Notes from Chris

Episode 1122

Anthony Gonzales was working in construction, his career for more than ten years. It wasn’t a bad job—it helped him support his family, including five kids under the age of nine, and he loved working with his hands.

But, over those years, Anthony also had an irritation that just wouldn’t go away! As a safety supervisor, he was always taking notes in the field—and none of his notebooks would last very long. Between the water, heat, and wear and tear, those notebooks would start splitting at the seams almost immediately.

He was especially frustrated that the notebooks deemed to be “genuine leather” still didn’t hold up. He had leather boots for work that could withstand the elements … why weren’t his notebooks capable of the same thing?

Anthony turned to the internet, and quickly learned that the best and most durable leather is full-grain leather, which is what saddles are made of. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any notebooks made from it.

You know what happens next: if he was going to find the notebook he was searching for, he was going to have to make it himself. He had no experience in leathercrafting, but he knew that with all the information available, there was nothing holding him back. After all, he was handy.

Although he was inexperienced in leather crafting, that didn’t suede his confidence. He got to work, believing that if he was precise enough and took the time to make a quality product, he could get paid to learn. Quickly, he adopted “make it happen”, the same phrase on his original notebook, as his business mantra.

By the fall of 2019, he was bringing in close to $8,000 in profit each month. This amount is slightly higher than average due to the holiday season, but his sales have grown exponentially since starting.

Anthony attributes this bump to using organic social media. Ad campaigns weren’t doing anything for him, but his normal Facebook and Instagram posts really increased his following, especially when he posted authentic things like his kids with him in the shop. He also gets a lot of personal referrals.

Not only that, but 84 Leather now sells far more than just notebooks. Anthony makes everything from belts, wallets, knife sheaths, key chains, business portfolios and more. He’s expanded his audience from making products for people both out in the field and those in the office setting.

The crux of this success has been his willingness to solve one of his own problems. He was bothered on a daily basis by those flimsy notebooks. Rather than accept this irritation as a fact of life, Anthony took the problem into his own hands. He figured out why it wasn’t working—and had the confidence to teach himself a new skill in order to solve it.

 

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more and check out Anthony's leather working products at his website or 84 Leather Facebook page and follow him on Instagram.

SEE ALSO:

• Craftsman Creates $350,000 Hustle from Handcrafted Leather Products: A leather craftsman starts a successful, multiple six-figure side hustle after being inspired by the tannery he works at for his day job.
• Lifestyle Change Leads Two Brothers to Open Leather Shop: When health issues end a construction career for one of them, two Canadian brothers start an online leather shop selling high-quality goods.
• Tuscan Vacation Inspires Leatherworking Hustle: When an engineering company manager books a vacation to Italy, he figures he’ll return with Limoncello and olive oil—but he also ends up bringing back a profitable love for leatherworking.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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