In this episode, Paul explores how the rise of artificial intelligence could change not just how we work—but who we are. Drawing from a conversation with Simon Sinek, he discusses the skills AI can’t replicate—empathy, patience, imperfection—and why those traits are at the core of artisan work. In a world rushing toward automation, handmade may be the final frontier of authenticity.

Plus a question from Naomi in Portland! 

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If quoting your price makes your stomach twist or your voice drop, this episode is for you. We’re unpacking why so many makers struggle to talk about money—and how to shift that mindset. I’ll walk you through practical ways to confidently communicate your value, stop over-explaining, and price your work without hesitation.

I’m also answering a question from Marco in Boulder, Colorado,  and asks about something a lot of us face: how do you let go of control when bringing someone into the shop? I’ll share what helped me step back from the bench without sacrificing quality—or losing my mind.

Whether you’re quoting high-ticket pieces or learning to delegate for the first time, this one’s all about leveling up with confidence.

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"In this episode, Paul  shares his journey of transforming Philadelphia Table Company into a luxury brand, revealing how raising prices attracted better clients who truly value handcrafted quality. He explores the counterintuitive strategies of luxury marketing, emphasizing the importance of telling your brand's story rather than selling a product."

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In this episode of The Hand Crafted Podcast, I get honest about a recent challenge—selling a custom table design before we ever built a prototype. What followed was a whirlwind of production delays, frustrated clients, and some tough-but-necessary lessons in communication and leadership. I talk about what it’s like to "build the plane while flying it," how I navigated a tough conversation with the client, and why I don’t regret taking the risk. Plus, I answer a question from Sarah about when—and how—to raise your prices with confidence.

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Most makers think branding means a cool logo and a few Instagram posts. But your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. In this episode, we’ll unpack what branding really means for your woodworking business, how to build trust and recognition, and simple ways to show up consistently—even if you hate marketing.

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Most makers are stuck in reactive mode—answering emails, rushing to meet deadlines, and putting out fires. But if you never create space for future-focused work like marketing, pricing, and growth, your business stays stuck. In this episode, I’ll walk you through how to structure your day for clarity, momentum, and long-term success—even if you're the only one in the shop.

PLUS Paul answers a listener question from Matt. 

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In this episode of The Hand Crafted Podcast, Paul breaks down how to identify your ideal client—or "avatar"—so you can stop guessing and start connecting. He walks you through a simple, no-fluff process to define who you really want to work with, why that matters for your marketing and sales, and how knowing your avatar can completely transform how you talk about your work. Whether you’re just starting or trying to refine your brand, this 15-minute episode is a must-listen.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul dives into Jim Collins’ powerful Flywheel Effect from the book Good to Great—a concept that explains how sustained, consistent effort over time creates unstoppable momentum in business. Paul relates this idea to the world of custom furniture making and other maker-driven businesses, drawing from his own 10-year journey with Philadelphia Table Company.

He emphasizes how slow, deliberate progress—not overnight success—is what builds enduring companies. From delighting clients and earning referrals, to niching down and refining systems, Paul offers real-world strategies to help makers turn single projects into long-term growth. He also shares personal stories about how early cold outreach snowballed into large-scale hospitality collaborations through consistency and word-of-mouth.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale, this episode is a reminder that every small push counts—and that great businesses are built brick by brick, not by viral moments.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of Making Things, Paul breaks down the true meaning of strategy for makers and business owners. Using a sports analogy, he explains why obsessing over the "scoreboard" — like sales numbers or social media followers — won't lead to success. Instead, improving your game — your craft, systems, and mindset — is what drives results.

Paul outlines what strategy isn't (buying ads, trying to please everyone, doing a little bit of everything) and what it is(making clear decisions about who you are, what you do, who you serve, and what you won't do). Drawing inspiration from Seth Godin, he emphasizes focusing on a small, specific audience, embracing your uniqueness, and telling a consistent story about your business. He also shares why narrowing your focus, even when it feels scary, is the key to growth.

Paul leaves listeners with three crucial questions to define their strategy:

• Who is this for?
• What change do I want to make?
• What's the story I'm telling?

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul dives into one of the most overlooked yet essential parts of running a successful maker business: sales. He uses the metaphor of a train needing a push to leave the station—no matter how polished or beautiful it is, it won’t move without sales.

Paul challenges makers to treat sales like a daily discipline, just like honing their craft. He shares personal stories from his early days, including walking his South Philly neighborhood to find potential clients and how grassroots efforts helped him break through revenue plateaus. He also emphasizes building a network effect, showing up “open for business” in everyday conversations, and leveraging relationships in your community to drive growth.

He reminds listeners that it's not about being pushy—it's about building relationships, asking good questions, and listening. Sales isn't sleazy when you're offering something you truly believe in.

The biggest takeaway? Craft alone won’t get your business to the golden city—consistent, intentional sales will.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of Making Things, Paul dives deep into one of the hottest topics in the maker business world: advertising. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s time to start running ads—or if ads are even the right move for your business—this episode is for you.

Paul breaks down why most makers aren’t ready to run ads yet, and why that’s totally okay. He shares lessons from his own journey of growing Philadelphia Table Company to nearly $800K in revenue before ever running a serious ad campaign. Learn how mastering sales, branding, and lead generation without ads can build a stronger, more sustainable foundation for your business.

Then, for those who are ready, Paul opens up about how he’s currently running ads—including Meta vs. Google strategies, form funnels, pre-qualifying leads, and why imagery and brand positioning matter more than ever.

This is a real, honest look at ads for handcrafted businesses—no fluff, no gimmicks, just what actually works (and what doesn’t).

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In this episode, Paul dives into the real-world ways he's using AI—specifically ChatGPT—to streamline and grow his handcrafted furniture business. He shares how AI serves as a behind-the-scenes business partner, helping with everything from ad copy and lead tracking to sales systems and grant discovery. You'll hear how he prompts ChatGPT to act as a strategic collaborator, even asking it to assign tasks across his team.

Paul also breaks down tools like Presti.ai for product photography and Zapier for automating workflows—plus, he touches on the ethical boundaries he won’t cross, like generating fake AI images of products. Toward the end, he tackles the eco-impact of AI and how companies are shifting toward nuclear energy to power servers responsibly.

Whether you're new to AI or already using it, this episode is full of practical tips, creative ideas, and a thoughtful look at where human craftsmanship meets modern technology.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul breaks down what it truly means to deliver craft beyond just the final product. Using real examples from Philadelphia Table Company, he walks through their entire client experience—from initial inquiry to white glove delivery—and emphasizes how every touchpoint can and should reflect the same level of intentionality and excellence as the finished piece. Paul shares specific strategies for elevating communication, quoting, sample delivery, branding, customer handoffs, quality control, and post-sale follow-up.

This episode is a deep dive into how crafting an unforgettable client experience builds trust, increases perceived value, leads to referrals, and positions your business in the luxury space. Whether you're a solo maker or scaling with a team, this one is packed with actionable insights on how to raise your service to an 11 out of 10.

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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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In this episode, Paul shares the unfiltered origin story of Philadelphia Table Company—from building a first table for his apartment to running a nearly $2 million custom furniture business with a team of 10.

He details the real timeline: early days working out of his dad’s garage, learning by trial and error on Etsy, juggling a music career and substitute teaching, and slowly expanding from a $400/month rented garage to owning a 16,000-square-foot workshop.

Paul talks about critical turning points, like bringing on his first helper (his dad!), hiring employees, landing big jobs like the Lokal Hotel and custom pieces for Jason Kelce and other Eagles players, and opening a showroom in Old City Philadelphia.

He also discusses the hard lessons learned during rapid growth—like hitting cash flow crises, finally getting serious about bookkeeping, raising prices, and hiring mentors to scale sustainably.

Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of not being too precious about who builds the pieces, being willing to delegate, asking for help, and learning from mistakes.

This episode offers an honest, detailed blueprint for anyone trying to turn a creative side hustle into a real business.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul opens up about a real, unfiltered look at the cash flow challenges his custom furniture shop faced—and the major shift that helped turn things around. He talks about the classic trap of “money in, money out” cycles driven by deposit-based sales, and how it can mask serious inefficiencies as you grow your team.

Paul shares the critical advice he got from a fellow custom furniture maker that changed everything: measuring production goals on an accrual basis instead of relying on cash basis accounting. He breaks down how they set a clear, per-employee production target ($150k–$200k/year), switched to tracking shipped, invoiced work instead of deposits, and began sharing these metrics transparently with the entire team in weekly meetings.

You’ll hear how these changes not only stabilized cash flow (finally letting them pay vendors early and reinvest in tools and pay raises), but also created a shared rallying cry in the shop for efficiency and quality. Paul also talks about the hard decision to reduce staff when it turned out the team was operating bloated, and how the focus on transparency and collective goals built morale rather than harming it.

If you're a maker with a growing team or just looking to finally get on top of the cash flow rollercoaster, this episode is packed with raw, real, and immediately usable insight.

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul shares the foundational principles of luxury strategy that helped him grow Philadelphia Table Company into a high-end custom furniture brand. Fresh off a talk at the WoodPro Expo, he unpacks why sales actually hurt your business, how storytelling builds brand value, and why friction and long lead times can work for you—not against you.

You’ll learn:

• Why you are not your customer (and what to do about that)
• How to develop a pricing formula that protects your margins and confidence
• What luxury brands like Porsche and Dom Pérignon can teach makers about selling
• How to use photography, branding, and lead times to position your work as aspirational
• And why the worst clients often come from the lowest-priced jobs

This episode is a must-listen for any maker tired of undercharging and ready to step into the world of high-value, high-integrity business. Paul closes with an invitation to join the Handcrafted Network, a space for woodworkers and makers committed to growth, support, and premium pricing.

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In this Office Hours edition, Paul answers four thoughtful listener questions covering key transitions in growing a handcrafted business. He dives into why he chose to scale beyond Etsy and the personal turning point that pushed him to hire and systematize. He shares his mindset around luxury pricing—why negotiating can erode brand value and how to communicate your worth clearly to clients. Paul also offers practical advice on carving out time to build systems while still buried in day-to-day production, including how he slowly stepped out of the shop by empowering his team and setting up Trello, SOPs, and home office days.

Whether you're a solo operator trying to grow sustainably or someone refining your client process, there’s plenty of real-world insight here to help you think bigger while staying grounded.

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