Make Ideas Reality

This is another Spotlight episode with Andy Birkey talking about why tools are overrated. An interesting little chat and perhaps something to think about. Enjoy  Andy Birkey https://www.instagram.com/andy_birkey/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

What is Maker Fluency? Well Andy Birkey has coined the term and tells us what it is and how we can use it to become better at our craft.  Andy Birkey https://www.instagram.com/andy_birkey/ Justin White (Garage Avenger)  website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

The importance of Play is more than we can fathom. In this Spotlight Episode with Hans Meier we talk about the importance of play Hans Meier Links: https://www.instagram.com/smogdog/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

We all want to reach for the moon, but everything comes at a cost. So it is important to balance our ambitions Today I’m speaking about balancing ambition with Marius Bodvin from Arendal Leather Company. He shares with us the enormous amount of ambition and workload on his plate. We talk about how he balances or more importantly how he doesn’t balance all these things. Marius share how his ADHD both helps and hinders his ambitions. And I drop a bomb about the future of Garage Avenger and this podcast.  Links: https://www.arendalleather.com/ https://www.garageavenger.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

We live in a world of things. A consumerist black hole.  It’s been proven that Consumerism forces people to work harder, borrow more and spend less time with loved ones. It gets in the way of fulfilling relationships and negatively affects our overall well-being. But we are all doing this dance So how do we change the music. My guest today Pierre, The Swedish Maker has thrown his dreams of an iPhone 13 and dusted off his gramophone. In the effort to stop his consumerist life crisis and start enjoying quality family time and the freedom working less and living more. In this episode Pierre shares with us the steps taken towards so far his dreams of living a simple country life We delve into Pierre’s life crisis. We talk about the positives and negative around uprooting your life to pursue a dream The importance of having the support from your partner We look into the things you could cut down on to help you pursue a similar dream. The Swedish Maker: https://theswedishmaker.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theswedishmaker/ https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSwedishMaker Justin White (Garage Avenger) Website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Innovating is about staying relevant. Our world is constantly evolving, it’s impossible for a creator to remain relevant if they don’t innovate. When a creator continuously innovates, they are more likely to stay relevant.  Imagine if Jimmy Diresta only made things on the band saw. Would he be as relevant as he is now? My guest Barany Dixion is an innovator in his field of puppetry. Barnaby is at the forefront of design, movement, video and stage production. He is a true artist. In this show we talk about where it all began Staying the course even when friends and family didn’t support you Barnaby unveils his process of making and idea realty We then get down into how he has innovated over the years in, design, production and probably the most important aspect his mindset. Barnaby Dixon  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/barnabydixon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barnabydixon/  Justin White (Garage Avenger)  Website:     https://www.garageavenger.com   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/   YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber   Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Pushing through hard times takes a certain type of gumption. Steinar Caspari a professional graffiti artist shares with us here in this spotlight episode his journey of working a day job and painting 500 portraits having never painted a portrait before.     --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

My guest today Giacomo Di Muro otherwise known as “Giaco Whatever” Knows a thing or two about pushing through those barriers that seem to stop most of us developing and selling a product. He seems to not only push through but smash through those barriers. Well.... at least leap over them like Super Mario. Giaco has pioneered his way into product design and manufacturing from his humble beginnings, as a maker on YouTube channel Giaco Whatever. Today we delve into the way he sees the world and how that has shaped the way he approaches his work. Giaco shares with us what has been critical to his success We dig deep into how he turns an idea into reality such as the maker knife And we hear about his newest Kickstarter project NOSHORTCUTS Giaco Links: YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/GiacoWhatever/videos Website: https://placedatoms.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giacowhatever/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

In a world of technology, we turn to our phones and computers to find like minded people. We find them on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter and decide lets make a group chat or discord server where we can connect on another level, but most of us still feel disconnected regardless. Something about text chains and video chats just don’t cut it. So how does one foster true connection with somebody. Well the easiest way is through a shared experience. A pilgrimage Today Kristin and I will be talking about Technology and its impact on us We’ll share our experiences and what we learnt on our pilgrimage to Makers Central. A large Creative Expo, in Birmingham England. Then we’ll discuss some possible controversial improvements for the event And to finish What the ultimate pilgrimage would look like for us. Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Embracing the inner nerd is philosophy, my guests today Martina and Hansi from Nerdforge seem to have adopted.  In this episode Martina and Hansi share with us their origin story, Nerdforge comic book No.1 They talk about de-weaponizing the word nerd.  Embracing who you are and letting go of what others think We get an insight into how they separate work and relationship.  You’ll hear how they turn their nerdy ideas into reality. To finish we hear what the future could hold for nerdforge. Martina and Hansi have grown their youtube channel pretty quickly using this philosophy of embracing your inner nerd. So some great lessons to be learnt   Hope you enjoy. Nerdforge Links: https://www.youtube.com/c/Nerdforge https://www.instagram.com/thenerdforge/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Matthew Dicks. 5x Moth Grand Slam story telling champion. Author of 7 novels and the non-fiction book Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, And Change Your Life Through - The Power Of Storytelling. In today’s show Matthew walks us through how we can boost engagement by being able to tell a compelling story. We then discuss the don’t of storytelling and Ways to generate story ideas Using a tool he calls Homework for life. To finish Matthew deconstruct one of my latest project video (oh god)  so you can learn from my example what to do and more importantly  what NOT to do. This show is jammed packed with actionable advice so please get ready to take notes Matthew Dicks  https://matthewdicks.com/ Download my Video Format here: https://www.garageavenger.com/post/boost-engagement-through-storytelling-matthew-dicks Justin White (Garage Avenger) website:     https://www.garageavenger.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:     https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Thinking big it widens your horizons, taking you out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. The ability to ‘Think BIG’ is one of the cornerstones of success, but we’ve all had big lofty new year’s resolutions and 3 weeks in we’ve thrown in the towel. What does it actually mean to think big? And how do we achieve those big goals without falling flat on our face 3 weeks in? My guest today Paul Jackman of Jackman Works is known for his scaled up BIG projects but today we won’t be just probing him about that. We’ll be talking about how he thinks big. We’ll hear where it all begun for him. Paul lifts the curtain on his creative process And we hear about, how thinking big has brought friends, sponsors and even tv networks knocking. Paul Jackman Links: https://www.jackmanworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JackmanWorks https://www.instagram.com/jackman_works/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:      https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

It's fairly well known that the inspiration for Velcro came from cockleburs caught in the hair of George de Mestral's dog, and that Leonardo da Vinci drew on the bird's wing for ideas for his flying machines. It seems that humans have been attempting to copy nature for a very long time. This impulse continues today with my guest Ivan Iler who is known for his metal kinetic sculptures and his artistic flare. You might know him from the Netflix show Metal Shop Masters but Its been a long road from his humble beginnings. Today we’re going to talk about Ivan’s story We delve into his fascination of mimicking movement in nature You’ll get a peek behind the curtain of Ivan’s creative process and We discuss controversial travesty of the Metal shop Masters. Even if you have never heard of Ivan Iler your ears are in for a treat. Links: Ivan Iler  https://www.ivanilerstudios.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ivan_iler/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ivaniler?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/ivanilerstudios Justin White (Garage Avenger) Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:      https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

In these times of the side hustle and trying to break free from of our mundane day jobs. Many of us are looking towards turning that hobby into a business. There's a clear distinction between a hobby that makes some money and running an official business.  And That’s what can sometimes trip us up when trying to make a living doing what we love. Today my guest Ethan Abramson owner and designer of an acclaimed New York, furniture company shares his story and the insights he’s gained interviewing others that have made the jump. On his podcast “building a furniture brand”. We talk about the right time to jump from hobby to business The importance of defining your niche, The neglected aspects of market research, Where most fail in pricing and budgeting, and how to actually, sell something. Even if you never want to turn your hobby into a business. Chances are you know someone that does. This episode could really make a difference. Ethan shares a lot of knowledge here. So, let’s get into the show. Ethan Abramson links http://www.ethanabramson.com/ https://www.buildingafurniturebrand.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thebuildwithethan/ Justin White (Garage Avenger) Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:      https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

How a Maker can Change the World! In a society that seems to feel ever more distant and unengaging. Where you mostly hide behind a screen even when socializing. You hardly know your neighbors and cultural events are not favored over watching the squid game on Netflix. It all seems a little grim, but we as makers have the power to change this. Though it sometimes brings us down with self-doubt and a healthy dose of impostor syndrome, making is an incredible anti-depressant. It is cathartic. It is addictive. It traps us in a spiral of positive thinking that can only ever create a good people. For those engaged in the maker community this is clearly evident. And Who better to change the world but us. Today we are going to talking with Mike Troxel about his experiences of using his creativity to impact his local community. We deep dive into his story He shares with us some of his projects and the impact they had. We talk about why you as a maker are one of the most important assets to your local community. And Mike suggests some ways you as a little maker in your little workshop can make an impact and engage others to change the world. If you’ve wanted to make an impact and engage others to change the world. Then I hope this episode will inspire you to take action. Mike Troxel: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mike_at_theworkshop/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010541745803 Justin White (Garage Avenger) Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:      https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Stop Listening To Peoples Advice. They’re not helping you. Everybody’s got something to say about what you do. People you know, people you love, people you hate. Even people you’ve never met. They all want tell you what to do, what to think, what is right or wrong. How to be better, live your life, and further your career. But… no one knows what’s best for you because they are not you. and you should really stop listening to them. In this podcast My guest Mark Justin from Justin Wood is going to discuss why life became amazing when he stopped listening to others. He talks about: The impact others had on his decisions in school and as a young adulthood that led to a Life of insufferable anxiety in a high paid IT career. He then talks about the how he dug himself out of that situation and took the steps towards working with something that truly made him happy …. Woodworking If you have been given bad advice in the past. Or felt you never had the support of friends or family This episode I hope will give you an understanding where that bad advice or lack of support came from. And how to analyze advice in the future to ensure you make the right decisions for you. Heaps to unpack in this episode so lets get into the show. Links:  Justin Wood:  https://www.justinwoodni.co.uk/29qdiz66r88u988uouoai3pcjucjw2 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwoodni/ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/JustinWoodNI?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=559698219 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

My guest today Eric from Hand Tool Rescue gets his high from delving into the stories of the old and forgotten tools of the world. Digging up patents and talking with collectors from all around the world to understand the story behind the tool. In this episode Eric shares - The real reasons why he really loves restoring tools. - The stories behind finding and attaining those rare tools - He shares some crazy Patent stories, - Along with the weird and wonderful people of tool collecting. -  And we finish up talking about his White whale. The one tool he desires most. The stories behind the tools! We are biologically wired to enjoy a good story. That’s often why we love digging up the past and in Eric’s case, digging up the weird and wonderful world of old tools. From the time cavemen sat around campfires and told stories about a challenging bear hunt or a fishing adventure – stories offered an effective mechanism for knowledge transfer. From this perspective, the campfire was the social media platform of the day. That congregated all community members to engage in an in-person information exchange. And that’s how communities developed shared identities and culture. Likes, comments, and shares were all given verbally As time passed, these campfire stories were transformed into legends that were passed from one generation to the next. Today, the new campfire is Netflix or YouTube. We use these and other platforms to get entertainment The power of storytelling whether it’s a movie, political campaign or youtube video, is built on the timeless three-act story structure: 1) Setting 2) Conflict 3) Resolution The stories behind the tools are no different And today I’m hoping Eric will share with us some of the stories he as come across when getting his oxytocin high from researching, finding and restoring old tools. QUESTIONS: 1) What is it about old tools that really gets your rocks off? 2) What is your most treasured tool and what’s the story behind it? 3) Often, some of these tools you are hard to find and attain which adds to their story. What’s the one tool that stands out with regards to finding and attaining it? 4) You do a lot of research especially in weird and wonderful world of patents. Is there a particular patent story that has captivated you and made you want that tool even more? 5) Collecting old things you often have to deal with “special “people with “character” Has there been collector or individual that has captured your imagination with their story? 6) What is your “white whale” tool and what’s its story? RAPID FIRE 5 1) What is something people get wrong about you? 2) What is something you like doing that has nothing to do with making or restoring? 3) What project is completely priceless that you could never sell? 4) What does happiness look like? 5) Who should be the next guest on the podcast? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

THE PODCAST IS BACK!!! Today I’m talking with the infamous Jimmy Diresta Who is kind of known for saying Yes to most opportunities. He tells us where his philosophy came from. We discuss his biggest breaks that have come from saying yes. Along with the worst thing that could happen from saying yes. Jimmy talks about where he draws the line and says no and how he balances his time with partner Taylor between all his other commitments. We’ve all heard Jimmy on a thousand other podcasts answering all the same questions so I hope in this episode you will hear a side of jimmy you haven’t heard before. Jimmy Diresta links https://jimmydiresta.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/jimmydiresta Justin White (Garage Avenger) Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/ YouTube:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOyyAChQzN3HZSakwFn-3Q?view_as=subscriber Patreon:      https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32422944&fan_landing=true --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Nima Shahinian a prolific Maker that has just become an Astronaut. One of the most interesting people I've had the pleasure to interview. Nima was a High School drop out, but since, has built a name for himself as the guy that dreams big and builds bigger. With projects on his board such as the worlds fastest gravity vehicle, Lamborghini Huracan and a huge collection of world changing designs and products.  Recorded Live at the Skapefestivalen in Oslo Norway. It truly was an honor.  Enjoy Check out Nima here: https://www.instagram.com/nimashahinian/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message

Today’s guest The Red Smith a maker from southern France talks about teaching and why it’s so important and how taking risk will always end with reward. We all remember that one teacher that made school hell for us. An uninspired, by the book, not giving a shit supposed teacher. They say teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world. Yet we have all experienced a teacher like this. What about risk. Are you one to overthink a situation. Go through all the possible outcomes then never pull the trigger? Red gives some unique points of view on these topics Heaps to unpack in this episode Enjoy! Links https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqV0qSeS6i0qdymBFlLvnOw https://www.instagram.com/the_redsmith/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-white48/message