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Episode 215: Edgar Blazona – The Sofa King, Founder of BenchMade Modern

Edgar Blazona, the Furniture Designer and Serial Entrepreneur, joins the show to share his journey from graffiti artist to building and selling BenchMade Modern. Hear how to differentiate your product, prepare for due diligence when selling your company, bust out of a creative slump, how far he can spit, and the one thing you must do at Burning Man. This episode covers everything from DJing to designing furniture. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How do you learn how to graffiti
• Did Edgar ever get caught graffitiing
• What was the best lesson he learned as an entrepreneur
• When did he know it could be a big business
• How did BenchMade Modern differentiate to customers
• What has driven the growth of BenchMade Modern
• Who inspired Edgar to DJ
• What’s the craziest sofa spill he ever heard about from a customer

Connect with Edgar on LinkedIn and Twitter @EdgarBlazona.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Graffiti
  • [0:32] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:48] Connect with Edgar on LinkedIn and Twitter @EdgarBlazona
  • [1:38] Sorry
  • [1:55] Real excited there
  • [2:34] How did Edgar become a graffiti artist
  • [3:08] Graphic Artist
  • [3:49] Lollapalooza, Total Devastation
  • [4:08] How do you learn how to graffiti
  • [5:45] How did Edgar become “The King of Height”
  • [6:03] WHOOPS
  • [6:42] Did Edgar ever get caught graffitiing
  • [6:57] Shoutout, SkinnyFAT!
  • [7:23] DJ SkinnyFAT
  • [7:37] Graffiti Graphics
  • [8:11] Sales
  • [8:20] What was the best lesson Edgar learned as an entrepreneur
  • [8:58] Press
  • [9:12] WHOOPS again

• The BenchMade Modern Story
  • [9:56] Super cruel
  • [10:21] What got Edgar into the furniture space in the first place
  • [11:54] When did he know it could be a big business
  • [12:08] Employees
  • [12:20] Pottery Barn
  • [12:41] TrueModern
  • [12:48] Retail, DTC (Direct-to-Consumer)
  • [13:01] Inventory
  • [13:17] Business Model, Business Plan
  • [14:37] Did you catch it
  • [14:56] Shoutout, our families!
  • [15:36] How did BenchMade Modern differentiate to customers
  • [18:01] Restoration Hardware (RH)
  • [19:44] Augmented Reality (AR)
  • [20:27] Taxes
  • [20:58] GPS Tracker
  • [21:03] Uber
  • [21:52] What has driven the growth of BenchMade Modern
  • [22:09] Brand Advocate
  • [23:27] The New York Times Wirecutter
  • [24:01] How was the process of selling the company to American Leather
  • [25:03] Email
  • [25:13] Due Diligence!
  • [25:39] Excel
  • [26:34] Startup
  • [26:48] Ooooooooooh
  • [26:56] What would Edgar do differently if he was starting over with BenchMade Modern
  • [27:21] Banana Republic
  • [29:11] CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods)
  • [29:40] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool. Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [30:41] How do you be and stay creative
  • [30:59] Zoom, Burning Man
  • [31:15] Google Meet
  • [31:48] Architecture
  • [33:12] How did Edgar get into DJing
  • [34:28] Panic Attack
  • [34:36] DJ SkinnyFAT on SoundCloud
  • [34:46] Who inspired Edgar to DJ
  • [34:48] Space Cowboys
  • [35:13] Shooey
  • [35:26] Claremont McKenna

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [36:15] What’s a quirk Edgar has
  • [36:24] Sofa vs. Couch
  • [38:15] Couldn’t resist
  • [38:22] Sofa Potato lol
  • [38:31] What’s a pet peeve Edgar has
  • [38:50] Potluck
  • [39:00] Whole Foods
  • [39:42] What’s a weird talent Edgar has
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [41:06] rekordbox
  • [41:19] Barry “Twist” McGee
  • [41:51] Bay Bridge
  • [42:14] Golden Gate Bridge
  • [42:49] What is one thing you must do at Burning Man
  • [43:41] What’s the craziest sofa spill Edgar ever heard about from a customer
  • [45:08] Connect with Edgar on LinkedIn and Twitter @EdgarBlazona
  • [45:32] Where’s Waldo?
  • [45:55] What are Edgar’s Final Thoughts
  • [46:24] Facebook
  • [46:58] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling super nice
  • [47:15] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [47:17] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [47:20] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [47:26] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Edgar Blazona on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And DJ with them ’till the sun comes up. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!