The Woodpreneur Podcast

Hey everyone, this week it's just family, Steve, and Jake from @ollogginepoxy on the podcast. Let's talk networking! Make sure you follow The Woodpreneur Podcast anywhere you get podcasts, so you don't miss an episode!

Collaboration For An Ever-Evolving Product FT. Ryan Cochrane | Cochrane Kayak "I wasn't a good athlete because I was a talented athlete. I was a good athlete because I put everything into that. Exactly that. And I focused on it." Ryan Cochrane Welcome back to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down with Ryan Cochrane. Ryan is a former Olympian, a Woodpreneur Podcast alumni, a good friend of Jake and Steve's, and this past year has become an essential partner with Ol Loggin Epoxy. "Epoxy is something that I used before but in a different way, because I was using it more in kayaks because I was as a kayaker as an athlete. So it was more for boat-building processes and things like that. But I watched many people make these river tables and do stuff like that, which made me want to see if I could do that.  Alan, a friend of ours, reached out to me on Instagram and said, 'Hey, do you want some product?' I said, 'Yeah, I'd love to give it a go.' I worked with epoxy a little bit when I started working for the company I'm currently working for, which I ended up buying into with some partners. It all just snowballed from there.  My style is that if I do something, I do it. There's no halfway; I'm going to go all into it. I'm going to figure everything out, and I'm going to learn everything about that product and everything I can do with that product. So it became an obsession, and from there, it kept rolling. I mean, it's been years now, and it feels like it was yesterday." Ryan Cochrane Read More

Now That’s Social Media Marketing Ft. Alex from Backyard Resin “Just trying to optimize everything step by step and trying to get better. That’s where we’re at now.” Alex from Backyard Resin Welcome to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down with Alex from Backyard Resin. Alex has made his mark with incredible videos of phenomenally eye-catching pieces. His epoxy tables have inspired his hundreds of thousands of followers, and all it takes is one look to see why. “This whole thing started as pretty much everybody starts their hobby. I worked in sales and had a great career, and I decided I wanted to make things with my hands. I saw the epoxy tables, which I thought were really interesting. So I decided to make one, and I loved it. Then I made one for my brother, my mom, and my grandma, and eventually, people said, ‘Hey, you’re pretty good at this. You should probably start selling.’  One of my friends also told me, ‘You should also make an Instagram account. I’m sure people would love to see the process and everything.’ I wasn’t very into social media, but I decided to go for it, and eventually, I saw that people started to follow. It was really nice to be able to show the process and show people how I did my stuff, and eventually, it just took on a life of its own.  When COVID hit, I saw an opportunity to say, ‘You know what, it’s now or never; I really like this. Let’s go full on.’ So I quit my career and literally worked from my shed at the back of my house. I was like, ‘if this doesn’t pan out, I can always be a salesman elsewhere. But I need to try this out.’ It turns out that it went super well, and now I’ve got an 8000 square foot shop and employees, and it just scaled it up fast.” Alex from Backyard Resin Read More

Learning the Tricks of the Epoxy Trade Ft. Arthur Santel “I started learning and developing my technique and that stuff by myself. And I really enjoy being able to chat with my guys, working on this project, working and collaborating with the clients.” Arthur Santel Welcome to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down with Arthur Santel, owner of Art de Seve. Arthur started his business about two years ago. Before that, he worked with a company handling concrete and epoxy flooring until he found an opportunity to work with wood. “I decided to try different stuff with wood. I had no experience before, but I had a shop where I could do that. So basically, I just bought a piece of wood for the first time a year ago, and then I met Lab Surface and you guys, and then everything started.  So now I have three other associates, we’re based in Montreal, and we’re doing everything with epoxy, wood, and concrete, like furniture, tables, and that kind of stuff. It’s starting slowly, but it’s growing slowly and steadily.” Arthur Santel Read More

Building an Epoxy Business Community Ft. Kevin Patanella Welcome back to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today your hosts, Steve and Jake, sit down with Kevin Patanella, an epoxy artist, ambassador, and friend to Ol Loggin Epoxy.  “Like many, I feel like I got pushed into starting something because of COVID. I was working in masonry as a laborer, and we were put on hold for six months, and that’s before they began to help everyone out.  My father is a framer, so I grew up with tools, but I didn’t really have the attention span to start a house and frame it out, and I wanted to do little projects and knock them out quickly. So, I started with his old tools, a table saw, a circular saw, a belt sander, and an orbital. That’s all I had.” Kevin Patanella The Draw of Epoxy Every person who works with epoxy, whether they focus on river tables, artwork, or anything in between, is drawn to the material for a reason. Sometimes it’s the durability, the inherent creativity, or some other factor that draws a person in. In Kevin’s case, it was a little bit of everything. “So, I was a chef for a while and was in the kitchen for probably close to 18 years. Executive Chef or Sous Chef for the past five, going between restaurants. I’m not with my daughter’s mother, but I was getting her on weekends, and as anyone that’s ever worked in that business knows, you can’t say, ‘Oh, I want Saturdays and Sundays off.’ So I had to make a choice.  Luckily my father owns his own company, so in between finding what would be next, which I do a lot of times, I’ll work for him for a while. And then you know, go on to the new job. But having the server drop off a plate that looks like it costs $300, and the people are ecstatic. It’s the same thing when you ship out a new table or a new board or something; just to see the reactions is worth it. But I mean, obviously, I’ve got to make money too.” Kevin Patanella Instagram: @kp_rusticdesign Read More

“I still have years of work still available to me. But I'm looking to change this hat to a crown and be the king of casting.” Alan Nicholson Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down with Alan Nicholson. “It all started about seven years ago for me. I was in the cleaning business before, and it was the cleaning business that brought me into the epoxy industry. Some of the school districts were requesting certain jobs to be done and asked if there were certain things that I could do. So it was thanks to the school district that I got into the epoxy business. After being in the cleaning industry for 25 years, I specialized in tile and grout restoration. They asked if I could restore those famous Bradley sinks in the school washrooms. The circular one where you turn it on with your foot. In figuring out how to restore it, I used epoxy, ground it all down, and then re-covered the entire thing with epoxy. So that’s how it all started.” Alan Nicholson Ps. Since recording Alan is no longer with Lab Surface Read More

Two to Canada, our Trip to Lab Surface and Formula 1 Ft. Jake and Steve   "Not many people know Lab Surface because they're a flooring manufacturer, and they're just now getting into the casting world, and they're putting 100% faith into us that we're going to take the casting world to the next level." Jake Latvala   Welcome to a brand new episode of The Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your host Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala sit down together and talk about their trip to Montreal to visit Lab Surface. Although the trip was based on building relationships and getting work done, they had the opportunity to check out a Formula 1 race while there. Check out the episode to hear all the stories of their adventure up north! Read More

Building Brand Recognition with David Pingrenon   “I’ve got three really cool tables I’m about to pour. One is a Viking table, and I ordered a full-size Damascus ax, a shield, a drinking horn, and some bone runes and stuff that will all go in the table.”  -David Pingrenon   Welcome to a brand new episode of The Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala sit down with David Pingrenon from Rotten Stump Creations, based out of British Columbia. David is an Ol Loggin Epoxy distributor and one of the relatively few Canadian representatives on the West Coast.   “I just got sick of doing the day job and was looking for something to do. I’ve always liked making stuff artistically with my hands, and I like stuff that comes from the art side of your brain, writing poems, playing guitar, things like that. It’s just not blue-collar work.    So I had a friend of mine, he’s on Instagram as well, and I saw he was making tables, and I thought it was cool. The first table that came out was just this awesome swirl of brown and gold. I’m not even a fan of those two colors, but together they made this great scene with the wood in the backdrop, and I went, ‘Oh, I wonder how hard that is.’    I just looked into it and asked him a bunch of questions. I’ve done a lot of woodworking in my life, so I just thought, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m just gonna try this out.’ So I grabbed the hardest table I could think of, which was a solid color with a clear on top, and I figured if I could make the hardest table work, I could probably do this. They came out looking really nice, and I just haven’t stopped since then.”  -David Pingrenon Read More

Jake & Steve What We’ve Learned in 1 Year Welcome to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down together to talk about a momentous occasion. It’s the one-year anniversary of Ol Loggin Epoxy! Although the actual Ol Loggin Epoxy product didn’t launch until July of 2021, Jake and Steve became business partners one year ago today. They started the process of their partnership agreement in January of 2021, and much of the time spent was working on agreement details and going through the process of finding the right partner in Lab Surface. Building a partnership takes time, trust, and a willingness to collaborate and communicate. However, establishing an official business partnership involves many more agreements than people may be aware of. Check out this episode to learn the ins and outs of building a collaborative business and all the steps that go into it! Proudest Moments “What we did last year is we’ve created quite a community. I think we did a pretty good job of recruiting a team, and if you look at our posts or our webpage, we’re getting tagged all over the place.  What I love the most is going to forums where you people ask, ‘What’s your go-to epoxy?’ I see more and more Ol Loggin Epoxy on those forums. I think that’s one of our greatest accomplishments so far, and it’s just the beginning.” -Jake Latvala Read More

Taking Quality and Collaboration Seriously Ft: Jonathan Gagnon   “I’m driven by growth, technology, and new products. I’m a former banker, but I have a strong interest in technology and R&D.”   Jonathan Gagnon   Welcome back to a new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast with your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala. Today, Steve and Jake sit down with Jonathan Gagnon, president of Lab Surface, and partner in creating Ol Loggin Epoxy.    Jonathan and Lab Surface fill a critical position in helping the development of Ol Loggin Epoxy. While Steve and Jake are experts in marketing and woodworking, they are not chemists, and to create a quality product like Ol Loggin Epoxy; it is vital to have experts on every front.   Check out this new episode to learn about changing industries, growing a business from the ground up, embracing technology, and much more.  Read More:

A Grassroots Epoxy Business Ft. Brad Williams “Hamilton Lee Supply started from Hamilton Lee Designs, one led to another. Hamilton is my youngest son’s first name, and Lee is my eldest son’s middle name. So I wanted to keep it in the family.” Brad Williams Welcome to a brand new episode of the Epoxy Business Podcast. Today, your hosts, Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala, sit down with Brad Williams from Hamilton Lee Supply. Brad got started on his woodworking journey when a tree fell in his backyard, and he wanted to do some work with it. “This was back in 2017. The network wasn’t as prominent as it is now, with social media and sawmill operations everywhere. So I got a sawmill, and as a custom home builder, I was taking four to six trees off of every demo lot we’re doing. Before long, I had 30 to 40 trees. So started with a sawmill, moved on to epoxy, and just dovetailed from making into supply and working with customers.” Brad Williams Read More

Welcome to the first episode of The Epoxy Business Podcast, hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jake Latvala. Steve and Jake run Ol Loggin Epoxy, one of the best premier epoxy brands for woodworkers by woodworkers, and they wanted to create a show to help document the building of this brand. Together, they are doing something that no one else is doing, and they want to invite you along for the journey.   Steve runs the Woodpreneur Podcast and a marketing agency called Acres of Timber alongside the Acres CRM, which is software for woodworking businesses. He works with many big brands and with Woodpreneurs of all sizes to help grow their sales and marketing.  Jake Latvala owns Ol Loggin Sawmill, teaches people how to build epoxy tables and serving trays, and he does it all with urban lumber. He and his company process the lumber from tree to table and work heavily with epoxy as well. Read More

In this episode, Steve Larosiliere interviews Laura Basili, the Deck Diva. She shares her journey in the decking industry and the growth of her business, Brazilian Lumber. She discusses the challenges of marketing niche products and the importance of training the marketing team. Laura emphasizes the significance of personal development and staying grounded as a business leader. She also highlights the impact of the economy on the industry and the plans for her business. Takeaways Focus on personal development as a foundation for business success.Create training materials and online courses to onboard new team members and share industry knowledge.Stay grounded and present to approach challenges with a clear mind.Emphasize the importance of good service and building relationships with customers.Adapt to market trends and expand product offerings to meet customer demands. Chapters 00:00 - Origin Story and Deck Diva Name 01:03 - Getting into the Industry 03:46 - Trends in the Decking Industry 05:42 - Business Operations and Team 06:58 - Marketing and Building a Customer Base 08:46 - Challenges in Running the Business 09:58 - Personal and Professional Development 11:14 - Expanding to a Second Location 12:18 - Exciting Aspects of the Business 13:51 - Importance of Being Grounded and Present 16:04 - Impact of the Economy on the Business 20:16 - Approach to Personal and Professional Development 25:32 - Perspective on Life and Business 29:35 - Marketing Advice and Training the Marketing Team Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Laura at:  https://www.instagram.com/brazilian_lumber/ https://www.instagram.com/realdeckdiva/ https://brazilianlumber.com

In this episode, Steve Larosiliere interviews Eric Marton from Shoreline Custom Cabinetry. Eric shares how he and his partner Jason Jarrold started their business after meeting through the Kijiji app. They took a leap of faith and invested all their money into the business. Eric talks about the importance of networking and word-of-mouth marketing in growing their customer base. He also discusses the benefits of using a CNC machine and other investments they have made in their business. Eric shares their plans for future growth, including expanding into light renovations. In this conversation, Eric Marton, co-owner of Shoreline Custom Cabinetry, discusses the origin of the company's name and its location in Windsor, Canada. He shares insights into Windsor's growing population and the impact of EV battery plants on the local economy. Eric also talks about the benefits of using CanCam CNC machines and the importance of programming. He seeks advice on improving Instagram engagement and discusses the balance between direct customers and contractors. Steve emphasizes the value of documenting the process and creating content to showcase the company's values and attract customers. He also highlights the importance of optimizing the website and engaging with customers through social media. Takeaways: - Taking a leap of faith and investing in your business can lead to success. - Networking and word-of-mouth marketing are powerful tools for growing a customer base. - Using a CNC machine can greatly improve efficiency and accuracy in cabinetry work. - Investing in the right tools and equipment can help streamline operations and improve productivity. - Expanding into related services, such as light renovations, can open up new opportunities for business growth. - Choose a name that reflects the location and surroundings of your business. - Consider the impact of local factors, such as population growth and economic developments, on your business. - Invest in high-quality machinery and focus on programming to ensure efficient and accurate production. - Document your process and create engaging content to showcase your work and attract customers. - Optimize your website with testimonials, videos, and engaging content to make it easy for customers to choose your business. **Chapters:** 00:00 - Introduction and Background  01:20 - Starting Shoreline Custom Cabinetry  05:06 - Building the Brand and Getting Customers  07:26 - Partnership and Networking  09:02 - Benefits of a CNC Machine  12:09 - Semi-Partnership and Sharing Space  13:07 - Choosing a CanCam CNC Machine  14:01 - Impact of the CanCam CNC Machine  19:10 - Business Growth and Future Plans  20:26 - Expanding into Light Renovations  21:36 - The Origin of the Name Shoreline  22:22 - Location and Proximity to the United States  23:24 - Windsor's Growing Population  24:08 - Visiting Windsor and Getting a CanCam CNC  25:05 - The Importance of Programming in CNC Machines  25:23 - Advice for Improving Instagram Engagement  26:19 - Balancing Direct Customers and Contractors  27:17 - Dealing with Potential Time-Wasting Customers  28:19 - Customer Acquisition and Word of Mouth  29:17 - Documenting the Process and Creating Content  30:11 - Injecting Values and Storytelling in Content  31:08 - Optimizing the Website and Engaging with Customers  33:01 - Continuously Improving and Doubling Down on Success  34:06 - Investing in Testimonials and Organic Content  36:53 - Improving the Website and Adding Personal Photos  37:18 - Final Advice: Don't Give Up and Focus on Quality Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Eric at:  https://www.instagram.com/shorelinecustomcabinetry/ https://shorelinecustomcabinetry.ca

In this episode, David Hoffman shares his journey from starting woodworking in 2019 to becoming a full-time woodworker. He began with small projects for his own home and gradually built up his skills and tools. David's obsession with woodworking led him to take on bigger projects, including his first kitchen job. He credits his success to his consistency in posting on social media and building a supportive community. While he may not be making more money than in his previous job, he values the freedom and fulfillment that woodworking brings him. In this conversation, David discusses his experience with different social media platforms, the importance of word-of-mouth and referrals, and his plans for his business. He also talks about the surprises and freedom of being his own boss and the challenges of scaling his business. Steve provides advice on outsourcing installations, identifying tasks to delegate, and building systems and processes. They also discuss the integration of content creation and business and the importance of feeding the social media beast. Takeaways Consistency and obsession are key to success in woodworking.Building a supportive community and sharing knowledge can help grow a social media following.Woodworking provides a sense of fulfillment and freedom.Combining woodworking with social media can create new opportunities and revenue streams.Different social media platforms serve different purposes for businesses.Word-of-mouth and referrals are valuable sources of clients.Consider the balance between building a business and being a full-time content creator.Being your own boss provides freedom but also comes with challenges.Outsourcing installations can free up time for other important tasks.Identify tasks you love, hate, and should eventually replace yourself in.Think long-term and start building systems and processes.Integrate content creation into your business strategy.Feeding the social media beast is essential for growth and success. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:19 David's Obsession with Woodworking 07:13 Choosing the Niche of Cabinetry 09:06 Getting the First Kitchen Job 10:12 Investing in Tools 11:02 The Jump to Full-Time Woodworking 13:08 Building a Social Media Following 15:19 Expressing Yourself and Building a Community 21:13 Combining Woodworking and Social Media 22:50 Different Social Media Platforms 23:17 Word of Mouth and Referrals 23:57 Future Plans: Building a Business or Content Creation 26:19 Surprises and Freedom of Being Your Own Boss 28:46 Scaling the Business 29:47 Outsourcing Installations 31:22 Identifying Tasks to Delegate 33:15 Thinking Long-Term and Building Systems 36:14 Content Creation and Business Integration 38:46 Building Systems and Processes 40:17 Feeding the Social Media Beast 42:20 Promoting Timberdust Woodworking Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with David at:  https://www.instagram.com/timberdustwoodworking/ https://www.timberdustwoodworking.com

In this episode, Steve Larosiliere interviews Nick Gonzalez from San Diego Custom Cabinets. Nick shares the history of his company and how he started in the cabinetry business. He discusses his early years' challenges and his strategies to get customers, including attending trade shows. Nick also highlights the competitive advantage of manufacturing in Mexico and using conversion varnish for finishes. He talks about the importance of giving back to the Mexican community and the growth of his team. Finally, Nick shares his experience in managing and balancing his role as a leader. In this conversation, Nick, the owner of San Diego Custom Cabinets, discusses his journey of finding work-life balance and striving to be the best in his industry. He shares how he prayed for growth and focused on providing exceptional customer service. Nick also talks about the importance of marketing and acquiring customers through social media, and explores the potential of search engine optimization. He discusses the value of storytelling and dominating local markets, as well as the idea of segmenting product lines. Finally, he learns about engaging with followers and building an email list to grow his business further. Takeaways Attending trade shows can be an effective strategy for getting customers in the cabinetry business.Manufacturing in Mexico can provide a competitive advantage, such as using conversion varnish for finishes.Giving back to the community and providing employment opportunities can be a rewarding aspect of running a business.Building a strong team and relying on mentors can help in managing and growing an enterprise. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:36 History of San Diego Custom Cabinets 03:32 Trade Shows as a Growth Strategy 04:58 Differentiating Factors and Competitive Advantage 06:20 Using Conversion Varnish and California Regulations 07:39 Transitioning to Manufacturing in Mexico 09:19 Early Challenges and Learning on the Job 10:26 Transitioning to Manufacturing in Mexico (Continued) 13:14 Size and Structure of the Company 15:12 Giving Back to the Mexican Community 16:37 Quality and Perception of Manufacturing in Mexico 19:40 Learning to Manage and Grow the Enterprise 21:11 Mentors and Learning from Others 23:36 Maintaining Sanity and Self-Care as a Leader 24:51 Finding Work-Life Balance 26:01 Striving to Be the Best 27:21 Praying for Growth 28:10 Personal Success and Gratification 29:21 Putting Customers First 30:01 Balancing Workload and Hiring 31:26 Marketing and Acquiring Customers 34:05 Next Steps in Marketing 36:10 The Value of Search Engine Optimization 38:15 Telling Stories and Dominating Local Markets 41:31 Segmenting Product Lines 44:16 Engaging with Followers and Building an Email List 48:21 Expanding the Brand and Targeting New Markets Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Nick at:  https://www.instagram.com/sandiegocustomcabinets/ https://sdcustomcabinets.com

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Steve Larosiliere interviews Mac Sheldon and John Henry from the Pantorouter. They discuss the origin story of the Pantorouter and how it evolved into a highly valued woodworking joinery machine. The Pantorouter solves the problem of joinery by providing a dedicated joinery machine that is safe and easy to use. It is accessible to a wide range of customers, including hobbyists, boutique furniture makers, and schools. The Pantorouter allows woodworkers to create high-quality furniture at an affordable price. The challenge lies in marketing and educating potential customers about the capabilities and benefits of the Pantorouter. In this conversation, Steve Larosiliere discusses how to get the most talented people to use the Pantorouter and replace their existing systems. They also explore the power of sharing the Pantorouter videos and building a community around the product. Takeaways The Pantorouter is a highly valued woodworking joinery machine that solves the problem of joinery by providing a dedicated and safe tool.The Pantorouter is accessible to a wide range of customers, including hobbyists, boutique furniture makers, and schools.The Pantorouter allows woodworkers to create high-quality furniture at an affordable price, making custom furniture more accessible.Marketing and educating potential customers about the capabilities and benefits of the Pantorouter is a challenge that can be addressed through branding, customer testimonials, and community building. Focus on getting the most talented people to use your product and showcase their work.Highlight the advantages of your product over existing systems to encourage adoption.Encourage customers to share their experiences and videos to create a sense of pride and community.Create a user gallery or platform where customers can upload and showcase their projects. Chapters 00:00 - Origin Story of Pantorouter 03:00 - Development and Improvement of the Pantorouter 04:44 - Background of the Founders 06:01 - Introduction of John Henry 07:43 - Problem Solved by the Pantorouter 08:48 - Benefits and Safety of Using the Pantorouter 11:28 - Affordability and Value of the Pantorouter 14:42 - Challenges in Marketing the Pantorouter 17:11 - Accessibility and Democratization of Custom Furniture 19:40 - Customer Demographics 21:00 - Applications of the Pantorouter 23:25 - Expanding the Market and Supporting Customers 29:04 - Features and Capabilities of the Pantorouter 31:28 - Making Custom Furniture More Accessible 35:55 - Marketing and Business Advice 44:47 - Getting the Most Talented People to Use Pantorouter 46:03 - Replacing Existing Systems with Pantorouter 47:14 - The Power of Sharing Pantorouter Videos 49:15 - Building a Community Around Pantorouter Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Mac & John at:  https://www.instagram.com/pantorouter.usa/ https://www.pantorouter.com 

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Steve Larosiliere interviews Mike McCormack from McCormack Builders. Mike shares how he started his custom home-building company and the challenges and successes he has experienced over the years. He discusses the importance of self-education and continuous improvement in the construction industry. Mike also talks about the plans for his company, including moving to a new headquarters and implementing more efficient building practices. Steve provides feedback on marketing strategies, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and building relationships with clients. Takeaways: Continuous self-education is crucial in the construction industry.Building strong relationships with clients is essential for success.Telling stories and showcasing the process behind builds can attract potential clients.Optimizing marketing strategies can lead to increased visibility and growth. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Background 01:20 - Getting Started in the Construction Industry 03:11 - Taking a Chance and Starting McCormack Builders 06:22 - Building a Dream Headquarters 08:46 - Growth and Scaling the Business 09:59 - The First Critical Hire 13:09 - Realizing the Potential of the Business 15:42 - No Imposter Syndrome 17:23 - The Importance of Self-Education 19:05 - Attracting the Right Clients 21:08 - Future Plans and Growth 23:48 - Marketing and Business Advice 26:28 - Telling More Stories and Building Relationships 28:00 - Feedback on Marketing Strategy Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Mike at:  https://www.instagram.com/mccormackbuilders/ https://mccormackbuilders.com

Ben Uyeda, a designer and content creator, shares his journey from architecture to building a successful media company. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from client-based work to pursuing personal projects and monetizing through online platforms. Ben emphasizes the importance of aligning personal interests with financial opportunities and the value of authenticity in creative work. He also talks about his current project of building a hotel and the balance between work and personal life. Ben's approach to growth is driven by curiosity, interest, and the desire for continual escalation in his projects. The conversation explores interesting ways to source raw materials, such as logs for woodworking and fabrication. It discusses overlooked species with heavy uses, unique sources of logs, logs with a story, and the value in unconventional wood. The conversation also highlights the importance of creativity in finding extraordinary margins and mentions specific woods like eucalyptus. Takeaways Align personal interests with financial opportunities to create fulfilling work.Demonstrate value and curiosity in your projects to attract opportunities.Focus on authenticity and genuine interests rather than seeking external validation.Continually challenge yourself and escalate projects to foster growth and motivation.Maintain balance by evaluating and adjusting priorities regularly. Consider exploring overlooked wood species with heavy uses, such as Sycamore, Hemlock, Cedar, Doug Fir, and Osage Orange.Look for unique sources of logs, such as salvaging bog logs or partnering with tree services that have contracts with state and local governments.Seek out logs with a story or historical significance to add character and value to your woodworking projects.Embrace the potential of unconventional wood materials, as they can offer unique aesthetics and high margins. Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 03:00Transition from Design to Content Creation 06:17Challenges in Pursuing Personal Projects 09:13Demonstrating Value and Attracting Opportunities 11:14Authenticity and Genuine Interests 14:21Choosing Brand Partnerships 18:20Escalating Projects and Continual Growth 22:26Building a Hotel Project 25:34Maintaining Balance and Self-Care 29:59Completion and Launch of the Hotel 35:18Evaluating Personal and Professional Growth 37:14Advice and Struggles 38:29Sourcing Raw Materials: Types of Logs 39:45Overlooked Species with Heavy Uses 41:15Unique Sources of Logs 42:24Logs with a Story 44:06Value in Unconventional Wood 45:07Creativity and Extraordinary Margins 46:36Eucalyptus and Other Interesting Woods Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Ben at:  https://www.instagram.com/benjaminuyeda/ https://www.benuyeda.com

Rohan Ward, a furniture maker and designer, shares his journey of starting and growing his business in Chicago. He discusses his background in woodworking and furniture design and the influence of his childhood and education on his craft. Rohan emphasizes the importance of personal branding and standing behind the quality of his work. He also talks about the challenges and rewards of running a small business, including managing a team and maintaining a high level of craftsmanship. Rohan shares his approach to marketing and finding clients and his interest in exploring AI in furniture design. In this conversation, Steve Larosiliere and Rohan Ward discuss strategies for scaling up and making more money in the furniture-making business. They explore the importance of recognizing expertise, increasing prices, and nurturing and optimizing the brand. They also discuss the potential for expanding the product line and branding, and the idea of creating a line of furniture. Finally, they explore the concept of building a product that pays without requiring physical labour. Takeaways Personal branding and standing behind the quality of your work can be powerful marketing tools.Craftsmanship and attention to detail are essential in the furniture-making industry.Word-of-mouth referrals and building relationships with designers can lead to new clients.Exploring AI in furniture design can offer new possibilities for creativity and efficiency. Scaling up and making more money in a business often involves finding the right recipe for growth and expanding labor.Recognizing expertise and increasing prices can help position a brand as elite and attract higher-paying clients.Nurturing and optimizing a brand is essential for long-term success and increased recognition.Expanding the product line and branding can help reach a wider audience and increase revenue.Creating a line of furniture based on years of knowledge and experience can be a lucrative venture.Building a product that pays without physical labor can provide a sustainable income stream. Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Rohan at:  https://www.instagram.com/rohanwarddesigns/ https://rohanwarddesigns.com