Hey everyone, we don’t have a guest for this week, instead I’m going to update you on what’s been going on in the Woodpreneur and Acres of Timber Universe.
Overall, it’s been really, really exciting! I’m so pumped up right now with all of the progress happening in the wood business community.
Website Launch & Woodpreneur Vision
Later this month in June, we’re going to do a website launch party for Woodpreneur Life! The idea is to have something like a zoom call where everybody can hop in. There are going to be some giveaways, we’ll hear from some people, and it’s going to be a really good time! We would definitely like some folks to check out the website because we put in a lot of work and it has come out really well.
The vision we have for Woodpreneur Life is to be like the Forbes, Business Week or Entrepreneur Magazine for Woodpreneurs and the wood business community. We have articles, all of our podcasts, links to our courses, resources, and we even have our shop on there. It is honestly something I’m very proud of, so go to www.woodpreneurlife.com to check that out and get a first look before the launch party!
Our blogs focus on everything from how to produce good, consistent content to how to prioritize your business and everything in between. We also feature videos from other collaborators in the industry as well as Woodpreneur of the Week Spotlights.
On the networking side of things we have a Facebook Group called Woodpreneur Life, a Facebook Page, a YouTube channel and a couple of really cool IG accounts: @acresoftimber @woodpreneurlife.
Some people wonder, what is a Woodpreneur? It means a lot of different things but to me at the core, it is a new generation of wood business owners. We’re makers, we’re creators, we’re entrepreneurs and we’re also community leaders. We are people that are constantly putting ourselves out there, who have pride in our community and pride in our work.
There’s no competition, we like to cooperate with other people, we collaborate. We’re inventive and sustainable, and we are members of this incredibly rich community. That’s a Woodpreneur.
Podcast Reflection & Recap
In terms of the podcast, I feel like I have mentally committed to producing the very best media platform for wood entrepreneurs. I think as a result of that, the podcasts have just been on fire.
Even now, we’re on episode 162 and the journey has been amazing. Let’s look back at some of our most recent episodes.
Episode 161: GL Veneers
Most recently we had Daniel Levin of GL Veneers on the show. His story was perfect for showcasing a large scale wood business!
If we look back at our past couple of podcasts, we had Daniel Levin from GL Veneer, this awesome Old School Lumber Company in Los Angeles. They’ve been around for a long time, and are actually a family run business, Daniel’s Grandfather started making veneers in the 70’s and 80’s. Then they started collecting premium black walnut slabs in California, and importing exotic woods.
They’re definitely one of the biggest companies that I’ve ever interviewed. They have 100 plus employees and that episode really gives an insight into the size and scope of wood businesses at that level.
Episode 160: Cammie’s Garage
Cameron Porter from Cammie’s Garage was our guest for episode 160, Cameron views himself as an artist who uses the medium of wood. It’s so interesting when you look at yourself as not a woodworker, but as an artist. It’s just like a little bit of a mind shift.
It’s an idea of positioning yourself, and your work as art that actually has a higher value. Not to knock anybody that sells on Etsy, because with Etsy, you can sell a lot and make a lot of money. However, the platform really commoditizes the work that we do.
What I learned from Cameron is the value of documenting your process. He made a YouTube video for every piece that he created. Then you know what he did? He chopped up his big YouTube video and then started reposting it on his Instagram page. Some of his clips went viral, because of the detail that he put in.
Episode 159: JML Woodcraft
Justin’s was also an incredible episode that left me super inspired by his story. He specifically chose to work part-time on his woodworking business. He has a good job and no intentions of leaving it, but he loves woodworking and started his business as a side hustle.
His wife asked him to build something and then he just started building. Next thing you know, he started doing more and more until he realized it wasn’t fun doing everything for everyone.
So he narrowed his business down and focused. Now, he only puts his energy into finishing tabletops and charcuterie boards, and his stuff is amazing.
He tells the most interesting stories, he speaks to his audience, and he takes you along for the journey. His branding is tight, his photography is tight and he’s definitely one of my favorite Woodpreneurs.
Episode 158: 731 Woodworks
When I went down the rabbit hole of YouTube, I found there was one Woodpreneur that jumped out during every search and that was Matt Outlaw from 731 Woodworks. He’s the coolest, nicest, most genuine person that you’ll ever meet.
Matt is an example really of being your truest self and serving. He has built an incredible community and has a great story of how he started his channel. I actually joined his facebook group and it’s this really great experience and also a reminder to be yourself.
A lot of Woodpreneurs hide behind their work, but you need to put yourself out there, folks want to know the person behind the brand.
Episode 157: Tesolin Woodworks
Vic is another very cool guy. His work is beautiful, but he’s also a teacher and takes a very cerebral and intellectual approach to his business.
He’s like a professor of woodworking. He writes articles, he does webinars, he does coaching, he does mentoring, and he helps people become really good at their craft. He’s also a published author and has written some amazing books that I highly suggest checking out.
One of note is “The Minimalist Woodworker” based on how to do things with as few tools as possible.
Episode 156: Logson Woodworking
Nathan is a Coast Guard guy and someone that’s not leaving his job. He’s a weekend warrior who has started to build a community around himself. People know him, like him, and support him as a result of the time and effort he builds into fostering that.
When he posted his interview, the downloads went crazy, because he had so many cool people that followed him and supported him.
He’s all about keeping his content fresh and taking his customers and his community along for the journey. He’s just proof again that if you show yourself, be yourself, and document the process the sky’s the limit.
Episode 155: Mara Designs
The interview with Mara was amazing, this is the interview that really kind of kicked it off for me, and this new project I’m about to announce.
She was the first black woman on our podcast and the first Jamaican, her work is amazing! She got introduced to woodworking later in life, in her 40s, and she just went full in. She’s an artist and a creative person. She told an amazing story in her podcast interview where she dropped a collection and created a huge event out of it.
Tons of people showed up, it was sponsored by Samsung and Mara has a background in marketing and advertising so she made sure it was an event worth talking about.
That episode was really super inspiring, please check out that podcast.
Episode 154: Burnt Brydges
Jesse Coleman is actually a client. He’s part of my coaching program, and if you’re interested in working with me directly, please hit me up.
Jesse is super cool. He came onto my radar because he started posting reels using music that I listened to, and he’s got this swagger and style and, and he puts himself and his creativity into his videos on Instagram.
One great thing about his interview was how he got his name Burnt Brydges, and I’m not going to spoil it for you, but it was just a great, authentic, Woodpreneur story.
He’s running his business full time, and he’s growing and scaling his company.
New Podcast Network Show & Wood Company
We also launched a brand new podcast to our Woodpreneur Podcast Network called Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson. It’s growing super fast and that podcast is so well produced. Ethan is such a good interviewer and the show is incredible so if you want to build a furniture brand and you want to see your brand and your furniture in stores and in high end locations, this is the podcast that you should listen to and learn.
The last thing that I want to announce is that I launched a new project and it’s called Purpose Wood co. I was inspired because in the fall of 2020 I moved to Michigan. If you’ve been following my story you’ll know I temporarily moved to Michigan to stay with my in-laws and work on their sawmill company.
We started making flooring for our house in Chicago, and as soon as we finished that, I just felt the need and desire to do more. I started connecting more with the people that I was interviewing and being super inspired by them and we had some extra wood laying around.
So, I decided that everything that I teach and everything that I coach people on, I’m going to implement in a short term project. I’m going to document the first $10,000 in a wood business. Yes, I have an unfair advantage in that I have wood and tools, but I’m going to show you and I’m going to document the process.
I’ve already made $2,000 in a little over a month of doing this. So go to @purposewoodco on Instagram and on Facebook, you can follow the journey there.
I’m building networks, I’m connecting with people and I already have a crazy waitlist. Right now I’m making products for friends and family. Then after a while I’ll start branching out a little bit more.
I gave myself a deadline, because we’re moving back to Chicago this summer. So I have $10,000 to make before I move back to Chicago. The other thing that I wanted to say is that I’m donating a percentage of my profits to charity. Then I’m investing the rest.
So check out Purpose Wood Co., you could also go to purposewoodco.com and sign up there. I want to show people that I can build a wood company from scratch and I’m going to do it in a way that people can see how I’m doing it and in turn implement those strategies for their business.
That’s it for now! Follow me on acres of timber. Reach out to me if you want to do some coaching. I’ve been coaching and mentoring Woodpreneurs such as yourself over the course of the last eight weeks, and we’re getting results. We’re changing lives and businesses, and it’s so cool.
If you feel like you’re ready to get a coach and mentor to level up your business, you can again reach out to me a steve@acresoftimber.com. I’ll tell you straight up if we’re what you need, and how I can help you. If it’s not a fit that’s why I give out all this free content on this podcast and have the blog posts on our website.
I also do marketing and advertising for other larger wood brands, but I really love working with small business owners because I feel like I can make a direct impact. If you go to our website, you can also sign up for courses that are on sale right now too if direct mentorship and coaching isn’t what is right for your business right now. Thank you so much for checking out this episode and I’ll see you on the next one.
This episode of The Woodpreneur Podcast is proudly sponsored by Uneedainc, go to https://www.sandpaper.com for more info.