Why My Maker Business Doesn’t Have an Online Store
The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making thingsShow Notes
Join the Network In this episode, Paul breaks down why Philadelphia Table Company—and most custom woodworking businesses—should not operate like an e-commerce brand. After years of experimenting with online “click-to-buy” checkout, he realized that almost no one purchases custom or high-end handmade furniture without a conversation, a connection, or a tailored experience. Paul explains how shifting away from e-commerce and toward an inquiry-based, experience-driven model built him a stronger ...
More from The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things
Summary: In this special episode of The Handcrafted Network, Paul steps out from behind the microphone and joins Fyfe Barraclough on The Flywheel Lab for a candid conversation about business, leadership, and navigating uncertainty. Paul shares the story behind Philadelphia Table Company—from touring with a band signed to RCA Records and building furniture between shows to leading a team of 12 makers. He opens up about the difficult season he’s currently navigating, the Stockdale Paradox, and ...
AI doesn’t have to replace craftsmanship—it can support the business behind it. In this episode, Paul shares how he uses tools like ChatGPT and Claude to save time, stay organized, and make better-informed decisions at Philadelphia Table Company. From forecasting cash flow and analyzing sales to editing product photos, searching client emails, improving the website, and organizing company information, Paul breaks down practical ways makers can use AI without handing over their creativity or j...
Join the network. After reflecting on the Texas Woodworking Festival and the supportive community within the Handcrafted Network, Paul shares a lesson for navigating difficult seasons in business and life. The Stockdale Paradox teaches us to confront the harsh reality of our circumstances while maintaining unwavering faith that we will ultimately prevail. Using the metaphor of captaining a ship through turbulent seas, Paul explains that we cannot control the storm—but we can prepare, ch...
Summary In this episode of The Handcrafted Podcast, Paul shares four business beliefs that recently sparked conversation on social media—and explains why he stands behind each one. He also opens with a personal reflection on getting through difficult periods by focusing on one problem, one hour, and one day at a time rather than trying to solve everything at once. The four “hills” are: Capture your work properly. If you spend hundreds of hours creating a piece, don’t spend ten minutes d...
Unfortunately, one of my dogs was hit and killed by a car unexpectedly. As you can imagine it's hard to muster the strength and poise needed to record a new podcast episode. Here is one of my favs that seems to have been overlooked. In this RERUN episode, Paul explores how makers and creative business owners can transform their client experience by going above and beyond what’s expected — a concept inspired by Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality. Drawing lessons from world-clas...