Meet Zach Schueller: Custom Leather Goods Maker

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

Hi Zach, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The main reason I wanted to start my own business was so I was the one steering the ship. To pay the bills for the past 13 years I have worked freelance in the world of advertising photography. I studied photography in college and really love working as a digital intermediary technician (DIT). I love being part of a team a working towards a creative goal adding my skills to the project but ultimately I am helping someone else fulfill their dreams. I will alway love photography but I have come to realize that I don’t have the drive and or desire to be a successful photographer in advertising. thought my photographic career I have always been looking for something more that really allows me to create and provide something to the world. In that search I rekindled my enjoyment for custom leather work. The pandemic put a pause on all advertising work and in a never guaranteed freelance world I couldn’t sit idly by and wait. Maybe just to keep my mind and hands busy I dove head first into custom leather work. I realized quickly that I was quite proficient and that I truly enjoyed crafting things out of leather. There is something very satisfying about the finality of leather work. Each cut, every tooling mark is final when working with leather and in an upside down pandemic era that was comforting. From there I explored different processes and item designs to see what facet of leather craft made the most sense to me. That will be a forever exploration but for now what brings me the most satisfaction is creating unique custom items that will sever a purpose for customers and stand the test of time. Knowing that I could create something with my hands, knowledge and passion that would bring joy to someone and that they would pay me to do it was all I needed to realize to know starting this leather craft business was right for me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I feel sets me apart from other leather workers is my attention to detail. I will not let mistakes slide and I will never sell a product I am not fully confident in. I am definitely in the beginning stages of my professional career as a leather worker but I feel I offer a high level of refinement and finish to my items. I don’t think I will ever be done learning about and refining my skills. When challenges present themselves I chose to be more thoughtful and contemplative. I try to take a step back and really figure out a solution instead of just getting it done or say “oh that’s good enough”. I may attempt multiple techniques or processes on scraps of leather before I apply them to a project I’m working on.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t have to say me best friend is in town because we share a home. With my wife Deborah our perfect week would be filled with two wheeled adventures from the beaches, canyons and deserts of Souther California. Spending the nights camping out in our adventure van away from it all and being able just to enjoy each other and this lovely planet we live on. Drinking fine spirits and making camp cooked meals. The side roads of America offer a lot to see and we can’t get enough. Its not the places you go or the things you see its the company you share it with. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely have to shootout my wife, Deborah. Through this whole process she has supported and encouraged me to pursue this journey in leather working. She’s dealt with my frustration while learning new processes and techniques and helps keep me focused on our end goals. I also have to thank all of the friends and family that have trusted me with their custom leather projects encouraging me to continue this path. The entire leather working community is amazing there is so much information out there to help learn new processes and techniques. It is definitely a pay it forward type of community.

Website: handmadebyschu.com

Instagram: @handmadebyschu