Scratch Entrepreneur: Josh Smith Talks Clutch Fabrication

Josh Smith Talks Clutch Fabrication

Jun 5, 2018

If you own a business, it reflects you, whether you mean for it to or not.

Every system, every product, every experience, has you embedded in it. Any business owner that isn’t comfortable with that should run for the hills. The “owning a business is like having a child” metaphor may be over used but there is, of course, some truth to it. The things we build reflect us.

But building a healthy profitable business evolves quickly beyond the parenting metaphor. The thing about parenting is we’re mostly doing it ourselves. Our tragic missteps and long sought after successes are mostly hidden and only become exposed years later as our kids grow up.

The parenting analogy works as a foundation but it isn’t the house.

Every business owner quickly moves from the parent figure and takes on a role closer to an architect designing the framework by which success will be built. But the architect hands over the design and is done, that’s it. So maybe that’s wrong. It’s more like the Orchestra conductor, masterfully melding all of the pieces into one moving presentation. But the conductor is handed the Symphony. The road map is already there. Most of us never have that and probably wouldn’t follow it if we did.

The reality is that no analogy actually works quite right because owning a business is way more complicated than anyone wants to admit. We are the parents, and the architect, and the conductor, We’ll probably spend time as the secretary, the banker, the back hoe operator, and everything in between as well. As we learn to navigate all of those hats little pieces of ourselves become the fingerprint. Even as we train employees or hire contractors, we build a story. Our brand ultimately will be a reflection of our self. The best businesses look in the mirror and, at least most of the time, they’re proud of what they see.

Our guest today may not attract to a whole lot of mirrors. He’s more comfortable in a world of flying sparks and heavy sheets of metal. His love for building started as a kid and grew through building low rider cars and motorcycles in the DIY Punk scene. Josh Smith, own of Clutch Fabrication talks growing up, why he loves metal, and how he's grow up as a business owner.

We’re glad you joined us.

Here are some highlights:

What was Josh’s childhood like?

Josh grew up in the woods of Green county Indiana. His dad built their rustic cabin and was constantly adding on or working on it. His mom was an artist working in stained glass. So Josh had a combination of creativity and building going on around him a lot.

How did Clutch Fabrication start?

Josh was into working on cars and motorcycles already. Then a chance meeting got him connected with a Blacksmith in town. It just built from there. He worked for the blacksmith, then for another metal shop, and he finally decided to go out on his own.

What does he love about metal?

He just loves taking something that’s impossible to move and being able to heat it and manipulate it. He sees the combination of building and creativity in the medium and appreciates being able to dabble in both.

Does Josh enjoy the more artistic projects or ones with specific requirements?

Both have their pros and cons. Josh loves systems and efficiency. That’s kind of weird because every project Clutch does is different but he definitely enjoys the jobs where he can build in efficiencies. But he loves the creative stuff too. When he builds furniture there’s a lot more freedom and he sees the process and the outcome in a more artistic way.

What made Josh such a good problem solver?

Josh hasn’t been diagnosed, but he feels he’s probably dyslexic. He’s been dealing with this since he was a kid and would always be finding ways to work around his struggles with reading. Having to constantly navigate the issue as a school kid set him up to be able to find solutions quickly

What are some of the struggles Josh has experienced as a business owner?

Really it’s been the pressure of his business growing. Employee turn over, jobs stacked on top of each other, and tough jobs environments have definitely made him sweat.

What are some of his favorite moments?

Josh loves to step back and just appreciate Clutch Fabrictaion and were it is. He loves the people too. Connecting with people is his favorite part.

What does Josh love about owning a business that he didn’t think he would?

Really it’s the nerdy planning and organizing stuff. Building a business plan, analyzing statistics, evolving the employee benefits plan, and things like that. Josh loved the metal work at first and still does but now he loves the higher level elements of owning a business as well.

Where does Josh see Clutch Fabrication in 5 years?

Really it’s about slow growth. He’s not out to make a million dollars. He wants to continue doing good work and growing a healthy business.

Special thanks to Josh Smith for taking the time to share the Clutch Fabrication story with us.

The show was hosted, produced & edited by Jeremy Goodrich.

The music is by Mark Vinten.

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