Keep moving — better days and craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is making a comeback and I’m glad to see it. There is something genuine about it. When we meet someone who has dedicated their life’s work to perfecting a skill or trade, it’s inspiring. All of us can appreciate fine work.

Instead of writing a long post about “how to be a craftsman” or “doing your art” as Seth talks about, I would like you to take three minutes and fifty seconds to meet Frank Catalfumo. He’s a shoemaker. He’s a craftsman.

The Shoemaker from Dustin Cohen.

A couple of takeaways for me I’d like to share:

Keep moving

Frank says he’s been coming in five days a week for over 50 years. I think the notion of retirement has changed for me over the years. To me, retiring should be replaced with personal freedom. You don’t need to hit a magic age, you just need to have complete choice on how you spend your time and money. And the younger you are, the better.

Better days are going to come

I pray when I’m 91 years old (or young) can say this. When Frank says it, you know he believes it’s true. It’s no wonder he has been able to labor in love for so long. What a great attitude.

There are another several hundred words we could write about the business side of his work. He obviously knows a lot about building customer relationships, making great products, and keeping his promises to have stayed in operation for so many years. Yes, we can learn a lot from this shoemaker, this craftsman.

How did Frank Catalfumo’s story speak to you?

Hat tip: Great work from Dustin Cohen on this short film. Check out more of his work at dustincohen.com.