Mule

This is Part three in a series of posts geared towards owner-makers that are looking for a system for ensuring balanced progress in all the aspects of making a living while making stuff.  Scroll back to part 1 and 2 if you...

Part four in a series directed at helping other maker-owners balance their worklife- minimal stress progression in all the areas of what it takes to make things for a living. Production "What you do for a living is not 'be...

Here's part 5 in a series meant to help other maker-owners navigate minimal stress improvement in different areas of making things for a living.  Improving your work day conserves energy for living life outside of what you do...

I coach JV football and the season is over. At the high school I coach at our freshmen generally come in having never even watched a football game.  There's no grade school football program and the kids come from all over and...

Something I love about building these resonators and Mulecasters is the coming up with new ideas.  Four years ago I didn't know how to cut metal.  Now we are finishing up our 225th guitar.  225! I never could have imagined...

  Yes! I totally made up that phrase. Thesaurus in hand.  Aren't ALL words made up? It took forever, go easy on me. The point is this: if you're trying to solve a problem - not enough orders, not enough time, etc - there...

Everything has a cost, right? Choosing one project means you are not doing another. Choosing to spend your time in one place means you're not spending it somewhere else.  If you aren't aware of the alternatives - the cost-...

Let the Wood Be Wood: Fingerboard Wood and Color When I started building these resonators I remembered some advice I got in guitar building school 10 years prior - "Save the good wood for later". Even though every bit of...

Okay. Here goes. We like making stuff.  Like, a lot.  But we like doing things that aren't being done. This is how Mule was born, how I learned what I needed to learn to make it happen. One day we got it into our heads...

The number one most awesome business thing I've done this year - (almost) daily progress pictures for customers. I used to do it occasionally, 'here's the wood,' type stuff. Now we do it every day. My brother Phil has a...

Authenticity is a lie. Ok, that's an extreme way of breaking down my point. I don't usually say things that needlessly blunt so I wanted to try it. It felt good! I'll keep going. Authenticity is a distraction. (That's more...

The other day at lunch I made sure to not get on my phone. I just ate and then when I was done I just sat there. Didn't think about anything or do anything, just sat there. I felt uniquely rested when I went back to work. We...