Ep 616: The Slow Growth Community Studio with Amy Roadman (Part 1)
Send us a textTransitioning 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 a community pottery studio reveals how listening closely to student feedback (from class scheduling to glaze options) transformed her teaching approach and business model while preventing burnout. Her story reminds us that rapid growth and 100s of thousands of internet followers isn’t always necessary for success. Instead, perhaps the deliberate practice of slow growth can produce a small business that sustains the life you actually want to have.Be sure you've subscribed to this podcast wherever you're listening so you don't miss out on Part Two!As always, the options are practically endless for figuring out what version of a maker business or side-hustle works for your unique life. And, as always, if you're looking for help figuring out what version of maker business fits your specific life circumstances right now, there are 100 other makers from all over the world having these very conversations inside The Community, including Amy! Click here if you want to learn more about the perks of Community membership (joining supports the creation of this very podcast!)Love this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com
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Ep 615: The Importance of Mentorship with Lisa Orr
Send us a textHere 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 stoneware-dominated ceramics world of the 1980s. Through her journey from studying with established potters to international research and eventually becoming a mentor herself, Lisa reveals how these relationships provided not just technical knowledge but practical business skills alongside the confidence to challenge current assumptions. Could the difference between struggling in isolation as an artist and building a sustainable decades-long pottery career be found in actively seeking mentorship and finding your creative community?Resources in this Episode:Lizas' InstagramLooking for your own creative community? THE Community is the place to be! With over 100 makers from all over the world, The Community is where you can dive deeper into any of the topics we’ve started talking about here on the podcast. Whether it’s the debate back on episode #509 about choosing between Etsy or your own website, or trying to sort out what type of side-hustle or full-time business works for your own personal life after hearing so many different kind of stories here on the podcast, if you’ve been listening along and find yourself wishing for more at the end of an episode, The Community is that more. Learn about more of the perks of membership by visiting makersplaybook.com/community or send me a message and I can put you in touch with one of our members to get an insider’s perspective.Love this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com
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Ep 614: The Aligned Potter with Elizabeth Schlatter
Send us a textMany 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 your unique body mechanics—can transform your making practice. Taking care of our bodies isn't just about preventing pain, but about creating a sustainable practice that allows us all to keep making what we love for decades to come.Want to continue chatting with Elizabeth directly? The Community is the place to be! With over 100 makers from all over the world, The Community is where you can dive deeper into any of the topics we’ve started talking about here on the podcast, but especially this episode because Elizabeth is also a member of the Community herself! If you’ve been listening along and find yourself wishing for more at the end of an episode, The Community is that more. Learn about the additional perks of membership by visiting makersplaybook.com/community or send me a message and I can put you in touch with one of our members to get an insider’s perspective.Resources in this Episode:Elizabeths' InstagramLove this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com
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Ep 613: Where Are They Now with Kara Leigh Ford
Send us a textAs an avid podcast listener, long before I ever started this show, I was always curious about what had happened to entrepreneurs 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 last spoke with her back in January of 2021. Since then, her husband has left his corporate job to pursue his own passions, which has shifted the demands of Kara's business into being the primary source of economic support for their household. Through strategic pivots—balancing pottery-making, teaching, Patreon content, and publishing two books—Kara has discovered that success isn't always about exponential growth but intentional choices that protect joy and wellbeing. Their household has not only survived this transition but found new equilibrium, with Tom now signed to a record label and Kara experiencing greater clarity about her priorities as a maker. This chat with Kara is a great reminder that the true measure of success isn't necessarily constant expansion, but rather designing a business that supports the life you actually want to live.Looking for more support in trying to figure out how to be create your own unique version of a creative life? The Community is the place to be. With now over 100 makers from all over the world, The Community is where you can dive deeper into any of the topics we’ve started talking about here on the podcast. Whether it’s the debate back on episode #509 about choosing between Etsy or your own website, or trying to sort out what type of side-hustle or full-time business works for your own personal life after hearing so many different kind of stories here on the podcast, if you’ve been listening along and find yourself wishing for more at the end of an episode, The Community is that more. Learn about more of the perks of membership by visiting makersplaybook.com/community or send me a message and I can put you in touch with one of our members to get an insider’s perspective.Resources in this Episode:Kara's InstagramLove this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com
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Ep 612: Being Your Own Boss with Amy Brummond of Pine Zen Potter
Send us a textAs makers transitioning from hobby to business, we often forget the most powerful perk of self-employment: you're the boss who makes the rules, not just the employee doing all the work. What if setting clear boundaries, creating a sustainable schedule, and giving yourself permission to evolve creatively are actually your responsibilities as a good boss to yourself? As Amy Brummond shares her journey of artistic evolution, we see how honoring her creative restlessness not only reignited her passion but actually strengthened her business when customers responded enthusiastically to her new work. Could the courage to follow your changing creative voice—even when it means risking established success—be what ultimately creates the sustainable making practice that allows you to thrive both creatively and financially?Looking for more support in trying to figure out how to be your own boss? The Community is the place to be. With now over 100 makers from all over the world, The Community is where you can dive deeper into any of the topics we’ve started talking about here on the podcast. Whether it’s the debate back on episode #509 about choosing between Etsy or your own website, or trying to sort out what type of side-hustle or full-time business works for your own personal life after hearing so many different kind of stories here on the podcast, if you’ve been listening along and find yourself wishing for more at the end of an episode, The Community is that more. Learn about more of the perks of membership by visiting makersplaybook.com/community or send me a message and I can put you in touch with one of our members to get an insider’s perspective.Resources in this Episode:Amys' InstagramLove this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com
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.
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