The Pin Tool Podcast | Pottery | Ceramics | Small Business

In this episode, Alford Wayman gives an update on his pottery and the outcomes of his fall shows. He talks about how the economy is affecting sales and also how he used an Artificial intelligence agent as a tool for a product launch. 

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Calm isn't a personality trait you either have or don't. It's a learned response, and you build it by having a system before the crisis hits. These are actual steps I'm taking right now at Creek Road Pottery to build something more resilient.

In this episode, Alford Wayman walks through the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle as a studio practice, not a management seminar concept. PDCA came out of industrial quality control, places where the same failure costs thousands of dollars, wasted time, wasted raw materials, and effort loss.

Two weeks ago, I talked about the steps I'm taking to build something more resilient at Creek Road Pottery — the garden, the wood kiln, the solar system, the treadle wheel. Today is the field report. The solar equipment is starting to arrive. The garden was planted on Memorial Day, and the plants are growing. Here's what's actually happening on Creek Road right now.

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Last episode, I talked about the financial philosophy: know your numbers, price for sustainability, diversify revenue, and eliminate debt. This episode is the follow-up nobody asked for, but I'm doing anyway: the actual steps I'm taking right now at Creek Road Pottery to build something more resilient.

The garden. The wood kiln. The solar plans. The treadle wheel. What I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and what any maker can take from it for their own practice.

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The Pottery Dailies Founding member pricing closes May 27, 2026.

In this episode, Alford Wayman talks honestly about financial pressure, debt, and what it actually takes to build a pottery business that is financially stable, not just creatively alive.

The emotional truth first. There's a particular kind of shame that comes with being a maker who is also broke. You chose this. You chose clay over stability. And some days that feels like a mistake. Before we can talk about spreadsheets, we have to talk about that.

Five practical things studio potters can do:

1. Know your numbers — all of them. What does your studio actually cost per month? What does each show earn — net, not gross? What does each pot actually cost to make, including your time? Most potters don't know these numbers. Once you know them, you can act.

2. Price for sustainability, not for approval. Your price is not a personality statement. It's math. Every time you undercharge, you are subsidizing your buyer's lifestyle with your own labor. That's not generosity. That's a slow leak.

3. Diversify your revenue. Shows alone are not enough. One bad weather day, one canceled event, and your month is gone. Online shop, workshops, commissions, writing, journals, podcast — each one is a leg of the table. You don't need all of them. You need enough that losing one doesn't collapse everything.

4. Treat debt like an emergency — because it is. High-interest debt is the enemy of creative freedom. Every dollar of interest is a dollar that didn't go toward clay, propane, or a kiln repair. Pay off the highest interest rate first. When it's gone, redirect that payment to the next one. Momentum is real.

5. Build a cushion — even a small one. A pottery business with no cash reserve is one bad kiln firing away from a crisis. Even $50 a month into a separate account builds something over time. The habit matters more than the amount at first.

Financial stability isn't the opposite of creative freedom. It IS creative freedom. When you're not panicking about money, you make better work.

The potters who last are the ones who figured out the business side without letting it eat the creative side. Hard times don't last. But the habits you build during hard times, tracking numbers, pricing correctly, diversifying revenue, eliminating debt, those do last. And they compound.

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Hard times don't ask permission before they show up. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about what it means to keep making work when life is pressing in from every direction; when the bills are real, the struggles are personal, and the studio feels like the last place you have the energy to be. But it might also be the one place that saves you. I share a few practical tips for staying at the wheel when everything in you wants to walk away. This one is for the makers who are still showing up even when it's hard. Pull up a chair. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we're discussing creating work during hard times.

The Pottery Dailies:

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we're discussing direction setting and goals for 2026.

The Pottery Dailies:

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss how to tell your story with your work and reconnect. Whether you’re at the wheel, in the studio, or just reflecting on your creative journey, this episode will offer suggestions on letting go of what's holding you back.

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary/dp/0143129252

S4E14: Selling Local – Start With One

It’s not always about scaling up. Sometimes the strongest foundation for your pottery business is built from personal connections, steady relationships, and local support. Whether you're building a trail, serving one household, or putting your work out on the table for passersby, this episode is about making it real, simple, and direct.

Honduran Fair Trade Coffee – BeautiFallPottery

Welcome back to The Pin Tool Podcast, where we dive deep into the craft, philosophy, and business of making pottery that matters. I’m your host, Alford Wayman, and today, we’re bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and The Artist’s Way —applying them directly to the life of an artist, a maker, and a business owner. We’ll discuss when and how to ask for help. Whether you’re at the wheel, in the studio, or just reflecting on your creative journey, this episode will offer suggestions on letting go of what's holding you back.

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary/dp/0143129252