We recently connected with Scotty Chapman and have shared our conversation below.

Scotty, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Drive and determination. Being lazy is easy that’s why so many people don’t succeed.

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’m a full time firefighter in Northern Utah. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a business owner on top of that. One day I started watching YouTube videos of people crafting everything from wood shop goods and metal fabrication to leather items and jewelry. At the time I was living in a small apartment and really wanted a hobby. Leatherwork seemed like a fun hobby that I could craft useful items and still create something beautiful. I loved the idea of working with leather because of its utilitarian property as well as its aesthetically pleasing features. It was the best of both worlds. I taught myself using YouTube videos and eventually people started asking me to make items. I thought it would be a good way for the hobby to pay for itself. Before long I was overwhelmed with the amount of business I had and haven’t looked back since. It fits perfectly with my full time career as a fireman.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When I first started I bought an old kitchen table from a second hand store and turned it into my “workbench”. Every paycheck I would buy one or two pieces of equipment or some scrap leather to practice on. After about three years I considered my “setup” to be complete. Now I only use the money I make from leather crafting to buy more equipment and material. Don’t worry, I still have a long list of equipment that I’m saving for.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Word of mouth works very well also!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @goldenspikeleatherwork
• Facebook: Golden Spike Leatherwork

Image Credits
Scotty Chapman