Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteWelcome to Building YOUR Furniture Brand, a special edition episode of Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson.On this episode, we talk about Trade Discounts - the type of percentage off you can give, how to judge if a designer is eligible for a discount, when to collect official to the trade paperwork, and more.This episode guest is Paula King, co-owner and designer at Rexhill Studio.If you want to hear more about Paula and Rexhill Studio - Check out the show archives - episode 102If you want to ask your own question for a future episode, please send an email to hello@buildingafurniturebrand.com Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteWelcome to Building YOUR Furniture Brand, a special edition episode of Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson.On this episode, we talk about the good and bad of buying real estate to run your Furniture Business out of. This episode guest is Paul Mencel Owner of Philadelphia Table Company and dreamandbuild.com. If you want to hear more about Paul and Philadelphia Table Company - Check out the show archives - episode 89More information on Paul, his company, and his mentorships can also be found at these links -www.philadelphiatablecompany.comhttps://www.skool.com/handcraftedsuccessIf you want to ask your own question for a future episode, please send an email to hello@buildingafurniturebrand.com Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteOn this episode I sit down with Vanessa Branco, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for SUNBOLT. If you want to hear the full story behind how Vanessa got started, check out the show archives - episode 173.When do you start charging a client? It is not always an easy answer. Too soon and they could be scared off, too late and you could be doing a lot of work for free. That balance is what you learn over time as your company and your own confidence grows.On today's show, Vanessa shares her first stumbles and how she got past those struggles to the place she is today.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteVanessa has spent her career in marketing. In the furniture world for SunBolt, and in other industries as well. And she has found that marketing, no matter what type of brand you are working with, comes down to a few important keys - having a good team, believing in your product, keeping an open mind to advice, and more.One this episode Vanessa talks through these topics and shares her advice on helping your company achieve its marketing goals.Follow along as we talk about telling a good story, how marketing has changed, understanding your brand better, and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteOn this episode I sit down with Robby Simon, owner of play.room. If you want to hear the full story behind how play.room got started, check out the show archives - episode 171Sometimes we take on projects above our building capabilities, above our physical or mental capacities, projects that for one reason or another are, simply put, just above our skill level at the time.Projects like this can be a make or break for a furniture company. If you finish it successfully, you have moved your business forward. But, if it beats you, then there is a good chance it is going to set you back.On this episode, Robby takes on a massive build, which is also a massive gamble with his business’ chance of success. The story of how he worked through those challenges is what we talk about today.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteIt has been a journey for Robby to get to where he is today, both on the professional and personal level. But, with the idea that life imitates art, one could look at his life and his art and say that he has come through that journey and is now standing tall on the other side.With his own design voice, his own design style, and his own approach to running his business, he is steadily making a name for himself in this industry. But, even with all his individuality, he will still be the first to point out that he couldn’t be where he is today, without all the people who have helped him on his road.Follow along as we talk about creative freedoms, working a full time job, staying true to yourself and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteOn this episode I sit down with Warren Turnbull, owner of Hutch Custom. If you want to hear the full story behind how Hutch Custom got started, check out the show archives - episode 169Another episode about contract issues. Sometimes, honestly, it feels like I just hit repeat on these episodes. But getting burned without a contract is something that it seems happens to everyone starting out. And it can definitely be traumatic. But truthfully, there is no shame in it. It’s almost like burning your hand the first time you touch fire. No matter how many times people tell you, you won’t learn till it happens directly to you.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteWarren is involved in a little bit of a juggling act. He has 2 building businesses, commercial and hand made as you will hear, as well as a full family life. And they all take time during his busy day.In the furniture industry, it is hard to be spread thin and still be successful. And so Warren is learning to take the parts that work in both of his companies and combine them in a way that will keep him motivated, pay his bills, and make him happy. So he can give himself true quality time with what means the most to him, his family.Follow along as we talk about work life balance, the imperfections in hand made, understanding impostor syndrome, and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteOn this episode I sit down with Cara Molitor and Rick Morchesky, co owners of Dollyfox. If you want to hear the full story behind how Dollyfox got started, check out the show archives - episode 167Contracts. We have talked about them on this show before, and they will inevitably come up again. They are important, but you never realize how important they are, until you get burned for not having one.Cara and Rick learned this lesson the hard way, as most often do. But they took it in stride, and as the resourceful business owners they are, learned how to make it a strong point in their business rather than a fault, to keep their company moving forward successfully.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com websiteCara and Rick had been successfully working in the metal industry, each independently, for 7 years before they met. But when they came together, that’s when things really started to take off.Now, relying on each other’s strong points and understanding each other's weaknesses, they are continuing to build on the skill sets both their backgrounds brought to the table. Blending those to grow their metal shop in the image of what they both want out of a business.Follow along as we talk about working together for quality results, when is the right time to get paid, why just going for it is sometimes the best advice and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Vic Tesolin, owner of Vic Tesolin Woodworks.If you want to hear the full story behind how Vic Tesolin Woodworks got started, check out the show archives - episode 165In this industry, you never stop learning. As your craft continues to evolve, so does your thirst for knowledge. But when you are starting out, that knowledge barrier - of what you know and what you don’t - is pretty apparent. And it can show up in your earlier work in ways you certainly don’t want it to. That's what happened to Vic, when his commissioned tables, didn’t hold up as well as he imagined they would.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Vic wears a lot of hats. Furniture maker, teacher, writer, speaker, the list goes on. Chances are, if you have spent time reading about woodworking you have probably read something he has written.Being around so many furniture makers and understanding furniture at a deep enough level to not only write about it but to also teach it to others (and let's not forget building impressive furniture in his own right) has given Vic a perspective on the industry that many aim for but not all achieve. A perspective that he gladly shares in this episode.Follow along as we talk about learning to have an ego, how important mistakes are, why showing up can be your greatest skill, and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Candice Luter, owner of Candice Luter Art + Interiors If you want to hear the full story behind how Candice Luter Art + Interiors got started - check out the show archives - episode 163Sometimes, your biggest obstacle turns out to be your biggest win. Thats what happened with Candice and one of her products. Instead of giving up and counting her damaged materials as a loss, she went outside the box to find a solution to her problem. And that solution, well, it took her farther than she ever thought possible.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Candice follows her heart, and it has taken her to some very impressive places - both in design and in business. As you will hear, her company started out not even really as an idea, it was just a feeling that she needed to create something.But from that first spark, she has grown her company to soaring heights, building a wonderful team, appearing in some of the most respected publications out there, and working with some of the biggest retailers in the world. All doing so, by following her own compass and making her own way.Follow along as we talk about, believing in your own vision, how to treat your team with respect, failure being the road to success, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Brent Biglow, owner of Biglow WoodcraftIf you want to hear the full story behind how Biglow Woodcraft got started, check out the show archives - Episode 161What keeps you up at night? If you are a furniture maker, especially one just starting out, I’m going to bet you have had some sleepless nights thinking about projects that you built being out in the world. People using them and how they are holding up.Early in his career, Brent had one of these moments. A project he built stressed him out so much that he ended up having to do something about it.That story, and the lengths he went to to fix it, is what this episode is about.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Brent has a busy 5 person company. Everybody working in sync to keep the orders on track. If you listen closely you can actually hear them all working in the background of this episode. And honestly, I think that’s great because it gives a real snapshot of the way Brent sees his role in his company. He understands that as a business grows the role of the owner changes, and he doesn’t want to be, in his own words, “ the bottle neck”, for production.So even when he is talking with me, he is also aware that work needs to go on. And he has built his company in a way that lets it do just that.Follow along as we talk about changing your goals, being a good boss, building a visual brand and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Suzi McAfee, owner of Monarch Woodworx. If you want to hear the full story behind how Monarch Woodworx got started, check out the show archives - episode 159Most furniture makers love getting orders for mass produced pieces. Not only can you batch out the work, but it means there is enough demand for your work that multiple people or places want it. Suzi’s first production run started out like a dream, which quickly turned into a nightmare. But would an unhappy commercial client, a literal no shipping zone, and a global pandemic be enough to stop her from making things right? That story, and the unexpected results that followed is what this episode is about. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Suzi has grown her South Africa based furniture company to where it is today, not by taking shortcuts, but by fully immersing herself in the world of furniture. She loves it all, from the building, the design, and the community that surrounds the industry. Coming from a childhood with zero experience handling tools, to now running a widely successful furniture company, she has literally used her own hands to build her company into what it is today.Follow along as we talk about designing for your clients and yourself, running a business through social media, understating what to outsource and what to keep in house, and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Ray Brents, owner of Ray Brents Design. If you want to hear the full story behind how Ray Brents Design got started - check out the show archives - episode 157Those early mistakes in your business always stick with you. Either on the business or the building end. When you have a client issue during the start of your career it can be painful and the very least and a company killer at the very most.On one of Ray’s early projects, he didn’t account for wood movement in his table. And when he got that client call, it was a make or break moment for himLearn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Ray understands the importance of details. Details in his workmanship, building the best furniture for his clients. Details in his design, making sure what he delivers meets with all his client’s needs. Details in his business, honing his pricing, customer service, shipping, and everything else over the years that helps him keep his company running smoothly. In case you couldn’t tell, details are important to Ray, and what makes his company stand out from the rest.Follow along as we talk about getting outside of your building comfort zone, the things you forget with pricing, shipping your work, and much more.Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com