While the official kickoff of Workbench Conference happens Thursday Night, the first big all-community learning experience happens during the Friday morning Keynote, where this year Ryan Drapela, the mastermind behind Cutting It Close, spoke. Ryan who has built a thriving woodworking business from the ground up—literally. His journey started as a teenager in his parents’ barn, working with a $75 miter saw and scraps of free wood. Now, he’s running a high-tech, CNC-driven woodworking operation, helping more people bring their creative ideas to life.

Ryan is a maker, entrepreneur, and relentless problem solver, known for his no-nonsense approach to business, his love for the craft, and his drive to keep learning and growing. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to bootstrap a business, take smart risks, and push yourself to new heights, this episode is for you.

We talk about Ryan’s journey from a $75 miter saw to a shop with over $840,000 in equipment; convincing his girlfriend’s parents to co-sign on his first CNC purchase—and making it pay off; the “Figure It Out” mentality and why Ryan believes failure only happens when you quit; and what it looks like to pass it on: teaching his son to be creative, why imagination is the most valuable skill, and how to ensure the next generation keeps building.

More Ryan & Cutting It Close

• Website
• CIC Academy on Skool

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Workbench Conference, Total Boat, and Kutzall for all that you do to support and uplift the Maker Community, as well as for helping make this chapter happen.

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

Colton Hagler's (@coltcrit) path has taken him through unexpected viral success, hard-earned business lessons, and now, a furniture repair career with his sights set on ownership. He's also a host of the woodworking and goodtimes podcast Beat Around the Bench.

Brendan Pozsgai (@varnishandgarnish) blends woodworking with barware, creating custom charcuterie boards, bottle openers, and other home goods with a nod to craftsmanship and hospitality. He’s also balancing real estate, marathons, and a corporate IT career, proving that the maker hustle can take many forms.

We talk about accidentally selling $60K of product overnight; what happens when demand outpaces production and the reality of running a small business sets in; Building a Side Hustle with Purpose; and How WorkbenchCon, Maker Camp, and finding the right mentors have shaped their careers.

More Colt

• Instagram
• Beat Around the Bench Podcast

More Brendan

• Instagram
• Website

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Workbench Conference, Total Boat, and Kutzall for all that you do to support and uplift the Maker Community, as well as for helping make this chapter happen.

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

One of the best parts of getting to meet new folks in the Maker Community is hearing stories of makers who’ve taken the leap into full-time creativity. This time, we’re sitting down with Yesi, a woodworker and DIY enthusiast, introduced to us by our good friend and friend of the pod Jpaul.

Yesi’s story is one of transformation—what started as home projects turned into a career shift from the legal field to full-time woodworking. From learning the trade out of necessity to turning it into a thriving business, Yesi embodies the heart of the maker movement. And, of course, we’ve got JPaul along for the ride, making sure we don’t miss a great story.

The three of us talk about how Yesi transitioned from a 20-year legal career to woodworking full-time, the Power of Learning by Doing, the story of Yesi’s dad’s hammer and how family legacy shaped her path; and how now Yesi’s daughter is getting involved in the shop (for the right price!).

More Yesi

• Instagram
• TikTok

More JPaul

• Instagram

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Workbench Conference, Total Boat, and Kutzall for all that you do to support and uplift the Maker Community, as well as for helping make this chapter happen.

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

Mush and Leigh sit down to recap Maker Camp 2024, and to get excited about what's next (spoiler alert: it's Workbench Conference!!).

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

This is it—the final episode of Maker Camp 2024. The bonfires are burning low, the Maker Swap is done, and we’re winding down one of the best weekends of the year with a conversation that I think covers what this community is all about: mentorship, legacy, and the joy of passing skills forward.

Joining us are Erik Curtis and Nancy Drumm—two makers who embody what it means to give back through craftsmanship and community.

Erik is a woodworker, furniture maker, and a lifelong builder who started in the trades, framing houses and wiring buildings before falling in love with furniture design. He’s spent years refining his craft, but he’s also just as passionate about helping others find their way into making, whether it's through the Restoration Station at Maker Camp or simply sharing wisdom with the next generation.

Nancy grew up on a farm, where fixing things was just part of life. What started with duct tape and necessity has turned into a full-fledged passion for woodworking, tool restoration, and mentorship. At Maker Camp, she’s become an integral part of the Restoration Station, where makers of all ages—from kids to folks in their 80s—learn how to bring old tools back to life and then walk away with the confidence to use them.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The origins of the Restoration Station—how a tribute to Nancy Hiller became one of the most beloved parts of Maker Camp
• Why restoring an old hand plane can teach you more than just woodworking
• The joy of teaching and how mentorship shapes the maker community
• Why cider donuts are a legitimate foundation for friendship

More Eric: Instagram

More Nancy: Instagram

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

It’s Sunday at Maker Camp, and before the weekend ends, we're getting to hang out with Sam (DIY Huntress) and Danie (DIY Danie)—two incredible makers who prove that DIY is about way more than just building things. It’s about confidence, creativity, and fully embracing your weird.

Sam, aka DIY Huntress, is a powerhouse in the world of woodworking, home renovation, and making things ridiculously fun and accessible. She’s spent the past few years renovating her home, building custom furniture, and now, she’s diving into a new adventure—converting a Ford Transit into a full-blown camper van (which, yes, she’s bringing to Maker Camp next year). She started DIY Huntress while balancing a PhD in Psychology (nbd), and now she’s making woodworking approachable and empowering, especially for women who might feel intimidated picking up power tools.

Danie, aka DIY Danie, is a self-proclaimed curious creative and DIY oddball who thrives on experimentation and storytelling through making. From building out a three-tiered dream studio to tackling full-blown home renovations, she’s all about helping people build confidence through creativity—whether that’s in their homes, their projects, or just how they carry themselves. Oh, and she’s currently crafting cosplay weapons for her D&D character, because why not? Her philosophy? “Love your magic.” Your magic is your creativity—so own it, embrace it, and don’t be afraid to be a little weird.

In this episode, we get into how Sam’s PhD in Psychology unexpectedly shaped her approach to making; Danie’s journey from Lord of the Rings superfan to full-time creator; the Craigslist ad that kickstarted Sam’s woodworking career; why showing mistakes on social media matters more than getting things perfect; and how finding your people in the maker community changes everything.

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

It's the end of night two of Maker Camp, and over at the Total Boat tent, the glow sticks are flying and the cyberpunk glasses are glowing. In the Martini Bar (commandeered this weekend as the Storyteller's Tavern), we’re sitting down with Justin “Call Me Mabie” Mabie and Larissa Huff, two makers whose paths took unexpected turns into woodworking, filmmaking, and teaching.

Justin is a documentary filmmaker who specializes in short-form films about makers—woodworkers, metalworkers, and anyone who crafts with their hands. You may have seen his work on YouTube, Roku, or even Amazon, but tonight, we get to dig into the stories behind his storytelling.

Larissa, on the other hand, started as a math teacher but took a leap into woodworking after answering a Craigslist ad for an apprenticeship. That decision led to 13 years of furniture-making, a thriving career, and a passion for teaching hands-on skills in craft schools across the country.

In this episode, we talk about why applied math is the secret ingredient behind great woodworking, the growing presence of women in woodworking and why representation matters, and the unexpected magic of bar crawls leading to lifelong collaborations.

More Justin

• YouTube
• Instagram

More Larissa

• Instagram
• Website

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thankTotal Boat,Kutzall,The Tasting Lab, andThe Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support onPatreon.

Day one of Maker Camp 2024 is winding down, and what a day it’s been—rocket launches, axe crafting, welding, forging—everything that makes Maker Camp, well, Maker Camp. The sun was shining, things were made, and now, we get to wind down with some incredible conversations.

In this episode, we’re joined by two truly inspiring guests: Tamara Robertson and Kelly Combs. You might know Tamara from MythBusters, but here at Maker Camp, she’s leading the charge with Makers for Jessi, carrying on the mission of Jessi Combs—a force of nature who believed fiercely in breaking barriers and getting more women into the trades. And alongside her, we have Kelly Combs—Jessi’s brother—who’s here for his first Maker Camp, seeing firsthand the incredible community his sister helped shape.

Over the past five years, the Jessi Combs Foundation has awarded nearly a quarter-million dollars in scholarships to help young women enter the trades. But more than that, it’s been building a movement, a legacy, and a support system that lifts everyone up.

This conversation is packed with stories—about Jessi, about the impact she had, and about the future we’re all trying to build. Please enjoy it’s a special one.

More from this episode

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

Alright so this is a bit of a different episode. A little bit of background: if you're even tangentially involved in the Maker World, you've seen someone with a stunning black and white photograph that somehow perfectly captures their whole essence. The brilliance behind all of these photos is the one and only Mark Adams, who we were so fortunate to talk with last year - ⁠you can listen to it here⁠. Earlier this year, Mark - with invaluable help from Jason Russell Nix - published a book almost 400 portraits taken over the course of five years of Maker Camp - essentially a love letter, yearbook, and time capsule all rolled into one. If you've not yet gotten a chance to check it out, you can get a copy here (or even better, snag one from Mark directly).

Early Saturday morning, Mark, Leigh and I sat down to talk about the book. We take time to read through the introduction that Mark wrote, before talking more about its inception, creation, and some of the specific portraits within. If you do have a copy, be sure to grab it now so that you can follow along with us.

Five Years - Maker Camp Portraits on Amazon

@markadams on Instagram

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.

Long time listeners of the show, or at least anyone who listened to the Maker Camp '23 Chapter, will recognize Emmett Newsome and Ethan Carter from a bit of an off-the-rails episode hosted by Leigh and beloved friend of the pod Leah Hartmann. Without giving away too much of what's about to transpire, this follow-up episode was kind of inevitable. You don't have to, but you may want to revisit that whole episode before tucking into this one - Check out Chapter 4:5 with Emmett and Ethan here.

There's not a ton more to set this one up - just make sure your bespoke leather accessories are fully buckled, and as a heads up - there are some swears, perhaps even from a surprising source - in this episode. Oh, and some moists. Sorry everyone, they're back!

Emmet: @deadrisewoodcrafts

Ethan: @ethancarterdesigns

Leah: @leah.learning

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank Total Boat, Kutzall, The Tasting Lab, and The Maker Camp.

The Storyteller's Tavern is made and hosted by @TheTinkerTeacher and @MakerMush. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating. We welcome your support on Patreon.