179: John McDonald – Semi-Handmade

John McDonald was once a struggling screenwriter and actor who niched down and became known for Semihandmade. He opened himself up to a career and entrepreneurial opportunity, seizing it and making a name for it. In today's episode, John talks openness to opportunities and vulnerability with Christopher Lochhead.

"If you're willing to be vulnerable, anything is possible." - John McDonald

Three Things We Learned
There's no rush to figure things out
They say that life begins at 40. When he was 40, John was struggling to penetrate the woodwork industry. The road that led to the decision to give woodwork a shot was long, involving forays into screenwriting and waiting tables as the angriest waiter in Hollywood.
Opening yourself to vulnerability will open doors
John came to Los Angeles with a vague notion of wanting to be part of the film industry. He ended up assisting in production and writing scripts to the side, but even then he didn't feel happy. Several rejections and failures later, he was finally able to become the rockstar, go-to guy for designing custom doors.
Success is found everywhere
When he first ventured into Hollywood, John knew he wanted to be rich and famous. Writing didn't hand him these successes, but woodwork was the stepping stone. By not limiting himself to something he wasn't fully committed to and didn't give him the satisfaction he needed, John was able to become legendary.

Some of us spend our whole lives trying to find success in what we think we like to do and in things we think we're good at. But success is ultimately self-determined and can be found anywhere if we only try to look more closely and elsewhere. John is a testament to that, and we can all be legendary if we want to be.