Episode 85: ‘The Honest Carpenter’ with Ethan James
In this episode:
Christi and Angela spoke with Ethan James, a pro carpenter since 2011. After a knee injury kept him from the tough, physical demands of the aforementioned trade skill, Ethan decided that he could use his experience and knowledge to continue to help others by creating courses online as well as a plethora of helpful YouTube videos. We hear how Ethan overcame the technical hurdles that one often encounters while attempting to script, produce, record, and edit your own content. However, with determination and a passion to help others in an industry that currently has a workforce labor shortage of 770k in 2023, Ethan is doing his part to educate anyone interested in learning more about trade skill tools and materials. Listen to hear more!
Supported by: Hill Electric
Show Notes and Links:
About Ethan:
Click HERE to learn more
Hey, I’m Ethan! I grew up building and remodeling houses with my father (Ross James) in Raleigh, NC, during the late 1990s and early 2000s. If my bio were 100% honest, I’d probably call myself The Reluctant Carpenter, because I never believed that I would carry on the building tradition past my younger years!
However, after graduating college and spending some time working in the bookstore industry (I love books about as much as anything), I began dabbling once again in my adolescent trade. I quickly found that not only was carpentry far more enjoyable than I remembered, but my skills were also in extremely high demand!
I went into business for myself as a pro carpenter in 2011 and worked for hundreds of clients throughout North Carolina. I enjoyed every second of it! But when a knee injury began to sideline me in my late thirties, I realized that I probably wouldn’t be able to continue building things at a pro level for much longer.
So, in 2018, I started The Honest Carpenter brand and began teaching carpentry through YouTube.By late 2019, my videos had gained a global audience, and I had found my new calling as a trade educator.
I now spend much of my time creating content about carpentry, woodworking, and residential construction. I also advocate for tradespeople and speak often about the decline of the trades in modern America—a trend I hope to help reverse.
Carpentry changed my life for the better and empowered me in a tremendous number of ways. I truly believe that learning a trade can teach you things about yourself that you would never learn otherwise. The trades make us tougher, smarter, more resilient, and more creative!
So, whether you’re a total carpentry newcomer or a long-time tradesperson, I hope I can help you continue your carpentry education. There has never been a better time than now to learn this wonderful trade!
