Toronto, Ontario Sep 23, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - If you love woodworking, then Jacob Baranski has a podcast for you. And if you love small business, craftsmanship, and thoughtful entrepreneurship, Jacob Baranski has the same podcast for you. The Woodpreneur Podcast is a long-running show about every aspect of wood and woodworking as entrepreneurship, covering everything from the craftsmanship of the hobby itself to the down and dirty details of running a wood-focused business.
Every episode, host Steve Larosiliere leads his guest through topics related to the wood and woodworking industry, elucidating their experience and knowledge and how it can help other small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs with their businesses, wood-related or not. Jacob Baranski finds there are lessons to be learned in almost every episode of the podcast, whether something very specific about sourcing or tools, more general ideas about entrepreneurship and running a business, or even about what's important about work itself.
Learning and Entertainment, About Wood
Jacob Baranski is well aware that just suggesting a wood and woodworking business-focused podcast may have turned off a certain number of readers. But he encourages everyone to give it a try. The specificity of the show could be highly beneficial to any listener because it is in the details of the lives of the entrepreneurs interviewed on the show that universal lessons and inspiration ideas can be found.
Because Woodpreneur is so interesting and so specific, it can lead to some unique discussions and situations in almost every episode. On a basic level, the Woodpreneur Podcast's guests are rugged, outdoorsy men and women who work with their hands using huge, dangerous tools. There's a lot of flannel. And they will often enthusiastically discuss how social networks like Etsy and Instagram can be effectively leveraged to grow sales and marketing. The finer points of photo filters and hashtags are a common topic, along with advice on how to use social media to build and manage their brand in the woodworking marketplace.
More than that, it shows how much easier it is for a small business, even a one-man business, to utilize free digital tools to garner attention to their talents and creations. Many guests have seen some of their creations 'go viral', and they discuss the ways that social media provided them with new growth opportunities and new complications to how they run their business.
The Wisdom of Experience
Many of the Woodpreneur's lessons work for any business. A recent episode, for example, featured Viktor, “The Stump Guy”, as Steve's guest. Viktor's 'niche' in woodworking is turning tree stumps, leftovers that are often just abandoned, into flats, slabs, tables, and many other things. The conversation was wide-ranging and more than worthwhile. Jacob Baranski found one of the most fascinating aspects of the episode to be when Viktor discussed how he became “The Stump Guy”, and pointed out how it is often necessary for small businesses to make themselves unique in some way, and find their own places in their sectors. For Viktor, that was working on stumps. But that same lesson holds true for any company trying to garner the public's attention in often-crowded markets.
The same episode saw Viktor observing that, because he makes unique, handmade items for his customers, it is incredibly important that they not feel 'manufactured'. He tries to add specific details to each piece he creates that will differentiate them from each other, adding an intangible (yet very real) value to every customer's purchase. While such an idea may not work for every business, it motivates Jacob Baranski to apply the same lesson to his other entrepreneurial efforts, so that he can make each customer feel truly valued.
Focusing on the Future, and Solving Business Problems
Even better, Steve and many of his guests are also strongly focused on the sustainability side of woodpreneurship and the woodworking industry. Many guests discuss detailed information about how they keep their business sustainable and environmentally conscious about resources while still focused on growth. Matt Morgan of M2 Lumber, for example, is focused on salvaging trees that come down from storm damage and development. M2 Lumber uses a solar kiln to dry out their lumber, saving time and resources in the process of developing their wood.
Such topics are of increasing importance in industries that draw resources from the natural world. More and more, customers are making their purchasing decisions based on the environmental policies and practices of businesses. Anything that can provide value to customers is good for business, and if it also protects and sustains the environment, then all the better.
To Jacob Baranski, something even more valuable to be found in the Woodpreneur Podcast is the final topic of discussion in every episode. Host Steve will ask the guest to present a business problem for them to discuss together. It can be a problem the guest has dealt with in the past, is dealing with now, or something they wish to address out of simple curiosity. Jacob finds the back and forth between Steve and the guest to be incredibly fascinating, as the solutions range from practical marketing advice all the way to pie-in-the-sky ideas about the future of the guest's business.
Conclusion
As should be obvious by now, Jacob Baranski recommends the Woodpeneur Podcast because it is a great podcast for those interested in woodworking, of course, but also for anyone interested in craftsmanship, small business, part-time business, and the pleasure of making money doing something you love. (And Steve has expanded the podcast into a blog and brand with Woodpreneur Life, to help entrepreneurs in the wood industry grow through more than just the podcast.)
Considering how many people that recommendation covers, it follows that the Woodpreneur Podcast is a show that anyone can enjoy. And if listeners find themselves taking up the craft of woodworking, an interesting and rewarding hobby that could become something even more, then all the better.
Jacob Baranski has 20 years of experience in the wood and construction industries. He is passionate about real estate and the application of modern design. His other interests include traveling, mountain biking, meditating, and practicing yoga.
Media Contact
Jacob Baranski *****@gmail.com https://muckrack.com/jacob-baranski-1
