We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dustin Lindley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dustin below.

Alright, Dustin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I started my leatherworking journey in December of 2022, but my passion for it had developed two years prior to that. Initially, the prospect of starting off seemed overwhelming, as there were so many different avenues to explore with leather. I spent hours scouring leatherworking subreddits and watching YouTube tutorials on crafting wallets, bags, belts, and shoes. With so many options available, I felt like I needed to know exactly what route I wanted to take before beginning. However, I eventually realized that the most important thing was just to start.

My wife, Bekah, and my brother, Garrett, both gifted me leatherworking starter kits separately for Christmas, and that was the push I needed to begin. I started by creating small wallets, one after the other, and soon began experimenting with higher quality materials and creating new designs. Within a few short months, I obtained a business license and created a website, leading to worldwide sales of my leather products.

Dustin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is Dustin Lindley. I’m a 34-year-old father of three beautiful children and happily married to my wife Bekah. For most of my life, I never considered myself a creative person. I spent my younger years working in construction, and from 2007-2011, I served in the US Navy. After my military service, I returned to construction, and eventually, I found myself working in the mining industry for the past five years. Currently, I’m an electrician at an underground gold mine in Northeastern Nevada.

In the last few years, I’ve been doing some soul searching, trying to figure out what I’m passionate about. I didn’t have anything that I was truly passionate about until the idea of leatherworking sparked in my mind. When my wife and brother gifted me leatherworking kits, it was the push I needed to start, and I quickly realized my passion for leatherworking. Leather is an incredibly versatile material, and it provides people with a medium for both utility and artistic creation. Although I’m more of a crafter of utility, I’m still in awe of the artistic expression found in leather works.

That’s why I started Unlucky Leather Co., a brand that takes inspiration from my favorite comedian, Mitch Hedberg, and his blackjack joke. The name has a deeper meaning: it’s better not to rely on luck, but instead, make our own way. My business specializes in small leather goods with compact designs, such as front pocket carry wallets and pocket organizers for everyday carry tools like pocket knives, flashlights, pens, mini pry bars, and various other tools that people like to carry.

My goal is to create solutions that help people keep their pockets organized using high-quality vegetable-tanned leather materials. I’m most proud of my latest pocket organizer design, The Bard, because of its versatility. It’s a solution-based product that becomes a part of someone’s everyday life. It’s designed to fit the curve of a standard pants pocket, so it doesn’t shift or sit toward the inside of the pocket like other designs. I discovered this solution by cutting the inside pocket out of a pair of pants and using it as the basis for my design. At Unlucky Leather Co., function is the main goal, and I’m constantly striving to create innovative designs to make people’s lives easier.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Finding relevant strategies for growing a social media presence as a small crafting business can be challenging. However, I discovered that networking is key to establishing a connection with potential customers. To incorporate this strategy, I spent time each week searching for at least ten accounts that used hashtags relevant to my business and connected with them by liking and commenting on their posts. This often led to more in depth conversations and by doing so, I was able to find out what solutions people were looking for and design products that fit their needs.

Although posting regularly and using relevant keywords and hashtags are important for growth, I found that networking has been the most effective way to expand my business. As I continue to engage with my audience and customers, I’ve noticed that the impact my business has created is being shared within their friend groups, leading to organic growth and increased visibility.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building my reputation in the leather goods market has required me to acknowledge what I don’t know. For example, during the design process of a pocket organizer, I engage with people who have established an audience around “Every Day Carry” items. I ask them what they need, what they carry, and what’s missing from the market. Since I have a limited variety of items, I reach out to those with larger collections of every day carry gear to gain insights into what would be useful to them.

Additionally, I’ve connected with several product photographers in the Every Day Carry community who have generously provided me with tips and helped with photography of my products. This is because I’m not afraid to admit that I know very little about product photography.

Acknowledging what I don’t know and reaching out to others for help has been critical in developing my reputation as a leather goods maker. By connecting with others and gaining insights, I’ve been able to create products that meet the needs of my customers, which has helped me to establish myself in the leather goods market.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://unluckyleather.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unluckyleatherco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090223923178

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Kristopher Pooley Some of the product photos: Ryan Dodds Garrick Eisenbeis (edc_noob)