The Storyteller's Tavern

Leigh and Mush sit down to talk about the excitement involved in this year's Maker Camp! See you soon, East Durham!

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank The Maker Camp, 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. Thanks also to Afton Tavern for hosting our preview episode!

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 from WorkbenchCon 2025. Beyond the tools, techniques, and business side of things, WORKBENCHCon is and has always been about friendship, support, and the community that makes it all possible. So what better way to wrap it up than with three makers who represent the soul of this event:

Jessie (@building_jessie), who began woodworking in 2018 by building things for her farm and home and has found a home in the maker community

Becca (@SouthernPineDesignCo and @aCarpentersCross), who's a woodworker and a mom with an obsession for creating with tools and sharing each one as she learns to use it.

Kimani ( from @Vanstraydesigns @Vanstraytech for all the IT people out there), a girl dad to a peaceful 6 and a fiery 3 year old… and if his wife is listening he definitely didn’t forget about that thing she wanted him to make.

Leigh sits down with Jessie, Becca, and Kimani to wrap up and send off the conference this year, talking about how meeting like-minded people on the internet turned into lifelong connections and a second family; why sitting front row in your friends’ classes is just as important as teaching one yourself; and what keeps them coming back - the small moments that remind us why this maker world is so special.

Connect with our Storytellers

• Jessie's Instagram and Website
• Becca's Instagram, A Carpenter’s Cross Instagram, and website
• Kimani's Instagram (and Tech 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.

Leah Houghtaling and Amelia Mighty are two incredible makers whose work is rooted in bringing happiness to others through woodworking, finishing, and content creation. As self-described multitools, they've been a dynamic duo for almost 30 years, working for themselves for over 20 years. Their chemistry as partners—both in life and in the shop—is undeniable, and their passion for what they do is infectious.

Leah has been a woodworker for over 25 years, crafting everything from furniture to small wares with a “leave no scrap behind” mentality. Amelia, her self-proclaimed “sidekick,” focuses on wood finishing—bringing out the beauty in every piece that crosses her path. Together, they create, laugh, and inspire.

But their story is so much more than making. It’s about choosing joy, sharing creativity, and, in Amelia’s words, recognizing that “joy is an act of rebellion.”

Leigh, Leah and Amelia sat down towards the end of Workbench Con to talk about the Power of Influence; how they use their platform to bring joy to others, including personal outreach to people who need a little light in their lives; and Dreaming Bigger – specifically, a potential road trip project where they take their creativity on the road to meet and connect with makers across the country.

More Leah & Amelia

• Leah on Instagram
• Amelia on Instagram
• leahhoughtaling.com

We had some tremendously generous support in making this Chapter of The Storyteller's Tavern possible, and we'd like to thank WorkbenchConference, 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.

Morgan and Stone from Onefinity CNC have become the faces of Onefinity in the maker community, and get a chance to share what goes on behind the scenes of a CNC company that started from the ground up with makers in mind

Morgan and Stone don't just show up at Workbench Conference to sell machines: they’re deeply invested in helping people learn, explore, and push the limits of digital fabrication. From custom projects to supporting CNCs in education, their mission is simple: empower more people to make amazing things.

The four of us talk about The Onefinity Origin Story: how a small group of CNC enthusiasts turned an idea into a thriving business; how Onefinity is helping schools integrate CNCs into education and inspire the next generation of makers; the balance of classic and modern, why traditional woodworking and digital tools don’t have to be at odds; and what a typical day looks like when you’re running a CNC company with a small, tight-knit team.

More Morgan

• Instagram
• Is actually Stone's stepdad

More Stone

• Instagram

Onefinity

• 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.

As podcast hosts, we've come to love the feeling of being completely blown away by unexpected stories, and this one is definitely up there: it's a story of innovation, persistence, and entrepreneurship, about a banker who's invented an industry-disrupting tool for a field in which she had virtually no experience. Friend of the pod Leah introduced us to Channon, the creator of the Morgan Square, who shared with us how she went from banking to inventing a tool that’s now taking the woodworking and construction industries by storm.

If you've ever wondered how a conversation with a friend can spark a life-changing invention, this episode is for you. From patent searches to trade shows, from skepticism to success—Channon’s journey is an inspiring lesson in believing in your ideas and taking action.

Mush, Leigh, and Channon talk about how a conversation about a late friend’s struggles led Channon to create something meaningful, the Challenges of Being an Unexpected Innovator, and what it's been like navigating an industry that didn’t expect a Black woman from banking to invent one of its most innovative new tools.

More Channon & The Morgan Square

• The Morgan Square Website
• 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.

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.