You guys are brilliant. The system is so granular—it gave me exactly what I needed, and that’s why I’ve stuck with it all these years.”- Joe Darling
Joe Darling is a professional production potter, passionate teacher, and founder of The Pottery Shed, a thriving pottery studio in Sydney, Australia. Offering hands-on ceramics classes for beginners and beyond, The Pottery Shed combines artistry with accessibility—welcoming over 76,000 students (and counting!) to the wheel.
Whether he’s throwing a custom basin or helping someone break through their own creative blocks, Joe brings warmth, mastery, and mindfulness to every pot made.
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Joe's stats |
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Location Sydney, Australia |
Company size Small business |
Industry Creative services
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YCBM stats Customer since: June 2012 Lifetime bookings: 90,913 |
Key features
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Key integrations GSuite Mailchimp via Zapier |
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TL;DR |
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The problem Joe used PayPal deposits to manage bookings—until $40,000 in sales triggered a freeze. With no access to funds or a proper scheduling system, his growing studio was at risk. The solution While searching for a better setup, a local tech introduced him to YouCanBookMe, a software that manages online scheduling for creative services. He quickly set up group class limits, automated rescheduling, and integrated Stripe for smooth, secure payments. The outcome Since 2012, Joe has booked over 90,000 classes and built a five-teacher team. With scheduling fully automated, he can focus on pottery—not admin. |
Joe Darling was using PayPal deposits as a stand-in for a booking system—if someone paid, they were considered signed up. It worked—until it didn’t. 😬
When his pottery classes unexpectedly generated $40,000 in a single month, PayPal flagged the activity and froze his account.
Suddenly, Joe had no way to track bookings, no access to funds, and no system to support his rapidly growing studio.
Forced to find a more reliable way to manage sign-ups, Joe started searching for tools—and a local computer tech sent him a YouCanBookMe link.
Lo and behold, it turned out to be exactly what he needed!
Joe jumped into the platform, customized group class settings, added automated rescheduling links, and integrated Stripe to securely handle payments. It was the first time he had a real booking system—and it worked impeccably.
Over 90,000 bookings later, The Pottery Shed has become a creative landmark in Sydney—running seven days a week with five instructors and a steady stream of enthusiastic students. Behind the scenes, Joe manages it all with YouCanBookMe.
What Joe appreciates most isn’t just automation—it’s control. He’s built eight separate booking pages to handle everything from intro classes to private sessions, each with tailored settings that reflect the unique flow of his studio.
With conditional forms, flexible scheduling rules, and full backend customization, YouCanBookMe lets him fine-tune every step of the booking experience.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s a toolkit that adapts to his exact needs. And that flexibility is what’s allowed Joe to scale without ever losing the personal, hands-on feel that keeps students coming back.
I still check out competitors now and then—but no one offers the depth of control YouCanBookMe gives me." – Joe Darling
Joe uses eight live YouCanBookMe booking pages, each embedded directly into his website. Every page is tailored to a specific service or payment type—from beginner classes and glazing workshops to private lessons and practice sessions—with separate flows for credit card payments and voucher redemptions.
His setup includes:
With YouCanBookMe, Joe has built a robust, flexible system that supports every part of his studio—from first-time students to long-time members. It’s not just about automation—it’s about having total control over how bookings run, so the experience stays smooth and personal at every step.
Joe built his business on passion, consistency, and genuine connection. Instead of chasing trends, he focused on creating a welcoming, skill-based learning environment where people felt safe to try, fail, and grow.
His advice for anyone starting out? Run your business in a way that reflects who you are. Whether you're hands-off or hands-on, what matters most is clarity, sincerity, and a service people can trust. That authenticity is what people remember—and what keeps them coming back.
It is my personal passion that has really driven this business. I can see that doesn’t exist across the board—and that’s what makes the difference. People feel it when it’s real.” – Joe Darling
Joe Darling didn’t just build a pottery school—he built a community rooted in creativity, care, and craft. With over 90,000 bookings and more than a decade using YouCanBookMe, his story proves that when passion meets the right tools, the result is lasting impact.
Whether it’s customizing reminders or creating a seamless booking journey for thousands of students, Joe’s approach is proof that thoughtful systems can power meaningful, hands-on work.
Thousands of creative professionals like Joe use YouCanBookMe to simplify their scheduling and focus on their craft, and you can too! Try YCBM for free and see how much easier life can be with one less thing on your plate. 🎨