In the early 2000s, LEGO was on the brink of collapse. The iconic toy brand was hemorrhaging money, struggling to stay relevant in an era dominated by video games and digital entertainment. Fast forward to today, and LEGO is a global juggernaut, pulling in over $9 billion annually. How?

The world is drowning (and it'll get worse) in synthetic everything: AI art, voice clones, deepfake influencers. Authenticity is emerging as the rarest commodity in business. And woodworking, of all industries, sits squarely in the crosshairs of that cultural swing.

The pendulum always swings. After a decade of minimalist calm, culture has had its fill of vanilla. The 2025 “Boom Boom” fashion revival (shoulder-padded, jewel-toned, and spectacularly un-subtle) is proof that restraint has lost its monopoly.

IKEA raised prices. Not just on a few items here and there, but across the board. Cabinets, vanities, and even that minimalist bedframe everyone’s been saving on Pinterest. The culprit? Tariffs ranging from 25% to 60% on imported goods. We’re going to steer away from politics here, and face what is in front of us and under our control.

When we were kids, we had no limits. We knew we could be anything we wanted in life. I assumed I’d be able to choose between being a football player, astronaut, railroad tycoon, or professional Nintendo player. It felt good to live in that world. I built a fort out of an extra pallet of bricks behind our house that faced an empty field. I single-handedly fended off battalions of invading soldiers, victorious every day, despite my many bullet hole wounds that only hurt when I pretended they did.

Gratitude is good for business.

This article has a prerequisite article, you can find here, but a quick summary: Once you know who you NATURALLY are (your business) and what you NATURALLY do better than others (your products and services), you can figure out who NATURALLY wants to buy them at a premium.

In an abundant market saturated with sales opportunities, yet plagued with supply chain and labor shortages, finding your niche is paramount. Hear me out. Being able to zero in on a niche target market (or even better, a target persona) and the products they want is a superpower of ultra successful companies. Trying to be everything to everyone is a good way to be mediocre and please no one. The old adage “Jack of all trades, master of none” sums it up nicely.