the podcast

Hosted by Rebecca Ickes Carra, The Maker’s Playbook 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 15 years of entrepreneurship.

Rebecca laughing in an apron while holding a mug

pottery podcast

reviews from listeners

reviews from listeners

Popular Episodes

Loving the
podcast?

If the podcast has helped you navigate your own maker journey, consider supporting it with a one-time or recurring donation. Sharing these conversations is a labor of love, and donations help cover editing, hosting, and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into each episode.

Any amount makes a difference.
(Donations start at $5, because… processing fees 🙄)


All Episodes

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

Season 6 Rebecca Ickes Season 6 Rebecca Ickes

Ep 714: How to Make Confident Business Decisions in Your Art Business (or side-hustle)

If you've ever Googled "how to price my art" or "how to grow a creative business" hoping someone would just hand you the right answer — this episode is for you. Rebecca digs into why making confident business decisions as an artist or maker isn't about finding the perfect formula. It's about treating your art business like a science experiment: forming a hypothesis, testing it, analyzing what actually happens, and adjusting from there. Whether you're a full-time maker relying on your craft sales to pay the bills, or a side-hustle artist still holding onto that day job, this episode will help you stop waiting for permission and start making decisions that actually move your creative business forward.

Read More
Season 6 Rebecca Ickes Season 6 Rebecca Ickes

Ep 713: “Overnight Success” with Aaron Raymond of Redacted Ceramics

Most of us assume that building a creative business takes years of groundwork before the work can speak for itself — but what happens when the work takes off before you've had time to figure out the business? Aaron Raymond of Redacted Ceramics went from renting a wheel for a week to running a full-time pottery business in under two years, and his story raises a quiet but important question: does the conventional wisdom about "paying your dues" actually hold up? As Aaron shares, a clear creative vision — one rooted in the Portuguese tile work he encountered while living abroad — combined with a willingness to use technology as a tool rather than a shortcut, allowed him to develop a style so distinctive that it found its audience almost before he was ready for it. The real lesson here may be that sustainability isn't about how long you've been at it, but about knowing your limits, protecting your hands, and resisting the pressure to scale past what the work can actually bear.

Read More