Guest Interview on Modern Woodworkers Association

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I had the honor of being the interview guest on the latest episode of the Modern Woodworkers Association. 

I have enjoyed listening to Dyami Plotke, Tom Iovino, and Chris Adkins back when he was also a host. 

In this episode, #84, Tom officially announces his departure from the show to spend more time with the family. Tom, we will miss you! Sean Wisniewski is filling the open host slot. Sean, you got some big shoes to fill, but just be yourself and you will do just fine;) 

As the interviewed guest I talk about leaving the contractor realm and stepping into the role of becoming a digital woodworking instructor. I also share publicly, for the first time, what the first project will be for my launch of the American Craftsman Shop Class. 

That is all I have for now. Be sure to head over to MWA and listen to the podcast to get the details on my new move to online teaching.

While you are there be sure to send Tom off some kind words and welcome Sean on board as host. 

That is all for now, I have to get back out to the shop and finish up this clock cabinet project. It has become increasingly difficult to focus as I am ready to move my business online.

The image at the bottom of this entry shows the gravity clock in the prototype case made of poplar. I am actually making 3 cabinets right now in cherry. 

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

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Online Shop Class Update 17 Dec 2015

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I am working on completing a client project and this will finish out the month of December. I fully expect to be focused solely on the American Craftsman Shop Class starting in January 2016. 

My next step in setting things up is to get an email sign-up ready. The burden of my client work has not allowed me to finish setting up the email sign-up, or much else for the online school, but keep an eye for the announcement here at my blog. 

This really is the perfect example of why I am quitting as a contractor, there is no time left over to share the knowledge and skills as I would like. My business as a remodeling contractor just consumes too much time to allow for any other pursuits.

I had a nice visit with the guys from the Modern Woodworkers Association and we recorded a podcast. It should be released in the next few days, I think this weekend maybe? Be sure to check for it at the MWA site, we talk about the changes I made and why. 

It is interesting to note that Tom Iovino, from Tom's Workbench, has decided to take leave from the woodworking blogs and the Modern Woodworkers Association podcast due to time constraints. Tom has been a great asset to the woodworking community with his infectious energy and love for the craft and I have enjoyed his posts. 

He is facing the same problem that I am and that so many other content producers have; there is a limited number of hours in the day. Those hours are split between either a job or a business, family, sleep and whatever else has to be done. 

For most, as with Tom, content production is the lowest priority so that is what gets chopped in the time budget. And I fully understand that decision, and really it is the right one. 

For me, as I take inventory of my skills and assets, I feel that I am in a unique position where I can make a living by producing content. To do that, I am leaving the contractor world behind. 

I have to get back out to the shop, I really need to get this client project done. I have already mentally disengaged from the project and I am having trouble staying focused. At this point, the project is nothing more than an obstacle in my way to achieving my goal of creating the ACW Shop Class. 

Wish me luck and visit Tom's Workbench to leave a supportive message for all that he has done. 

Your friend in the shop, 

Todd A. Clippinger

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Update For The American Craftsman Shop Class

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I Really Quit!

Since I made my announcement to quit working as a contractor, I have been working my butt off to finish up the projects that I have obligations to. 

I really did quit taking new jobs as a contractor, and I dropped other projects that I had been looking at, but had no legal obligation to. 

The other day I finished installing a 17’ banquette for a new restaurant in town. It was the second one I have done for them, and the project had been in the pipeline for a couple of months. I am just glad it is out of the shop, done, and the restaurant owners are very happy. 

Right now, I am finishing up a couple of small jobs and hope to get them off the books in the next 2 weeks.  

Holding My Feet To The Fire

I know the woodworking community will be expecting content since I made my announcement,  but the best thing I can do is focus on getting the contractor projects done and out of the way. This will keep me from splitting my time between acting as a contractor and content producer.

Why make an announcement if I was not ready to launch? I have been wanting to do this pretty seriously for the last 2 years. The infrastructure is completely in place. Cameras, lights, computer, and materials, but no time. 

My business, as a contractor, consumes all of my time. My plan to start offering content and product to the woodworking community was not working out at all. Hitting my 50th birthday simply was a point I decided to do something radical and quit my business to start producing content. 

Making a public announcement means that the woodworking community knows about it, and they will hold my feet to the fire to make sure I move forward with production. 

Behind the Scenes

There is also a lot of work to do behind the scenes. I can’t afford to pay someone to set things up for me, so I am learning how to do it myself. In the end, I need to learn the platform, so it is good I am climbing that hill now.  

Besides setting up the school platform, it seems there are so many other accounts and things to set up, such as Mail Chimp to handle email subscribers. I am also working on my regular site to update it as well.

The goal is just to get things up and running, and then I can fine tune and polish it after things get going.

The Technical Info

Because people are starting to ask about what platform I am using here’s the info (and I am not paid or sponsored in any way):

SquareSpace is my website platform. It is an all inclusive platform that I really love using. I get great support from them and it is all online, it is not a Mac or Windows thing. It just works. 

I have only scratched the surface for how nice of a website that can be set up with it. I look forward to working on my site more now that it is my home base above anything else. 

Check out SquareSpace.com

I am using Teachable as the platform for hosting my classes. I looked at Teachable and Kajabi, but Kajabi is in limited beta release until 2016 but I need to get things moving now. Since I am not using Wordpress, I am not using the plug-ins typical for that platform. 

So far, I am just setting up the Teachable platform. They have responded to the questions I had and I would say that I have no complaints at this stage of development. 

Check out Teachable.com

Check out Kajabi.com

One thing about setting up anything like this on the internet, they say it just takes a few minutes. But it never fails that hours and hours melt away before you know it. So I have spent a lot of time at the computer lately. 

Project Plans In The Works

Besides all of the computer and online work to be done, I have started development of my project plans. I don’t intend to release what those are at the moment, but that will come soon.

Feel free to check out the projects that I have designed and built for clients at my gallery page. I intend to bring this experience and knowledge to the woodworking community so that you may reach your goals in honing your skills and creating great projects.

Stay tuned, things are moving forward. But I need to stay focused and get my contractor projects wrapped up then I can focus on my new clients; the woodworkers;)

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love - Share the Knowledge