Conversations with John Augustine

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Augustine. 

Hi John, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started doing woodwork as a young boy with my father. Fixing up odd things around the house, building small barns or sheds, fixing walls, things like that. 

As I went through school as a young boy, I decided I wanted to be an “inventor”, this led me to always sign up for crafty-type classes as I grew up. 

I took every woodworking and engineering class I could, starting with Co2 cars and clocks, eventually arriving at an apprenticeship under a master luthier. 

I was able to leave school early my last 2 years on high school and drive across town every morning to be mentored by my teacher in the craft of making instruments. 

Though my daily routine amounted to cleaning and sweeping the shop and its parameter (very Mr. Miyagi vibes) I was taught an insurmountable amount of various techniques and methods of how to craft a block of raw wood into something beautiful, often times taking months at a time to complete a single piece of what would amount to an amazing instrument. 

All of this while simultaneously taking a senior design course for engineering while a senior in high school. 

Our final project in this course was to create a project from the ground up following the methodology we had learned up to this point. Naturally, I decided to make an electric guitar and play it for the school (hidden bonus being the cool points, as I was never the stereotypical popular kid, more the play halo and stay at home type) 

Using everything I had learned in my apprenticeship, I managed to make a fully functional instrument that merged my love of handwork and the more technical methodology used in engineering into an instrument I was very proud of. 

Following my lecture (in front of the entire school might I add, big deal for a very introverted young man such as myself) I somehow managed to win the prestigious award of “Excellence in Engineering” from my teachers and faculty. 

Ultimately this inspired me to pursue my advanced degree in mechanical engineering at Colorado State University. 

After many hardships and questioning my qualifications, I managed to be one of the few folks in my class that followed through and finished their engineering degree. 

This led me into a job offer and career in engineering here in the greater Denver area, initially with arrow electronics, and several years later Avnet. 

While these careers offered me the chance to make and design, the “inventor” in me wanted more of a mad lab space I could fully be myself. 

Along came Airbnb, and its experiences page. 

I was fascinated by how everyday locals such as myself were able to make a full-time living from doing what they love. 

I immediately created myself an account and created my first experience “How to make a custom smoking pipe”. 

With my hopes high, but my expectations contained, I had launched my page. 

To my delight, my VERY FIRST class ever was immediately fully booked! 

The day arrived for my guests to show, and excited as ever I welcomed my first students of what would turn into a legitimate business for myself. 

We had fun, there were minor bluders that were easily overcome, and everyone finished and left with creations of their own! 

After this class being such a hit, I continued to take in students and ever evolve my offerings based on their input to arrive to where I am today. 

I am happily able to offer folks several very unique experiences that are friendly for folks that have never touched a power tool all the way up to master carpenters! (Trust me I’ve had the pleasure of working with all experience levels!) 

I never would have thought my little idea would blossom into what I hope can someday be a very successful franchise offered throughout the country. 

It is without compare to see and hear the enthusiasm from couples, individuals, and large groups of friends when they have completed a workpiece they typically would never even bother to try. 

The most rewarding thing I have encounter through this offering is three-fold. 

Hearing how folks who would never consider themselves “handy” eager to go home and purchase their first tool kit to start making things more often. 

The close friendships I have developed with what would be complete strangers, and the recurring faces I now get to share this passion with. 

Finally, the selfish fulfillment of being able to comfortably conversate with strangers and be able to share my lifelong passion with, hopefully sharing some of that inspiration. 

Nowadays I am able to offer several classes a day and have met some of the greatest friends anybody could hope to make from all over the world. 

I am just happy I was able to take that leap of faith and change my and hopefully some student’s life for the better. 

Cheers! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It was not a smooth road at all, I have tried and failed at many entrepreneurial ventures. 

I started out while in high school doing a cleanup service (trash around shopping center, cleaning dog kennels, doing solo grounds keeping for large local businesses) and was only able to do so much, though my heart was in the idea of “working for me” these tasks mainly resulted in a harder work ethic and more determination to do something I could grow. 

In college, I tried selling art (various pencil and marker drawings I had made) to anyone willing to buy. This wrapped back to my passion to create. 

Eventually, a few local businesses in my college town agreed to buy as well as display and sell my pieces on my behalf, but I wasn’t satisfied. 

I was nominated for a special entrepreneurial kick starter program my school offered and was bit by the entrepreneurial bug. 

I eventually (after many pivots) ended up creating a “wireless phone charging end table” design that several large businesses were very interested in. 

Until it came time to patent it and a very large company had the “god” patent around this technology. 

It was a hard lesson in business, but a worthwhile one. 

I graduated and was offered my roles at my various engineering firms. 

While working, I managed to get accepted to a local “maker market” to sell my various woodwork projects I was able to complete at night after my day job. 

This side project was successful and I sold many of the handmade items in the local storefront, anything from signs to music boxes, jewelry boxes, and bottle openers (they wouldn’t allow me to sell pipes for liability sakes, but they did let me sell handmade knives, always found that to be funny) 

This side project was going very well, all the while I kept working and arrived at my woodworking classes for pipes! 

I was doing great and ready to stop the day job and finally pursue my lifelong goal of being my own boss when the pandemic hit. 

As many other small businesses across the world encountered, I was forced to stop selling products in the maker market, as well as offer classes. 

As restrictions lifted, I slowly re-introduced my classes (no longer able to sell items via the maker market) and slowly was able to revitalize that dream. 

Times are still rough, and classes are slowly picking back up, hopefully, someday business will get back to as it was. In the meantime, luckily, I am able to continue to do my engineering day job and teach folks some woodworking in the evenings and on weekends. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mountain Pup LLC started hosting “Make Your Own Pipe” events in 2019. Utilizing professional and industrial-grade equipment, participants now have several workshop style classes to choose from, to create unique items which are fully functional by the end of the class. The owner, John, has had a lifelong passion for woodworking and is proud to share his skills with others to help them create a beautiful, functional piece that they will surely cherish

#PupPipes

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am always looking to expand and market. Right now, Instagram is my main source of advertising, I am always happy to hear ideas and would love to eventually expand out of the state! 

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Contact Info:

• Email: John@mountainpupllc.com
• Website: Mountainpupllc.com
• Instagram: Mountainpupllc@instagram.com