Sometimes the plan gets interrupted by 32 cats.

Magnus spent two weeks helping his 81-year-old great aunt's pets. His projects stood still while he did it, but it was all for the best. Odin saw a shirt that read "Life be lifin'," and it became the frame for the episode: what happens to your goals when summer, family, and an emergency all land at once. The goal line is yours to move.

Magnus also paid out the first quarterly dividends to the makers selling on learnleathercraft.com, which is something to be quite proud of. Odin reports back from Weaver Leather's Maker Camp in Ohio, where almost nobody knew who he was and that turned out to be the best part. A doorbell hanger class became a sewing machine lesson for 30 people who had never touched one.

The back half gets into Don Gonzales's apprenticeship program and grading projects on margins, not looks.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:31 - When Life Interrupts Everything

07:11 - Setting Goals That Survive Reality

08:44 - Paying Out the First Dividends

12:07 - Overestimate One Year, Underestimate Ten

17:17 - Inside Weaver's Maker Camp

22:14 - Nobody Knew Who I Was

23:17 - Teaching Thirty People to Sew

27:53 - Getting Out of Your Silo

37:59 - Grading a Project on Margins

48:38 - Heart of Texas Classes Explained

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast

All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:

Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather

Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released twice a month on Thursdays.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #MakerLife #WorkLifeBalance #CraftBusiness

Most people think they need an audience. What they actually need is a community.

Steve Van Plew, a TV editor turned leatherworker and host of the Leathercraft Community Podcast Show, joins Odin and Magnus to talk about why he built his show around community instead of audience, and what that distinction actually changes: storytelling that builds trust, vulnerability that makes people relate, and a genuine investment in the people watching. The conversation moves into batch recording, pitching sponsors, and racing to capture the stories of the industry's older makers before they're gone. Steve also shares how a dog collar for his mini pinscher turned into a full leathercraft obsession.

Featuring Steve Van Plew of Van Plew Co.:
https://www.instagram.com/vanplewco/

TIMESTAMPS:
00:01 - Welcoming Steve Van Plew
01:22 - How the Podcast Began
05:58 - Storytelling Builds Trust With Audiences
12:04 - Racing to Capture Elder Stories
20:44 - The Batch Recording Secret Explained
25:28 - Pitching and Pricing Sponsorship Deals
38:13 - How a Dog Collar Started
44:41 - Attention as the New Currency
48:16 - From TV and UFC to Leather
56:00 - Where to Find Steve Online

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://youtu.be/kQWifxu3s8A
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released twice a month on Thursdays.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #CommunityBuilding #ContentCreation #MakerLife

Chasing someone else's success is a losing game. In Episode 26, Odin and Magnus get into what it actually looks like to measure your business on the right terms and the right timeframe.

The episode covers a summer check-in, corporate leather classes as a revenue stream, and why the front door of a retail shop tells you almost nothing about how a business is actually doing. Magnus brings in a concept from a leadership book he is reading about finite versus infinite games. There is no finish line in business, no single winner, no point where you stop. Odin frames it his own way: success is a river, not a pie.

The back half gets honest. Both hosts admit they move past wins almost immediately and find it easier to celebrate other people than themselves. There is also a useful moment about pricing: building a simple formula that makes custom work easier for the customer to understand and easier for you to quote.

TIMESTAMPS:
01:01 - Summer Schedules and Routines
03:32 - Magnus's New Job Update
04:44 - Learn Leathercraft Updates
10:25 - Corporate Classes and Team Building
17:35 - Front Door vs. Back Door Business
22:29 - YouTube Returns After Four Years
26:23 - Preserving Leathercraft History
32:20 - Pricing by the Inch
37:52 - Finite vs. Infinite Games
42:17 - Success Is a River, Not a Pie

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #MakerMindset #MakerLife

Most makers can tell you what they make. Fewer can tell you who they're making it for.

Odin and Magnus sit down with Jasper Knight, a saddle maker and production leatherworker from Idaho they met at their Sheridan business class. Jasper runs knife sheath manufacturing out of a 15x15 shed, builds saddles out of a semi trailer on his property, and makes leather holsters for toy cap guns that he believes could be his hero product. The problem was that all of it lived under one roof, sending different signals to different audiences. A single question from Odin in class reframed everything, and by the time this episode recorded, Jasper had already spun the holsters off into their own brand.

The conversation covers what it costs to learn a new production process, why a small tight product line beats a wide one every time, and how lifestyle photography does what product shots alone never will.

Featuring Jasper Knight of Jasper's Leather Co.:
https://www.instagram.com/jaspersleatherco/

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Meeting Jasper at Sheridan
04:45 - Knife Sheaths and the JUKI AMS-210
13:00 - Who Is the Toy Holster For?
16:30 - Splitting the Brand
23:00 - People Buy for Their Reasons
29:00 - Lifestyle Photography
33:30 - Do Fewer Things Better
43:00 - Production Tricks from the Shed
51:00 - State Arts Grants and Teaching
56:00 - Teaching Scroll Foundations

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #BrandBuilding #MakerLife

In Episode 24, the hosts are in Sheridan, Wyoming for the Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show. Before the drive in, a stop at a hat maker's studio and a high-end interior design shop turned into a real conversation about pricing, audience, and why the right room changes what your work is worth.

At the show, the debut competition delivers its usual mix of inspiration and humility. The episode closes at the airport, one year to the week from the Sheridan recap that started the podcast.

TIMESTAMPS:
03:06 - Sheridan College and the Show
06:50 - Hat Maker in Billings
12:11 - The $52 Coasters
13:46 - Pricing and Positioning
21:17 - Writing Reviews That Work
28:15 - Classes and Takeaways
29:37 - Building a Podcast Community
38:21 - Justin Fitzwater Takes Third
43:43 - Reflecting on Year One
47:43 - The Alice Stoneman Award

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #Pricing #LeatherShow #RockyMountainLeatherShow

Are you spending money on tools you forgot you signed up for, chasing search terms that will never convert, and doing work that someone else should own?

In Episode 23, Odin and Magnus take stock. Odin walks through his belt bar and brand activation business and what it means to sell a solution rather than a product. Magnus breaks down SEO for makers: why targeting broad search terms is a losing game, and how Google Business listings and descriptive reviews are the most underused tools a small shop has. The back half covers software subscriptions, what to keep, what to cut, and why regular auditing matters.

If you have been saying yes to everything and wondering why nothing feels like progress, this one is worth your time.

TIMESTAMPS:
01:00 - Busy Season Check-In
08:30 - Letting Go of Sunk Costs
15:15 - Declutter Your Space
23:00 - Belt Bars and Activations
35:00 - Sell the Solution
38:00 - Stop Chasing Broad Terms
44:30 - Find Your Real Customer
51:00 - Reviews That Actually Work
01:01:00 - Apps Worth Keeping
01:44:00 - AI and Authentic Voice

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #SEO #DigitalMarketing #MakerLife

Aaron Heizer built Maker's Leather Supply from a $10,000 purchase into one of the most recognized names in the leather supply world, then sold it. The more interesting story is how he did it: by just being himself.

Odin and Magnus sit down with Aaron to trace that journey. It starts with Army retirement and a difficult custom work customer who pushed him to pivot. From there, Aaron talks through building an audience through unpolished YouTube videos, live odd lot leather sales, and teaching classes before anyone else in the space was doing it.

The conversation also gets into pricing and self-worth, and why so many makers undercut themselves before the customer even has a chance to say no.

Featuring Aaron Heizer of Maker's Leather Supply: https://www.instagram.com/makersleathersupply/

TIMESTAMPS:
01:00 - How It All Started
05:50 - Buying Maker's for $10K
11:30 - The Customer Who Changed Everything
17:12 - Why He Loves Teaching
20:03 - Authenticity Before "Influencer"
25:00 - Mystery Box and Odd Lot Sales
30:44 - If You're Not Growing, You're Dying
35:04 - Targeting the Right Audience
37:00 - Price It Like You Mean It
45:15 - Building a Brand Worth Selling

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

Most entrepreneurs stay busy all year and still can't explain where the time went. In Episode 21, Magnus sits down with Matthew Gaddy, a longtime friend and productivity coach, to talk about why that happens and what to do about it.

The conversation covers goal-setting, breaking big plans into actionable steps, and how to recover when you miss a deadline without derailing the rest of your year. Matthew also walks through why the greatest enemy of great is usually something good, and how to figure out which things on your list actually deserve your attention.

If you have ever taken a look at things halfway through the year and wondered how you got there, this one is worth your time.

TIMESTAMPS:
01:00 - Matthew's Background and How He Got Into Coaching
06:20 - Reactive vs. Proactive: Why Busy Isn't Productive
09:50 - How to Set Goals That Actually Mean Something
14:00 - Breaking Goals Down Into Actionable Steps
20:00 - Deep Work vs. Short Bursts: Using Your Time Well
26:15 - When You Miss a Deadline: How to Adjust Without Derailing
30:00 - Magnus's MentorBot and AI for Accountability
33:25 - Prioritizing Goals: The Warren Buffett Method
37:30 - Saying No to Good Things to Protect Great Ones
45:00 - Closing Thoughts and Encouragement for 2026

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

Should you name your business after yourself, or build something that can outlast you? In Episode 20, Odin and Magnus dig into one of the most common questions in the leather community.

Odin recaps teaching three classes at the Prescott leather show, Magnus shares news from a company cruise and a new job, and the two talk through hiring, retention, and what it actually looks like to let someone go for their own good.

The main topic comes from a question sent in by Jay Whitman Leather on Instagram. He wants to build a brand, not a person. What follows is a practical conversation about legacy, risk, and who really owns a brand once it is out in the world.

TIMESTAMPS:
01:00 - Prescott Leather Show Recap
07:30 - Teaching Business Classes at Shows
11:15 - Patreon Calls and Workbooks
13:00 - Magnus's Cruise
23:15 - Magnus's New Job
25:00 - Retention and Letting People Go
35:00 - Don't Fear Who You Hire
37:40 - What's in a Name?
44:20 - Artist Brand vs. Business Brand
50:10 - You Don't Own Your Brand

WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
https://youtu.be/pcqwO0uLK_U

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:
Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather
Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #BrandBuilding #MakerLife

Tax season has a way of making even the most passionate makers stop and question entrepreneurship. In Episode 19, Magnus sits down with Angie Benefiel: the leatherworking CPA. The two have the honest conversations most of us have been avoiding. Angie brings a rare combination: a leatherworker running her own brand (Holland Leather) who also works with accounting for a living.The conversation covers what actually separates a hobby from a business in the eyes of the IRS, what deductions most makers are leaving on the table, and how to think about bookkeeping when your materials come in hides, and your inventory does not fit neatly into a spreadsheet. They talk through entity structure, what an audit really looks like, and why tracking your mileage alone could be worth more than you think. Following the conversation, Odin reflects that much of this applies directly to scaling a leather business, including the ongoing challenge of managing inventory without tying up all your cash on the shelf.This episode was timed intentionally for early March, as many makers are working to figure out their taxes. Whether you are just getting started or already running a shop, there is something here worth hearing before you file.Disclaimer: Nothing in this episode is tax advice, rather conversations about accounting. If anything from these discussions resonates with you, we encourage you to discuss it with your tax professional.

Featuring Angie Benefiel of Holland Leather:https://www.instagram.com/hollandleather/

TIMESTAMPS:

06:35 - Hobby or Business? What the IRS Says

09:14 - Steps to Make the Shift to Entrepreneur

12:12 - Home Office, Phone & Internet Deductions

16:16 - QuickBooks, Xero & Spreadsheets: What Works

20:39 - Cash Sales & Barter: It's All Taxable

22:57 - What Actually Happens During an Audit

26:34 - Angie's Sheridan Classes Breakdown

32:47 - LLC vs. Sole Proprietor: Which Is Right for You

38:42 - Mileage & Other Overlooked Deductions

43:35 - Tracking Inventory as a Leather Business

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1boT5ABgRjIDEGyi7bEbjd

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-workbench/id1816987809

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast

All Platforms: https://www.beyondtheworkbench.com/

FOLLOW BEYOND THE WORKBENCH:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheworkbench

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheworkbench

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Beyond-the-Workbench-61576775047322/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondtheworkbenchpodcast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

HOSTS:

Odin Clack - https://www.instagram.com/odinleather

Michael Magnus - https://www.instagram.com/magnusopus

Beyond the Workbench casually dives into the world of leathercraft, entrepreneurship, and modern maker life. Hosted by Odin Clack (full-time leatherworker and retail owner) and Michael Magnus (leather marketing expert and founder of www.learnleathercraft.com), we explore everything from personal project updates to marketing strategies, retail challenges, and the business side of making.

New episodes are released on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

Enjoying the podcast? Please share it with someone who you think would find value in the conversations. If these conversations have helped your business and you're interested in supporting the show, visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondtheworkbench

Edited and produced by Instrumental Media: https://instrumental.media/

#BeyondTheWorkbench #Podcast #Leathercraft #LeatherWorking #Entrepreneurship #MakerCommunity #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #BusinessStrategy #Bookkeeping #TaxTips