Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website Welcome 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&nbs...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website Welcome 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 Compan...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website On 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...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website Vanessa 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...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website On 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 171 Sometimes we take on projects above our building capabilities, above our physical or mental capacities, projects that for one...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website It 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 voic...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website On 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 169 Another episode about contract issues. Sometimes, honestly, it feels like I just hit repeat on these episo...

Special Podcast Deal - use code -  Ethan10  - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website Warren 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...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website On 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 167 Contracts. We have talked about them on this show before, and they will inevitably come up again. They a...

Special Podcast Deal - use code - Ethan10 - at checkout for 10% off the full bitsbits.com website Cara 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 b...

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 165 In 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...

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 h...

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 163 Sometimes, 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 mater...

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 t...

On this episode I sit down with Brent Biglow, owner of Biglow Woodcraft If you want to hear the full story behind how Biglow Woodcraft got started, check out the show archives - Episode 161 What 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. Peo...

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, i...

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 159 Most 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 pr...

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...

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 157 Those 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...

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...

On this episode I sit down with Aaron Moore, owner of Moore's Refinishing. If you want to hear the full story behind how Moore's Refinishing got started, check out the show archives - episode 155 The start of a business is hard. Learning the skills, getting the clients, and making the money you need to keep the doors open. Although comfortably successful with money coming into his company now, at...

Customer service is key, thats Aaron’s business practice in a nutshell. Yes you have to be great at your job, yes you have to understand how to price your work, yes you have to know how to handle your employees, but to pull everything together and be a successful company, you need to have that customer service down to a science. For over 20 years, Aaron has been building his skills in finishing al...

We talk a lot about building a community on this show, and Austin is taking that idea and giving it a physical form. So why not celebrate that. This episode is not only a look behind the curtain at the Texas Woodworking Festival event but also an overall conversation on marketing and brand development and how you can use them both in your own business.  As you might remember, Austin was...

This special episode is with Mike and Michelle Ranger, owners of Ranger Home North West. If you want to hear the full story behind how Ranger Home North West got started, check out the show archives - episode 152 Navigating lumber yards, and buying wood in general, isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to do. No matter how many years you have done it, there are always some idiosyncrasies wit...

By focusing on a commitment to their brand, a commitment to their skills, and a commitment to each other, Mike and Michelle have been able to rapidly grow in an industry that is relatively new to them both. By still respecting the traditional ideas of furniture making, but building a brand in the digital marketing age, they are able to reach clients and expand their company in a way that woul...