Going Pro: Part 1 – FineWoodworking

We all know the old saws: how do you make $1 million dollars in woodworking? Start with $2 million! (HAR HAR) It’s no secret that it is a very hard way to make a living, and even some of the best people in the craft will tell you how they have struggled and perhaps advise you to keep it as a serious “hobby”. So why do so many woodworkers daydream about it, and why do people like me try it?

The basic reason I decided to go pro in woodworking was simply that I couldn’t not try to do it. I could not stop thinking about woodworking: what I would build next, different business models for it, etc. When we went on vacation, I would seek out wood-related things: museums, shops, trees, etc. I was reading David Pye before work and watching The Woodwhisperer at night after dinner.

This is probably true for a lot of people who are passionate about something. Many, perhaps wisely, keep it as…