How Networking, Marketing and Community Can Elevate All of Our Wood Businesses

 

“So I went on a visit to a business conference back in at the end of February in Dallas. I wanted to see if I could get the Woodpreneur community together, and I had asked Doc from The Wright Edge if he knew a good place where I could host it. He was like, ‘Hey, you can host it at my shop.’ 

 

So he went and got some restaurants on board, and his landlord owned a brewery so that we could get some beer. Then the day of, I flew down, he picked me up from the airport, and we went to a supermarket. We bought some appetizers, and we ended up having like 40 people come down to his shop.”

 

He’s a really inspiring Woodpreneur, and he works with really, really large conference tables and dining tables. So we did some networking, we had drinks and food, and then I did a Q&A with him. We talked about his business, which was like a podcast interview, but in real life and not recorded, and then I also ended up doing a marketing presentation.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere

 

At the Dallas Woodprener meetup, Steve did a marketing presentation on what is working for wood businesses in the current climate. Since the meetup was on a Wednesday just outside of downtown Dallas, with 40-50 attendees, the marketing for the event worked as a testament to the brand’s efficacy.

 

“Somebody said, ‘Who did the marketing for this event?’ And I raised my hand and asked how many people were there because of the podcast, and half the people put their hands up. Then I asked, ‘How many people are here because of a Facebook ad?’ And the other half put their hands up, which goes to show the power of marketing.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere

 

 

 

 

Replicating the Experience

 

Steve had been running ads to get people to attend the Woodpreneur meetup events, and he was able to replicate the experience with another successful event in Denver with around 30 attendees. Not long after, he did one in Indianapolis with Indy Urban Hardwood and had approximately 60 attendees there as well.

 

“We were able to get free beer donated, appetizers, food, and a huge charcuterie board that was donated. It was great, and it all followed the same format. It was networking, talking about business, a Q&A with the person hosting it, and then a workshop led by me. 

 

Then I just did one with From Chef to Table in Chicago. And we had 30 plus people there. Again, it’s just great to get the community together. Many people are like, ‘Oh, thank you for putting this together.’ As Woodpreneurs, it’s a pretty isolated field, and it’s a very isolated experience that we live sometimes. So it’s great to poke your head in to see what other people’s shops look like. 

 

So far, I’ve been picking people whose shops are very aspirational. They’ve got good, solid wood businesses that people want to see what they look like because they’re the leaders right in the urban hardwood industry.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere

 

On May 26, 2022, Steve hosted another Woodpreneur Meetup hosted at Lumber Cycle in San Diego, California, and he is thrilled to be continuing the tour. Currently, there are tentative plans to do one in New York, Cleveland, Houston, North Carolina, places throughout California, and potentially an event in Ontario, Canada.

 

 

 

 

What a Successful Meetup Looks Like 

 

“A successful meetup is where everybody networks, grows and continues the relationships. In Denver, I created a Facebook DM group, and just recently, they met up on their own, and they had a barbecue. I want people to grow and connect, and I want everybody to support each other. So if people have a mill and need lumber, they’ll get it from a sawyer there. Or if somebody needs to CNC, they throw business at a CNC. That’s what I want to happen for all my meetups.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere