Meet Nathan Walker

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nathan Walker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nathan, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I believe real confidence isn’t built on empty affirmations about who I am – it’s created through undeniable proof of what I can do. The only way to shut up your inner critic is to provide evidence that what it’s saying is simply not true. When uncertainty and doubt creep in, you need a stack of accomplishments to point at. If you don’t have those accomplishments, what right do you have to be confident? Confidence is earned. Until you have it, the desire for that validation should be used as fuel to build something so amazing that it overshadows the negative voices, both internal and external.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I started working with leather when I was 13 years old.

At first, it was just a hobby. Throughout high-school I spent many evenings and weekends working on new projects, whether it was a wallet, a belt, or a journal cover. These were often gifts or small commissions for friends and family.

In 2017, I decided to start selling my work on Etsy. It was a very slow start. In fact for 2 years I worked a full-time job and dedicated any free time I had to fulfilling orders and working on new designs. Slowly but surely, things began to build. I launched a new website in late 2018 and by 2019, I was ready to go full time.

Fast forward to today, we’re a team of 6 (including myself) and we produce roughly 350 orders per week. We work out of a 1,800 sq ft shop in Apache Junction. We continue to create everything by hand and are constantly innovation with new product designs.

It’s hard to describe what it’s like to have witnessed my hobby transform into a thriving business. It’s been difficult, and I couldn’t even count the number of obstacles I’ve faced along the way, but I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. Every day I get to work with people I enjoy being around, doing something I enjoy doing, making products that I am genuinely proud of.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

What I have found is that are are new sets of skills for each level of business. Every time you “level up” in terms of the size and scope of your business, you will encounter an entirely new set of problems that require a new set of skills.

That being said, one over-arching quality that is absolutely necessary in entrepreneurship is persistence. You have to be so committed to your idea that no obstacle will inhibit you. There has to be an unwavering belief that every problem is solvable, that every trial can be pushed through. The difficulty with persistence is that you have to be unwavering in your drive, but very flexible in your path. You need to be steadfast about where you’re going, but very open as to how you get there. Persistence is trying every door until you get to the other side. And yes, sometimes you have to kick one down.

More tactically, you should have a basic understanding of anything new you get into. If you decide to start digital marketing, don’t give the keys to an agency without any knowledge of the area yourself. You cannot manage things you are not educated on. If you don’t understand something, the person who does understand it is in control. Educate yourself on everything from accounting to manufacturing to marketing, even if you have specialists in those areas.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Leadership. For several years I was a lone wolf. With 5 employees now, I have had to learn how to motivate people, how to communicate to people, and how to foster a positive work environment. I realized that not everyone has the same drive and passion as the founder, that people can’t read my thoughts, and that each individual is motivated differently. I still have a long way to go, don’t get me wrong, but over the past 12 months I have worked on communicating more clearly and consistently, vocalizing my expectations, and listening more openly. These skills have greatly improved the workplace, eased my own frustrations, and positively impacted employee satisfaction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lostdutchmanleather.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdutchmanleather/