In this “office hours”–style episode, Paul answers listener questions about the real challenges of running a small woodworking or maker business.

He starts with a short pitch for the Handcrafted Network, explaining the difference between generic “advice” (like this podcast) and personalized “help” (like in the group).

Then he dives into four listener questions:

1️⃣ Burnout and time management (Jess from Asheville):
Paul talks about blocking time for specific tasks, setting email hours in your signature, and establishing hard stop times to maintain work-life balance. He stresses the importance of decompression to avoid hating your own shop.

2️⃣ Overlooked systems or habits (Miguel from Albuquerque):
He emphasizes asking for help, not doing it all alone, and not ignoring sales and marketing. Makers often focus on the fun of building but neglect daily sales activity—so he suggests making sales the first priority each morning.

3️⃣ Pricing fears and valuing your work (Emily from Portland):
Paul discusses the need to move beyond low “starter” pricing and embrace charging for real value. He recommends mindset shifts (mentioning You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero), treating custom work like art, and using a pricing calculator to ensure you hit target profit.

4️⃣ Quality control for growing teams (Derek from Grand Rapids):
Paul describes implementing a final inspection checklist reviewed by his operations director. He explains standardizing finishing processes, encouraging accountability without micromanaging, and gradually building a culture of quality through clear expectations and systems.

Throughout, Paul keeps the tone conversational, generous, and practical, repeatedly inviting listeners to email him for resources like his quality control checklist or pricing tools.

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