Why I Closed My Commission Book

This week I’m shooting a long-form video for The Wood Whisperer Guild, so work on “The American Peasant” is at a standstill for a few days. To make sure y’all are getting your money’s worth, here’s a column that answers a question I get all the time: Why did you close your commission book?

When asked to do a presentation on his work, Michael Fortune, one of the most successful furniture makers in North America, used to flash a slide of a laundry hamper that he made for a client.

It is, for certain, the most amazing laundry hamper ever to grace the planet. Made from laminated veneers that swooped around in a circle, it was a technical masterpiece.

It sold to a client for a sum that boggled my mind at the time. Maybe $15,000? More?

Fortune then gave a speech about how he runs his furniture business. He was generous with details, numbers, everything. I…