Sam left teaching at 41 to build furniture. The first year, the money, and what they'd tell their younger self.
OM·01 A weekly interview podcast · Melbourne
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Unhurried interviews with people who changed course. Every episode has chapters and a full transcript, and every sponsor is labelled as an ad.
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Off Mic · Episode 48
The second career
0:00-47:40
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SamI kept a list on the fridge. Reasons to stay, reasons to go. The go list won by about March.
PriyaWelcome to Off Mic. I'm Priya, and today I'm with Sam, who taught maths for sixteen years and now builds furniture.
SamBadly, at first. Less badly now.
PriyaAd This episode is sponsored by Paper Plane Coffee. I drink their house blend most mornings, and they've paid to be here.
PriyaSo, forty-one, a permanent job, a mortgage. Walk me through the week you decided.
SamIt wasn't a week. It was two years of Sunday nights feeling sick, and then one Tuesday where I didn't.
SamThe first year I sold eleven pieces. Eleven. I'd budgeted for thirty.
PriyaWhat kept you going?
SamCommissions from people who'd seen a table at a friend's place. Word of mouth, honestly.
PriyaLet's talk money. What does nobody tell you?
SamThat you'll pay for tools before you pay yourself. And super doesn't pay itself when you're a sole trader.
PriyaA listener asked: how do you price something you've never made before?
SamTime it, double the time, then add the timber. I still get it wrong.
PriyaWhat's next for the workshop?
SamTeaching a weekend class. Turns out I missed the teaching, just not the staff meetings.
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