Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson

This episode is with Scott Grove, owner of the furniture company Green Grove Design If you want to hear the full story behind how Green Grove Design got started, check out the show archives - episode 125  A burnt down building, no insurance, 75k in lost materials, and more. I think we can all agree that this was not the best experience for Scott. But did this project break him, or did he rise...

For 45 years Scott has been building. The countless furniture pieces made, sculptures crafted, books written, courses taught, has given him a view on the industry that few can claim. He has worked with world renowned designers, giant companies, museums and galleries, and along the way has made his own road and his own name in the industry. Looking back to where he has been and forward to wher...

This episode is with Erling Hope, owner of the furniture company Erling Hope If you want to hear the full story behind how Erling Hope got started, check out the show archives - episode 123 Being sued by a client at the end of a project is one of the worst outcomes that can happen when running a business. But as Erling found out, getting sued right at the start of a project is a pretty terrible si...

40 years in this industry and Erling still cherishes learning more. He looks on his knowledge as an ever evolving thing, always collaborating and trying new ideas and materials and solutions to problems. But even with that heart for exploration two things always stay true for him, his dedication to design and quality. His commitment to both of those principles will not waver, no matter the pi...

This episode is with Corey Tighe owner of the furniture company CT woodwork If you want to hear the full story behind how CT woodwork got started - Check out the show archives - episode 121 It’s not always the big things you need to watch out for, the little details can get you too. This is something Corey learned all too well, when a missed inch made the difference between a completed and install...

When Corey says he has been in this industry his whole life, he means it. By learning every part of the business - from family, from school, and on the job, he has seen all sides of what the world of furniture offers. And he has taken that knowledge to help build his own successful company along the way. Having a strong background in woodworking has also let him expanded his business reach by...

This episode is with Paddy Collins of P Cakes Productions. If you want to hear the full story behind how P Cakes Productions got started - Check out the show archives - episode 119 In the 27+ years Paddy has been building he has had his fair share of tough clients. And even though the story he is about to tell isn’t exactly furniture building, the takeaways from it can be applied to furniture buil...

The humbleness that Paddy talks about his career with, should not overshadow what he has accomplished. Because with almost 30 years of custom projects under his belt and a TV resume of impressive shows he’s been a part of, he definitely has advice to share. Paddy is also a great example of letting your actions speak for you. Letting your skills, and customer service, and reliability be your c...

This episode is with TJ Turner, owner of the furniture company Carl Jackson Designs If you want to hear the full story behind how Carl Jackson Designs got started - Check out the show archives - episode 117 Sometimes clients know best, and sometimes…they don’t. TJ had an experience with a client that no matter what he did they just kept fighting him every step of the way. An experience I...

TJ clearly got into this industry because of his love for the Artistic side of furniture making. And his company took of quickly because of the passion he puts into every piece. But along the way, by leaning into the community of furniture makers around him. he also learned the business side of the industry as well. And by putting both those pieces together, he has turned his once dream...

This episode is with Frank Bonomo, owner of the furniture company Studio Bonomo One day turnarounds, brand new clients, materials you haven’t worked with before...Oh and did I mention this is all being filmed for a reality TV show? Well that is the situation Frank found himself in for this project, and if you think it can’t get any worse, guess what, it does. Learn more at buildingafurnitureb...

Frank has lived a lot of different careers, a story you often hear when it comes to people who start their own businesses. Starting his company further down the road, after seeing what life has to offer, has allowed him to draw from his varied experiences and has let him better understand himself as well as the business he wants to run. This professional and personal understanding&n...

This episode is with Sean Flaherty, owner of the furniture company SCF Design. If you want to hear the full story behind how SCF Design got started - Check out the show archives - episode 113 Working on a project you don’t feel comfortable with, that has client communication issues, and has family involved is a situation you don’t ever want to find yourself in. But that is exactly w...

6 years in, Sean has a contemplative view of the furniture industry. With the roots of his company starting in the art world, he likes to focus on the process of design and building as a journey itself, and not necessarily a reflection on the value of the finished piece. In a medium like furniture, where artistic merit and business acumen go hand in hand, Sean has had to find his ow...

This episode is with Casey and Brandon Smith, co owners of the furniture company Path Design Company - If you want to hear the full story behind how Path Design got started, check out the show archives - episode 111 As your company grows, you have more and more customers. And the more customers you have, the greater chance that you and one of those customers won’t see eye to ey...

Casey and Brandon started their company because they wanted to have an outlet for their creativity - an idea that I am sure a lot of people also have. But they put the work in, and the time, and learned to work smarter and faster. They also came to understand that the business side of any creative endeavor needs attention paid to it as well if you want it to grow. And grow it h...

This episode is with Aaron Matheson of Matheson Woodwork When you are building furniture in a shop, you have a certain level of control, but the second you send it out into the world, you lose that control. And no where is that more apparent than with shipping. Aaron unfortunately has had some hard times with shipping, experiences that anyone who has ever had to ship something would have nigh...

As a professional photographer, Aaron was always able to look at the everyday world and see it a little bit differently. And when he started building furniture, he was able to take that visual understanding and translate it to his designs, and to conversations with his clients, and to physically building his furniture pieces. Being able to look at the world and to understand what you lik...

This episode is with Jacob Wolfe, owner of the furniture company Das Wolfe. If you want to hear the full story behind how Das Wolfe got started, check out the show archives - Episode 107 Jacob and his company have had their fair share of big projects, and they can still be intimidating, but there was one day he remembers when nothing went right. That day forced him to reconside...

Jacob’s work as a furniture maker, and as a visual artist in general, Is always marked with a little something extra. Be it an unexpected twist on a recognizable form, or adding a modern technique into an old world build. His style is equal parts artisan and mad scientist, with work that centers around taking what we think of as ordinary and making it anything but. And this is exactly what he...

This episode is with Derek Hartvigson, Owner of the furniture company The Native Craftsman. If you want to hear the full story behind how The Native Craftsman started - check out the show archives - episode 105 Derek talks about a very specific situation that I’m sure a lot of us have had to deal with at one point, messing up a piece of furniture right at the end. But he also talks about...

Derek is a 5th generation woodworker, but even though he loved the craft, he didn’t go straight into the trade. Yet, after pursing other professions, he found his way back to furniture making and started his own company in 2015. From then to now though, it wasn’t smooth sailing. He went from being successful to shutting the doors on his company. But now, a little bit older and a little bit wiser,&...

Special Episode - Building on the Bad Back at the start of their business, when Jennie & Aaron where still working out of their home, right in the thick of their largest order to date they had an unexpected visitor who almost ended their business right then and there. On this special episode we talk about their worst day, and how their fledgling company almost didn’t make it off the...

Jennie and Aaron have gone through all the combinations of having their own furniture company. Starting individually as a hobby, then both part time, then one going full time, and finally until they were able to both turn the goal of working for themselves into a reality. But through it all, the one constant has been their adaptability. This attitude, of taking what comes and making it work for th...

Paula and her husband Justin started their company in 2009, and since then, have been steadily growing their business. Now with 5 employees, a portfolio full of breathtaking projects, and a long line of happy clients, Paula takes us through the company’s story of growth and their secrets to success - while looking back from where they came, but also forward to where they are going. Follow along as...