How We Left Our Corporate Jobs and Became Shoe Cobblers | A Bittersweet Farewell 

Your Dad was my Squadron Commander. when I was in the 42nd ACCS! What a small world. He was one of the best Commanders I ever had the honor of serving under. I hope he is doing well. Great memories of Davis-Monthan AFB. I jumped out of my chair when you put a picture of him up. I no kidding yelled "Wait, That's Col Potter! I know him!" Thanks for the really interesting videos. I hope you didn't get your polishing skills from having to polish up Dad's boots. Well, perhaps it did you well in the long run. Best wishes to your Dad and family.

It is so refreshing to see two brothers very close . Your parents must be bursting with pride!. You educate beyond just shoes. Thank you both.

"God Bless Their Soles" I like it!

1. You had Family. 2. You had Family to help you. 3. You have Family to help you succeed. This is why you are able to get ahead. Be thankful you have the family that will help you with your career.

Please do a tour of the new shop once you guys are settled!!! And great story sharing :)

Love hearing the back story, and seeing the positive relationship you have with each other and your family! What really amazes me is that watching the high level of skills you have, I assumed "Potter and Sons" meant that your Dad was a cobbler and you grew up around it. Hearing that you took this up "cold" is just amazing. You guys definitely deserve the success.

Hey chaps, I live in the South West of England. I have a passion of making leather goods. Your channel inspires and educates. Traditional cobblers Where I live, seem to be disappearing. Replaced by larger chains, who’s knowledge and passion just isn’t the same. So keep up the great work. I’d love to see a tour of the new shop. 😁👍

You guys are so professional that I assumed you've been around forever as a shoe business. Smarts and talent, men! Thanks for the education. Whatever you show, I'll be watching.

Watching you guys work on shoes is like, for me, watching Bob Ross and Norm Abram. Very therapeutic. And what a surprise, your dad's name is Norm. 😊

Ok, now I’m dying to hear your opinions on the women’s sandal brands. Congratulations on your move.

You guys are the reason I now have some quality shoes like Allen Edmonds & vintage Florsheim, so mission accomplished with this channel. Im saving up to send a pair or two of thrifted shoes to you for new soles.

Met a fellow in Arizona who makes saddles. It is amazing what the right hands can make out of leather. Best of luck with your new endeavour.

The title really threw me for a loop, I thought you all were leaving the business. The content and the time and effort you put into the repairs and discussions on shoes is fantastic. I admit, I discovered this channel purely by accident but I have enjoyed all the episodes so far. Congratulations on the new location and I look forward to the future shows.

Guys, I live in Northern Ohio and for over 35 years I worked outside in the construction industry, the weather can be brutally humid in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. It didn't take long for me to realize that buying cheap work boots was a mistake because not only did they fall apart quickly, they did a number on my feet. Watching the videos of you repairing work boots makes me think of how much better those years would have been spent wearing boots made by the two of you. With that said, the thing I appreciate most is the humble, down to earth manner in which you guys run you business. God Bless.

I honestly enjoyed learning the "origin" story guys! I would have loved to see the sandal prototyping process, the shop decoration process, some everyday stuff you deal with would be great content for the future! We like seeing you guys, get into the style stuff also. ;)

Thank you for sharing your story, your background and your craft. Congrats on the expansion and I'm looking forward to the next phase you will share with us.

This is what 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 all about. Father served our contry, his boys are running a local business that dedicates to a dying breed of essential skills. Congratulations and please support these guys! Their skills are getting better and better and their customer service are second to none.

It’s so nice to hear business side of things from you guys! Hope seeing more of them in the future.

Such a great story. Couldn't happen to nicer guys! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congrats and thanks for all of the great content so far, looking forward to more. Because of you, I have learned so much about shoe construction and what to look for in a quality shoe.

Imagine them making leather belts and watch bands 😆

Congratulations on the expansion. Onward & upwards!

Love what you guys are doing! Thankful that you boys are staying true to trying to educate men on quality. I will continue supporting both of your businesses and RU-vid channel!

Nice to see the brothers working together and doing a great job. Thanks for sharing your story.

Hey, you have a pretty big following from the ASMR community. Unintentional ASMR tends to be a lot stronger than intentional, which is actually why I'm subbed to you. Saw this 31 minute video and thought I'd watch a couple minutes. Ended up watching it all. Thanks for all the videos you do!

Hello my friends! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a video so much. Thanks for sharing your story - it was truly inspirational. It feels so good to see truly talented people who are also genuinely kind, honest souls succeed. Really thrilled for you. I’ve been around for most of your RU-vid journey, and it’s been a joy. I’m excited for the ride to take us to new places. Good luck. Just love you guys! A great Heath moment: “I can do that!” Now THERE’S an understatement! 😉

This was a great video, this helps your viewers really connect with you two. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thank you all so much for creating this channel! I have learned so much about shoes, and now condition and shine my own shoes!

Congrats, guys! As they say, “no risk, no reward.” What a great story.

I had assumed you were at least 2nd generation cobblers and the machines had been in the family business for a long time.

What a inspirational story! I love videos that showcase craftsmanship, primarily repairing/rebuilding/reimagining “stuff” when I stumbled on your site. It is therapeutic and rewarding watching you two. I wish you both the best!

I just came across your channel this last week and have really enjoyed it. The two of you are very refreshing and authentic. I love seeing things restored whether it is an auto, a house, or a quality shoe. The other thing is there is something that appeals to the sense of longing for craftsmanship and commitment to excellence. Keep up the good work and I am glad that you are making these videos to share your work and product.

I'm so glad you both chose to do this video. It was interesting to finally get some of your history. Keep up the good work. Love the videos!

Congratulations, guys! You’re an inspiration to all of us that are trying to make something happen on the side.

Great story fellas. You've opened up a whole new world for lots of us. Wish you continued success!

Watching you guys . Saved my life . Truly beautiful work . Your detail to attention is amazing. Your videos are getting better

Been subbed since your earliest video with Jon. Really glad to hear your business taking off and lives being changed. Can’t wait to see more content from y’all.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I've been active duty Air Force now for almost 17 years. Keep up the great videos!

Very happy for you too and your success. Keep up the amazing work . I love watching you guys restore and breathe new life into these shoes .

Congratulations and good luck at your new venue! Great channel, thanks.

Looking forward to tagging along on the new adventure. Best of luck!

Congratulations guys! I just discovered my 2X great grandfather, 3X great grandfather and others in my family tree were shoe cobblers in Ohio. Your attention to quality and detail set you apart. Stay grounded in your roots and you'll always be successful. God bless.

Congratulations to both of you. Most guys like me don’t really know which brands are really worth the money and what you all show and recommend helps me when I decide on which brands to buy and most importantly which ones to avoid. Thank you both for all your hard work. I loved hearing your story.

Thanks guys for sharing your story, I’m currently starting my own saddle making and leather business and hearing stories like yours motivates me. You have to love what you do, it plays a big part in your success and it’s certainly clear you guys are passionate about your work and very good at what you do. I wish you all the best, thanks 👍

Got me worried with the 'goodbye', thought you were leaving You Tube!

It's so inspirational to listen to the stories of people who started out with a little dream and watched that dream grow over time. As someone who knows next to nothing about shoe making, I find your videos super informative and generally just relaxing to watch. Thanks for the content and the consistent quality videos you produce. Keep safe, guys! P.S - can't wait to see your new premises! (Also, for a second when I read your video tag I thought you were closing your channel. Glad that's not the case!)

Congrats on your success and the move to your new location! Can't wait to see the tour of the new space and watch more of how you repair shoes, etc..

I just found your channel and absolutely love it! I've been binge watching all day. You guys are great. Very, very enjoyable.

This is so interesting, thank you for the story time! I really enjoyed this!

What a great story, I am glad your father was supportive of your desires. Doing something you love and get paid to do it is a rare thing in life. Your passion for what you do translates into both your work and these videos. I can see that this is a great family partnership something even more rare. Please accept my Congratulations ! Please stay safe during these challenging times...we need you.

I came across your channel 3-4 months ago and I’ve enjoyed your videos. I’ve learned a lot from your videos. I always enjoy hearing about someone’s journey and your journey was a fun one to hear about. Thank you for what you do and the content you produce. Keep up the great work.

It's great to hear your guys story and how everything got started. Wishing you guys farther success! Really enjoy the shoe repair videos.

This was great! Thanks for sharing your story. Good luck in the new shop. Get Norm in a video.

Never thought I would be hooked on shoe repairing videos!

You guys are truly awesome, and your story is even more inspiring. Can't wait to see what your next chapter brings!

Cool to hear that y’all spent some time in Panama City, I’m from Pensacola myself. I’m a leather crafter with a full time day job and I’ve been slowly gaining knowledge to start making boots, so it’s awesome to hear the journey your family took to live the life you longed for.

I’m a male & purchased a pair of their sandals a couple of months ago, their awesome! Very well constructed and the sole’s mold to your feet like no other sandals I’ve ever worn. Love them!

Nice to know that your business are going well!! Congrats!! I´m from Brazil and I have too many good shoes but nobody with the skills to take care of them... So I have been learning a lot from you guys... And applying those techniques.. Thank you!!

Wow!! Thanks for sharing your great and inspirational story! Wishing your guys much success in the new chapter in your journey!

Thanks for taking the time to explain the history. Looking forward to seeing the new operation.

Bloody awesome! You nutters are awesome... passion...Gentlemen, thats inspiring...stay blessed...🇬🇧👍

Y'all were really brave to step out on your own. I hope I can have the opportunity to start my business in the shoe industry some day. I wish you guys godspeed in whatever you're doing and more videos to come!!

I really enjoy you guys just sitting there and talking to us about you. It's always interesting to get to know more about the folks that I spend time watching. Both of you are just so down to earth. Thanks for sharing your time and your life with all of us. Looking forward to how this all plays out with the new store/shop. I've been with you guys since almost the beginning and didn't even realize it. Congratulations on the move.

Awesome Story! I discovered your channel just about 6 months ago, I'm just a hobby leather worker who stumbled across this by chance. I enjoy watching others who work with leather and never really had an interest in shoes until I found your videos. I have learned a lot! Thank you!

Congrats on the move and your business growing so well!

I guess your first video in the new shop proper has got to be a SHOP TOUR!! I'm sure all of your fans are looking forward to it!

Thanks for sharing your story! I greatly appreciate your videos. Looking forward to the next steps.

Awesome video guys! Thanks so much for sharing your story. This is what is so great about our country. The ability to follow your dreams.

I've been a shoeshiner since 2013. It's been quite the adventure. I can relate, I have a stressed out wife too lol. You guys are an inspiration! My future plans are to open a shoeshine parlor/men's boutique. Thank you for all you do with our struggling industry.

Thanks guys for one of the most original and unique channels on RU-vid !

Nothing but the utmost respect for both of you guys. You two kept the family bond, while taking that scary step into businessmen. Not too mention you both are beyond talented. Your work is top notch. I will def be sending some work your way. Fantastic story, wishing you both great success. Congrats on the new shop!

I’ve learned so much from you guys. As I stated before, you completely changed the way I think of shoes. Congratulations on the new shop. I look forward to be at the shop sometime. I remember getting the first hand-wrote note from Heath when my shoes arrived. That was amazing. Keep it up guys!

Firstly, Congratulations on the big move! Always awesome to see a company you support achieve their vision and grow. Ordering the American Bison for my pops. May I suggest a thin thong sandal for women. Preferably all black, including the sole. Please :) Spill the tea on those women’s sandals brands! I can name a few, I was a buyer at a retailer magnet in New York. Jack Roger’s feel like you’re walking on plywood, and don’t get me started on Tory or Vince.

Let's see Trenton and Heath's personal shoe collections :)

Congratulations to both of you! You certainly deserve your success. Listening to your story gives me goose bumps!

You both are humble and kind gentlemen. Stay real. You two are incredible! Prayers for much success! Chris ---Montana

As a woman I had very little interest in Men’s shoes, but I was taught from childhood that people are always judged ‘on their shoes’. My dad always wore Bally and took great pride in looking after them. Anyway it is forever a pleasure to watch expert craftsmen and women at work, teaching and enjoying their artisan skills. I am loving your channel. A new fancy men’s shoe shop has just opened in my cathedral town in England (in a shop built in 1698 next to a pub where Sir Walter Raleigh regularly drank) and I will go and examine their stock with newly educated eyes. Thanks chaps.

These guys are typical Southerners. Likable, charismatic, gracious, friendly. Weird how reality is 180 degrees from what the media portrays.

The thing I love most about your videos is the humility. I also love the simplicity. Watching you work with this old, great machinery and with these wonderful old tools is something I find therapeutic, and it just so happens to be informative. It would be great if you can showcase the machinery and tools in future videos, you know, clean them up, restore if necessary, really make them pop. Put them on display. They are a quintessential part of the equation. The best part, really, is the rediscovery of an old trade or industry which was nearly wiped out by big companies who slowly but surely made their products more inferior while jacking up the prices. The work you do is actually quite important. To shell out an extra hundred or two to buy good shoes, to literally feel the quality and comfort of a good shoe, well, it educates people, and it stifles the actions of those companies. Basically, the world is a better place. Ultimately, you're going to have a product that lasts longer and can be more economical in the long-run, AND you're going to support the local community. Learning about quality brands and self-repair for those of us who are too far away is important, too. I think it would be great to try to make some shoes for vegans, too, since that is a growing market and shouldn't be overlooked. I'd be curious to see if there are materials that stack up against leather. Somehow I don't think so, but it would be good to explore it. I hope the channel stays pretty similar and doesn't get too slick, but that's just me. It was great to hear about your journey and the family support you've had. Not everyone has that. Good luck!

Bless ya'all. Wonderful backstory. You and Steve Bedo have an identical ethic on do the best you can and a bit more for the customer. This is so rare these days. It is most welcome to hear your success story. May your soles be many and your troubles be few!

So cool you escaped the cubicle! All my endeavors are all too low$$ (music, custom flyrods) to make a real living, so be grateful! Looking forward to seeing how the resoles turn out!!! (dk brown park aves)

I'd like to hear more about women's shoes and options for decent quality lighter-weight shoes more generally. Women mostly know our shoes are garbage; we don't know where to find better ones. And, to your point about the sandal going through the drywall, women's shoes are lighter than men's for a reason, and it's not *just* about low-cost crappy material. For example: I have a pair of Thursday Diplomat boots, men's size 7. They fit me, but when I flex my foot or scrunch my toes, my foot moves inside the shoe; no movement is externally visible. I literally don't have the foot/ankle strength to flex the sole on them, and I don't have the weight to help me as I stand and walk. So I walk sort of like a weighted rocking horse--they're just very heavy for me and I can't get them to flex in the middle where my foot wants to flex, so when I walk fast I swing a leg forward and just roll right across the arc of the shoe, and when I walk slowly I have to lift each foot up and plonk it down straight in a sort of stompy waddle. Maybe it's worse because of the thick vibram outsole, but I liked the style better than I liked the Thursdays with separate heel blocks, and I didn't know when I bought them that they'd be too heavy and rigid for me to wear them correctly and easily. I want good quality shoes, but just buying men's isn't always a great solution.

Excited to see what’s next for you guys! I’ve learned a lot from your videos - THANK YOU!

I just started watching your videos yesterday and so far this is pretty cool content. It was awesome to hear about your journey into becoming cobblers. May God continue to bless you both. I can't wait to buy myself some dress boots and change my look of style. I'm glad I ran into your videos. Thank you guy's !!

I always figured you grew up in trees cobbling shoes! All seriousness, love stories like this. Thanks for the behind the scenes.

I am from Baton Rouge, love a Southern success story.

Love your story. Extremely motivating and its good to hear your passion for producing an " OUTSTANDING" product. I will be sending a pair to your shop soon.

This video has done for me what I know you weren't expecting for it to do, it has ignited a very small spark of hope within me. I know you were just sharing your story but I am inspired.

Heath LAUGHS! Who would have thought? So now you're threatening us with even better videos. Gauntlet has hit the ground with a tremor. You guys have pretty much outdone yourself with this one. For anyone watching you've managed to reveal the source of your success ... you guys have heart. Success couldn't have happened to a better family. Keep 'the videos coming guys.

How about posting some videos focused on the women's sandals with a woman or two commenting on wearing the sandals to drawn more female viewers? Additionally, try a variation of one of Antonio's videos talking about the business challenges you faced as you started up to draw in some business/entrepreneur viewers. Have you done any community service projects that could share some RU-vid exposure? Do you have any regular customers who have made special contributions or significant personal achievements tied to their relationship with you, your families, or your business--do a profile on them. Maybe a posting about how the shoe crafting machinery works for the gearheads in your audience. Talk about the interior decorating of the new place--focus on the artifacts and objects that decorate the business space and why they are important to you. Just some ideas. Good luck on the new site!

Congratulations on the new space! Glad to see new content and to see you guys stepping up your game. Enjoy seeing you work and learning about the brands and what I can afford that is quality

What a story, that’s awesome guys thanks for sharing with us. I hope you guys have more and more success

Can you teach us different ways to tie our shoes? I can never do the unique lacing.

When I close my eyes, Heath could be a voice-double for Peyton Manning.

Congrats on getting the new place and having success. Keep the videos coming just love them!

Such an inspiring story, honestly! Can't wait to see all the new videos & shop videos. Your quality & attention to detail has always been what made you stand out. Looking forward to seeing more crepe sole restorations or conversions as i hardly see ANY on youtube!

Boots. Cowboy boot repair, maintenance and refurbish. Not enough of that on RU-vid.

It sounds like peyton manning talking to peyton manning with a sore throat.

And still humble. Love you guys! Never dreamed I would be hooked on shoe repair videos but I am and have learned so much!

You guys have been a blessing for us people who love good shoes and boots. Thanks for the knowledge and love. God bless you both and your families 🙏🙏