What if the tree in your backyard could become the floor beneath your feet, the table where your family gathers, or the beams holding up your home? Megan Offner of New York Heartwoods has spent 25 years making that a reality, and her story is one every woodworking and craftsmanship lover needs to hear.

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Jennifer Alger reconnects with Megan to hear how her business has evolved from running a sawmill and producing custom furniture to a bold new chapter as a project coordinator and wood sourcing consultant. Megan now bridges the gap between landowners, architects, designers, and small local mills, stewarding trees from the moment they are still standing all the way through to finished, traceable, place-based materials in the built environment.

Megan opens up about the logistical complexity of working on large-scale hospitality and residential projects, including sourcing 27 walnut slab tables for a Hudson Valley hotel and turning four massive poplar trees into 8,000 linear feet of baseboard for an affordable housing project in Kingston, New York. She also shares the rewarding challenge of expanding her work to the West Coast, learning new species and mass timber processes along the way.

Beyond the projects, this conversation gets real about the business side of craftsmanship. Megan talks honestly about the shift from idealism to sustainability, learning to say no, finding a business coach, and building a network of collaborators whose skills balance her own. It is a masterclass in growing a purpose-driven business without losing sight of why you started.

This episode is for woodworkers, entrepreneurs, architects, and anyone who believes that local, sustainable wood belongs in the buildings we live and work in.

Tune in, hit follow, and share this one with someone who loves trees as much as Megan does.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Megan Offner and New York Heartwoods

03:33 - From sawmill and furniture maker to wood sourcing consultant

09:08 - Working with landowners, standing dead ash, and site-based materials

14:01 - Expanding to the West Coast and learning mass timber with Mallory and Woodshed Consulting

20:52 - Marketing through word of mouth, Instagram, and a New York Times feature

26:36 - Overcoming idealism and learning to run a sustainable business

30:38 - Key partners, Trilocs Woodworks, and building resilient wood supply chains

34:09 - How Megan works with new clients from first call to finished product

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

Empowering woodpreneurs and building companies to grow and scale: buildergrowth.io

Connect with us at: 

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You can connect with Megan at:

https://www.newyorkheartwoods.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganoffner/

https://www.instagram.com/newyorkheartwoods/