Make Ideas Reality

Nima Shahinian a prolific Maker that has just become an Astronaut. One of the most interesting people I've had the pleasure to interview. Nima was a High School drop out, but since, has built a name for himself as the guy that dreams big and builds bigger. With projects on his board such as the worlds fastest gravity vehicle, Lamborghini Huracan and a huge collection of world changing designs and products. 

Recorded Live at the Skapefestivalen in Oslo Norway. It truly was an honor. 

Enjoy

We live in a world of things. A consumerist black hole.  It’s been proven that Consumerism forces people to work harder, borrow more and spend less time with loved ones. It gets in the way of fulfilling relationships and negatively affects our overall well-being. But we are all doing this dance

So how do we change the music.

My guest today Pierre, The Swedish Maker has thrown his dreams of an iPhone 13 and dusted off his gramophone. In the effort to stop his consumerist life crisis and start enjoying quality family time and the freedom working less and living more.

In this episode

Pierre shares with us the steps taken towards so far his dreams of living a simple country life

We delve into Pierre’s life crisis.

We talk about the positives and negative around uprooting your life to pursue a dream

The importance of having the support from your partner

We look into the things you could cut down on to help you pursue a similar dream.

The Swedish Maker:

Innovating is about staying relevant. Our world is constantly evolving, it’s impossible for a creator to remain relevant if they don’t innovate.

When a creator continuously innovates, they are more likely to stay relevant.  Imagine if Jimmy Diresta only made things on the band saw. Would he be as relevant as he is now?

My guest Barany Dixion is an innovator in his field of puppetry. Barnaby is at the forefront of design, movement, video and stage production. He is a true artist.

In this show we talk about where it all began

Staying the course even when friends and family didn’t support you

Barnaby unveils his process of making and idea realty

We then get down into how he has innovated over the years in, design, production and probably the most important aspect his mindset.

Barnaby Dixon 

This is another Spotlight episode with Andy Birkey talking about why tools are overrated. An interesting little chat and perhaps something to think about. Enjoy 

Andy Birkey

In a world of technology, we turn to our phones and computers to find like minded people. We find them on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter and decide lets make a group chat or discord server where we can connect on another level, but most of us still feel disconnected regardless. Something about text chains and video chats just don’t cut it.

So how does one foster true connection with somebody. Well the easiest way is through a shared experience. A pilgrimage

Today Kristin and I will be talking about

Technology and its impact on us

We’ll share our experiences and what we learnt on our pilgrimage to Makers Central. A large Creative Expo, in Birmingham England.

Then we’ll discuss some possible controversial improvements for the event

And to finish What the ultimate pilgrimage would look like for us.

Justin White (Garage Avenger)

What is Maker Fluency? Well Andy Birkey has coined the term and tells us what it is and how we can use it to become better at our craft. 

Andy Birkey

The importance of Play is more than we can fathom. In this Spotlight Episode with Hans Meier we talk about the importance of play

Hans Meier Links:

Matthew Dicks. 5x Moth Grand Slam story telling champion. Author of 7 novels and the non-fiction book Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, And Change Your Life Through - The Power Of Storytelling.

In today’s show Matthew walks us through how we can boost engagement by being able to tell a compelling story. We then discuss the don’t of storytelling and Ways to generate story ideas Using a tool he calls Homework for life. To finish Matthew deconstruct one of my latest project video (oh god)  so you can learn from my example what to do and more importantly  what NOT to do.

This show is jammed packed with actionable advice so please get ready to take notes

Matthew Dicks 

Thinking big it widens your horizons, taking you out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. The ability to ‘Think BIG’ is one of the cornerstones of success, but we’ve all had big lofty new year’s resolutions and 3 weeks in we’ve thrown in the towel.

What does it actually mean to think big? And how do we achieve those big goals without falling flat on our face 3 weeks in?

My guest today Paul Jackman of Jackman Works is known for his scaled up BIG projects but today we won’t be just probing him about that. We’ll be talking about how he thinks big.

We’ll hear where it all begun for him.

Paul lifts the curtain on his creative process

And we hear about, how thinking big has brought friends, sponsors and even tv networks knocking.

Paul Jackman Links:

It's fairly well known that the inspiration for Velcro came from cockleburs caught in the hair of George de Mestral's dog, and that Leonardo da Vinci drew on the bird's wing for ideas for his flying machines. It seems that humans have been attempting to copy nature for a very long time. This impulse continues today with my guest Ivan Iler who is known for his metal kinetic sculptures and his artistic flare. You might know him from the Netflix show Metal Shop Masters but Its been a long road from his humble beginnings.

Today we’re going to talk about Ivan’s story

We delve into his fascination of mimicking movement in nature

You’ll get a peek behind the curtain of Ivan’s creative process

and

We discuss controversial travesty of the Metal shop Masters.

Even if you have never heard of Ivan Iler your ears are in for a treat.

Links:

Ivan Iler 

In these times of the side hustle and trying to break free from of our mundane day jobs. Many of us are looking towards turning that hobby into a business.

There's a clear distinction between a hobby that makes some money and running an official business.  And That’s what can sometimes trip us up when trying to make a living doing what we love.

Today my guest Ethan Abramson owner and designer of an acclaimed New York, furniture company shares his story and the insights he’s gained interviewing others that have made the jump. On his podcast “building a furniture brand”.

We talk about the right time to jump from hobby to business

The importance of defining your niche,

The neglected aspects of market research,

Where most fail in pricing and budgeting,

and how to actually, sell something.

Even if you never want to turn your hobby into a business. Chances are you know someone that does. This episode could really make a difference.

Ethan shares a lot of knowledge here. So, let’s get into the show.

Ethan Abramson links

How a Maker can Change the World!

In a society that seems to feel ever more distant and unengaging. Where you mostly hide behind a screen even when socializing. You hardly know your neighbors and cultural events are not favored over watching the squid game on Netflix. It all seems a little grim, but we as makers have the power to change this.

Though it sometimes brings us down with self-doubt and a healthy dose of impostor syndrome, making is an incredible anti-depressant. It is cathartic. It is addictive. It traps us in a spiral of positive thinking that can only ever create a good people. For those engaged in the maker community this is clearly evident. And Who better to change the world but us.

Today we are going to talking with Mike Troxel about his experiences of using his creativity to impact his local community.

We deep dive into his story

He shares with us some of his projects and the impact they had.

We talk about why you as a maker are one of the most important assets to your local community.

And Mike suggests some ways you as a little maker in your little workshop can make an impact and engage others to change the world.

If you’ve wanted to make an impact and engage others to change the world. Then I hope this episode will inspire you to take action.

Mike Troxel:

THE PODCAST IS BACK!!!

Today I’m talking with the infamous Jimmy Diresta

Who is kind of known for saying Yes to most opportunities. He tells us where his philosophy came from. We discuss his biggest breaks that have come from saying yes. Along with the worst thing that could happen from saying yes. Jimmy talks about where he draws the line and says no and how he balances his time with partner Taylor between all his other commitments.

We’ve all heard Jimmy on a thousand other podcasts answering all the same questions so I hope in this episode you will hear a side of jimmy you haven’t heard before.

Jimmy Diresta links

https://jimmydiresta.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/jimmydiresta

Justin White (Garage Avenger)

Today’s guest The Red Smith a maker from southern France talks about teaching and why it’s so important and how taking risk will always end with reward.

We all remember that one teacher that made school hell for us. An uninspired, by the book, not giving a shit supposed teacher. They say teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world. Yet we have all experienced a teacher like this. What about risk. Are you one to overthink a situation. Go through all the possible outcomes then never pull the trigger? Red gives some unique points of view on these topics

Heaps to unpack in this episode Enjoy!

Links

Active networking is vital to professional growth and it is no different in the creative and maker communities. Networking is often confused with just the business and selling side of things. Networking though is actually about much more than that. Its about building long-term relationships, providing value and a good friendship over time.

My guest today John Graziano from Graz Makes. He talks about his journey of how he found himself alongside some of the maker elite, such as Paul Jackman and Jimmy Diresta.

We also talk Video Production and how his day job as a video producer has ruined Game of Thrones for him and we’ll learn some small ways of thinking about video production that could help you produce better videos

Lets do this!

Links

I’m talking to a little unknown maker/ youtuber Bob Clagett. We are delving into his experience with self-doubt and how he only really began to encounter it later in life.

We touch on his upbringing and the factors that can contribute to self-doubt later in life such as, past mistakes, Comparison, Feeling out of your comfort zone and Fear of failure or success

Self-doubt occurs when we lack confidence or feel incapable of doing things we need to do. People who doubt themselves experience uncertainty around things they can’t control or worry about things not going according to plan.

A certain level of self-doubt is good because it indicates that you understand what you need to improve in order to do a better job. However, persistent fear and self-doubt can hugely affect your life

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Bob and I know you’ll get something from this episode. So.... Lets do this!

Links:

Have you ever felt just off about a project, or something feels not quite right in your life but you’re not sure how to change it? It’s painful and stressful to feel like you’re potentially living a lie. Like you’re hiding who you really are, saying what you think other people want to hear, and doing things you don’t actually want to do just because you’re supposed to.... Start a YouTube channel or post on social media constantly. Sometimes we don’t recognize we’re doing this. We just know we feel off, or something feels wrong, and we’re not sure how to change it. It makes sense that a lot of us struggle with being true to ourselves

Due to popular demand and my lack of organizational skills Kristin my wife has come in an episode early to share her perspectives on owning your truth. We touch on 10 things you can do, to align yourself to own your own truth and be proud to be the person you are.  We reflect on the some of the most amazing guests on this podcast from past episodes. to end I drop a bomb, so be sure to stick around for that. hope you get something from this episode.

Lets do this!!

Kristin White

Taking a leap of faith and trusting your gut takes courage, but it used to be standard operating practice. Intuition and instinct kept humans safe for thousands of years, but as we’ve evolved, we’ve learned to lean on data, discrediting our gut as dangerous.

My guest today Jonathan Jamieson From JJ Leathersmith. Has honed his intuition over the years, and shares his journey of finding himself stranded in Mozambique trusting his gut to use his last amount of money to make a leather backpack of all things. That decision ultimately changed his life forever and he hasn't looked back

Jonathan and I also talk about the advantages of trusting your gut over your head. and how you can build those gut trusting skills by implementing some simple techniques into your daily routines.

Man if you are not inspired by this podcast I give up. So buckle up and get ready to get inspired and Lets do this!

BTW his work is awesome and you should go check it out and support him.

JJ Leathersmith Links:

Have you got friends or family who think, because you like to make things you want to build them a shitty coffee table? or Do you feel guilty buying something that you could have easily made.

Well today I’m talking with Grant Alexander, a Canadian maker and youtuber. About Understanding and knowing when and how to say NO to those pesky in-law friends or family when they drop the bomb that they want you to build something. We also talk about Making vs Buying - The things you might want to consider when faced with the choice of making something or buying it. We are going to analytically look at the pro and cons of making over buying and how you can possibly save your marriage by knowing when to buy instead of make that thing your wife or partner wanted.

I hope you all enjoy. Let's do this!

Grant Alexander Links:

In this episode I’m talking with Daniel Jansson from Switch and Lever

Daniel shares his journey of traveling around the world and how that  has influenced his creativity. And we touch on his experience in Italy with Giaco from GiacoWhatever.  We talk about the toolbox excuse. How to flip NOT having the right tools to your advantage and . We then get into the importance of communication, in your videos, social media and more importantly face to face. One on one

This episode is packed with take aways. I hope you enjoy !

Switch & Lever Links:

In this episode I’m talking with Brett Mcafee from Skull & Spade 13.

We talk about Grit – No not sandpaper. No Grit as in – having the intestinal fortitude to push through hard times

We talk about how "grit" got him in the position to work with the god father himself Jimmy Diresta for over 3 years. and all the benefits and sacrifices that came with that.

We also touch on having a bad relationship with numbers and his unique way of looking at the numbers when you are starting youtube.

This episode is packed full of hard-hitting truths and some great take away’s.

There is an 2 ½ hour unedited version of this podcast for all true skull and spade 13 fans on my patreon. It’s a public. So no need or pressure to sign up just click the link and enjoy.

Regardless I know your and going to get something from this episode  lock yourself away in you workshop and get ready to be inspired and Enjoy

Brett Mcafee - Links

In this episode I’m talking with Kieran Donnelly from Make Fail Repeat- we talked about His Journey of becoming a maker. How he uses constraints to help turn his Ideas into Reality. Along with his philosophy of saying Yes, and how that leads to doors opening, and amazing opportunities. Like being part of the HBO series game of thrones for over 6 years. In addition we talks about: taking risks and how that leads to  personal and professional growth. There is a lot in this episode. I hope you enjoy. Let’s do this!!

Kieran Donnelly

This week I finally locked down Gus Dixon from Man Cave Makings. A self proclaimed maker of all things. Gus has a really cool modern industrial style that oozes detail. He shares his journey on how he got into making. We talk about the overwhelm with trying to be a maker and content creator. We also interestingly touch on having a bad relationship with time and how that affects your mental state.  Heaps of take a ways in this episode. 

Man Cave Makings Links:

https://www.instagram.com/mancavemakings/

This Episode Bernie Solo joins me. If you think you know Bernie. Think again! You are probably going to learn something you never knew about him in this episode. A truly epic journey of creativity, filled with opportunities, pivots and innovation. Enjoy.

Bernie Solo Links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/worksbysolo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worksbysolo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorksBySolo

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bernie.solo

Instructables: https://www.instructables.com/member/Works%20by%20Solo/

Inspiration Nation:

https://www.instagram.com/theoreticalspace/

Justin White (Garage Avenger)

This Episode is a little different. I have decided to share with you the episode of the Because We Make podcast when I was a guest.  For those who don't know much about me. You will get a little insight into my journey. What's weird is I actually sound like I know what I'm talking about. As you all know that have been listening for a while. That is not the case LOL. Regardless I hope you have a listen and get a taste of another podcast that may be of interest to listen to. 

Because We Make Podcast link:

https://www.becausewemake.com/podcast

Justin White (Garage Avenger)

Kristin is back! which means it been 10 episodes already. In this episode I talk about my some what crazy morning routine. I'll explain every step and why I do them. Kristin shares her two cents on how this has changed not only me but her as well. Hope you get something from this episode. Enjoy

Kristin's new Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/oppfinner_frue/

Justin White (Garage Avenger)

This week I have another podcast on my show. Vincent Ferrari & Ethan Carter the hosts of "Because We Make" Podcast join me to share their journey's as creatives and makers and how they came together. A great duo with a similar mission to this podcast. 

Links:

The Etsy Wooden Ring King Dan Rees from Zebrano Woodcraft joins me on the show this week. He tells us his journey from working in a call center, getting athletes foot in Australia, nearly getting violated by the fuzz in London to then eventually building a successful ring making company. Dan is a fun dude and there is some good laughs had by us in this one. hope you all enjoy.

Dan Rees Links:

This week I'm back in the UK with Ollie Allen the talented Designer / Maker. This episode we hear about the real guy behind the TV show and all the accolades. He shares the hard hitting true about trying to keep his businesses alive and face the reality of who he is.

Ollie Allen Links:

This week I have the super nice Hannes Hagen from Germany AKA Unbehagen_ on  Instagram. A talented maker with an eye for detail. I call him a wolf in sheep's clothing in the intro, because from the outside he looks like everyone else but in reality he is far from it. A genuine, giving and creative person I feel honored to have gotten to know. Enjoy

Hannes Hagen Links:

This week the awesome Dutchman Emiel Noorlander "The Practical Engineer" joins me on the show to talk about his journey to becoming The Practical Engineer along with how he chooses his projects and his creative process when prototyping and building. He also shares some interesting insight into why he changed from speaking English in this videos back to his mother tongue of Dutch. I really got something from this episode and I hope you do too. Enjoy

The Practical Engineer Links:

I had the absolute pleasure to chat with Matt and Jonny from Brothers Make this week.  There is all kinds of things in the podcast. Seriousness, silliness, inspiring stories and practical information. I had a blast with these two. I hope you enjoy.

Brothers Make Links:

This episode I have the real Godfather himself. No not Jimmy Diresta. The real godfather pulling all the strings in the maker community. Yes it is Kjell Otto! Kjell is a german maker that plays a key part in the maker community of just spreading kindness and enthusiasm. I will tell you the story of why I believe he is the godfather. In addition you are going to hear Kjell's story and learn about and absorb his "giving" ethos. Enjoy!

Kjell Otto Links:

Matt Gottesman..... Founder, editor and chief of HDF magazine, The Hustle Sold Separately Podcast, and media and marketing consulting.  Matt has become a friend of mine and we sit down and discuss creativity and mindset. There are so many nuggets of gold in this episode I hope you have a pen and paper ready. Enjoy. 

Matt Gottesman 

Kristin is back! This episode we are talking about dealing with gremlins. The things that stop you having confident and being the person you were meant to be. I share my journey and how I've approached dealing with my gremlins. I hope you get something from this episode. 

Book and podcast links;

Luke and Cilla Smith join me on the show this week to share who the people really are behind "May For Makers" These guys are one of the little guys and started a movement that has impacted so many. It just goes to show you that you don't have to be a youtube superstar to start a movement in the community. It was an absolute pleasure talking with them hope you enjoy

PLSmithed links:

This week I have the awesome inventor Matt Thompson from Thompson Woodworks on the show. He has had quite a few viral videos of his inventions.  It all started with his beer delivery  outdoor lounge chair. To now dog petting machines and automatic sausage grill and dispenser picnic tables. They are truly just fun and make you smile.

I apologize for the bad audio and I also felt i was a little off my game as it was quite late in the evening.  Regardless Enjoy. 

Matt Thompson - Links:

Jennifer Bower from J Bower Engraving joins me on the show this week. We have a real  candid chat about the art of engraving and the critics she has faced.  On the fun side we talk about her love affair with Harrison Ford and her Jeep. Hope you all enjoy.

Jennifer Bower Links:

Swedish artist Q.Bless shares her journey of becoming a full time artist. From leaving art school and bombing graffiti walls to comic illustration and sculpture. She is a talent worth checking out and following. Enjoy

Come join me with Rasmus Loen at his forge at the Follo Museum in Drøbak Norway. We talk about how he got into forging and the way he thinks through his creative process when belting iron with hammers. The audio was a was not the best here cause i forgot to check if Rasmus had turned on his mic. He hadn't :) Nevertheless enjoy

This week I've got the super creative Lindsay Murphy to share with us how she went from NASA engineer to artist/maker/mother/blacksmith. A great story  with a humbling hit to the ego and the vulnerability to say I don't know what I'm doing can you help me.  I think every episode is good but  I really hope you enjoy this one. 

Superfly Autos, - Tony and Carmen Matthews are a husband and wife team, traveling the world pursuing their automotive passion.  By showing their soul through their photography and storytelling.  Their publication has grown to reaches millions. As they share the stories of cars and more importantly the people behind them.  Their Journey has had them working with rappers such as Breal - tv celebrities such as Jay Leno  and that guy down the street that just loves his VW beetle.  They’ve bucked the status quo all the way, saying to the world “This is how we roll”.

There is so many little tips and insights on their process of building Superfly Autos. Which is easily translatable to your own creative field.  hope you enjoy this insight into a different creative world and use the information to grow your own passion into making a living. 

Superfly Auto links