I am a high end kitchen fitter and you have just described me! I ok if I am working alone but fill the house with other trades people and I fall apart, can`t focus, cant stand the noise and distraction. Brain fog and social anxiety. I just want to do my thing with precision and love the detailing jobs.

Very good Alastair. I suspect you’ve just described quite a few folks in the fitted furniture business - attention to detail, working mostly alone or in a small group of ‘known’ members, a tendency to get easily distracted, and a slight obsession with systems! Bet the old workshop feels small now! Cheers, Peter

I love your humility, Alastair. Thoroughly enjoyed this video as always.

I thought my favorite videos were when you made mistakes and how you fixed them. Now I know my favorite videos are when you are showing your flaws and how you persevere through them. I am thankful for your openness and I admire you for acknowledging your support structure. Not many content makers show the foundations of their success, cracks and all. You are an amazing person, Alastair.

This is an excellent video for anyone getting any business off the ground, your humility candour are very much appreciated.

I’m a new subscriber and it’s nuts to me how much I can relate to how you work and your mindset. When you were describing your diagnosis, I couldn’t help but feel that, that’s me. Just from watching a few of your videos, I love how open and honest you are in your content because it’s very relatable. It makes life a little easier hearing that someone is the same sort of situation and has the same feelings and struggles. I thought it was just me! Keep it up 👍 cheers Robby

Very engaging and thought provoking Alistair, being able to say to yourself that you enjoy what you are doing and are able to recognise the important things to be in that space is probably the most powerful skill to possess. I have really enjoyed following your journey and look forward to more. Good luck with the house move.

I don't have a business but I love your videos, that mix of thinking, family, advice, humility and of course woodworking is so refreshing and encouraging. Great work and good luck!

I think the perception of success has shifted with social media. Far too often do you find that behind the fascade, the reality is almost always far different. But seeing every man and his dog constantly trying to perpetuate their (apparent) successes onto anybody who’ll listen can be a hindrance, I find. Fantastic video as always, well done for sharing (without being patronising!)

Your candor, humility, and wisdom are truly inspiring, thank you. Onward!

I have met lots of people with Asperger's, the traits are strong with you and why your channel is so detailed and thorough. If I could choose tradesmen with certain traits this would be the perfect one for when attention to detail and precision is needed."Matthias Wandel" and "Badger Workshop" are youtubers with very similar thinking styles. I expect many inventors and innovators had Asperger's before it became a label.

100% agree with the sentiment of having another income within the house hold. As you know I started my business 18 months ago not only was I trying to grow a business I was learning a new trade. I come from a commercial/sales back ground so the business side is where I'm most comfortable, its the woodworking thats taking the time! :-) My wife's income has 'brought me time' to grow on all levels and to be honest allowed me to sleep a night! Not having the pressure to deliverer quickly has helped me to set up my business on the right track for which I hope will be a sustainable future. All the best with the move and there is no doubt you are heading into a period of great success!

thanks Alastair, as the Roman poet Horace says "CARPE DIEM" translates to "seize the the day" an expression that one should try and enjoy life while one can . best of luck in your endeavours

Thank you so much for sharing your life and business experience! I am in a similar position as I have a daughter with a visual handicap and I have been considering starting my own joiners business. I appreciate your honesty…

Thankyou for sharing Alistair, there is so much to be said about enjoying what you do, if this is the case you will never do a days work in your life. I say this because as a young man 35 years ago I trained in woodworking, but made a decision to go into another field, why ? Money ? Security. Lately I’ve started doing jobs for friends and family, wardrobes, alcoves, etc. the joy I get at achieving something,then seeing the reaction of the customer is priceless, I’m now seriously thinking of making the leap back I to it , as they say life is to short. Thanks again , stay safe.

Thank you so much for sharing so openly. You’ve just described the majority of woodworkers I reckon! You’re not alone! 😅

Top marks Alastair, an honest and thought provoking video which could be mirrored in other contexts i.e. leading a business, being the key leader. Well done.

Another great video Alastair - great to see you on KZfaq again. Good luck with the new home - I hope it goes well for you.

I am a new Subscriber and i have to say i gutted it took me this long to find you.I found all videos so helpful as a DIY enthusiast.Your mindset is refreshing and inspiring.Keep them coming and also good luck with move!!

A really great, down to earth video. Keep up the great work

Another great and insightful video Alistair. Your honesty is commendable. I have been following your journey, not least because I am striving to grow my business too, but your content is always so relevant, interesting and delivered with eloquence. Onwards and upwards, I look forward to following your journey into the next chapter.

Thanks for the video. You have made great strides in you business. Been great to follow your progression. I think we all struggle to focus/appreciate what we've achieved/have. Savor the small steps...they add up to big changes. Wishing you continued success!

Thank you for this!

Well said Alistair best of luck with the new house and new workshop love your work and your videos

Thank you so much for your openness and honesty

Thank you! Very insightful. Wishing you a good move.

Great video and thanks for sharing your story.

Eloquent as usual. You've helped me get through the last few months of challenging carpentry projects with neat ideas and advice which has been invaluable. Thank you and good luck in your new home.

Thanks for sharing you're story. I learn a lot from you. Good luck with the business.

Nice video, it’s a real strength how open and honest you are. All the very best to you and your family in your new home.

Great video, thanks for sharing :)

Thanks for your advice

Well done ! great to see you are doing well and are in a very positive frame of mind ! good luck in your new home ,best of luck going forward

Thank you for sharing. I look forward to all of your videos but, these are the ones I get the most from.

I had not expected this video to be so interesting, and I thank you for talking about your diagnosis. I saw you video previously of how to install the movento drawer runners and now you reveal your mindset within the context of your trade. I have had also a diagnosis in recent years which explains so much and now I feel so much better equipped as a parent and also as a carpenter. I look forward to you upcoming videos... 👍

Good luck with the move.

Well that took me on a journey. Thanks for the contemplation!

Very interesting insight into your business and life, thanks for sharing

Thank you Alistair.Like many I'm sure, you have described my particular struggles in a nutshell and that has been very helpful indeed. Very best wishes for your house move. In fact I am so inspired I might support you on another channel for the first time ever and that's saying something for a tightwad like me!

I really enjoyed your candidness Alastair. Great video! After watching your transformation into lean manufacturing, I have started the slow process of just getting read of off cuts instead of saving everything. Small steps 🚶‍♂️..

Your openness and honesty kept me watching this video from beginning to end ,this is the first time I’ve watched one of your videos and I have at this very moment subscribed to your channel,. wishing you the very best of luck with your move I look forward to further vids... Thank you KCB. (A carpenter for 35 years but still wishing to fulfil ambitions that have been stowed away for too long)

Well done Alex with everything you’ve done I know you’re gonna keep growing slowly I think I’m exactly them as you with all your ways and symptoms thanks for the tips I’ll surely use some of them

Best wishes with the move 👍

Well done Alastair for opening up and saying it out loud. I think ou will find most furniture makers to some extent are the same as you. Otherwise how the hell would we be able to make the stuff we do ??? ?best of luck with the move and as the old wartime slogan said - Keep Calm, Just Carry On. All the best, Karl

Thanks for the video, Alastair. Shout out to Brady, 'The Rock!'. Good Luck to all in the future.

Great and deeply honest video Alistair. Fantastic that you can see the diagnosis as a positive. We all have things we are better at and things we struggle with, acknowledging that is for me the first step to success.

Great video Alastair. Definitely thought provoking and I’m kinda holding a mirror up to myself as you speak. I definitely go about things compared to other people in my life. My gf constantly tells me I have OCD. Perhaps I do but you have to play the hand that you’re dealt and just get on with things. Sometimes it actually suits what you’re doing and can be a real strength and then like you said, have people around you to pick up the slack for want of a better expression.

Good to see you moving forward and sharing the content. Keep it going as the journey is hard for even the strongest of people. I personally have learned a lot from running my business but until we learn to delegate then I feel one cannot earn enough to cover overheads! Delegation is very hard with a loyalty and skills issue, maybe that’s a personal barrier but most say the same. Best of luck 🤞🏻

Dear Alistair, thank you for sharing this video there are definately sections that resonate with me and sounds like you are very self aware and manage limitations, having a good team both work and home to support is very important. I hope the move is going well! Thanks Sam

Having run my own interior design business for many years. Running a workshop for bespoke work and using off the self units I know and understand where you're coming from - great and honest video.

Lovely video as always Alastair. Rang so many bells with myself; my old job (before covid) cultivated the attention to detail and helped my ocd thrive. After listening to your thoughts and comments, I’m probably well on the Aspergers scale as well.

Nice video Alastair, very down to earth. Dont worry about sucess, with your mindset you will make it.Good luck with the house move, when I was in the sevices I did it 5 times in 1 year I hated it. Best of luck with your business.

Cool fella opened my eyes to why I work alone I find it hard to tell people how I'm going to do stuff , but once I'm done always get more work . Presently taken on to apprenticeship chippys and find myself laughing at them for asking such daft questions .Have to hold back as one told me I'm knocking his confidence to his working efficiency lol . Some of us are born to the job some aren't any who great vid

Great video, this is what makes the channel soo good!! All the best with the move !!👍👍

You could look at a Kanban board for organising tasks and your work. Its a great visual way to see progress - and where you are at - at any given point.

My diagnosis is you’re a perfectionist, great communicator and a uniquely humble guy. Qualities many aspire to, no changes required 😀 The Carpenter, a story about success strategies, by Jon Gordon is a good and relevant book. 👍

Very interesting video I suspect that many in the construction industry have dyslexia as I suspect I have and in turn has traits of brain fog and intense focusing on certain aspects areas of life. I think making people aware of this is brilliant and helps all have a better understanding of how we all function in our own way. More please 👍

Good luck Alastair. I work alone in the fitted furniture business, I’ve been a carpenter for nearly 40 years and I can relate to a lot of what you said. I prefer to work alone, I make a few mistakes along the way but I get round them if I think them through. I hate the thought of others working with me, I work at my own pace and when I have worked with other carpenters or trades they’re always in a rush to get the job done, winds me up no end. Despite being a carpenter longer than you have, I’ve based a lot of what I do on your methods and your way of going about things and it’s helped me a lot. My business is doing really well and apart from the hard work I’ve put in, I owe a lot to people like yourself, Peter Millard and Gid Joiner for your advice along the way. Cheers fella 👍🏻

Wow. I came here looking for woodwork and left with your thoughts. I think I share a lot of the thinking patterns and behaviours you describe but I still don’t think labels help. We are all valuable, unique and different. The solution for me is to stop using money as the sole metric to measure success. Unfortunately I’d spent decades chasing that false idol before I also realised how I personally should correctly measure my success. You have a new eager subscriber.

"Don't let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning." -Robert Kiyosaki. "If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time." -Steve Jobs

Sad realy . But life moves on . Good luck pal. Very good craftsman

Good luck.

Wonderful, honest video. I too am a crafts/tradesman (woodwork, and pipe organs), and fit the category of “spectrum disorder”. My partner (who is British, by the way), is a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She too fits these categories. We’ve had many discussions about this. I think diagnoses are important, but as I think I sense in your words, they should not be limiting. I think we also fall in the spectrum of infinitely variable human behavior 🙂. Have you come across the writings of Gabor Maté? You may find some interesting perspectives therein. I really enjoy your content, and wish you all the best.

Great as ever. Did you have difficulty getting the NHS to take your concerns about Aspergers seriously and getting the diagnosis (asking for a friend!).

I’m a decorator and I totally get the perfectionism thing, I work on sites with other tradesmen and some days are unbearable chaos. Espescially when you watch all your hard work being undone by inconsiderate people grrrr 😖

Yeah!

Hi Alistair, Good to her that you are sharing your diagnosis with the world, you are not alone. Question I have (unrelated I guees to this video) is in regards to Houzz Pro. I can see that you are on there and I am wondering if it is worth it, as I had a call from them... Good luck in the future and keep up the good work. Best regards EV

👍

You know what you say about coaches. Those that can do, those that can't teach. Not sure what I heard from your coach was revolutionary really. If cash flow is tight (as some of your early videos suggested) then targeting investment in overstock is blindingly obvious. And I'm not sure this opening up on social media is the best thing Alastair - no doubt it's a suggestion from a coach / counsellor but sometimes the Great Oz should stay behind the curtain - despite all the media campaigns to the contrary.

Wish I could work with you

I was going to comment that you’ve either been reading business books or talking to a business coach before you mentioned it. Lots of buzz words and business jargon.

An 'expert's' job is to 'diagnose' you with problems, that's how they justify their existence. You're seem about as normal as they come, don't get drawn into the 'victim' or 'success' traps. Try diversifying your channel beyond woodworking to liven things up a bit. Any hobbies/interests?