The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things

Latest Episodes:

Office Hours: CNC in the Shop, Working with Designers, and Building a Collection Aug 25, 2025

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In this quick Office Hours episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul tackles three listener questions before heading out on vacation. He shares his perspective on integrating CNC machines without compromising craftsmanship, explains how to structure pricing and communication when working with interior designers, and discusses the benefits of developing a small collection alongside custom work. Packed with practical tips and real-world examples, this episode is all about finding the right balance between efficiency, creative integrity, and business growth.

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From Hello to Handshake: My Sales Process for Makers Aug 18, 2025

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In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul shares the exact sales process he uses at Philadelphia Table Company to consistently close custom furniture projects. From building trust fast through in-person meetings, Zoom calls, and Loom videos, to listening for personal details that create genuine connections, Paul breaks down how to move a lead from initial inquiry to final sale without high-pressure tactics. You’ll learn how he talks pricing, presents value, follows up effectively, and matches communication styles to each client — plus how he’s documenting it all to train a future salesperson.

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The Four Pillars of Enlightened Manufacturing: Building a Business with Purpose Aug 11, 2025

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Summary:
In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul shares the ethos behind Philadelphia Table Company and the guiding framework he calls Enlightened Manufacturing—a values-based approach to running a profitable, ethical, and intentional business. After surpassing his original $1M revenue goal and experiencing a period of uncertainty, Paul worked with a coach to define a clearer vision and purpose for the company.

That vision is built on four interconnected pillars:

Profit – Essential for sustaining the business, supporting employees, and funding ethical practices.
People – Prioritizing work-life balance, listening to employees, and creating a collaborative environment.
Product – Crafting high-quality, intentional pieces, even if it means avoiding cheaper, faster manufacturing methods.
Planet – Reducing environmental impact, using sustainable finishes, and supporting causes like 1% for the Planet.

Paul explains how these pillars guide every decision, from choosing eco-friendly finishes like Odie’s Oil over toxic conversion varnishes, to resisting assembly-line production in favor of bespoke craftsmanship. He encourages makers to define their own non-negotiables and vision statements so their business growth stays aligned with their core values.

The episode closes with an invitation for listeners to join Paul’s community calls, access vision-creation tools, and send in questions for future episodes.

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Office Hours: Scaling Beyond Etsy, Holding the Line on Price, and Making Time for Systems Aug 04, 2025

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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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How I Actually Use AI in My Handmade Business (And What I Avoid) Jul 28, 2025

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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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Craft at Every Touchpoint: Building a Luxury Experience from Quote to Delivery Jul 21, 2025

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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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Office Hours: Burnout, Pricing, Sales, and Quality Control Jul 14, 2025

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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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From Side Hustle to 7 Figures: The Philadelphia Table Company Origin Story Jul 07, 2025

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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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From Cash Chaos to Profit Clarity: My Shop’s Cash Flow Turnaround Jun 30, 2025

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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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Think Like a Luxury Brand: How to Attract High-End Clients Jun 23, 2025

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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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