Year-End Episode: Steve Larosiliere

 

 

Welcome back to a brand new episode of The Woodpreneur Podcast. I’m your host, Steve, and I hope you’re doing well. Happy holidays, and happy new year! This is the last podcast episode of 2021. If I think back to this past year, this was a record-breaking year for my agency and me, and a lot of my clients.

 

I’ve had three people go full time this year, like quitting their job during a pandemic to go all-in on their passion, their Woodpreneur business. I’m super proud. Some of my brand clients just had great years. And it reminded me that the outside world shouldn’t dictate what happens in your inside world and your business. You only fail when you decide to give up.

 

I’ve encountered a lot of Woodpreneurs that are afraid of failure. But I’ve found that the more risks you take, especially calculated risks, the more successful you become. Part of that comes down to who you surround yourself with, and I’ve mentioned it many times this past year. Do you have a partner, a spouse, somebody in your life, even if you’re not in a relationship, people around you, friends and family that believe in you and can give you that support and tell you that you can do it?

 

 

 

 

The Woodpreneur Mindset

 

 

I’ve talked about the Woodpreneur Method. It’s about branding, community, sales, and I decided this year that I would add ‘mindset’ to it because I believe there is a Woodpreneur mindset, and there’s just a belief that you have to have in yourself.

 

You know how you obsess over your products. Things like obsessing over sanding, obsessing over milling, obsessing over having the right edges, the right inlay, the right dovetail, all of those things. That’s how you have to be with your business and in your life. The belief that you will succeed.

 

Often, I’ve found that the most successful people don’t even care about the news. They don’t care what’s happening outside. Because when you are obsessing and thinking about what’s outside of you, whether it’s the government, whether it’s politics, while it’s the pandemic, all these things that happened this past year; every ounce of energy that you put into other things takes away from your business.

 

So every single one of my clients this year, even the ones that were struggling, still managed to win. They still managed because they just kept putting more and more faith into themselves, taking more and more risks, and believing in themselves.

 

The next thing is branding. I found this past year; some people really stepped it up. And it was great to see people online investing in logos, investing in turning the camera on themselves and talking about themselves, building their audience around them. Putting their logos on their shirts, stickers, hats, actually believing that they are a brand. Showing up and creating content like you’re serious is the level of belief you have to have in your business for you to succeed.

 

 

 

 

Looking Through to 2022

 

 

I believe that this is going to be a great year for everybody. The first thing for you to do is simplify your product offering. Don’t do everything, and don’t cater to everybody. Pick 1-3 things that you do super well. It should overlap with what your market wants and what you love to do.

 

The next thing is to be a leader in your community. I said this online a post or two ago on my Instagram; you’re not in the wood business; you’re in the building audience business, so everybody knows who you are. That’s your business; you need to let everybody know who you are.

 

For those that follow me, you know that I’ve been doing Purpose Wood Company. I started a wood brand to show you that I, a hack, can make money selling wood. I’m not a hack anymore. I know how to make charcuterie boards, and I know how to make some stuff. But I’m a marketer. I’m a business guy. I just had access to tools, I had access to wood, and I made money over Thanksgiving because I have an audience.

 

So like, that’s what you need to do. Everybody, you need to be the most popular person in your town. Find some way so that everybody knows who you are and what you’re doing and you’ll always eat. Become a leader. You become a leader by showing up to community events, serving on boards of nonprofits, getting involved with your church, if you’re part of a church, or being a part of your kids’ school stuff, the PTA, all of those things. Be a leader in your community. That’s how you’re always going to stay busy.

 

The next thing is the third thing is to share your content with more people. And think of yourself as a media company. My business partner in Ol’ Loggin Epoxy is Jake Latvala from Ol’ Loggin Sawmill. Jake has a show every single day. Not only does he do stories, but he goes live at 8:00 on his Facebook, and at 8:30, he goes live on Instagram every single day. Think of yourself as a morning show. And all he does is talk about what he’s working on, talk about his business, that sort of stuff.

 

The fourth thing you need to do in 2022 is set some goals. Set some real goals, don’t roll into January 1st, thinking that you’re going to do the same thing over. Say, “I’m going to make this amount of money.” Then break down what you need to do. I’m going to tell you some things that you need to do. You need to get your website up, you need to get your marketing plan figured out, and you need to plug into a community.

 

Don’t let this year go by. I know many of you are so proud of figuring things out yourself. You’re relying on word of mouth, but it’s all nonsense. Don’t go at this alone. The best teams, the most successful people out there, don’t go at it alone. Plug into the Woodpreneur Community by using #woodpreneur. Find somebody that’s on your same level or just a little bit above you and find some way to stay in touch.

 

You’re only going to succeed if you have a plan. If you have that goal, you have a plan, and you have people who surround you and support you, you will succeed.

 

Instagram: @woodpreneurlife