Woodworking Network Podcast

By Woodworking Network, Will Sampson

What's Woodworking Network Podcast about?

The Woodworking Network Podcast with Will Sampson dives into the details of running a successful woodworking business. Will discusses everything from bidding and estimating costs, technology, customer service, and best practices, to government regulations and tariffs. He also regularly conducts guest interviews with industry leaders and experts.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Woodworking Network Podcast episodes:

04.16.2024
Reaching for the Sky - with Todd Beyreuther
Will Sampson talks about the growth of the mass timber industry and the ever present efforts to build taller buildings. His guest is Todd Beyreuther, director of product development for Mercer Mass Timber. He’s at the forefront of a dynamic...
02.28.2024
The magic of wood - with Bob Lennon
Will Sampson talks about the unique and timeless attraction of natural wood but also how new technology responds to the demands for wood. His guest is Bob Lennon, president of ThermalWoodCanada, a company that specializes in thermally modifying natural wood.
01.31.2024
Technology, tradition, and change - with Brady Lewis
Will Sampson talks about how woodworkers and the woodworking industry have historically struggled with new technology. His guest is Brady Lewis, founder of the innovative software company Allmoxy and an organizer of a breakthrough new networking opportunity, the Wood Tech...
01.18.2024
What have you learned today - with Patrick Molzahn
Will Sampson talks about the value and process of continuing to learn new things throughout your life. His guest is Patrick Molzahn, who just retired as director of the Cabinetmaking and Millwork program at Madison College in Wisconsin.
10.13.2023
Process is the tool - with Nathan Guffey
Will Sampson talks about a paradigm shift in the woodworking industry that is making material handling more sexy. His guest is Nathan Guffey, founder of Guffey Systems, an innovative developer of products to make production finishing more efficient.
10.06.2023
Teaching, sharing, and learning - with Jeff Bellows
Will Sampson talks about the process of teaching and learning and what it means to a growing business. His guest is Jeff Bellows, owner of a cabinet shop in Iowa and founder of the Facebook Cabinetry/Millwork Shop & Install group.
09.16.2023
Are you telling your story - with Andy O'Hare
Will Sampson talks about how important it is for businesses to share their story. His guest is Andy O’Hare, president of the Composite Panel Association. He has some fascinating facts and statistics to share that might change popular views about...
07.17.2023
Hardware or bling - with Knikki Grantham
Will Sampson talks about the role of decorative hardware in modern cabinetry and the challenge it presents for designers and custom cabinet shops. His guest is Knikki Grantham, creative director for the prestige hardware brand Belwith Keeler.
07.05.2023
Climbing the learning curve - with Brian Adle
Will Sampson talks about being an old dog trying to learn new tricks connected to CNC machining. His guest is Brian Adle, a senior software engineer for Inventables, a company that makes a range of CNC machines and accompanying software...
06.23.2023
Igniting the spark of invention - with Brad Cairns
Will Sampson talks about the magic spark that ignites invention and why some people seem to be so much more naturally inclined to be inventors. His guest is Brad Cairns from Quantum Lean and Best Damn Doors, who is wearing...
05.24.2023
Do what you do best - with Chad Shelton
Will Sampson talks about how shops struggle with focusing on doing what they do best. His guest is Chad Shelton of Bella Innovative Modern Cabinetry Company. He transformed his company by adopting an innovative joinery system and narrowing the products...
03.13.2023
Work-life balance - with Matt Mimnagh
Will Sampson talks about balancing the pressures and rewards of work and life outside work. His guest is Matt Mimnagh, a woodworker from North Carolina who took the unorthodox step of making his business smaller to make it better for...
02.26.2023
It's not Magic - with Brad Cairns and Jim Allen
Will Sampson talks about how some people look at dramatic business change as magic, but it’s really something else. His guests are Brad Cairns from Quantum Lean and Jim Allen, operations manager at River City Cabinets in Austin, Texas. They’re...
01.27.2023
What happened to the family business - with Nick Stoltzfus
Will Sampson muses about how difficult it is to maintain a family business in today’s economy. His guest is Nick Stoltzfus, president of Keystone Wood Specialties, a manufacturer of wood products for cabinetry in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Nick recently took over...
01.11.2023
Fear of fire - with Michael Culbreth
Will Sampson talks about how fire seems to be always present as a serious hazard in woodworking businesses. His guest is Michael Culbreth, Loss Control Services Consultant for Pennsylvania Lumberman’s Mutual talking about how to manage fire risks in the...
12.21.2022
Marketing custom woodwork - with Matt Buell, Part 2
Will Sampson talks about ways typical custom woodworkers market their products, and how they might approach that differently. Then he resumes his interview with custom furniture maker Matt Buell recorded live at IWF Atlanta.
12.12.2022
Learning to improvise - with Matt Buell
Will Sampson talks about how important improvising is to a successful woodworking career and then catches up with custom woodworker Matt Buell for the first part of a two-part interview recorded live at IWF Atlanta.
10.07.2022
Trade shows still count
Will Sampson talks about how trade shows have an ancient history but they are still relevant in the modern world. Then joins a panel of Woodworking Network editors to talk about things they saw at the International Woodworking Fair in...
09.30.2022
Lean vs. automation - with Brad Cairns
Will Sampson talks about lean manufacturing and automation and how they can work together. Then he continues the conversation with Brad Cairns of Quantum Lean and Best Damn Doors in an interview recorded live at the International Woodworking Fair in...
08.31.2022
Need for networking - with Jim Bouchard
Will Sampson talks about how woodworking businesses can use networking to improve. Then he interviews Jim Bouchard, founder of the Sensei Leader Movement, who will be speaking and doing workshops at the upcoming Executive Briefing Conference in Colorado Springs.
08.16.2022
Solving the skills gap - with Kelly Victor-Burke
Will Sampson talks about how woodworking businesses can work to solve the ongoing skills gap. Then he interviews Kelly Victor-Burke, majority owner and CEO of Burke Architectural Millwork and Bespoke Closets in Livonia, Michigan. She was instrumental in creating a...
07.07.2022
Intersection of technology and fashion - with Jesse Collins
Will Sampson talks about how technology and fashion are inextricably intertwined. Then he interviews Jesse Collins, marketing manager for the furniture solutions division of REHAU, talking about trends in surfacing for the woodworking industry.
06.21.2022
Financing your future - with Blair Chandler
Will Sampson talks about the important role that financing can play in the growth of a woodworking business. Then he does an interview with Blair Chandler, finance and leasing consultant for SCM Group and a recent honoree in the Woodworking...
05.18.2022
Not a gimmick - with Brad Cairns
Will Sampson talks about how he was introduced to lean manufacturing and speculates why it has taken so long to take hold in the woodworking industry. Then he does an interview with lean manufacturing expert Brad Cairns recorded live at...
04.21.2022
Manager or leader - with Jim Bouchard
Will Sampson talks about the differences between management and leadership and then chats with Jim Bouchard, founder of the Sensei Leadership Movement, about present-day lessons in leadership that we can take to heart and use in our business.
04.14.2022
Maker or thinker - with Doug Stowe
Will Sampson talks about the difference between “makers” and “thinkers.” His guest is Doug Stowe, a woodworker known for his intricately inlayed boxes and author of a new book, “The Wisdom of Our Hands.”
03.30.2022
Education to open doors - with Patrick Molzahn
Will Sampson talks about his own early woodworking education and how learning about woodworking can open doors. His guest is Patrick Molzahn, woodworking educator and author of the Sixth Edition of Modern Cabinetmaking, a groundbreaking new multi-media textbook for woodworking.
02.24.2022
What do you value - with Jeff Finney
Will Sampson talks about the tricky equation of calculating value in business and in life. He continues his interview withs Jeff Finney, owner and CEO of Ultimate Cabinets and The Push Thru, LLC, and author of a new book titled...
02.15.2022
Business life balance - with Jeff Finney
Will Sampson talks about balancing your business life with your family and activities outside work. His guest is Jeff Finney, owner and CEO of Ultimate Cabinets and The Push Thru, LLC, and author of a new book titled “That’s it,...
12.01.2021
Power of pivoting - with Jeff Wagner
Will Sampson talks about how shifting direction adroitly can make a big difference in the success of your business. His guest is Jeff Wagner, executive chairman of CalPlant, a company that is transforming rice straw, a waste product of rice...
10.27.2021
Wealth from Waste - with Jeff Wagner
Will Sampson talks about how wealth can be found in what some view as waste, and his guest is Jeff Wagner, executive chairman of CalPlant, a company that is transforming rice straw, a waste product of rice farming, into high-quality...
10.04.2021
Open books and employee ownership - with Ted Hall
Will Sampson talks about business transparency and sharing financial information with your employees. His guest is Ted Hall, founder of the innovative CNC manufacturer ShopBot, a company that just recently converted to an Employee Ownership Trust.
09.23.2021
The robots are here - with Derek Degeest
Will Sampson talks about new advances in robotic technology including an interview with Derek Degeest, president of Lesta USA, which is marketing self-learning robots to the finishing industry. This episode was recorded life at the AWFS Fair.
08.30.2021
Trustworthy advice with Kenneth Kumph
Will Sampson talks the important role trustworthy advice plays in a successful business and then interviews the new president of the Cabinet Makers Association, Kenneth Kumph, owner of Premier Builders in Georgetown, Massachusetts, talking about the value of networking in...
07.29.2021
Are you ready for additive manufacturing with Ronald Rael
Will Sampson talks about a new way of woodworking and a new way of thinking called additive manufacturing. His guest is Ronald Rael, professor of architecture at UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design and co-inventor of Forust, a new 3D...
07.07.2021
Finishing woodwork with Chris Reding, Part 2
Will Sampson continues his interview with Chris Reding, a finishing expert who talks about new innovations that bring powder coating technology to woodworking with the promise of safer, faster, environmentally friendly and more durable finishes.
06.16.2021
Finishing woodwork with Chris Reding
Will Sampson talks about the challenge that finishing presents to woodworkers. His guest is Chris Reding, a finishing expert who talks about new innovations that bring powder coating technology to woodworking with the promise of safer, faster, environmentally friendly and...
06.07.2021
What are you risking? With Steve Hicks
Will Sampson talks about exploring the risks that face today’s businesses. His guest is Steve Hicks, Underwriting Manager at Pennsylvania Lumbermen’s Mutual, to talk about risk management and business insurance specifically for woodworking businesses.
05.26.2021
Building a brand and selling your business with Corbin Clay, Part 2
Will Sampson talks about enhancing value in your products and your business. His guest is Corbin Clay, who created a nationally recognized furniture brand while using wood nobody wanted and then sold that company to “retire” when he was only...
04.30.2021
Building a brand and selling your business with Corbin Clay, Part 1
Will Sampson talks about enhancing value in your products and your business. His guest is Corbin Clay, who created a nationally recognized furniture brand while using wood nobody wanted and then sold that company to “retire” when he was only...
04.23.2021
Automation, opportunities, and jobs, part 2 – with Kathy and Tony Everett
Will Sampson talks about how important owner energy is to life of a business. He continues his conversation with Kathy and Tony Everett, owners of Millwork on 31st in Charlotte, North Carolina. They went from a successful career in automotive...
03.30.2021
Automation, opportunities, and jobs, part 1 – with Kathy and Tony Everett
Will Sampson talks about automation in woodworking and whether the way automation is sold misses the mark. His guests are Kathy and Tony Everett, owners of Millwork on 31st in Charlotte, North Carolina. They went from a successful career in...
03.23.2021
Just a box? – with Phillip Crabtree
Will Sampson talks about the long-running arguments in woodworking over cabinet construction methods and then talks to Phillip Crabtree, inventor of the patented Cabinotch cabinet construction system, who is relaunching his company back under his own ownership again.
03.08.2021
What makes an entrepreneur? – with Shiraz Balolia
Will Sampson talks about what it takes to become an entrepreneur. His guest is Shiraz Balolia, founder of Grizzly Industrial and a number of other businesses. He has just written his autobiography titled “A Bad Case of Capitalism.”
02.18.2021
What constitutes quality? – with Mitch Taylor
Will Sampson talks with Mitch Taylor, architectural services representative for the Woodwork Institute. He has a lot of interesting information about standards for architectural woodworking.
02.01.2021
Profit is not a four-letter word with Martin Goebel
Will Sampson talks about how some woodworkers are uncomfortable with the business side of woodworking and where they can get help. He continues his interview with Martin Goebel, who runs Goebel Furniture, was a past winner of the Young Wood...
01.15.2021
Becoming a Woodworker with Martin Goebel
Will Sampson talks about how woodworkers get started in the industry and shares his own story. His guest is Martin Goebel, who runs Goebel Furniture, was a past winner of the Young Wood Pro award and was recognized as a...
01.09.2021
Is your business big enough with Amanda Conger
Will Sampson discusses the importance of business growth and building your business to withstand things that weren't in you business plan. His guest is Amanda Conger, executive director of the Cabinet Makers Association, discussing the results of their annual Benchmark...
11.05.2020
Sick of the Sickness
In this podcast, Will Sampson and Bobby Dalheim of Woodworking Network share the results of a survey on the effect of the pandemic on the woodworking industry.
10.12.2020
The magic of invention with Stuart Topp
In this podcast, Will Sampson talks with Stuart Topp, inventor of an amazing new tool called the Blind Stapler for affixing face frames to cabinet boxes. Will shares some of his thoughts on the wonder of inventions and what drives...

What's Woodworking Network Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Woodworking Network Podcast episodes:

Reaching for the Sky - with Todd Beyreuther

The magic of wood - with Bob Lennon

Technology, tradition, and change - with Brady Lewis

What have you learned today - with Patrick Molzahn

Process is the tool - with Nathan Guffey

Teaching, sharing, and learning - with Jeff Bellows

Are you telling your story - with Andy O'Hare

Hardware or bling - with Knikki Grantham

Climbing the learning curve - with Brian Adle

Igniting the spark of invention - with Brad Cairns

Do what you do best - with Chad Shelton

Work-life balance - with Matt Mimnagh

It's not Magic - with Brad Cairns and Jim Allen

What happened to the family business - with Nick Stoltzfus

Fear of fire - with Michael Culbreth

Marketing custom woodwork - with Matt Buell, Part 2

Learning to improvise - with Matt Buell

Trade shows still count

Lean vs. automation - with Brad Cairns

Need for networking - with Jim Bouchard

Solving the skills gap - with Kelly Victor-Burke

Intersection of technology and fashion - with Jesse Collins

Financing your future - with Blair Chandler

Not a gimmick - with Brad Cairns

Manager or leader - with Jim Bouchard

Maker or thinker - with Doug Stowe

Education to open doors - with Patrick Molzahn

What do you value - with Jeff Finney

Business life balance - with Jeff Finney

Power of pivoting - with Jeff Wagner

Wealth from Waste - with Jeff Wagner

Open books and employee ownership - with Ted Hall

The robots are here - with Derek Degeest

Trustworthy advice with Kenneth Kumph

Are you ready for additive manufacturing with Ronald Rael

Finishing woodwork with Chris Reding, Part 2

Finishing woodwork with Chris Reding

What are you risking? With Steve Hicks

Building a brand and selling your business with Corbin Clay, Part 2

Building a brand and selling your business with Corbin Clay, Part 1

Automation, opportunities, and jobs, part 2 – with Kathy and Tony Everett

Automation, opportunities, and jobs, part 1 – with Kathy and Tony Everett

Just a box? – with Phillip Crabtree

What makes an entrepreneur? – with Shiraz Balolia

What constitutes quality? – with Mitch Taylor

Profit is not a four-letter word with Martin Goebel

Becoming a Woodworker with Martin Goebel

Is your business big enough with Amanda Conger

Sick of the Sickness

The magic of invention with Stuart Topp