Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scott Hays. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
Leather work is one of those things where you start participating in the art and immediately go down the rabbit hole or you shelf everything to “come back to it later”.
I’ve been involved with leather work since about 1978 and originally started out small. Then as I grew into adult hood I was pretty sure that I needed more tools, a better selection of leather and down the rabbit hole I went. I kept thinking about new products that I should be making which of course meant more equipment.
Although I continue to make the things I always have, with purchasing a leather sewing machine that I knew would handle the items I was making at the time, my skills have progressed to wishing I would have bought another style of machine.
In short, I wish I would have gone a little slower in my progression so I knew I would be getting the equipment and leather that I needed, not wanted;
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was first introduced to leather work my junior year in highschool. It was one of those mediums where I just connected with it. The teacher was also great about praising you and even when you messed up, he would help guide you to getting it right without feeling like you had actually messed up. Oh how I wish I had those first couple of pieces to compare.
Most of my work consist of tooled leather, tote bags, belts, horse tack and the list goes on. With leather work there are very few things you can’t create. I do get custom orders for items someone has seen online or an order to recreate a piece that the customer has had for a long time but has started to show enough wear that they just aren’t able to wear/use it anymore. One of the items I really enjoy is when someone wants their original piece restored. More times than not it is a challenge,but I learn so much from working with these pieces.
Leather pieces aren’t always inexpensive. We use top grain leather which is the preferred leather on a piece that is designed to last for a life time. As an example, when you find a tooled belt (a pattern put into the leather by hand tooling) that you like; you can usually expect to spend $100 or more. In comparison to a belt you may find in a store where the leather is half the thickness, has been embossed and feels rather cheap you may only pay $50. The difference is a well made belt is going to last you a lifetime with proper care where it is really hard to tell how long the imported thinner leather will actually last.
With custom orders, I work together with the client to make sure that everything is what they want. Some items takes several visits regarding their order, and if something is off at the time of purchase; I will do what it takes to make the item as close to what the client wants as possible.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Over the last years I have had 11 different surgeries. Between the recovery time and gaining strength back I have had to create projects that won’t aggravate those areas. It has made me really concentrate on what items I can make.
It has also made me slow down. A great thing with leather work as leather is quite expensive these days. I plan out my cuts more thoroughly, and pay more attention to what any given project needs to be successfully completed.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Praise. Even though we may feel like employees already know how much we appreciate them, unless we tell them they may never know. Simply asking how an employee is doing that day and actually hearing what they are telling us can make the difference in how they perceive their job. Individually tell your employees what a great job they are doing, and at the same time giving them feedback on what they are doing right or what they are doing wrong. But always making sure you aren’t crushing their spirit when pointing out mistakes. Always try your best to make it constructive criticism, not just bashing their spirit.
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