The Build Guild Podcast : A Professionally Unprofessional Podcast for Makers

Episode Two: Look Ma, I’m on TV

What is winning $75,000 and being featured on a reality television series like? For Coty Skinner, that dream became a reality in March of 2019 when his company, ARganic Woodworking, LLC, was chosen as one of the six contestants for the Hulu series, “Small Business Revolution,” sponsored by the highly respected marketing firm, Deluxe.

Coty hadn’t always dreamed of being a maker, though. Upon graduation from a high school in central Arkansas, Coty enlisted with the United States Army. After serving in the Army for ten years, Coty pursued a career in HVAC, and then felt God calling him into ministry. After having two daughters of their own, ages 5 and 13, Coty and his wife began a new challenging and impactful ministry of their own: fostering.

Being a foster parent is full of challenges and hurdles, and very quickly Coty realized a glaring obstacle: the family dining table was too small. Remembering his own teenage years and the impact conversations made at the family table had on him, he realized he needed to build a table with enough room for his family and the children they fostered. Driven by a passion for ministering to others and making sure everyone has a seat at the table, ARganic Woodworking was born. Working out of his garage, for every three tables Coty made, he donated one to a foster family in need of a bigger table. As his business has grown, Coty wants to move from making tables to creating livelihoods for teens aging out of the foster system by teaching them a trade.

“The more you do, the more you learn it.”

ARganic Woodworking became Coty’s full-time business this year, and several of his projects garnered local attention, specifically tables he made for a local coffee shop and creperie, Savor + Sip. His wife encouraged him to apply for the Small Business Revolution, a Hulu series sponsored by Deluxe with hosts Amanda Brinkman and Ty Pennington. Applying on the last day, with very little optimism that his company would be chosen, ARganic Woodworking was selected as one of six winners on the show.

Coty’s story and business are inspiring, humbling, and reminds us that no matter where you are in your making journey, in this community, you always have a seat at the table.

Thank you for listening to Week 2! If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating and review!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thebuildguildpodcast/

Buy a shirt! https://teespring.com/stores/thebuildguildpodcast

Social Media

Ben- https://www.instagram.com/myerswoodshop/

https://www.facebook.com/MyersWoodshop/

https://www.myerswoodshop.com

Coty- https://www.instagram.com/arganic_woodwork/

https://www.facebook.com/arganicwoodwork/

Brian- https://www.instagram.com/fierysquirrelart/

https://www.facebook.com/fierysquirrelart/)

Also, check out Coty’s Wish List items from the Small Business Revolution show, and any other tools we mentioned today!

The Saw Stop: Commercial 5HP Saw Stop

https://amzn.to/2Gy4Ob0

Powermatic Drum Sander:

https://amzn.to/2ICSMRr

Grizzly:

https://amzn.to/2IQRwcH

Grizzly 17 Band Saw

https://amzn.to/2GtuSUR

Bosch Miter Saw Glide and Rolling Stand

https://amzn.to/2GsMZua

https://amzn.to/2GtrtFD

KPEX from Festool

https://amzn.to/2GyF2nh

Dewalt Flex-Volt Miter Saw

https://amzn.to/2GzvnfZ

Shop-Vac

https://amzn.to/2ICbTLi

Festool CT-36 Auto-Clean

https://amzn.to/2VltvB0

Shapeoko CNC

http://bit.ly/shapeoko

Episode One: Meeting the Makers

From social media, the Small Business Revolution™, and side hustles, three makers from different backgrounds have all settled into a small central Arkansas town. Driven by their love for making, community, and connection, Ben, Brian, and Coty invite you to take an inside look into the making world: from stealing Wal-Mart Wi-Fi to for Instagram posts to selling pencil bowls to grandma.

Each of these makers bring a variety of skills into their niche of the market into the making community. The Build Guild is just evidence that everyone brings something to the table, and if you’re Coty, you just might bring the table itself.

Who are the Makers?

Brian Hickey is a native Arkansan who teaches art at a local elementary school. Making is his side hustle, and he devotes most of his summer breaks to it. Brian’s specialties are wood signs, art prints, and paintings. Brian currently has his shop set up in his garage and is breaking even in his business as he amasses tools and other necessities. Brian’s social media presence and content is a direct reflection of the intentionality he exemplifies in his career and craft, with him walking to Wal-Mart each day to make a post to Instagram.

Coty Skinner is a native Arkansan who, after serving in the United States military, decided to return home and put down roots. He was one of six contestants chosen for season four of Hulu and Deluxe’s Small Business Revolution and hopes to put the expert advice and consultations he received from the show into practice in his business. Coty is the only full-time maker on the podcast, and he is currently working out of his own garage. Being featured on the show will provide Coty with incredible opportunities for growth, enhancement, and business savvy tactics to turn profits.

Ben Myers decided to leave Pennsylvania to come to college and never looked back. Ben is a hybrid of classic woodworking in the modern era. From woodturning to turning profits on digital CNC files, Ben has cornered his market, and brings insight on the delights and downfalls of social media, viral videos, and how that translates into business.

The Build Guild was created to demonstrate how three normal, average, and everyday dads are cornering their market while balancing family, fatherhood, and making. The show addresses a variety of topics from where customers come from, when your side hustle finally starts to feel like a business, to the hardships of pricing, and everything in between.

If you’ve listened already, feel free to leave a review and comment!

Welcome to The Build Guild Podcast. A Professionally Unprofessional Podcast for Makers.

Support Our Podcast!

https://www.patreon.com/thebuildguildpodcast

https://www.thebuildguildpodcast.com

Buy a shirt! https://teespring.com/stores/thebuildguildpodcast

Make sure to follow us on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thebuildguildpodcast/

Social Media

Ben-(https://www.instagram.com/myerswoodshop/)( https://www.facebook.com/MyersWoodshop/)(

https://www.etsy.com/people/benmyerswoodshop)

Coty-(https://www.instagram.com/arganic_woodwork/)(https://www.facebook.com/arganicwoodwork/)

Brian-(https://www.instagram.com/fierysquirrelart/)( https://www.facebook.com/fierysquirrelart/)

We're a group of friends who make. We all dabble in a bit of woodworking in one way or another, but we also include painting, 3D printing, CNC woodwork, resin work, DIY, furniture, and just about anything else you can create with your hands.