Ben Uyeda: Designer Architect and Content Creator

The Woodpreneur Podcast

Ben Uyeda, a designer and content creator, shares his journey from architecture to building a successful media company. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from client-based work to pursuing personal projects and monetizing through online platforms. Ben emphasizes the importance of aligning personal interests with financial opportunities and the value of authenticity in creative work. He also talks about his current project of building a hotel and the balance between work and personal life. Ben's approach to growth is driven by curiosity, interest, and the desire for continual escalation in his projects. The conversation explores interesting ways to source raw materials, such as logs for woodworking and fabrication. It discusses overlooked species with heavy uses, unique sources of logs, logs with a story, and the value in unconventional wood. The conversation also highlights the importance of creativity in finding extraordinary margins and mentions specific woods like eucalyptus.

Takeaways

• Align personal interests with financial opportunities to create fulfilling work.
• Demonstrate value and curiosity in your projects to attract opportunities.
• Focus on authenticity and genuine interests rather than seeking external validation.
• Continually challenge yourself and escalate projects to foster growth and motivation.
• Maintain balance by evaluating and adjusting priorities regularly. Consider exploring overlooked wood species with heavy uses, such as Sycamore, Hemlock, Cedar, Doug Fir, and Osage Orange.
• Look for unique sources of logs, such as salvaging bog logs or partnering with tree services that have contracts with state and local governments.
• Seek out logs with a story or historical significance to add character and value to your woodworking projects.
• Embrace the potential of unconventional wood materials, as they can offer unique aesthetics and high margins.

Chapters

00:00Introduction and Background

03:00Transition from Design to Content Creation

06:17Challenges in Pursuing Personal Projects

09:13Demonstrating Value and Attracting Opportunities

11:14Authenticity and Genuine Interests

14:21Choosing Brand Partnerships

18:20Escalating Projects and Continual Growth

22:26Building a Hotel Project

25:34Maintaining Balance and Self-Care

29:59Completion and Launch of the Hotel

35:18Evaluating Personal and Professional Growth

37:14Advice and Struggles

38:29Sourcing Raw Materials: Types of Logs

39:45Overlooked Species with Heavy Uses

41:15Unique Sources of Logs

42:24Logs with a Story

44:06Value in Unconventional Wood

45:07Creativity and Extraordinary Margins

46:36Eucalyptus and Other Interesting Woods

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Connect with Ben at:

https://www.instagram.com/benjaminuyeda/

https://www.benuyeda.com