Hosted by Rebecca Ickes Carra, the podcast focuses on candid conversations with fellow makers, about what it’s really like to make a living from the things we make. Plus occasional business tips straight from Rebecca’s hard-learned lessons over the last 14 years of entrepreneurship.

The Podcast

  • A Truly Superior Pottery Podcast!!! With honesty, forthrightness and intelligence, she combs the pottery world and finds those who are not only very experienced but also those who have recently started. I have found her podcast one of the few that I listen to from beginning to end!

    Apple Podcasts Review, December 2023

  • Love listening to this show as I’m making pottery in my home studio! The topics covered are perfect for those of us with the dream of making a living off of the things we make! Well done!

    Apple Podcast Review - December 2022

  • Amazing collection of interviews with a wide range of makers. Mostly focused on ceramic arts, but so much also applies to makers in all fields, including my work in textiles. I really appreciate Rebecca’s thoughtful questions and curious mind.

    Apple Podcasts Review, November 2022

  • Must listen for potters. Finding this podcast really helped me reframe some of my sales, marketing, and overall thinking for my studio. Love the guests. Each one unique and overcoming challenges in unique ways!

    Apple Podcasts Review, July 2022

All Episodes

Looking for a specific episode? Search a guest name or put short subject 👇

Season 6 Rebecca Ickes Season 6 Rebecca Ickes

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

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. 

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Season 6 Rebecca Ickes Season 6 Rebecca Ickes

Ep 603: Receiving Delayed Attention with Stanley Tong

I reached out to chat with Stanley after seeing his “Thoughts and Prayers” series - a powerful body of work creating strong visuals on the actual effects of a bullet striking a form. A series, he actually made more than a year ago. And yet, only recently and quite suddenly, has gotten quite a lot of recognition. We talk about how the series came about and what’s happened in the year since, as well as the time he’s taking to figure out the next steps, instead of letting the internet push him into a constant state of urgency. Not to mention, the decision to use a platform to express a message and what may or may not happen if that message changes. In other words: Do you keep making the work you know people want, or… Do you change?

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Support the Podcast.

Each episode of the Maker’s Playbook takes about 3x as long to create as it does to listen. That means, a 1 hour interview episode with your favorite maker takes about 3 hours after the recording to get from our computers into your headphones. Not to mention the promotional work we do to tell the world the interview exists & lift up the stories of the amazing makers who join us on the show.

We love bringing these conversations to you and your support allows us to do more of that - hopefully a bit faster & with a bit more sleep.