In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul revisits Seth Godin’s Purple Cow and lays out how makers break through by being deliberately different rather than chasing “best.” Sparked by a marketing convo earlier in the day, he reframes how to position a craft business so it stands out in a sea of look-alike messaging.

He distills the approach into a set of practical moves:

• Difference over “best.” Compete by being meaningfully distinct, not by claiming superiority.
• Name your edge. Replace generic terms (“handcrafted,” “custom”) with specific positioning—e.g., PTC’s Single-Maker Approach.
• Show the build. Use shop-floor storytelling to “stop the scroll”: works-in-progress, tools, scale, process.
• Price with purpose. Set premium pricing to signal you’re not a big-box alternative.
• Niche and be bold. Choose edges (smaller/bigger, louder/quieter) and make decisions that feel a little scary—in the best way.
• Lead with a point of view. Let values (like eco-responsibility) attract the right clients.

Paul shares how Philadelphia Table Company applies this: running ads that feature 15-foot tables mid-build in the shop, leaning into fully bespoke projects (drawings, revisions, unusual sizes/colors), and using language that differentiates instead of blending in. The goal is a defensible moat—story, process, and positioning that mass manufacturers can’t copy.

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