Schwenzer feels long overdue. Better known as Aliveguy Pottery, we talk about his career transition from corporate quality control to clay, his commitment to thoughtful encouragement online and his unique approach to delayed gratification all while continuing to push himself outside of his comfort zone and not get too bogged down in analyzing. Resources in this Episode: B...

    1h 36m
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4.8
out of 5
107 Ratings

About

A podcast where we talk all about what it's really like to make a living from the things you make. Featuring candid interviews with other ceramicists and makers, as well as helpful business tips to make your side-hustle into a life-giving, viable business.

Information

  • Creator
    Rebecca Ickes Carra
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    155
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Maker's Playbook
  • Show Website
    The Maker's Playbook

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