Mike Rapp is a self taught woodworker who has gathered quite a good following on Instagram and YouTube in a short time. He has also launched some really cool unique perspectives on woodworking (anyone everyone his raps or "shop news Tuesday?!") as well as created an awesome competition called "Woodshop Wars". He is a fun guy who is still smack dab in the middle of figuring out which direction he is going which is PRECISELY why I think many of you are going to like this conversation.  Mike isn't going to pass down age-old wisdom, but he is going to give you an honest testimony of a fellow side-hustler, trying to figure it out.  If you are trying to figure out your future and direction, you are going to enjoy Mike's honest approach, which is hard to find these days. 

John Malecki is a self taught furniture maker and entrepreneur who has made the leap from the NFL to full time self employment in the Maker Space.  We have an awesome conversation talking about his transition from the NFL to being a furniture designer and content provider in the wood and metal working trade.  One of my favorite parts of our conversation is talking about the ups and downs of having your own business as well as how to provide not only great products as a maker but great content as well. Buckle up, because John is a straight forward talker who has a lot of great things to say in an honest way.  I think you are gonna love this episode and get a lot out of it!

When Odin had a child in the hospital (don't worry, it ended up all good), he took a few minutes to breath and drove around town.  During that drive he stopped into a leather store called Tandy Leather.  Odin Leather Goods was born that day. Literally.  No lie. You'll hear more about this in this episode.

I have been watching Odin with his side business for many years now and I am exited to have him on the show today.  He is a family man, has a full time marketing job in Dallas, Texas and runs Odin Leather Goods out of his garage on the side.  He is a true example for so many out there trying to add a side business or side hustle to their life.

We have a great conversation because not only is Odin super personal and fun but he also has a wealth of experience of a normal guy doing something awesome.  His leather work is high quality and his brand has become very strong.  He has sold goods all over the world but, maintains a desire to keep this as a side project, which I think you will really like learning about.

We had a great time talking about his story, his products, his methodology, as well as how he prioritizes big areas of life.

Topics include:

• How Odin started Odin Leather Goods
• Juggling Family, Full Time Work and Side Business
• How Odin is a "Stubborn Hack" and how that is so cool to me!
• Products he makes.
• His most challenging product to make.
• The evolution of Odin's brand and logo
• How Odin keeps track of ideas and notes
• How we both went to college at Texas A&M University. Go figure?!
• The importance of branding
• How to flush out ideas and gain clarity on them

My guest today is my friend Brian Preston, who describes himself as a social entrepreneur who leverages free enterprise in order to help others.  He does this specifically through his companies Lamon Luther and Shelter Supply Company.

Brian started Lamon Luther (which is a furniture company) in January of 2012 in his garage while admitting that he "knew nothing about furniture".  He started with one homeless craftsman making benches out of pallets and selling them on craigslist.  Lamon Luther has turned into an incredible brand, employs 20 craftsman, and has given away 2 tiny homes.  Their latest project is building the tables for the new Atlanta Falcons (Mercedes Benz) Stadium! 

You are gonna dig this convo!  Brian is a passionate story teller, and you are gonna love hearing the behind the scenes look into his life and work.  

My guest today is my friend Bill Mitchell, also known by nickname "Billiam".  Bill owns and runs Billiam Jeans, which is a denim and apparel company that sells all over the world.  Bill started tailoring jeans in a basement in 2009 and by the end of that year had a waiting list of over 400 orders!  

I really think you are going to love the conversation we have.  Bill has a contagious and magnetic personality, he's creative and loves to try new things. This all makes for an awesome show today where we explore lots of different things.

Topics include:

• How Billiam Jeans got started
• Philosophy of doing business
• Patience
• Adding more consciousness to your week
• Book list
• Denim company list
• Connecting with customers and followers as well as
• And... we unpack his gear bag!

I met Brad Rodriguez a few years ago as I was starting Field Treasure Designs.  Since then we have stayed in touch and I have been able to watch him carve out a huge slice of the DIY Woodworking world. He has grown his Instagram to over 140k followers in just 3 years, has tons of great blog content and is already set to dominate a youtube channel. Join our conversation as we talk about how he started, the process of picking a name, tips and tricks, as well as what his favorite creation to date is. 

Welcome to the Field Treasure Podcast! This is the first podcast in the series, and serves as an introduction to what this is all about as well as to introduce myself, Andrew Bacon.