Our Story
How a Hobby Became Our Business
Part 1: An Unexpected Opportunity
It all started with a simple "no" in the summer of 2018. During a casual lunch with a friend, I witnessed something that would unknowingly change my life's direction. As we finished our meal and prepared to pay, my friend pulled out a unique leather wallet. It wasn't just any wallet – it housed a Field Notes notebook, several cards, and even included a dedicated pen holder. Impressed by its craftsmanship, I naturally asked where he bought it.
"I didn't buy it," he replied. "I made it."
You should know something about my friend: he's the type of person who, when interested in something, pursues it with unwavering dedication until mastery. He creates something remarkable, and then, satisfied with his achievement, moves on to his next adventure. In this case, unable to find a wallet that met his specific needs, he had learned leatherworking to create his own.
Impressed by his craftsmanship, I eagerly asked if he would make one for me. His response? "No."
Before disappointment could fully set in, he followed with words that would transform my future: "But I'll teach you how to make one."
Shortly after, we visited our local Tandy Leather store. We picked out a side of leather, some dye, and a few basic tools to complement what he already owned. In his garage, on the floor, I created my very first leather piece – my own version of a Field Notes wallet, complete with card slots, a cash pocket, and a pen loop.
Looking at this first creation now, I can see all its imperfections: unfinished edges, dye applied after stitching, and a mismatched leather scrap for the pen holder. Yet, this rough-around-the-edges wallet remains one of my most treasured possessions. Not for its craftsmanship, but because it marks the beginning of my journey.
This story teaches an important lesson about opportunity. That day, I wasn't actively seeking a new hobby, let alone planning to start a business or create educational content years later. I was simply spending time with a friend. What initially seemed like a disappointment – being told "no" – transformed into an invaluable opportunity to learn.
Sometimes, opportunities don't present themselves in obvious ways. They might appear as setbacks, or as offers to learn something you never considered before. But when someone offers to teach you something new, saying "yes" can lead to unexpected and wonderful destinations.
This is how my love for leatherworking began – with a friend's "no," a willingness to teach, and my decision to say "yes" to an unexpected opportunity.
Part 2: A Business Born of Faith and Giving
The journey from hobby to business wasn't a straight path. After discovering leathercraft in 2018, I immersed myself in the craft, investing my spare money in hand tools and leather while consuming countless online tutorials. Though the thought of turning this into a business briefly crossed my mind, I had no business training or concrete plans – just a passing dream.
As a teacher with summers off, I had the luxury of dedicating long hours to perfecting my craft. I discovered a free pattern for a belt pouch online, and though my first attempt took nearly five hours to complete, I was immensely proud of the result. Something clicked – if I were ever to start a business, this would be my flagship product.
I began making more pouches, though "more" at that time meant just four or five. Living in a one-bedroom upstairs apartment presented its challenges, especially when my leather-working disturbed our downstairs neighbor. But I persevered.
By summer 2020, with world events creating uncertainty about my teaching career, I had developed an interest in survival skills and self-reliance. This led me to discover Self Reliance Outfitters and the Pathfinder School, founded by Dave Canterbury. I enrolled in their Bushcraft 101 class in Ohio, bringing along four pouches with the intention of selling them to fellow students for $100 each.
This is where faith intervened. As a follower of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), I believe in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this guidance comes not as a clear command, but as a gentle nudge – an unexpected thought that challenges conventional wisdom. As I walked to my car to retrieve the pouches I planned to sell, such a thought entered my mind: "What would happen if you gave the pouches away instead?"
Initially, I resisted. After all, giving away the pouches meant sacrificing $400 in potential profit. But the thought persisted, and I chose to listen. I gave three pouches to the instructors: Dave Canterbury of Self Reliance Outfitters, Matt Mercer of Black Hat Bushcraft, and Joshua Enyart of Grey Bearded Green Beret.
What happened next was remarkable. Dave shared that he had recently lost his leather pouch in a house fire, making this gift particularly meaningful. Then, to my amazement, he offered to sell our pouches on his website. For the next half hour, he generously shared business advice, discussing everything from social media marketing to manufacturing requirements.
The drive home from Ohio to Memphis was filled with excitement and possibility. What began as a sacrifice of $400 had opened the door to an opportunity worth thousands. After confirming the arrangement via email, we received our first purchase order for 50 pouches.
August 2020 became a whirlwind month. While maintaining our teaching jobs, my wife and I had to:
- Create standardized digital patterns
- Source materials including antler toggles and lace
- Invest in our first industrial sewing machine
- Learn new manufacturing processes
- Develop our branding and logo
- Design packaging solutions
My wife, a talented graphic designer, created our distinctive JN logo in a single afternoon – a design that perfectly captured our identity and continues to represent us today (More details on our name and logo below).
Our first batch of 50 pouches sold out on Self Reliance Outfitters' website within 24 hours. This success allowed us to invest in an 8-ton clicker press and custom dies from Weaver Leather, significantly improving our production capability.
This story exemplifies a principle found both in scripture and business: it is more blessed to give than to receive. Whether you study the Bible or business gurus, you'll find this same truth – success comes from adding value and giving first, not from focusing on what you can get.
The foundation of Just a Nazarene Leather Co. was built on this principle of giving. While conventional wisdom suggested selling those pouches for immediate profit, following the Holy Spirit's guidance led to something far greater. This remains our business philosophy: focus first on adding value and solving problems for others, and success will follow naturally.
Our Name
We never imagined that a hobby could turn into a small business, but here we are. In the summer of 2020, we were given the opportunity to begin selling our Original Leather Belt Pouch (Now called our Rustic Leather Sporran). From there our hobby has grown into what you see today – Just a Nazarene Leather Co. That may seem like an odd name to choose, and it is. So let me tell you why we chose it.
Almost 2,000 years ago, there was a master craftsman who worked out of northern Israel. His name was Yeshua of Nazareth. For most of his life, he was a carpenter in the small town of Nazareth, but He went on to change the world, literally. You may know Him as Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, he came preaching repentance, forgiveness for sin, and of His future kingdom. What you may not realize is that His earliest followers called themselves "Nazarenes" in honor of the town where Yeshua lived.
We, today, are also followers of Yeshua of Nazareth, therefore, we chose to take the title of Nazarenes. We believe in His salvation by faith alone and endeavor to keep His commandments because we love and serve Him. Rather than simply being know as "Nazarene Leather Co.", we opted to include the words "Just a" in our name. There are two reasons for this:
First, my (John's) initials are JN, and before the leather business got started, I already had the concept of "Just a Nazarene" that I had planned on using for an online persona to discuss my faith in Yeshua of Nazareth. Bridget is a graphic designer by trade, and she had already designed our classic "JN" logo artwork. Once we knew that we needed a business name and logo before we shipped out our first batch of pouches, it was an easy decision to turn the "Just a Nazarene" concept into a leather business logo by simply adding "Leather Co." to the end. The logo you see was Bridget's first attempt, and the moment I saw it, I knew she had nailed it!
2. In the gospel of John chapter 1 verse 46, after hearing that the promised Messiah had been identified as Yeshua of Nazareth, Nathaniel - a future disciple of Yeshua's - sarcastically asks, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?". This off-handed remark shows how small of a town that Nazareth was and that it seemingly had a bad reputation. It was the last place anyone expected the Messiah to hail from. So "Just a Nazarene" came from the fact that Yeshua humbly lived the majority of His life as just a random person from Nazareth.
Although working in a different medium than our Savior, we hope to provide the same quality craftsmanship in our leather goods as Yeshua undoubtedly provided as a carpenter. We do not seek a name for ourselves or our own glory.
We are simply Just a Nazarene Leather Co.