The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things
The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of Making Things" is where craftsmanship meets business strategy. Hosted by Paul, founder of Philadelphia Table Co. and The Handcrafted Network, this podcast dives into the mindset, pricing, marketing, and systems that help makers turn their craft into a thriving business. Whether you're a woodworker, artisan, or creative entrepreneur, you’ll learn the strategies to build a profitable, sustainable business—because great craftsmanship deserves great business strategy.
The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things
From Side Hustle to 7 Figures: The Philadelphia Table Company Origin Story
In this episode, Paul shares the unfiltered origin story of Philadelphia Table Company—from building a first table for his apartment to running a nearly $2 million custom furniture business with a team of 10.
He details the real timeline: early days working out of his dad’s garage, learning by trial and error on Etsy, juggling a music career and substitute teaching, and slowly expanding from a $400/month rented garage to owning a 16,000-square-foot workshop.
Paul talks about critical turning points, like bringing on his first helper (his dad!), hiring employees, landing big jobs like the Lokal Hotel and custom pieces for Jason Kelce and other Eagles players, and opening a showroom in Old City Philadelphia.
He also discusses the hard lessons learned during rapid growth—like hitting cash flow crises, finally getting serious about bookkeeping, raising prices, and hiring mentors to scale sustainably.
Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of not being too precious about who builds the pieces, being willing to delegate, asking for help, and learning from mistakes.
This episode offers an honest, detailed blueprint for anyone trying to turn a creative side hustle into a real business.