The Maker's Playbook

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The Maker's Playbook

Rebecca Ickes Carra

176 episodes

5 days ago

Send us a text Working as a librarian by day and making pottery in her garage studio by night, Becky wrestles with a challenge many makers face: how do you develop a distinctive artistic voice when you're working in isolation? What if the pressure to constantly produce—amplified by social media's highlight reel—is actually drowning out the quiet work of discovering what you're truly trying to say? Through Becky's journey from community studios to her home workspace, and ultimately to seeking ...

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Entrepreneurship,

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Send us a text Working as a librarian by day and making pottery in her garage studio by night, Becky wrestles with a challenge many makers face: how do you develop a distinctive artistic voice when you're working in isolation? What if the pressure to constantly produce—amplified by social media's highlight reel—is actually drowning out the quiet work of discovering what you're truly trying to say? Through Becky's journey from community studios to her home workspace, and ultimately to seeking ...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship,

Episodes (20/176)

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 704: Searching for Your Voice with Becky Meneely

Send us a text Working as a librarian by day and making pottery in her garage studio by night, Becky wrestles with a challenge many makers face: how do you develop a distinctive artistic voice when you're working in isolation? What if the pressure to constantly produce—amplified by social media's highlight reel—is actually drowning out the quiet work of discovering what you're truly trying to say? Through Becky's journey from community studios to her home workspace, and ultimately to seeking ...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 40 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 703: Technical Foundations, Art Fair Realities, and Sustainable Pricing with Olivia Avery

Send us a text Many makers struggle with the tension between creating work we love vs making work that we think will sell, especially when traditional academic instruction is often focused on concepts and what I call “Capital A Art” over the practical skills needed to make a living. What if the key isn't choosing between artistic integrity and commercial viability, but rather learning to work efficiently? Olivia Avery's experience reveals how rigorous craftsmanship training—throwing 40-80 pot...

4 weeks ago

1 hour 22 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 702: How Personal Inspiration Built a Business with Danielle Williams of Strong Roots Pottery

Send us a text As makers, we often feel pressure to create what we think will sell rather than what genuinely excites us, but what if following your authentic creative vision is actually the fastest path to finding your people and building sustainable success? Danielle Williams of Strong Roots Pottery discovered this when she finally allowed herself to explore the hair-inspired clay work that had been sitting in her sketchbook for years—her now-signature Bantu knot vases didn't just reignite ...

1 month ago

1 hour 10 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 701: Creating Educated Buyers with Jamar Diggs

Send us a text Most makers think YouTube means teaching their craft or competing with influencers for millions of views—but what if the real power lies in creating educated, confident buyers who value your work before they ever click "purchase"? Jamar Diggs, YouTube consultant and creator of the Low Lift Club, reveals how service providers and product makers can leverage YouTube not for viral fame, but as a strategic lead generator that transforms browsers into invested customers. When makers...

1 month ago

1 hour 9 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 628: Where are They Now - Two Years In with Yvonne Rausch (Part Two)

Send us a text What if the pressure to grow your follower count and perfect your online presence is actually distracting you from the real relationship-building that sustains creative businesses over time? Because it’s a little bit crazy to realize how many of the most successful business opportunities often come not from your carefully crafted marketing strategy, but from the casual conversations that happen when you're just being human. Moments like helping a neighbor move boxes, chatting i...

3 months ago

52 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 627: Where are They Now - Two Years In with Yvonne Rausch (Part One)

Send us a text The romanticized image of going full-time as a maker often glosses over one crucial reality: you'll spend as much time problem-solving your business as you do creating, and the mental resilience required might surprise you more than the financial challenges. What if the key to thriving long-term isn't just having enough savings or demand for your work, but developing the flexibility to constantly adapt when your original plans inevitably must change? Yvonne's two-year journey f...

3 months ago

51 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 626: The Art of Adapting with Jena McNerney

Send us a text Could it be that we've been thinking about this all wrong? That it's not the "real job" on one side of life and the dream of making art full-time on the other, and that eventually, we have to choose? Because when we really look at it, are the most sustainable creative careers, from the artists we admire the most, actually built on either-or decisions? Jenna McNerney's journey through teaching, studio ownership, a few odd jobs in construction and even a hair salon, chronic illne...

3 months ago

1 hour 36 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 625: Iterating for a Target Audience with Will Donovan (Part Two!)

Send us a text The internet loves to talk about that magical “six figure business” milestone, but what if hitting that revenue number doesn't actually change your life the way you think it will? What if the real transformation happens when you stop chasing someone else's definition of success and start building systems that serve your actual goals—even when that means making decisions that feel uncomfortable or unconventional? In part two of our conversation, Will Donovan pulls back the curta...

4 months ago

49 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 624: Iterating for a Target Audience with Will Donovan

Send us a text As makers, we often start with a vision of success that's more fantasy than strategic roadmap—believing that if we just work harder at making our beautiful pieces, it will somehow lead to a sustainable business. But what if the path to actually thriving as a creative is in repeatedly narrowing your focus, rather than doing more and more? What if doing less is actually what allows you to find that magical venn diagram intersection of what you love and a specific audience who des...

4 months ago

1 hour 5 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 623: Side Sauntering with Melisa of MWY Pottery

Send us a text As makers, many of us feel pressure to choose between our creative passions and a more traditional career - but what if that's a false choice entirely? What if taking your craft seriously doesn't require abandoning a career you are equally passionate about? Melisa's journey from taking her first clay class as a 40th birthday gift to creating what she calls a "side saunter" shows us how blending our different worlds can actually make both richer. Could embracing your own pace an...

4 months ago

55 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 622: When 90% of Your Revenue Comes from Pottery Alone with Heidi Fahrenbacher

Send us a text Recently there's been a lot of talk around whether or not you can make a full-time living as a studio potter, and most stories you'll hear about those who are seen as "studio potters" involve teaching regularly, running workshops, providing rental space for other artists, or maintaining multiple income streams beyond just making pots. But there are a few potters out there who truly make their living from the literal things they make - and Heidi Fahrenbacher, of Bella Joy Potter...

5 months ago

1 hour 26 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 621: Can You Make a Living from a $45 Mug?

Send us a text Can you make a viable living from creating a wheelthrown mug that you charge $45 for? According to a video currently racing around the internet, the answer is no. But is that true? According to some of the past potters I've talked to here on the podcast over the last 4 years, that answer would be no, that's not true. In fact, they are making a living for their entire households. On this episode we dig into 4 particularly important things to consider when it comes to definitive ...

5 months ago

26 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 620: Protecting Your Artistic Voice with Martha Grover

Send us a text What happens when we approach our artistic development not as lightning-bolt inspiration but as intentional practice—exploring the minute details that fascinate us while carefully choosing which external voices we allow to influence our work? Throughout her 23-year career, Martha Grover has done just that, and the iconic look of her distinct thrown and altered porcelain vessels reveals how a pragmatic approach to the mystical journey of finding your creative voice can often be ...

5 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 619: Building a Creative Practice Across Continents with Eva Champagne

Send us a text As makers, we often believe that stability - often in the form of continuous access to the same studio and materials - is essential for building a creative business, but Eva Champagne's nomadic journey reveals a different path. Throughout our conversation, Eva shares how she's built a ceramics practice while constantly relocating - from Florida to the Virgin Islands, Bali to Montana, and numerous residencies in between - by prioritizing experience and adaptation over permanence...

6 months ago

1 hour 13 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 618: A Journey to Gallery Ownership with AnnMarie Cooper of Good Earth Gallery

Send us a text As makers, we often envy others' seemingly polished creative lives without seeing the winding path they took to get there. AnnMarie Cooper's journey from gallery employee to pottery gallery owner, cohorts program manager, and shared studio founder reveals how real artistic careers evolve through countless iterations - from taking community college classes and working in an 80-square-foot backyard shed to finding her voice through unexpected owl designs. Her story reminds us tha...

6 months ago

1 hour 5 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 617: Part Two with Amy Roadman

Send us a text Missed Part One? Listen here! Having established her community studio through careful listening and intentional growth, Amy Roadman now faces the challenge many creative entrepreneurs encounter: balancing business sustainability with personal fulfillment. What happens when you're finally the boss but struggle with pricing your work, protecting your creative time, and growing at the right pace? In Part 2, Amy shares how she navigates charging what she's worth (especially when pr...

6 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 616: The Slow Growth Community Studio with Amy Roadman (Part 1)

Send us a text Transitioning from classroom teaching to entrepreneurship - In some ways it’s a huge shift, in others, it can be all too easy to maintain the old habits of overworking and prioritizing others’ needs over your own. So many of us can struggle with finding the balance between serving our communities or caring for ourselves. Is it possible to start a business and protect your own creative needs while helping others? What would that even look like? Amy Roadman's journey of launching...

7 months ago

48 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 615: The Importance of Mentorship with Lisa Orr

Send us a text Here on the podcast, we often talk about the delicate balancing act between creative fulfillment and business sustainability - a struggle that can feel overwhelming without guidance. What if finding the right mentor could be the pivotal moment that transforms your creative practice and career trajectory? When Lisa Orr sought out Betty Woodman as a mentor, it completely shifted her perspective on materials, giving her permission to pursue colorful earthenware despite the stonewa...

7 months ago

1 hour 15 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 614: The Aligned Potter with Elizabeth Schlatter

Send us a text Many of us learn to accept the aches and pains of making as just part of the creative journey, assuming sore wrists and "potter's back" are inevitable companions to our craft. What if the physical discomfort of creating could be significantly reduced through simple awareness and intentional adjustments to how we work? Elizabeth Schlatter, creator of The Aligned Potter, draws on her experience to show how small changes—from joint inventory checks between tasks to understanding y...

7 months ago

1 hour 6 minutes

The Maker's Playbook

Ep 613: Where Are They Now with Kara Leigh Ford

Send us a text As an avid podcast listener, long before I ever started this show, I was always curious about what had happened to entreprenuers and small business owners after the interview was over. was everything still working the way they described during that interview or had things changed? On this "Where Are They Now" series, we answer that very question of some of our past podcast guests. This week, I'm sitting back down again with Kara Leigh Ford to discuss all that's changed since I ...

7 months ago

1 hour 23 minutes