The Maker's Playbook - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Ep 410: Farmers Markets vs. Art Fairs Aug 04, 2023

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In this 3rd installment of "The Launch" series, I'm comparing the dynamics between small markets and multi-day art fairs, shedding light on the energy and small bit of acting skills needed for face-to-face sales. As made clear by so many past interviews here on the podcast, there is a huge value to the direct conversations we can have at markets for understanding our potential customers' interests, but the thing that might come as a massive surprise to everyone is in this episode, I'm challenging the concept of the "ideal customer" and what that really means for building a small business.

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Ep 409: Battling Scarcity with Tzipporah Schvarcz Jul 21, 2023

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Most of the time, when I talk with other makers about taking the leap to go full time, we talk about the logistical things - having a bit of savings put away in case of emergency, understanding your numbers to make sure the pricing can support your necessities, getting an email list going in order to have ownership over your audience, etc. etc. etc. And while these things are indeed important, the unsung workhorse of being able to make a living from the things you make - the thing that often is the difference between keeping a business afloat or not, the thing that carries most of us through the uncertainty isn’t a spreadsheet or new planning journal. It’s our mindset.

Battling the ups and downs of all that’s happening in our heads, particularly when it comes to feelings of scarcity - that - spoiler alert - social media is essentially built to enhance - is actually what Tzipporah and I wind up talking about amidst sharing the realities of her life as a mom of 4 with a self-employed husband as well!

If you love this episode, will you please click over to subscribe/follow and leave us a review on whatever podcast app you are using to listen? Thanks in advance!!

Guest Resources:
Tzipporah on Instagram - @sipor.ceramics

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Ep 408: The 4-Day Work Week with Julie Cloutier Jul 14, 2023

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A 4 day work week… it’s the thing of dreams. And, according to many many studies I’ve read about in many books, actually highly linked to better productivity and all sorts of other very business-savvy things that only a fool would say no to. But in all of those books I’ve read, the examples have been from companies that had teams. So it was very easy to tell myself excuse after excuse of why it could clearly work for a team, but not work so well for us solo-preneurs, or itty bitty businesses trying to do the work of 10 people while only being one person . That is, until I saw a post by Julie Cloutier on Instagram, where she was celebrating her one year anniversary of a 4 day work week...

If you are enjoying The Maker’s Playbook podcast, would you consider clicking on over inside of whatever podcast app you are using to leave us a rating and review? Doing so will help spread the word we exist and allow more makers to enjoy these stories as well!
Guest Resources:
Julie's Instagram - @jgcloutier
Website - www.cloutierceramics.com
Substack - https://clayfulness.substack.com/

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Ep 407: The Launch - Reflecting on Our First Market Jul 07, 2023

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Episode 2 of the special The Launch series! This week I reflect on our first in-person market experience - just 6 short days after it happened. So yes, I'm still tired. :)
We also have some insightful questions from our Community members as our framework for this review on the highs and lows of our first market.
If you want to see the visuals from the market (including the booth setup and our most popular items we sold), come visit our ceramics Instagram account @carra.terra.

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Ep 406: Introducing The Launch (a real-time series on starting our ceramics business) Jun 23, 2023

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Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall while someone else starts a ceramics business? From the very beginning? Well, you’re in luck! In this new series - The Launch - I’m sharing (in as real-time as I can) the reality of what it’s like for Francesco and I to start our pottery business, Carra Terra. First up, what the last 2 years of twists and turns, starts and pauses, has been like and how that’s brought us to this summer of going all in on in-person markets. Spoiler: This episode airs one week before our very first in-person market. I’m guessing you’ll be able to hear the nerves through your headphones.

If you are going through all of this yourself and want to dig deeper on these conversations, come join me and over 60 other makers from all over the world inside of The Community. You can learn more about what this amazing space on the internet is by visiting makersplaybook.com/community. Becoming a member not only welcomes you into an amazing group of makers and colleagues celebrating the great successes with each other as well as supporting each other on the not so great days, your membership also helps with the creation of this very podcast.
If you want to see the visuals from the market (including the booth setup and our most popular items we sold), come visit our ceramics Instagram account @carra.terra.

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

Ep: 405 - The Efficiency of Commissions with Micah Schedler Jun 16, 2023

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Commissions… I feel like it’s a four letter word when I talk to some potters. You see them physically tense up and take a deep breath ready to do battle with a fire breathing dragon. And I’ve always been a little bit confused by this because I kind of like them. Just add it to the list of the ways that it makes me a bit of a black sheep in the art world. You can slot it right next to my love of systems and routine and willingness to talk about marketing and sales. But I digress… When I sat down with Micah Schedler I thought we’d mostly chat about how he’s balancing working as a health professional in nursing as well as having 2 little kids and launching a brand new website - I didn’t know we’d share a joy of the efficiency of commissions and that’s actually where he hopes to focus most of his business. But hang with us here. If you are already rolling your eyes, thinking “No way, Rebecca. I tried it once and it was a mess. I’ll never do a commission again.” Before you click the next button, just give us maybe 10 minutes to see if Micah’s controlled approach to how he makes commissions work best for him - amidst the sleep deprivation of toddlers and working another job - might help you re-think this often annoying request…

We have some exciting brainstorming happening inside of The Community right now around extra perks for our members in relation to this very podcast! Everything from announcing our members shop update in our weekly newsletter (you can sign up for that newsletter here if you are interested!), to getting our Community members a sneak peek on upcoming podcast interviews so they are able to ask questions of our guests in advance. If you’ve been curious about The Community and want to join in this brainstorming, come test it out with a 2-week free trial by visiting makersplaybook.com/community and let me know what podcast perks you’d love to have!

Guest Resources:
Micah on Instagram - @schedlerpottery

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

Ep: 404 - Using Your Background knowledge with Larissa Warren of Rat Bag Studios Jun 11, 2023

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Do you feel like the time you spent in a previous career (or a current one) is just pulling you away from moving forward in clay? But have you ever considered that the “background knowledge” you have gained from other life experiences is actually part of creating your unique voice and style as an artist? In this week’s episode, Larissa Warren of Rat Bag Studios and I discuss how her previous career as a teacher directly influences her current work, how the connections and background knowledge she gained while in that career directly support her recent jump into being a full-time studio potter and how the literal background knowledge of the medium you are working in is crucial to actually making the work. While so many of us scour the internet for quick and easy answers to what another artist uses for clay or glaze, what material do they make those stencils out of and how do you (insert whatever unique style skill here)... Larissa points out that maybe the key to figuring out all of those questions is actually found within the trial & error that comes with gaining the background knowledge of the process in the first place.
If you are looking to continue this discussion, come join other makers inside of The Community. Learn more and see if this is the right supportive place for you on the internet by visiting: makersplaybook.com/community
Guest Resources:
Larissa Warren on Instagram - @ratbagstudios
Rag Bag Studios Website - ratbagstudios.com

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

Ep: 403 - Being a Part of a Lineage with Gloria Han May 26, 2023

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My chat this week with Gloria Han opens up so many bit and important conversations (spoiler: this means, there’s going to be a part two!). From getting into education because of a passion for teaching (rather than it being the automatic route after graduate school as it is for so many), to balancing contemporary work with traditional making practices, and encouraging new artists to consider the wisdom of generations of knowledge before defaulting to the overused excuse of there being “no wrong way to make something.” Gloria’s teaching practice and her making practice are intrinsically linked - one informing the other and also each allowing the space for the other passion to be nurtured without the push of capitalism to make work that’s easy to sell.
If you are looking for a way to continue these conversions in a way that can happen faster than I can produce new episodes, while also discovering an amazing group of colleagues that support one another on this journey - whether hobbyists or side-hustlers or full-timers. Beginners or long-time makers - you might just want to check out The Community. It’s our online home and my personal favorite place on the internet, but I’m obviously bias. You can learn more and hear about the experiences of other makers that are not me, and far less bias, by visiting makersplaybook.com/community

Guest Resources: Gloria Han on Instagram - @gloriahanart

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

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Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

Ep: 402 - The Business of Clay (Part Two!) May 21, 2023

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When I sat down with Paul Blais of the Potter's Cast and a packed room of fellow makers at NCECA, we hit upon a lot of business subjects. Frankly, just one of the questions he threw my way could have been its own entire episode. So today I’m expanding on a few of those subjects in this solo episode. If there are still questions you had from that chat, send me over an email at podcast@makers-playbook.com and I’ll queue up another follow up episode as well! Because if there was one way to sum it alllllll up, it’s that just about every decision when it comes to your own business - whether a side-hustle on the nights and weekends or a full-time gig - nearly every decision you are going to have to make is interconnected to every other decision.

Click Here to learn more about how you can receive support from other makers all over the world as part of our Community here at The Maker's Playbook.

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

---

Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

Ep 401: Making a Living with Danny Meisinger May 12, 2023

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When I say “making a living” what do you think I mean? Do you immediately think of income and how much money you make? Or do you think of how you spend your time? Do you think of the balance between working hours and leisure hours? I don’t think there is one particularly correct answer, but on this episode of The Maker’s Playbook, our guest, Danny Meisinger does put this phrase into some very helpful perspective for those of us trying to figure out the financial side alongside the dream life of being a full-time potter in the 21st century. If you are dreaming that same dream, or even just curious about what it’s actually like to make a living from what you make, this episode is for you.

See Danny’s work on Instagram @dannymeisinger

Support & learn from Danny at his Patreon by clicking here.

If you are looking for your own network of clay colleagues to support you in figuring out how to make a living (or a side-hustle!) from the things you make, consider checking out The Community. Membership also directly supports the creation of this very podcast.

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Looking for support in building your own creative life? Come join over 100 other makers from around the world, having these very discussions, inside of The Community. Click here to learn more.

---

Love this podcast? Support an episode!
Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybook

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