Paul Mencel

speaker

2,431 appearances 11 recordings 1 series first heard May 2026 last heard 10 Aug

Paul Mencel’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

Trend

recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 11 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 4.

Appearances

newest first · ▶ plays the moment

The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things · The Invisible Ceiling: Pricing, Systems, Creativity & Knowing What to Say No To · 13 Jul 2026 podcast

So I don't wouldn't necessarily look at it from a top down dollar value, but more of a return impact. voice-verified

and profit making sort of thing. voice-verified

So the short answer is no, I don't ever feel comfortable doing it. voice-verified

It still feels really weird, but you have to kind of live in that discomfort. voice-verified

You also need to get comfortable with the word no, which is really hard. voice-verified

I quoted somebody a very expensive table a little bit ago just because I felt like swinging for the fences and they said no, which got me... voice-verified

It put me in a tough spot because I couldn't go back and I couldn't be like, actually, that table that I told you was 20, I can actually sell you for 10. voice-verified

So it's a learning lesson. voice-verified

You're kind of just always fielding it. voice-verified

And to me, pricing negotiation and like kind of talking and selling and figuring this out is a little bit of a dance. voice-verified

It's a little bit of like jazz where it's like, you know, you got to figure out they go left, you go left, you kind of sway, you figure out sort of where their budget sort of lies. voice-verified

So again, short answer, it does not get comfortable, but there are many ways to sort of voice-verified

go around it thanks so much for the question if you have any other questions on this feel free to reach back out all right here we go subject am i building a business or just buying myself another job oh great question hey paul look love the podcast i own a small custom metal fabrication shop with one employee and lately i've been questioning whether i'm actually building a business or if i'm just creating a job that's harder than the one i left i mean very true voice-verified

Every decision still comes through me, every estimate, every customer question, every problem in the shop. voice-verified

If I disappear for three days, the whole place basically stops. voice-verified

You've talked a lot about systems and hiring, but how did you know when you were actually becoming a business owner instead of just being a really busy craftsman? voice-verified

Appreciate your thoughts. voice-verified

Thanks, Eric. voice-verified

Okay, so this is a really great question. voice-verified

And for a long time, right when you kind of start and it's just you, you did just kind of create a harder job for yourself. voice-verified

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