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The B Team Podcast
Talking all things Business, Bentonville, and Bourbon. Hosted by Josh Saffran, Matt Marrs, Rob Nelson, and Jim Corbett. New episodes every Thursday!
The B Team Podcast
Ep. 53 - Inside The Workbench Collective: The Business of Woodworking
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Can bourbon and scotch peacefully coexist on the palate of a true connoisseur? Join us on the B-Team Podcast as we entertain this spirited debate with our first inbound guest, Charley Preston from The Workbench Collective. Laugh along with us as we share tales of guest recruitment challenges, involving Rob Nelson’s amusing avoidance of his own rolodex, and celebrate Charley's enthusiasm and his bourbon-toting entrance. We swap stories and flavors, comparing the prestige of scotch with the inviting embrace of bourbon, all while pairing these delights with cigar tales that set the mood for a delightful tasting session.
Navigate the ups and downs of family life, homeschooling, and woodworking with us as we share personal anecdotes from the pandemic parenting trenches. Charley reflects on life with his wife Jessica and their four lively kids, blending humor with heartfelt insights into homeschooling in Alaska. With nostalgia for old-school woodshop classes, we champion hands-on learning that sparks creativity in students who might not flourish in traditional classrooms. From woodworking to weight loss, our conversation embraces the "dad bod" and the artistry of crafting, all while championing trial and error as the ultimate teacher.
Our conversation takes a surprising turn as we discuss the unexpected allure of relocating to Arkansas from Alaska. Overcoming initial hesitations, one finds a home in Arkansas’ rolling hills and vibrant community, staying for over a decade. We explore traditional craftsmanship's role in modern maker spaces and talk about The Workbench Collective's new location in Springdale. Offering memberships to a fully equipped woodworking shop, this initiative provides tools and classes for aspiring craftsmen. Cap it all off with a lively discussion on Matt's new fashion statement—a baby blue hat—and you have an episode full of humor, wisdom, and community spirit. Cheers to creativity and camaraderie!
Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I am your host, josh Safran, with my co-host, matt Morris and our permanent guest Rob Nelson. We're here every week to talk to you about all things Bentonville, bourbon and business the B-Team Podcast Be here. Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I'm your host, josh Saffer, with my co-host Matt.
Speaker 2Mars and our permanent guest, Rob Nelson Bobby.
Speaker 1Bobby, and listen to me, this is a big deal today. It is yeah, because, as you guys know, getting guests is difficult. It is, and in theory it should be. A third of the guests are mine a third, a third, and we know it's like 95 and five.
Speaker 2I was going to say, is this two for Rob a second?
Speaker 1Well, but this one. Bobby didn't do any work for this. This was an inbounds.
Speaker 2I fielded the lead.
Speaker 1This was an inbounds Fielded the lead.
Speaker 2Yeah, I fielded the lead. He saw the duck on the pond, duck on the pot. Just for clarification, though I still hold the best views for the one guest I did bring in. Trial at Tony, that's right. Trial at Tony Beat Jenny and Dave Morris. He did by a lot, by a lot. It was good. That's all that counts.
Speaker 1So after we're going through this, we're always talking about who can we bring, who can we bring, and nobody goes to more new restaurants in town than Rob and he goes. Oh, I met the owners, I go. Did you ask him the podcast? No, no, no, no, no, I forgot. I didn't ask him the podcast and so he's got more connections, but he never asks anybody and he goes. You'll never believe. I got a text, an inbound text, of someone coming on the podcast and they're bringing bour.
Speaker 2I screenshotted it and I sent it off to them and I'm like Job security.
Speaker 1He's done nothing since.
Speaker 3Oh man, his reviews of me were rigorous. I think he did a full background check on me, made sure it wasn't an accident I was like come on, let me know what time you want to meet, just so.
Speaker 1I can bust their balls.
Speaker 2Does he have a pulse? You're here.
Speaker 3I go Rob. Who is this guy? What is he doing? I have no idea, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1He's the homeless guy from the. Walmart Pleasant Grove, but he reached out to me. We're having fun.
Speaker 2He's got a phone and he has bourbon.
Speaker 3Yeah, I love it, I love it. We usually start with the bourbon. Right, yeah, tell us about it. Okay, that, tell us about it.
Speaker 1Let's introduce Charlie. So this is Charlie Preston from the Workbench Collective Again, our first inbound lead coming in and he said we've been out outreaching and now he's bringing bourbon. Also, rob's job is to bring bourbon and he goes. My guest is bringing bourbon on top of that, which was even funnier.
Speaker 3I want to be careful not to push it too much, because this is going to start something.
Speaker 1He's the happiest guy in the world right now.
Speaker 2We're not going to eat any shit today. Exactly, josh is like what did you bring today? I'm like I didn't bring anything.
Speaker 1He goes, oh he goes. My guest is bringing the bourbon. I got you, I got you. Let's cut it out.
Speaker 3I got you, so hopefully you won't kick me off right now, but I'm not historically a big bourbon guy, I'm more of a scotch. I'm a scotch guy. We'll convert you, yeah. Well, okay, this is yeah, we can. I love like a Abaloa. I don't know what it is about the actual scotch.
Speaker 2Even the.
Speaker 3Japanese. Yeah, even the he's delicious, anyway. But we've got a group of guys from church and we try to do intentional stuff with our boys and then about once a month we get together and we have some cigars and bourbon. And a buddy of mine there brought this Bardstown Discovery Series 10, and I thought this is delicious. This might actually start bringing me over. So I haven't heard this one on your show. I apologize if this is a repeat.
Speaker 1No, we haven't heard this one on your show. I apologize if this is a repeat. Well, and these guys, my buddy Carlos, shout out to Carlos. He's a huge Bardstown fan and we went down on the tour. We went to Bardstown and I bought some stuff and they didn't love it. But we haven't tried this one yet either.
Speaker 2I like the weeded one. I liked a lot and I like the. They had a few that, a few that we like.
Speaker 3yeah, again my favorite scotch is that is the space size, so I think it's usually like cherry cast, so it's got a little more of a sweet yeah Flavor to it. But I don't, I get. I get those kind of vibes here from from this series 10.
Speaker 2It's weird that you went like this from yes, you don't go to scotch until, like, you graduate from I don't know. I just like Are you a Scotch guy at all? A little bit Are you. So I've started. I have a few kinds that I really like, but not very many. I don't like when there's a lot of the PDT Right. It's real smoky.
Speaker 3The names are just kind of badass, aren't they? Like Wagaboo yeah aren't they like?
Speaker 1yeah, but it's almost like the, the, the affluent and the high end. There they're drinking the scotch and it's like I, I can't get past the smell, I can't get it. Just. It's so medicine II for me. I don't, I don't, yeah but we're drinking bourbon so what's the protocol for the pour Matt? Always pours for himself, well, you pour yours.
Speaker 2Okay, and then you just tell everyone else to figure it out. You have to worry about yourself.
Speaker 3All right, it's like a normal group of guys.
Speaker 1Dog eat dog here. The bottle may not find its way back to you. If Matt likes it, now watch what I do.
Speaker 3Bobby, would you like some Sure See what a gentleman.
Speaker 2Well, these two, they're love-hate over there, they're talking and they're cycling.
Speaker 3You got the culture, you got the backwoods. Cheers, cheers.
Speaker 1Thanks for being here.
Speaker 3Absolutely. Thank you guys.
Speaker 2Julie noted my guest drinking some bourbon. Hey and well. And Rob, he answered a text or a call from someone Like he didn't forget about it for two weeks. So I'm hearing you say, as your guest today, Just be honest.
Speaker 3How responsive was I? Let's be honest.
Speaker 1All right, this is good, this is good.
Speaker 3It was like within a couple hours, like sometimes my wife doesn't even text me. It's good, that's very good, really good. I think it's delicious. Yeah, I'm not an experienced the blend here. I like how it lists all the blend. What's in this one? It says on the side Matthew has a hard time reading.
Speaker 2It's the Discovery series, so it's got 62%. It's got some 9-year, 13-year, 10, 6, and 10 where they just kind of mix.
Speaker 1That's what they're known for they mix a bunch of stuff together.
Speaker 2It's good whatever it is. There's not a ton. The most rise 13% in the mash bills that they have. It's solid, it's 114, prief.
Speaker 3It doesn't drink like 90. What just happened?
Speaker 2I think I have water in mine. I forgot to pour it out.
Speaker 3I was wondering. I was like they were like full weird changing each other's drinks.
Speaker 1He was drinking. Yeah, that was interesting. What I heard Bobby say is his guest brought bourbon and Matt's guest was a chicken restaurant and he brought any chicken.
Speaker 2Well, they broke out a pro move on us, so they didn't bring me chicken and we told them we're going to go to the chicken restaurant after.
Speaker 1We're going to spend money tonight.
Speaker 2They won because they really did.
Speaker 1I didn't take lessons from them. There was no free chicken yeah, they could hose us for, and we'll probably charge us double tonight. So what's up with that? No problem.
Speaker 2I poured the water out of my glass.
Speaker 3You get a reverse coupon code.
Speaker 1You get a 20% more. So, charlie, I gotta be honest, and this is probably the funniest thing I said all day I don't know who the heck you are, what you do. We have an inbound call.
Speaker 3Let's go. Do you have a?
Speaker 1job? Do you have a business?
Speaker 3Not really.
Speaker 2What? What difference does make?
Speaker 1no, no, but he does have a business tell us about you, so I Actually grew up in Alaska.
Speaker 3It's my favorite place. Okay, I stalked you a little bit. I love riding sleds.
Speaker 1Anyway, so we can talk. You, stalker, slide down slide down.
Speaker 2I thought you saw my halibut.
Speaker 3No, I mean, that's Tuesday for me.
Speaker 2I caught a 176-pound halibut last summer when I went up a bit that's tuesday for me I caught 176 pound halibut last summer when I went up there. Did you cook it? Need it? Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3Yeah, what out of seward or homer out of homer?
Speaker 2that's where my parents live. Yeah, there you go it's. That's a, that's I. Wyoming is my second favorite place. Anytime you need to go, I'll just fly you up there. He's got one of those bush planes, let's go super. Yeah, um wait what are we talking about?
Speaker 1we're talking about you, sorry we're gonna talk about his bright blue hat. I'll get back to that so I grew up woodworking.
Speaker 3I got a scroll saw when I was eight, nine years old and then I apprenticed under a boat builder in Homer Alaska a wooden boat builder. And then I moved into the white collar scene for a while and it paid the bills but it was pretty miserable. How can we get out of this with too much collateral damage? And then during COVID, so we homeschool our kids, we kind of try to keep our kids in a closet and all of that. And uh, my wife has brilliant ideas.
Family, Homeschooling, and Woodworking Advocacy
Speaker 1Uh, she's way smarter than all of her wives shout out. They all are. They are all brilliant. All right, so tell us a little bit about your family.
Speaker 3What's your wife's name? My wife's name is jessica. I have four kids, so the oldest is eden. She's 15. Um, justice, my only son is 13. I like that name. And, uh, then merit is our third daughter, or third in line second daughter, uh, she's almost 10, she's the class clown. And then, uh, we had, uh, we had a covid baby. Haven haven, yeah, it's four, let's go four now. And she's, uh, yeah, isn't it hard to believe it's four years ago, I know.
Speaker 1You had a COVID baby too, didn't you?
Speaker 2No, pre-covid, our youngest is 13. But you were trying to have a COVID baby. I mean, I look like I have a COVID baby, but I didn't. You look good.
Speaker 1You look like you lost some weight.
Speaker 2I mean, I've been trying have a good body, but I didn't. No, you look good. You look like you lost some weight. You look good. I mean I've been trying to eat better.
Speaker 3Not too much, right, I haven't been drinking as much.
Speaker 2Kerry just hasn't been busy all the time so he can't get out and play anymore. The real reason is Rob and I haven't been around each other as much lately.
Speaker 1You both lost a lot of weight.
Speaker 2We both lost a lot of weight.
Speaker 1We both lost weight. I think Angie and Carrie are talking we gained weight.
Speaker 2Angie and Carrie have been talking. They're like okay, this is getting out of control. The grilled chicken number five tonight.
Speaker 3That's right, that's what we're going to have. Wasn't there some poll that ladies like dad bods or something? I don't know Just?
Speaker 2love us, embrace it. The problem is Rob and I went past the dad bod. We went like to Shamu, so like we're trying to get back to the dad bod.
Speaker 1Hey, but I will tell you guys, I actually tuned into the show last week when you guys were on, Both of you. I mean, you could see a huge difference.
Speaker 2That show was filmed how many months ago, which was the beach? Yeah, I mean, we're getting beach ready, yeah, and there's no Speedo coming out yet. Let's just say that.
Speaker 1Shout out to Helios, helios, oh, I got to get back. Sorry, back to Charlie, back country.
Speaker 3So homeschool really wise COVID. I need to do something. Yes, we're amazing kids. She suggested I uh, woodworking classes for home school kids. Get rich. Right. When we didn't know how legit covid was right, everything started falling apart and, uh right, even the public school kids were homeschooling for a while and now not to interrupt you, but are you still in alaska here?
Speaker 2no, I'm in wait. No, no, like in in before. I still have a house, oh yeah in alaska.
Speaker 3Yes, okay, this is all. Yep, so you're not in arkansas. Wait, no, no, like before COVID, were you in Alaska. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2So you're not in Arkansas right now and you're in the store, correct? Well, he's here now. Holy cow, I'm just trying to figure out how he got to Arkansas.
Speaker 1Once you said Alaska, Matt was gone. That's what I thought of my fish. We're here, but we're not all there 114.
Speaker 2Okay, fish, what's the? We're here, but we're not all there.
Speaker 3114, okay, okay, so keep going, sorry yeah, this is, this is in alaska um 2020. Um, I roll this out and it was. It was a success. Now, um alaska, for quite a while, has had some state-funded homeschool opportunities. Like I think, um, I don't want to get too political architecture. I was trying to move that with this learns act thing and I think there's gonna be a lot of resources available for school choice, which I think there should be. Yes, I think I'm an advocate, but again, I don't want to. Everyone can have their own opinion on that, but again, options are good usually and it was a hit right. I mean, even a lot of high schoolers when we were kids, they had shop class and a lot of those have been cut for sports and computer stuff and nothing against that. Did you do shopping in school?
Speaker 2A hundred percent. We did, you did, they wouldn't let me. Well, and it's like you said. I think you know, whether it be the government or whoever, they feel like everyone fits in the same box and they don't. And I, and there's some kids that the only reason they would come to school is because they love woodshop, so they have good, good enough grades in the other classes, so they could do that Exactly. And I think we've gotten away from that. And how did you learn? We, we had woodshop, yeah, we, my dad, we, we built our house when we were kids also. That's very cool and you learn, as you know, exactly. I think a lot of people overthink it. A lot of what we do is trial and error. If it messes up, do it again. And I think kids are to a point now where they don't realize you have to keep throwing things up at the wall until it's it's all, and they think it's black and white and it's not like you. You have to.
Speaker 3Well, and we have such a risk averse culture now that everyone is very fearful and, oh, you know a screen. It's not going to cut your finger off. Yeah, I'm gonna cut your brain off or something there's. Kids can rise to the occasion from you know. Right, if you assume they're going to fail or they're not capable of doing something I probably shouldn't use the word fail but if they're not capable of doing something, they're going to live up to those expectations. On the flip side, right, if you think they can, they will, and so if you.
Speaker 3It's incredible to observe the confidence build when you give kids the opportunity to prove themselves and have some respect. They want to live up to that, and that confidence rolls over into other areas of their life as well. And so it's really cool to observe that where there is some danger, you don't need to be a helicopter and live in a padded room. Let's actually live a little and experience. Right, right, love it, love it. So the business, yes, workbench Collective. So how'd you get to Northwest Arkansas? That might have to be a whole different podcast, but we full-time RV'd for a couple years. Okay, I married a California girl. We definitely need to have them back on the whole full-time.
Woodworking Classes and Community in Arkansas
Speaker 2Yeah, that's a good podcast for a cool podcast. Yes, because I would like to do that.
Speaker 1God, I'm bringing so much value. Do you have a second guest?
Speaker 2Do you have any more bourbon, or do you have some scotch you can bring?
Speaker 3Once I have a little bit of street cred here. I want to see if I can get you guys, I think you guys would enjoy some hour low, I think you anyway, um, so we actually wrote down a list.
Speaker 3So I still love. You know, if it wasn't for my wife, I'd probably still be full-time in alaska. We still, we still are there a significant part of the year. We still have, um, we still domiciled there actually, um, but uh, it was basically between idaho and arkansas, um, and they're both really, you know it's, it's actually intimidating before, yes, okay, not not a significant amount of time, we really didn't know anybody here, um, but it's almost intimidating when you can go anywhere you want. You know you start second guessing anything. You start doing pros and cons lists. I mean, this place has great. You know you start second guessing anything. You start doing pros and cons lists. I mean this place has great. You know tax structure. This place has good culture. Quite frankly, california would be great if you got rid of all the people.
Speaker 2Yeah, california. I heard Idaho is really good potatoes. Yes, idaho is a beautiful.
Speaker 3It's a good state too.
Speaker 2Yes, and that and that was that was that was about like the smartest.
Speaker 3So the only. Idaho basically was a little too similar to alaska for the winter, too starchy, yeah yeah, too cold, right, I don't want to be the dad.
Speaker 2Jokes are coming out over there.
Speaker 3Anyway, arkansas won out. It's been incredible, the community. Why did Arkansas win out? For you, it's got more or less four seasons. I'm a little butthurt on the winters, but whatever, I'm learning to deal.
Speaker 2My wife wanted me to know that I was married to her and not married to alaska.
Speaker 3So, um, you know, the rolling hills, the culture, um yeah, I mean it's got a lot. It's got a lot going for it. I think it's been one of one of the best kept secrets. I mean, I don't know if you did share this, josh. I don't know your whole story of what brought you. This is kind of the opposite direction for me. But I mean, arkansas is a lot different than the East.
Speaker 1Coast. No, no, mike. My story is I was working for CPG, I was working for Colgate, palmolive, and I bounced around the US quite a bit, all big cities Boston, minneapolis, chicago, new York and I kid you not, you had to have a succession planning profile at Colgate and it said mobility and it said we'll move anywhere except Arkansas. I swear on my father's grave that's what it said on there. So one of my bosses who moved down here, he flew up to Chicago when I was living. He recruited me down. He goes it'll be 18 months, no more, that's it. And I debated it forever. Should I come? Did I come? But I looked at it on the resume saying you call the Walmart. And here I am 13 years later and I wouldn't go anywhere else. Yeah, and I try to explain that to people. I have a lot of friends still back at back east and they don't understand that you got to come down here to visit it.
Speaker 3Yeah, and it's really it's really hard to get here, Absolutely, absolutely. So, yeah, we, we decided to come down and start, and again I didn start and again I didn't. You know I'm not a corporate guy, but again there's, there's, there's parallels to the culture and there's a pretty significant homeschool community here and my wife posted some stuff on facebook. Hey, if we offered woodshop classes, would anybody be interested in? Like, within 24 hours, there's like 100 comments. Wow, that's huge. I guess that's a sign. I don't know. Pain handling was my next option.
Speaker 1We were so adjunct. We were so adjunct, I appreciate that. Bobby, look at that credit card. Yes, you did better.
Speaker 2Well, but I always tell people these are skills that no one can ever take from you. Right, if you lose your job, you can go do that. It's something to fall back on all the time which a lot of people don't have.
Speaker 3Right, exactly I love it, yeah, so again rolled it out. Is it online or is it brick and mortar? It's brick and mortar.
Speaker 2How would you do woodshop online? I didn't know if he was doing video. I'm not even a good woodshop guy. He's from back east.
Speaker 1I. I didn't know if he was doing video virtual. I'm not even a good woodshop guy. He's from back east. I mean, come on, I didn't know if he's like all right, now everybody's trying to.
Speaker 3I mean if you don't know how to work your wood.
Speaker 1Sometimes you can do it with virtual that's right, Maybe not, I don't know.
Speaker 3But yeah, it's funny. I did have a parent that had two boys she wanted to put in and one boy didn't want to, because they thought it was all like learning about woodworking.
Speaker 2Yeah, see that. I'm like that sounds terrible.
Speaker 3Let's sit in here and, you know, have a textbook on how to build something. Yeah, that would be terrible.
Speaker 1So is it teenagers, high school kids, like who are you we?
Speaker 3start at third grade, which usually, yeah, so that's mostly hand tool work, but they do once they graduate the intro class, they do actually do some scroll saw work. So if you're familiar with a scroll saw, you got to work pretty hard at cutting your finger off. It's kind of like a gerbil nibbling on something like you could. You can draw blood. But and anyway, so a lot of a lot of true furniture cabinet makers look down their nose at a scroll saw because it's a little more they would almost construed as crafting. We use dual scroll saws. They like other dual stuff so you don't have to worry about losing fingers, right, exactly. And then again, and then again, as age appropriate, you know we'll start doing bandsaw work and other things like that, but it's been very well received. And then now we're also bringing in the community woodshop piece. So basically, similar to a gym membership, you can have a key card and if you know what you're doing after you know signing some waivers and watching a couple videos you have access to the shop to do whatever you want.
Speaker 3Are the classes certain hours? I assume? Yeah, yep, so, yeah, so the classes? I mean they're in conjunction, it's the same facility. It's kind of you know, opposite sides of the wall. But if you don't know how to use the machines, come, we'll teach you class, we'll hold your hand. If you already know what you're doing but you don't have the budget or the space for your own personal wood shop, come.
Speaker 2So bring us back just a little bit. When did you open?
Speaker 3Where are you? Where's he looking?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1So we tried really hard Super cool.
Speaker 3We tried really hard to find space in Bentonville or Rogers. It's too expensive. No, so we're in Springdale, which is fair, hopefully.
Speaker 2That's fine. It's not a weird day Anywhere in Northwest Arkansas. Yeah, we're 20 minutes Right Exactly. I might send some of my trim guys for some tune-ups.
Speaker 3So we're right off 49 and Sunset Okay, right on Springdale and there's some and Sunset right on Springfield. When did you open? We just opened, brand new?
Speaker 2Yes, and you do everything, from third grade to our age, adult and at our age.
Speaker 3Usually the adults are more located in the ass. You can either take the class.
Speaker 2I'm sure, because they know everything, but they know nothing, and we're all that.
Speaker 3We're guilty of that.
Speaker 2That's why our wives are always better at everything, because they do the directions and we don't yes, but so so you'll do classes for everyone, but after 18 or whatever, you can have a membership and do correct your own exactly, which is huge because you could make things like you could make something for Emily.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, cause I remember so at our school and I'm old in in seventh grade you started you could do what Sean and like. So all the seventh grade, all you could do was hand tools. So you had to make a bread box and a cutting board and like you had the hand saw oh, yeah.
Speaker 2My parents still have it and but it's like like you could pick the wood. We had to do like a Sorry to steal your show. We had to do like an architecture session where we would draw. I don't know if you guys do that, we would draw it all up.
Speaker 2And then he would be like how many board feet are you going to need Correct and figure out what it's going to be? Do you want it to be walnut or what kind of wood? It's things that you'll use for the rest of your life. Absolutely, I love that.
Speaker 3That might be a good segue here. I brought you guys something cheesy. That's so cool. Look at this. Any of you guys could build it. This is just a little token from Fragments of the Network by Stalker. I guys could build it. This is just a little token from Fred. So these are I couldn't think of something for bourbon, so hopefully, occasionally you guys have a beer.
Speaker 2That is perfect. So Josh is a little more refined.
Speaker 3You know, he's got that eastern culture and I got you maple Nice.
Speaker 1Look at that. That's fantastic, Our first official gift item I got to tell you you may be our permanent guest. You could have it.
Speaker 2Okay, we're going to have to have the third graders start making these for us.
Speaker 1That's amazing.
Speaker 3We got our workbench collective logo on the back. Matt is Cherry, because if you want to get something done, you call Matt right.
Speaker 1He's consistent, he's dependable.
Speaker 2I like Cherry, and here it comes. There you go.
Speaker 3And Bobby. So Bobby is the black sheep of the family. He's got walnut. I love walnut. Man, You're going to have fun. You're going to have the best time while you're hanging out in the road.
Speaker 2Like that's going to match his whole bar. We're going to have you over to Bar Nelson, I'd love it, and you'll see a lot of walnut and you'll see this right up there like that. That's amazing. So what's so neat now that you guys have is Really cool. Obviously you have a machine that does all of this, or how are you doing?
Speaker 3obviously you have a machine that does all of this, or or. How do you do it?
Speaker 2I don't yet I outsource the laser, but it's on the it's on the acquisition, but, but that's what's so neat. Like woodworking has gone, yes, so much better than what it was when we were kids so here's.
Traditional Skills in Modern Maker Spaces"
Speaker 3I think I don't mean to contradict what you're saying. You're spot on, yeah, but there are. What we're trying to do is go old school. Most of the maker spaces that are out there focus on 3d printing, cnc and some laser stuff, and that has its place and I actually love it and I, we do it. I'm not just BSing you we want to get a laser machine, we don't yet. But I feel like there's a different skill set that you actually need to manually be able to use the table, so you'll be able to use the table sub, be able to use a lathe, be able to use a drill press, and then again, I want to add these things in as well. But we're kind of taking a little different route, going with a traditional shop and then adding in more of the push the button, press print.
Speaker 2I love your freaking spot. I love the B he's coming up ahead, we stole it.
Speaker 3He did it all it's amazing.
Speaker 2But I love your idea because all of us, me included, there's times it would be so nice to go to your shop where it's all set up and I don't have to dig everything out, and you know you can go do it.
Speaker 1Yep, here's what I'm thinking I'm going to put you on the spot. You should go do a guest speaker at one of the classes.
Speaker 2I would do that. Wouldn't that be great. This is what he comes to support, what he loves.
Speaker 2I've been trying, but we'll get him because this is the kind of stuff that he and I know and you know. So when I started in this business in building homes in high school we worked and I was an electrician, because our neighbor was an electrician and half of the people on the job site were my age. Now the youngest person on any of our job sites is probably mid-30s and these kids don't realize it's a good profession. I think for years people have looked down on it. But it's a good profession that you. Some people don't want to sit in an office all day, but you want kids, Everybody wants kids to go to college and blah blah, blah, blah blah.
Speaker 3I'm telling you the trade school stuff.
Speaker 1Right now there's a huge void for people and a lot of money. I feel it's not even the money.
Speaker 2It's like. It's like. It's like your lifestyle, like you can. Some people that's they aren't like. I have been fortunate that I've never really had a job that I hate, but I know a lot of people that can't stand their job, but but that's what they've done their whole life and that's just what they do. And it's like it's hard for me to ever think that because I've had a few jobs that I didn't like and I just quit doing it and right, yeah, but a lot of people you get stuck in this, in, in this lane, and you're like I've, I have to pay for the house. I have kids. Yeah, I, I can't leave. I have child support. Yeah, shut up. Yeah, shout out to Mike and I mean you know your ex-wife. But even like you, josh, I think going it's therapeutic, it really is Going and building something that you've. To some people this would be a huge thing to build that they could tell everyone that they did that.
Speaker 1It's a sense of accomplishment. Yeah, If I go home and I'm changing a light bulb, I'll say look what you did today. I'll be like, ah, I changed a light bulb. Yeah, that'd be big for me.
Speaker 2You say that and laugh, but there's a lot of people that call Rob and I out to do that kind of stuff because they don't do that.
Speaker 3We live in such a digital world and I'm not knocking screens or iPads or anything else like that, but there's something incredibly, incredibly satisfying. That's like tactile. You know you actually, you know you're like I don't know.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, just get an ax out and make it so that you like they get to draw up what they're going to build and make a plan, Right. It's not just, you know, like a lot of times in real life and like with the show stuff, it's nice to teach kids like, but draw it all up, Right?
Speaker 1And then that's how you build. I think you're more excited than Charlie is.
Speaker 3Like for you, you love this.
Speaker 2This would be cool for you. It is.
Speaker 3No, I mean, you know you can go to Lowe's and get one of their little kits or something like that, and again that's great. But if you can actually something, it's good. But this is this empowers.
Speaker 1The problem we're going to have with Matt is like tomorrow he's going to load up the Mars woodworking group.
Speaker 3I feel it, competition is only.
Speaker 2I can tell you Kerry won't let him do that?
Speaker 1Shout out to Kerry.
Speaker 2I will say that maybe me and Dave could help you find a spot at Beer One.
Woodworking Membership and Classes Discussion
Speaker 3Hey, yeah, let's keep the conversation going. We would love that, so tell us more about the business Like.
Speaker 2how's it going? You've only been open for.
Speaker 3Right. So we've again we've leased some other space been doing the classes with kids for the past two years, um, very successfully right.
Speaker 2non-virtually correct in person at the space. You're right now or different, so we just yeah, so we know not.
Speaker 3The springdale location is new, okay. So, yep, we just we just opened um there, especially when this goes live. I know there's a little bit of delay in there, but uh, we are in springdale ready to go. We've been using a shop in bella vista and then center tent, okay, things like that, but we so the classes with kids are not new, but this location is new. And then what is brand new is the membership to use the shop and how's it going so far? Great, I mean, we're just new, so we want to keep getting the word out. We, we need more members, we want more members. How much does membership cost? So maybe it's another? There's three different levels depending on With the church place. Yes, exactly, so I think the lowest Double. Check the website.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's fine, the website is.
Speaker 3Approximates.
Speaker 1Yes, it's fine.
Speaker 3The website is theworkbenchcollectivecom and I think the low end gets you like five days a month and it's around $100, $120 a month. That's cheap.
Speaker 1The next one Five days I can come and Correct Unlimited amount of Like. I can be there for four hours, two hours.
Speaker 3Yes, there's a middle one that's. There's a middle one that's 10 days, I think, and then the unlimited Is $300 a month and you can go every single day. You get a locker, $10 a day $10 a day.
Speaker 2You go every single day. Rob's going to have all his trim guys Hair washing.
Speaker 3Sorry for interrupting. No commercial. No, this is free road enjoyment.
Speaker 2We can't have people making cabinets they're like we're trying to teach a class over here no.
Speaker 3So for the B-Team listeners, we're offering 15% off.
Speaker 2Heck yeah, you didn't have to ask.
Speaker 1There you go, he watches the podcast.
Speaker 2He knew you were gonna ask what do you have for the viewers?
Speaker 3boom he watches the show. So it's for the 15% off the unlimited, the unlimited level, and I think, I think you should be able to plug in B-Team. All one word for a coupon code and that'll get.
Speaker 1So I'll ask you a clarifying question. So if somebody wants to do this work but doesn't want to buy all the tools, they can just come down unlimited, bring all their stuff, work as much as they want in your shop. Yes, it's fantastic, unbelievable, that's really great which one good saw.
Speaker 2you would pay for a year Easy.
Speaker 3No, I mean, you know that. Back me up on this. If you want to get a fully equipped shop, you're looking at $80 to $100.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's what I was saying and, to be fair, you'll never use the space for it.
Speaker 3Exactly so. If you have unlimited resources and you're building a custom shop, yes, you'll probably do that, but most people retirees in Bella Vista or people working for Walmart they've got an apartment. This is a great opportunity. I think it's economical, I agree.
Speaker 1I think Dave should sell the barn and season 8. He should be doing all his woodworking stuff down there. I know.
Speaker 3To be great.
Speaker 1Anyway, yeah.
Speaker 3So we want the word to get out.
Speaker 2We want the word to get out. I think it's a genius idea.
Speaker 1In all seriousness, because we say a lot of bullshit on this podcast and none of it ever happens Like, oh, we're going to do match, stock and all the stuff. That never happens. You should really go down. You should go down and do it on a rapid.
Speaker 3You should go down and do a class no, we gotta get josh down there, we gotta yeah. No, this is not my jam. I would love to.
Speaker 2I know it's not but, I think if you wouldn't try it, I would love to try it and I and I so.
Speaker 2so I think this is going to be the biggest question maybe not in the beginning, but down the road is, like someone like josh that's not, he's not a hands-on guy like if he bought, if he buys the, whatever, the, the five day, the 10 day or the unlimited, like what does he get any help from you on things? Or like, are you are, like, how involved are you with people at those levels? Or how does that? Because some people I think it would be like a bucket list I want to meet my wife X, but I don't know all the details, but you would show up and you wouldn't need anything.
Speaker 1I wouldn't need that. That's probably something separate.
Speaker 2Right, there's probably adult classes.
Speaker 3The short answer is no. If you buy a membership, you're on your own. I don't have any obligation to help you. I might, as a favor, help Josh out if he's drowned, but if someone doesn't have, that, what is it? I think if you are a member you get a discount on the classes. So then you would attend a class and we would walk you through making the project.
Speaker 2So someone like Josh or myself, who have no business in a woodworking shop. We'd come to a class, learn some stuff and then take it to the membership level. That would be the progression. So when you do the classes, do you do it kind of like the school thing, like you're like we're gonna make a bread box yes, yes, everyone's making three classes or four, you can get your basics.
Speaker 1What could you teach? What would you? What would you teach in a class? What would you have somebody do?
Speaker 2I I'd mind you. You have to have someone with stress or like what you have to make what.
Speaker 1What would?
Speaker 2be um so usually like a cutting board, something that you use every day. I think is the most important. If you made Emily or the kiddos a cutting board, or if they made one, she would never get rid of it. A lot of women use cutting boards for decoration, even I would say. Usually you start with the cutting board and then you do something more. We would do this bread box, and it had to. It had a roll top like and and you. It kind of like teaches you all the different. You have to use a router and you have to use a van.
Speaker 2I would love to come down make a pizza peel well, I got a brand new pizza oven in my back that's what I'm in my backyard and I'd love to come and do a pizza.
Speaker 3well, hold on, I'm on, I'm going to come over to Bar Nelson and we're going to have some pizza.
Speaker 1No, no, but in all seriousness, I was going to ask that question because on your mom's episode of the show, Dave made one and it looked like he made it in like three minutes. Now I know it's TV right.
Speaker 2But he knocked this thing out to it. It's not that involved, but but you have to have the basic skills. It's like mallory going to cooking school. Right, shout out to mallory, you gotta go and learn the basic sauces, the basis. You know all the basic stuff and then you go into the kitchen and there's different levels of all that stuff. Those the cutting like cutting a real cutting board. Old cutting boards are like in the green, like they're not like real, but the green, like they're not like you make, like they're not like the ones that you Right, but it's neat because you can learn all that. Oh yeah, like you can't go buy those kind of butcher blocks anymore.
Speaker 1You see some people selling them at like the market, the Bentonville downtown.
Speaker 3RTC guys. They're selling those things there and they're probably doing them like in a shop like yours, Exactly, yeah, I mean, most of them probably have their own space. Now would you do?
Speaker 1again. All seriousness, would you do couples night we're absolutely very open to doing it. That would be cool, like classic with the wives. It's tricky, can?
Speaker 2you have wine.
Speaker 3I thought about that. I just don't think it's smart. How come?
Speaker 2all of them work and girls can't mix.
Speaker 1I lost a finger, but pour me some more drink.
Speaker 2Cappuccinos, cappuccinos, and we have belt sander races. We even wait until the teacher would turn around and we'd lock them on. That must be a woodworking genius.
Speaker 1I don't know what he's talking about. You can look at him on YouTube.
Speaker 3So the challenge I'd love to do a date night thing, but it's going to be a ridiculously simple like maybe carve a spoon. Most wood has some kind of joinery and if you let it, you got to let glue dry and then you got to sand it more. So it's really tricky. It's really tricky to do.
Speaker 2I do have a list of, but it's going to in my mind it's almost stupid simple things. You would almost have to glue it all up and have them ready, right, yeah.
Speaker 3So you could, you know, if I had a cutting board blank and then they designed the shape and they cut it out, and so I'm very open. Yeah, we're, we're. That's a good idea.
Speaker 2Because it's kind of like the painting with the twist.
Speaker 1That.
Speaker 2Because it's kind of like the painting with the twist. That's what I was going to say. Like the women love it and we go.
Speaker 1Well, I don't think, I don't know what you're talking about we go.
Speaker 2Well, I haven't been in a long time, but like you, oh, don't worry, I think Carrie has it on your calendar, she just hasn't told you yet. No, but like, do this kind of like it's, but it's most women and they're really, they're a lot more artistic.
Speaker 1Yes, I do think, in all seriousness, if you can have something halfway done or halfway started and then you show up for an hour or two, yeah, I think that'll be cool. I would do that.
Speaker 2Yeah. I think your business is going to evolve Right. It's brand new. You're figuring it out and what it is today. It's going to be a little different absolutely four to five years from.
Speaker 3We want to be flexible on this and part of right, I'm my own worst enemy because, I am right, I'm a purist woodworker in my own sense. I'm like you know. I look down my nose at having a half-made project ready to go, but if that's what the market wants, we can totally make that happen for more people to be able to enjoy it in a in a quick price. It doesn't have to be all the time, but even this last month or right, yeah. And so that's the challenge. That's what the challenge we've seen with adults is.
Speaker 3Usually they have more of an idea in their head oh, I want, I saw this thing on pinterest, I want to build that thing, and it's the kiss of death. That's right, palette furniture, but um, it's, it's hard to to kind of sell a group class making the same project with a. It's much easier for kids. Okay, yeah, kids are just, we're gonna, you know, we're gonna build this and be happy about it and don's like no, I want to build this thing, uh. And so I'm like okay, I'll get a membership, build whatever the heck you want, and yeah you love this, though, don't you?
Speaker 2this is up. This is right. I think it's a great idea that you have. I do.
Speaker 3We want to get the word out. That's why.
Speaker 2I'm grateful to be here Because I know we kind of live in the city. Here. Most people don't have a shop and their wife doesn't want them to turn the garage into a wood shop or the expensive dust bowl. But being able to go there and do the old when you leave, do the yeah, the grove, it's nice. You, you're like, you get in your car and the wood shop still at the wood shop, it's not, you're drugging the house and exactly everything liabilities with, like saws.
Speaker 1I mean I assume everybody signed waivers and all that stuff.
Speaker 3Yes, yes, smart, yep, yep, exactly, I'll leave a finger there.
Speaker 2You would have to sign two.
Speaker 3Oh yeah yeah, yeah, double waiver.
Speaker 1Matt come over. How do you hit the button to turn it on? Uh-huh.
Speaker 3Oh, there it is, yeah, so I want to highlight my business partner briefly if that's okay, so Clay.
Speaker 3Ferguson graduated from Bentonville High School, u of A. He's an engineer, so he's a lot more organized than I am. I'm kind of like you know, jump off the cliff and build my parachute on the way down. You like clay here. Yes, we met at church. He had the community. I had actually thought about it, but he didn't really think about the class side. He always wanted to put together a community wood shop, his parents own heroes, uh, coffee, oh. And he did all of shout out, yeah shout out yeah, before I walked in here I was here a little so clay I love their green tea, yes.
Speaker 3So clay did a lot of the the built-in um furniture in a lot of the heroes location I know the ones where you walk up on that's super cool. So that's clay, that's clay. You did that. Yep, my Clay Ferguson. He did that.
Speaker 1Yep, my kids always ask me to go up there, and then I like, hey, I can't get down yeah.
Speaker 3Super cool, yep.
Speaker 1So anyway, let's get heroes in here, that'll be cool.
Speaker 2Yeah, what did he think about you coming on the B team tonight?
Matt's New Hat Fashion Review
Speaker 3He was grateful. He didn't quite share my passion, uh, but he probably would have been here actually, but, um, he's been a little, his family's been battling a bug and uh, anyway, we got to get some stuff done for this weekend. So, anyway, otherwise he would have been here. Sorry, yeah, I think I actually texted you. Hey, can I add my business partner on here?
Speaker 1last question for you what do you think of matt's hat? That's a a new one. I've not seen this before.
Speaker 3The baby blue. I think it brings out the blue in your eyes.
Speaker 2Stop the cardboard in that thing. I think the cardboard. Oh, there is cardboard that keeps it proper. Is it brand new? Oh yeah, it's a nice lid. I think Matt's eagerly getting sponsored on this and you and I got left out Brass Pro and Poncho. Oh, look at all this stuff he's sneaking in.
Speaker 1And now it's Wherp Bunch Collective. I'm just distracted by all the hair poking out there.
Speaker 2I mean look, look at that oh man Put poking out there here, look, oh man Wow.
Speaker 3The bees haven't seen it.
Speaker 1I'm walking Billmore. I'm walking Billmore. Charlie, any parting last words, anything you want to say now, I just want to thank Rob and all of you guys for having me.
Speaker 3That's right, you guys kind of took a risk.
Speaker 2Like he said it correctly. He did say thank you, rob, all of you guys, for having me.
Speaker 1You guys kind of took a risk. Like he said it correctly, he did say thank you, rob and all you guys. I'm sorry this could have been a disaster. It was amazing. Yeah, it was amazing. It's probably the best one we've had.
Speaker 2Ever. It was very good, besides Tom Cheers.
Speaker 3Cheers.
Speaker 2Cheers, he's like I've got to get the hell.