Today is the last episode that features our interviews from WORKBENCHcon! Our host, Steve, was a speaker at the event and while he was there, he had the opportunity to interview different influencers such as Jimmy Diresta, Ben Ueyda, The Wood Maven, Alma Villalobos, Minspired Living, and more! Follow along as we learn about their content creation secrets, the things that inspire the work they do, and how they plan to continue growing their brand and impacting their communities.
Jimmy Diresta..
- “I have been making things ever since I was able to hold a hammer and likely longer than that. I grew up working around, and alongside my dad, a Long Island handyman. He put me an environment to keep experimenting and learning, so my early education involved a wide array of problem-solving using all manner of tools, skills, and materials… and that is my philosophy in the shop; learn all you can about anything and everything so it becomes a part of your problem-solving arsenal.” – All bio credit to http://jimmydiresta.com/
- Get in touch with Jimmy on social @jimmydiresta, on his website at http://jimmydiresta.com/ or on YouTube at jimmydiresta.
Jess Crow…
- “ I’m Jess— let’s start there. My journey through this glorious world has consisted of overcoming sexual and physical abuse as a child, having my first mini me at 16, and then two more minis. Turns out life picked me for something special and 10 years into my youngest mini me’s life she and I were diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Ehlers-danlos. I won’t get rabbit trailed to explain all of it, but the strength I’ve learned from this process has molded me into the go-getter I am today.
My driving force is to help change the lives of other people facing any struggle: drugs? Been there, done that. Abuse? Lived through it. Divorce and single parenthood? Check. Creating can help us all. From bidding a project to delivering it there is a skill set in there that you don’t even know you have. Social media marketing? That, too. There is a gift within us all and I want to share mine with you and encourage you to share yours.” All bio credit to Jess Crow on https://www.patreon.com/Jesscrowcreek
- Follow Jess on social @crowcreekdesigns and visit her website at https://crowcreekdesignsak.com/
Alma Villalobos and Char Miller-King…
- “Hi everyone, I’ve been a hobbyist woodworker for over 15 years and I am a mom of four. In 2015, I left my job in corporate America to be a full-time maker. Over the last few years, I have taken on client’s furniture Pinterest boards and brought them to life. I also teach woodshop classes to those who are new to power tools. On the weekend you can catch me teaching kids as young as seven to make simple projects using the miter saw and drill press. My main goal is to give back and nurture new makers.I volunteer with the Girls Makers Club at my local maker space and serve on the Board of Directors at Decatur Makers. To bring more female woodworkers to the forefront, I write for the Women in Woodworking news column for Highland Woodworking here in Atlanta. While you’re here you might see me on PBA’s Making It show or hear a podcast I run with fellow makers at Decatur Makers. I live by the motto: “Be Great. Live Passionately”. All bio credit to Char Miller-King
- Alma from Pink Soul Studios in Chicagoland is about as fun as they come, and she knows how to build! Alma is a custom woodworker and skilled ‘maker of things’ who fittingly uses Pink Wall Control Pegboards to hold her tools. (https://www.wallcontrol.com/pink-soul-studios/)
- Follow Alma @pinksoulstudios and visit her website at https://www.pinksoulstudios.com/
- Follow Char on social @thewoodmaven and visit her at https://linktr.ee/woodenmaven
What exactly is a Woodpreneur?
So, why the term “woodpreneur”? When Steve first started Acres of Timber three years ago, the wood community and industry wasn’t what it is now.
Slab dealers, wood designers, and more specifically at the time – sawmill users, didn’t have a community or a brand and were going largely unnoticed by potential customers who would look instead to the Home Depot and Lowe’s of this world for their products. Steve sought to change that by creating the Sawmill Business Instagram account and the #sawmillbusiness hashtag as a way to share the products and creations that these innovative makers were producing. It didn’t take long for the account to grow to over 136,000 followers and with a hashtag that has been used over 35,000 times, the Sawmill Business community grew and grew quickly!
As the Sawmill Business following grew, Steve began to notice that this community didn’t just include sawmill owners. Furniture designers, woodworkers, arborists, tree climbers, chainsaw users, slab sellers, and even tree house makers became an integral part of the Sawmill Business family as well. It was at this point that Steve knew the business needed a new name that would truly encompass all that the wood community represents. Hence, @acresoftimber and the term “Woodprener” was born.
With the maker movement now in full swing, there are more podcasts, content creators, (like Anne of All Trades) youtubers, and makers, (such as Matt Cremona) that are putting a spotlight on sawmill users, furniture makers, and other wood related niches. Not only has the wood community turned into a “maker movement” it’s also filled with people who now view the work that they do as a profitable business and not just a hobby. A perception that was lacking without a community behind it.
A “Woodpreneur” Is A…
- Sawmill User
- Wood Business Owner
- Furniture Designer
- Hardwood Flooring Professional
- Woodworker
- Slab Dealer
- Kiln User
- Welder
- Content Creator
- Maker
And an overall innovative, brave, and creative entrepreneur in the wood industry!
“Woodpreneurs care about building their business as much as they care about the quality of the products they make, create, and sell. They don’t just want a job, they want a company. They invest in this company with blood, sweat, and tears and love every minute of it.”
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