Ben Uyeda, a designer and content creator, shares his journey from architecture to building a successful media company. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from client-based work to pursuing personal projects and monetizing through online platforms. Ben emphasizes the importance of aligning personal interests with financial opportunities and the value of authenticity in creative work. He also talks about his current project of building a hotel and the balance between work and personal life. Ben's approach to growth is driven by curiosity, interest, and the desire for continual escalation in his projects. The conversation explores interesting ways to source raw materials, such as logs for woodworking and fabrication. It discusses overlooked species with heavy uses, unique sources of logs, logs with a story, and the value in unconventional wood. The conversation also highlights the importance of creativity in finding extraordinary margins and mentions specific woods like eucalyptus. Takeaways Align personal interests with financial opportunities to create fulfilling work.Demonstrate value and curiosity in your projects to attract opportunities.Focus on authenticity and genuine interests rather than seeking external validation.Continually challenge yourself and escalate projects to foster growth and motivation.Maintain balance by evaluating and adjusting priorities regularly. Consider exploring overlooked wood species with heavy uses, such as Sycamore, Hemlock, Cedar, Doug Fir, and Osage Orange.Look for unique sources of logs, such as salvaging bog logs or partnering with tree services that have contracts with state and local governments.Seek out logs with a story or historical significance to add character and value to your woodworking projects.Embrace the potential of unconventional wood materials, as they can offer unique aesthetics and high margins. Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 03:00Transition from Design to Content Creation 06:17Challenges in Pursuing Personal Projects 09:13Demonstrating Value and Attracting Opportunities 11:14Authenticity and Genuine Interests 14:21Choosing Brand Partnerships 18:20Escalating Projects and Continual Growth 22:26Building a Hotel Project 25:34Maintaining Balance and Self-Care 29:59Completion and Launch of the Hotel 35:18Evaluating Personal and Professional Growth 37:14Advice and Struggles 38:29Sourcing Raw Materials: Types of Logs 39:45Overlooked Species with Heavy Uses 41:15Unique Sources of Logs 42:24Logs with a Story 44:06Value in Unconventional Wood 45:07Creativity and Extraordinary Margins 46:36Eucalyptus and Other Interesting Woods Join our Paid Community at WoodpreneurNetwork.com Connect with Ben at:  https://www.instagram.com/benjaminuyeda/ https://www.benuyeda.com