The Fitted Furniture Makers Podcast Alastair Johnson

What if you stared death in the face then couldn't work for a while?  With time to think, how would you feel about what you have achieved so far?  Would any of it even matter all that much?  Would your priorities be different afterwards?

Paul is a self employed blacksmith and small business owner, faced with a major health event and unexpected open heart surgery 2 years ago, with a wife and 2 small kids at home.

He and his wife Becky talk us through the experience, the striving that characterised his working life before, and the changes in his priorities in life and work afterwards.

My name is Alastair Johnson and I run Freebird Interiors LTD in Sheffield, England.  Find out more about us at:

https://www.freebirdinteriors.co.uk

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

Extra Training and Resources:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird

Pricing conversation on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17983656118423634/



**'A Fitted Furniture Apprenticeship' Training Course**:

For initial details see here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird/e/50990... and check back in early January for it to go live.   Or to receive updates as soon as it goes live please join the member site here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird. (either tier. You will received a wealth of other training content in the member site)

Are you getting into woodworking, with an interested in custom designed fitted furniture?  Or are you already doing this and wondering how to take the next steps of growth?  In this podcast I share with you some of my experience since starting a joinery business from scratch over 12 years ago, and growing it to a profitable business specialising in fitted furniture and employing staff and running a CNC machine.  

See a video edit of this podcast with accompanying images and video of our progress from early days to present day here:

https://youtu.be/JH1dOzR_trw

Hear more about our Lean Manufacturing journey under the guidance of Bruce Polling and the team at thejoinerycoach.com in this podcast:

https://thejoinerybusinesspodcast.libsyn.com/alastair-from-freebird-talks-about-how-he-has-scaled-up-his-joinery-business-in-tough-times



My name is Alastair Johnson and I run Freebird Interiors LTD in Sheffield, England.  Find out more about us at:  

https://www.freebirdinteriors.co.uk

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

Extra Training and Resources:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird

**'A Fitted Furniture Apprenticeship' Training Course**:  

For initial details see here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird/e/50990... and check back in early January for it to go live.   Or to receive updates as soon as it goes live please join the member site here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird. (either tier. You will received a wealth of other training content in the member site)  

Ex front man for rock band The Presidents of The United States of America talks creativity and how songwriting is like woodworking.

In this interview with the former front man of 90s band The Presidents of the United States of America, we get away from all the pressures of work and this crazy world to enjoy a free ranging discussion about creativity (in both woodworking and songwriting) and how to be true to yourself in your work.

If you are a creative person but often feel your creativity is constrained by the demands of making it pay - I am pretty sure your spirits will be lifted as you listen to Chris’s take on life .

If you are a woodworker who is also a musician I am CERTAIN you will find this chat interesting.

We discuss:

- Parallels between song writing and woodworking.
- What it was like to be in a successful rock band and why he left to do something more fulfilling.
- The long process of finding your own creative voice.
- Connecting with yourself in order to better connect with others.
- It’s ok to imitate for a while.
- Virtuosity - what does it really mean?
- Simplicity - finding it on the far side of complexity
- Finding peace of mind in a crazy world.
- Putting your ego to one side.
- Why John Lennon got together with Yoko Ono
- ... and much more!

See Chris’s current musical project (Caspar Babypants) here:

https://babypantsmusic.com/home

You can find out more about Alastair from Freebird and support his work to inform and inspire the woodworking community here:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/freebird

In this first episode of the second series of The Fitted Furniture Makers Podcast I put other woodworkers' questions about spray finishing to expert sprayer Matt Marriott from Instasprayers.  
Covering: 

Some of the basics of different types of spray system. 
Pros and cons of waterbased finishes 
Substrate selection and preparation 
Spraying technique 
Dealing with defects and mistakes
....and lots more (This is a long chat to put on while you are driving or working in the workshop)  

This will soon be available on Podcasting platforms too for easier listening.  
The magic sponge mentioned by Matt is here this one:    Find out more about Matt and Instasprayers at these links: https://www.instagram.com/instasprayers/
https://www.instagram.com/instasprayerscertified/
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Instasprayers  
About Alastair and Freebird: 
Alongside the highs and lows of running my own growing fitted furniture business from Sheffield, England, I produce content to inform and inspire other fitted furniture makers on YouTube, Instagram, Podcasts and blog posts.
https://www.instagram.com/freebirdinteriors/
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freebird
https://www.youtube.com/c/FreebirdInteriors/

This time I am talking woodwork with my team-mate Brady, and much more besides:  
- Fatherlessness and fatherhood
- Trust and relationships in a successful team
- Why Brady hasn't left and why I haven't quit (!)
- The importance of asking questions
- Personality and temperament
- Some background on how Freebird got started and my first apprentice
- The power of making a decision

Plus the usual standard questions - shaker door, chunky shelf, etc!!

See www.buymeacoffee.com/freebird for ever increasing extra content aimed at the thoughtful woodworker.  Including my member-only vlog series charting our business growth as we take on a big new workshop and machinery.

To share any thoughts on this podcast please add a comment below this instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBWLsx2jzxo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

PS: About 4 minutes in, Brady mentions 'the latest video' - this is a recording we made of me doing a mason's mitre (kitchen worktop joint).  At time of writing this is waiting to be edited but it will eventually land on my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/freebirdinteriors

The shelf strength test video Brady refers to (soon after 12 minutes in) is this one: https://youtu.be/qLABN-iDYiM

I mention Brian Needham (at about 13 minutes or so), here is his instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/needhamcustomcarpentry/

*please share any feedback about this video here at this Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEK-lfj0cP/?igshid=1hnqkipad8dzk After the huge interest in their Fibrapan Hidrofugo since I mentioned it in passing on the previous podcast with Gary Banks, Finsa suggested doing a podcast together.  So here it is!
In conversation with Heather and Graham, we cover a wide range of topics relating to sheet materials which will be of interest to other technically-minded woodworkers.
You can find out more about me, Alastair Johnson, and my company Freebird Interiors here:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/freebird
You can find out more about Finsa here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finsauk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FinsaUK
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/finsa-uk-limited/
Email address: salesuk@finsa.com
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujS_Q4ZscdY
Phone number : 0151 6512400
Website: www.Finsa.com
Hidrofugo technical sheet: https://www.finsa.com/publicaciones/doc-prod05.nsf/10f8e8ecac94c9c9c1257f45002c6ba6/521a5cd6b598622ac1257f5600325884?OpenDocument