On today’s show, Steve sits down to reflect on this last year in a special Christmas Edition of the Woodpreneur Podcast.
We started as the sawmill business podcast, and then we found that sawyers do many different things and grew from there. Last year Steve had the privilege of attending Workbench Con and also traveled to Sweden to interview more woodpreneurs, to say the least, it has been an incredibly transformative time.
To celebrate how much the podcast has given him, the incredible people he’s gotten to interview, and all you wonderful woodpreneurs listening, Steve will be recapping the top 11 downloaded podcasts from the last year.
#11 – The Wright Edge: Doc Wright
Doc and Steve connected on Instagram and hit it off right away. Doc is so inspiring and motivating it’s hard to not like him instantly. He ingeniously approaches his business in a unique way and makes great calls on where he invests his money and how he positions his company. Doc is the definition of a woodpreneur.
He is one of the most incredibly upfront, honest people that Steve has gotten to meet in this business. He is so transparent and giving with his advice, knowledge, and story.
This interview with Doc was terrific, and there is so much importance to what he says and the motivation he brings to this community.
Website: www.thewrightedge.com
Instagram: @thewrightedge
#10 – Ethan Abramson
Ethan is an incredible wood entrepreneur. He has his own furniture line, hosts events, and has a team of makers now working with him.
He has been featured in The NY Times and the Wall Street Journal for his furniture design. His approach is excellent because he is so laid back and genuinely loves what he does.
When he couldn’t get access to his shop to physically be making furniture for people at the beginning of the pandemic, he was still keeping in touch with his customers and doing digital design for them. Ethans innovative mindset and dedication to his customers and brand alone makes his podcast worth a listen!
Website: http://ethanabramson.com/
Instagram: @thebuildwithethan
#9 – Ol Loggin Sawmill: Jake Latvala
When Steve first met Jake, he had just quit his full-time job and transitioned into his business. His story is worth a listen because he has come such a long way and chose a brilliant approach to ensure his equipment was paid for and his expenses were low to maximize his business’s success.
Now he’s a client of Steve’s and has become a formidable content creator and industry authority. He is building a new shop, investing in a kiln, and lumberyard this coming year. Overall this woodpreneurs continuing growth is inspiring and exciting.
Website: Ollogginsawmill.net
Instagram: @Ollogginsawmill
#8 – Evolution of Tables: PJ Fetscher
For the last nine years, PJ has run his wood business, and he also happens to be a teacher as well. The great thing that PJ has done is married his love of teaching and love of woodworking to be symbiotic. He teaches woodshop as well as gym and has a fully operational milling business in South Florida.
PJ is part of the woodworking community in his area, and he is a very collaborative and community-minded person who is happy to offer advice and insights freely. During their episode, Steve and PJ talked a lot about the benefits of a Lucas Mill and PJ’s story. They also discuss his aspirations for educating more people on the urban lumber movement, which is definitely worth a listen.
Instagram: @PJ_fetscher
#7 – Weidman Woodworks: Aaron Weidman
Aaron blew up to over 17,000 followers in under a year pursuing his passion. He came from a background that wasn’t necessarily what you would expect from a woodworker, but he makes it work. He is all about sharing his journey and learning new things.
Something incredible that Aaron does is he never says, “no, I can’t do this” even when he was starting and trying to learn the ins and outs of this industry, he never gave up. He learned and adapted and now is doing such incredible work you would think he has been a woodworker for a lifetime.
Website: https://weidman-woodworks.square.site/
#6 – Dana O’Brien: A Place to Grow
Dana and her husband Sean own Pacific Coast Lumber. Dana’s company A Place to Grow uses the lumber from the sawmill to create outdoor living spaces like Art Studios, Greenhouses, and other buildings out of sustainable repurposed products.
Dana’s conversation was especially engaging because she and Steve uniquely approached the interview and discussed the mindset necessary to succeed as a woodpreneur or a small business owner in any niche.
Website: https://recycledgreenhouses.com
#5 – Banking Barns: Justin Kerkhove-brandt
Justin joined the Banking Barns team two years ago and has grown the business significantly in a short amount of time.
They now have two storefronts, and Justin has focused on building community and increasing sales through networking, outreach, and providing value through his Facebook groups.
Website: https://bankingbarns.com
#4 – Blue Collar Cash: Ken Rusk
Ken is a millionaire ditch digger and wrote a book called “Blue Collar Cash.” The purpose of this book is to show people that they can have the life of their dreams, and they can make a massive income doing what they love through blue-collar work.
Ken explains how to avoid debt and stress and profit off a blue-collar job while being content and supporting your family. This was a great podcast to motivate and remind woodpreneurs that having an extremely successful business in this line of work is possible.
Website: https://www.kenrusk.com/blue-collar-cash
#3 – Purcell Lumber & Design: Mitch Purcell
Mitch has recently written a book on how to build a kiln and is a woodpreneur who has embraced the idea of collaboration and community.
He uses his social media channels to engage with his customers and followers in a meaningful way. Mitch is a great guy who is hopeful and optimistic about his business’s future and is continually growing and improving in his craft.
Steve and Mitch had an incredible conversation on their episode, and it is worth a listen 100%.
Website: https://www.purcell-ld.com/
Instagram: @purcell_ld
#2 – Oak Hill Iron + Wood: Dean Curfman
Dean was part of our iDRY limited series where we interviewed iDRY kiln owners. Dean has been killing it at his business and has two different storefront locations.
He features tables, raw materials, and as Dean is also an ironworker, it gives another level of value to his business. He showcases a very high-end quality product and has a brilliant business model.
His episode features a lot about the business’s technical side and is an excellent example of a multi-faceted woodpreneur.
Website: oakhilliron.com
#1 – Dream Acres Wood Company: Corey Robertson
Drumroll please, we’ve reached the #1 most downloaded podcast of 2020!
Corey is a woodpreneur with a great attitude, and when Steve and he spoke for their episode, Corey was still working part-time and absolutely crushing it.
In the last year, he has gone full time, and he has such an inspiring and incredible story that it’s worth following him for the motivation alone. Corey was also featured during the iDRY limited series and has become an unofficial spokesperson for the kiln because of his massive success.
Website: https://www.dreamacreswood.com/our-team
Instagram: @dreamacreswood