Tyler is the founder of Rugged Material, a wholesale leather goods company with a lifetime guarantee.  He is a hardworking, talented, craftsman who devotes his time and energy into creating premium leather goods for everyone. He is an optimistic, delightful individual and I believe we can all learn a thing or two from him. Along with reading the post below, please check out Rugged Material’s Kickstarter Campaign. Here is the link and here is a video.

As in all things I rank achievements in my life according to how much value they bring to me and not necessarily how much value society gives them. #1 is that I convinced Carla to marry me, Gave two years of my life to God, Created my dream job (Rugged Material), Rebuilt a vintage motorcycle on my own and made an award winning canoe with my dad!

I was told that two of your favorite sayings are “Seize the Day” and “Earn your Sleep” tell us why!?

In my mind life is the greatest gift we have. I’ve also seen firsthand how very fragile our lives can be and I am determined not to let it slip through my fingers. I feel that I’ve been extremely blessed in my life and want to show my gratitude for it all by making the most of it. Also I’ve learned from experience that it’s more fun to push myself and get things done or see new places than it is to sit around and “rest” or “relax”.

Who is/are your hero(es)?

My dad is my main hero. He is the best learner I know, it doesn’t matter whether we are at the dentist, grocery store or in the wilderness he is asking questions and getting answers! Beyond that he is as honest, hardworking and diligent as the come. One of the things that he has often exemplified is the power of optimism and attitude because he can take any hardship be it physical, mental or emotional and turn it into a great experience. I admire anyone who has principles and can stick to their guns!

Tell me about the time you built a canoe?

I was 12 years old and asked for a canoe for Christmas. When I came into the living room on that exciting morning I expected to see a green plastic canoe leaning against the Christmas tree but found a pile of boards instead. I unwrapped a small present sitting on the lumber and found a book called Canoecraft. In the cover my mom had written a note that said “This is your canoe- We decided it would be more fun and meaningful to you if you and your dad built a canoe together…” I was pretty sad that day because I knew I wouldn’t be exploring the lakes and rivers anytime soon.

Building that canoe was hard, we would work on it 1 or 2 Saturdays a month and 3-5 mornings per week. Dad would get me up at 5:30 in the morning and we would work on it together before we had to go to school and work. We did everything from mill the rough lumber to the finishing touches with the fiberglass and epoxy. It took us 3 years and 3 months to finish. When it was done it was a work of art, and we were extremely happy with how well it worked. We didn’t cut corners and it shows in its speed and beauty on the lake. People asked us to take it to art shows and the county fair and it won all the big awards.

The thing that means the most to me now is that my parents took the time to teach me what it felt like to do hard things. I learned how good it feels to commit to do something right and big and to finish the job. And most of all I learned how much they love me. It is the best physical present I’ve ever gotten.

Tell us about Rugged Material, the concepts, the craftsmanship, give us a brief overview?

I grew up riding horses with my dad. His saddle was made around the year 1900, it still works great and it looks amazing.

I believe that Everyone deserves something that will last a lifetime, like that saddle has. The problem is that in our society we are so used to consuming everything we buy, we have accepted extremely high prices for good quality things. My mission is to bring premium leather goods to everyone by making our products as durable as possible and then selling them directly to our customers instead of allowing retailers to mark them up even more.

The value that Rugged Material brings to market is unheard of, because not only do we save you 50% up front but we build our products so well that they will last a lifetime. The cost per year of my dads saddle is less than 10 cents now. We want people to experience those savings with our leather handbags, backpacks, messenger bags and briefcases and so on.

I love what we’ve done so far with RM and I’m always pushing to make it better. In the next few years we’re looking to expand from only making travel goods to include footwear and apparel lines as well which is really exciting.

Do you believe it’s important to “see the bigger picture” ?

In life I believe it is essential for us to look from beginning to end and make a meaningful plan. I drive my wife crazy because I have big dreams and I’m always pushing to reach the next level of my plans. Once I check one thing off the list I move on like we’re behind schedule and my wife worries that I’ll never be happy. The truth is I’m usually pretty happy, I’m just never totally satisfied which is fine with me even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else.

What are some of your hobbies? If they were learned, how did you go about learning them?

My favorite thing to do is learn. I think I’m pretty good at teaching myself what I want to learn for hobbies. I spend a lot of time scheming, reading and experimenting with ideas about how to make things. I love experimenting with photography and videography as well. I also love anything outdoors especially if it has wheels and you can race it.

What is the greatest life lesson you’ve learned?

Two things I always try to remember are “treat people how you want to be treated” and “your focus determines your reality”, I relearn the value of both of these sayings often!