Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2013 an idea popped in my mind: a leather bow tie. So I pitched the idea to my dad, given as he’s worked in leather for years. He liked it, but didn’t think it was for him. I thought about it often, but never acted upon it, largely because I didn’t know anything about leather or how to make anything.
In August of 2015 my wife and I awaited the arrival of our third child. After Maxwell arrived we knew life was going to drastically change. Max came to us with Down Syndrome, and just six months into his life he needed open heart surgery. Needless to say, all of this changed the “normal rhythms” of life for our family.
I couldn’t stop thinking of the needs of my family, as well as leather bow ties. One day I went to get a cup of coffee. It just so happened the sleeve around my cup had an image on it: a bow tie. This was the the blossoming of the idea, into action. So with the hope that I could pay down medical bills, by working from home so I could be available to my family, Madison Street Leather was born.
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We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Struggles are real in every worthwhile venture, and so I consider myself blessed to have trouble along the way. From realizing my own limits to sometimes lacking that key contact, so much of all I do forces me to think outside the box and just keep barking up the next tree and flipping the next stone and before long I have found at least the next thing to do. That has become my unspoken, but every bit living mantra: Do the next thing. And often times equipment breaking down and a delayed turn time to get it fixed has actually expedited putting me in position with other makers and companies out there for collaborations, which in turn has turned into many longer term relationships as a result.
As you know, we’re big fans of Madison Street Leather. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
While all of what I did started with men’s accessories, it slowly morphed into so much more, including some items that have appealed to many women (tote bags among the most popular). I have since really made a big push to make promotional products for companies and non-profits out there. Before I knew it, this became 80% of my overall business. I enjoy the connections made through that and the repeat business from such as many times after a larger customer/business orders one product they end up purchasing other promotional products after realizing the quality of our leathers and overall experience. We are always looking to find ways to connect with more organizations in need of seeing their logo stamped onto our leather coasters, notebooks, keychains, bookmarks, bag tags, ornaments, bracelets, trucker hats and more.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My dad has been among the biggest inspiration and help to me along this journey. He has been a leather craftsman for the past 55 years, and run his own leather business for the past 25 years. He is the one who taught me everything I initially needed to know and countless things since about the craft of leather work, and he has also been a great guide and help from a standpoint of establishing a profitable, and enjoyable business. He was gracious enough in the early days to help connect me even with buyers from stores he felt my products might find a good home in and as a result I landed many initial wholesale orders that helped really spur me on especially in those early days.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madisonstreetleather.com
- Instagram: @madisonstreetleather
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisonstreetleather
