This week , the White House host its 2d annual “ Maker ’s Faire ” in co-occurrence withMaker ’s Week(June 12 to 18 , 2015 ) . The week is an initiative to encourage grownup and child alike to bring their own creations and design to animation and take them to the market place . A various array of entrepreneurs — from designers to builders to techies — took to Washington to showcase their merchandise and further the Maker Movement .
We sat down with a short Q&A with Ray to get a scoop on the Maker ’s workweek event .
1 . What have you see at the Maker Faire that has inspired you ?
There were so many inspirational stories , it ’s hard to name just one ! The story of Audrey Hale sticks out because it ’s so far beyond what either of us could conceive of having done when we were her age . At only 12 year old , Audrey is building a satellite ! In add-on , we heard the story of Jill Andrews , a hymeneals dress interior decorator in Baltimore , who helped construct an improved Ebola suit for handle infected patients .
2 . At what point in your life did you decide that you need to make your own products ?
We determine to set out on our own in 2011 , when we were both in our late 20 . Part of what ’s been so inspiring at the Maker Faire is the amount of entrepreneurial youth we ’ve converge . It ’s amazing to see what kids are able of doing , and we hope they continue to pursue that oddity and cacoethes throughout their life sentence . I think we can all think the days of uninhibited creativity and freedom . Whether it ’s depart a lemonade stand or selling homemade jewelry . carry that entrepreneurial spirit throughout life is n’t easy , so our main subject matter when match the young folks was to keep it up .
3 . In your view , how do farming and handcrafting complement each other ?
As a James Leonard Farmer you have to be a maker and a creator . Whether it ’s building young infrastructure , stimulate improvements on live structures , or innovating solutions to the multitude of problems that every granger face , we granger are always create something . Those capacity render directly into the confidence necessitate to be a handcrafter . On our farm , we ’re always experimenting with new products from woodworking to soapmaking and everything in between . It ’s not always a succeeder , but there ’s no better way of life to get word than from a mistake !
4 . What advice do you have for other farmer / handcrafters who desire to initiate a business ?
verify you ’re doing something that you love and believe in . If you ’re not 100 - percent passionate about your business , every day will be an uphill struggle . We started from the ground floor with very little capital to invest , so we had to make up for it with gross grit and working seven twenty-four hours a calendar week for 12 to 18 hour per day . It was , and still is , a labor of beloved . as luck would have it , after a few twelvemonth of severe work we ’ve been able to bestow on employees and take some of the work load off our shoulder , but when you ’re farming it ’s always a 24/7/365 kind of life .
