Nick Hardrath, The Urban Craftsman

About this episode

Nick Hardrath shares his journey from a corporate career to building his own woodworking business, The Urban Craftsman.

What does it take to walk away from a stable corporate career and build something with your own two hands? Nick Hardrath did exactly that, and the business he built, The Urban Craftsman, is proof that passion and strategic thinking can coexist beautifully. In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Jennifer Alger sits down with Nick to trace his journey from the corporate design world to running a full-time sawmill and bespoke furniture business. Nick started in 2016 with small projects and ornaments, went full-time in 2018, and has never looked back. He shares how his corporate background quietly shaped the way he approaches branding, client relationships, and business systems in ways most craftspeople never consider. One of the most compelling parts of Nick's story is his decision to control his own lumber supply. By milling urban wood himself, he gains creative freedom, quality control, and a storytelling advantage that sets his work apart. He talks about the thrill of opening a log and discovering unexpected grain patterns, the discipline of managing wood movement and kiln schedules, and why understanding your material from the very beginning changes everything about the…

People in this episode

Host: Jennifer Alger

Guest: Nick Hardrath

Topics covered

• craftsmanship
• entrepreneurship
• branding
• woodworking
• business systems
• community

Keywords

• urban woodworking
• craft business
• branding
• client relationships
• lumber supply
• bespoke furniture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Urban Craftsman, Acres of Timber

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