We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Oz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Just show up! Whether it be working on a collaboration with other makers, going to a market or any event or expo, the most important step is just showing up. You never know who you might meet or what you will learn from them, and forcing yourself to “just show up” can help ease any anxiety about trying new things.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The Wizard Forge began as a hobby as I wanted better knives and sheaths for myself. Eventually my friends wanted handmade knives too, then we started going to markets and selling to a broad range of customers. Using social media we’ve been able to establish a magical customer base to allow this to become a full time job, but we do still face the same challenges as any other small business especially in today’s economy. Part of why we started our own business was to try to live more ethically, by supporting other local small businesses as well and sourcing our materials as ethically as possible. In that process and through our growth on social media we have been able to connect with other makers who have helped encourage us to always just keep going.

It is not easy making a living with art but it is much more rewarding than any other professions we have had, getting to see the finished product is worth all of the time and effort it takes and the connections we have made will last a lifetime.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Truly the entire community of makers keep us going! It would be impossible to name just one, some of my closest mentors when it comes to knifemaking and running a small business are Josh Weston, Auxiliary Manufacturing, Humble Blades, and Flying Shark Scales to name a few. At The Wizard Forge we are always working with other makers and wouldn’t be nearly as successful without the amazing connections we’ve made.

Website: thewizardforge.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thewizardforge

Facebook: facebook.com/thewizardforge

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.