At 41 years old, with no woodworking background and tools made from hot-glued blocks of wood, Craig Hedges won a YouTube scholarship that changed the trajectory of his entire family's life.

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, host Jennifer Alger sits down with Craig Hedges, the new owner of Goliath Hardwoods in Evansville, Indiana. Craig's story starts with a $250 check from a YouTube woodworker's scholarship fund, a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a drill. What began with cornhole boards made alongside his wife and four kids eventually grew into pen turning, laser engraving, craft shows, and ultimately the purchase of a nearly 30-year-old hardwood retail business that was days away from closing its doors forever.

You'll hear about how Craig and his family funded a trip to Disney World entirely from cornhole board sales, and the car ride home where the kids declared they were done making them. You'll hear about how he discovered Goliath Hardwoods as a customer, watched the sale fall through multiple times with other buyers, and negotiated an owner-financed deal that let the business pay for itself from day one. Craig also shares how he inherited a loyal customer base, kept the existing staff, and immediately went to work building a social media presence from scratch with his son Ian behind the camera.

You'll also hear about the incredible historic restoration project that landed on Craig's doorstep, resurfacing 130-plus-year-old flooring from the old Cargis building to be installed in 121 new apartments. Craig talks about his plans to create custom wood urns with military branch scroll work for local funeral homes, his vision for a dedicated maker space, and the heartwarming story of helping a pair of newlyweds build their first dining table in his shop. Jennifer and Craig also dig into sourcing strategies for small retailers, from Facebook Marketplace finds to building relationships with larger local suppliers, and how to use social media to stop the scroll and find the wood you need.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Craig Hedges: From YouTube Scholarship to Business Owner

05:56 Buying Goliath Hardwoods and Keeping a Legacy Alive

10:05 Building a Social Media Strategy from Scratch

11:46 The Historic Cargis Building Flooring Restoration

18:01 Custom Urns, Maker Spaces, and Creative Revenue Streams

25:50 Sourcing Wood as a Small Retailer

34:19 Challenges, Community, and the Power of Just Trying

The Woodpreneur Podcast brings stories of woodworkers, makers, and entrepreneurs turning their passion for wood into successful businesses - from inspiration to education to actionable advice. Hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jennifer Alger 

For blog posts and updates: woodpreneur.com

See how we helped woodworkers, furniture-makers, millwork and lumber businesses grow to the next level: woodpreneurnetwork.com

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You can connect with Craig at:

https://goliathhardwoods.com/

https://www.instagram.com/goliath_hardwoods/

https://www.facebook.com/goliathhardwoods/