Origin Stories

My very first post with the name GeekBuilders attached was on March 11th, 2014. It was a short video of a rustic style bathroom cabinet I built that was heavily influenced by Steve Ramsey and Jimmy Diresta.

It was an ok build, definitely nothing special, but it signified a very important change in my life. It was only a few months before this post that my right leg was amputated as a result of a nearly 20 year battle with infections in my foot (not diabetes related). During my recovery from surgery, I started watching YouTube videos and it was a number of early DIY videos that caught my attention and inspired me to build something and film it.

I never really considered myself much of a maker; even though I had some experience with woodworking, mold making, and sculpting- skills that I acquired during my coursework while studying art in college, but the idea of filming what I was making and sharing that experience with others was seductive, especially with the added prospect of potentially making money from an online video, so I made the decision that I would give YouTube a try.

My first video was a fairly simple project, I built a sled for my table saw. The video was not that great, but it taught me a lot and I received a lot of critical feedback from some close friends. Looking at my long list of criticisms didn’t dissuade me though, instead, it inspired me to do better… and I did. The second video, which was a Pac Man themed desk organizer build somehow went viral and surpassed 1 million views… and at the time of this publishing is nearing 5 million views.

Almost 7 years has passed since I released my first video. The channel is still going, but the growth has slowed down, but that’s ok. I am still just as passionate about each new project that I put out online and as long as there is a group of people willing to watch, I will continue to put out content. Thank you for being here.