We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Durbin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I initially started making just for fun during high school through my summer and winter breaks, but I think I knew early on I wanted to sell my work some day. I didn’t necessarily know whether it would be sustainable financially, so I decided to minor in studio arts while majoring in a tech field at Northern Kentucky University. This path to start my career in computer technology out of college allowed me to continue making pottery on the side as I started selling my functional work to the public. It has always been a secondary source of income to my day job and allows me to experiment much more with the small business as it grows. I’ve now been selling on the side for 6+ years and hope to leave the tech field to sell pottery full time when it makes financial sense for our family needs.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think my consistency and persistence sets me apart from other small business owners in my field. I try my best to make efficient use of my time outside of my day job to make my small business work better for me, take advantage of most opportunities that come my way, and taking my small business seriously as if it’s my full time job, even if it’s not. I’ve very diligent to set weekly & yearly business goals to keep me focused and take in customer feedback as I try out new forms/colors to see if there’s potential to make it a profitable aspect of my business for the long term. While staying focused on what makes the business successful, I have to be aware what work I enjoy making so I can keep doing this for the long run.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Northern Kentucky just outside of Cincinnati, we get to benefit from all of the art, dining, architecture, and culture that Cincinnati has to offer. I would likely take them around town to one of the local art shows we have going on nearly any weekend from May until the end of the year. We could also visit one of the local parks or city skyline overlooks from either the KY or OH side of the Ohio River. Dining options would likely be selected from our Over The Rhine neighborhood in downtown Cincinnati or Mainstrasse neighborhood in Covington, KY. They each have a wide selection of small business cuisines to choose from and the neighborhood architecture is a great showcase of the history of the city. It would be a great visit that could cater to so many different tastes and experiences for individuals, families, or couples.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The most influential person within my pottery journey these past 5+ years of being a small business owner has to go to my friend Becca Otis. We met each other through Instagram as potters just figuring out what we enjoyed making, how to sell better at shows/online, and manage our small businesses successfully. We grew up together in a way and have been hosting a podcast together the past 3+ years called Wheel Talk. We discuss life as a small business owner & potter, answer listener questions from our ceramic artist peers, and interview fellow artists/small business owners. These weekly discussions, averaging 2 hours at a time, help me flesh out some ideas I have, learn about each other, provide help to other up and coming makers, and build a stronger friendship overall. I can’t recommend how beneficial it is to have a friend/peer to bounce ideas off of as you are evolving your small business.

Website: www.ryandurbinceramics.com

Instagram: instagram.com/rdceramics

Facebook: facebook.com/ryandurbinceramics

Other: rdceramics.etsy.com https://wheeltalk.buzzsprout.com/

Image Credits
Photos of Ryan photographing pot taken by Joshua Heim (@jhpotteryworks)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.