Meet Amir Harrison | Software Developer and Crafter

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

Hi Amir, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my ASHcraft Workshop right at the start of the pandemic. I had been working as a sommelier at a French restaurant and we had been shut down for an unforeseeable amount of time. I had gotten my degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver in Marketing and a minor in Beverage Management, along with my certified level Sommelier Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, my Level 3 Wine Certificate from Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and my Certified Cicerone from the Certified Cicerone Certification program… Along with 15 years in the industry, I was making a career out of hospitality. I thought it was a safe industry to be in, there would always be work. I didn’t see, much like many other hospitalians, what was coming. For the first week, I was doing pretty much what everyone else was doing, sitting around and enjoying the break for once. But, I became anxious, I had to do something about money as my savings were slowly draining. I decided that I would finally try to sell some of my leatherwork. I had sporadically been doing leatherworking as a hobby since I was 16, getting my first set of rivets, dye, and leather from Jerry’s leather, which is now closed, and made my first set of armor. It had always been a fantasy of mine to be able to make my own armor, ever since I watched Willow with my grandmother for the first time. Back to the first week of the pandemic, I decided that I would make plague doctor mask keychains and I sold about 20 in the first run. I’ve been doing it on the side ever since.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve had several careers; hospitality, Marine Corps., finance. I’ve joined and left them all for one reason or another. But the last two, crafting and software, is really where I discovered something truly life changing. In the winter of 2021, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. Most disorders, people are distraught over. But for me, ADHD was a miracle. Finally, I knew what was going on in my head. I knew I could do my job and excel, if I only pushed myself. But, when your mind is wired differently than a neurotypical brain, it’s just not going to work. I learned that I had to approach problems in a different way. Since ADHD is a disorder concerning executive function, I had to develop processes within that mindset. If I could trigger my executive function, I could work faster, harder, and longer than anyone else. I had to activate interest, and urgency, and watch out for novelty. I made an entire leather bag by hand by working 30 hours straight. I took breaks for food and a light nap, but I finished it in time for a friend’s birthday the next day. I had managed to turn a weakness into a considerable strength. I still struggle, and I am still learning, but know that I know the name of my biggest wall to break through… It’s become doable, not easy, doable.

I created ASHcraft Workshop and chose a Phoenix as my logo. I liked the idea of working hard at something, a goal. Even when you fail and burn, you can rise out of the ashes and try again. Plus, ASH are my initials, so no brainer.

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.
Whenever I have friends visit, I usually cater to their needs and interests. But, I’ll pick my friend Jake. I think we’d start off by going to Mile High comics. If we didn’t get stuck there all day, which is likely, we’d probably head over to Biker Jim’s for lunch. That was such a huge part of my college day and it’s pretty nostalgic at this point. Afterward, we could take a walk through some of the neighborhoods, including LoHi where I could point out some of our rich architecture and tell him about the great architecture war in the first half of the 20th century. After that, we can head over to the Watering Bowl for a beer and some dog time. A trip up to Evergreen just before it gets dark, just so on the way back, we can see the lights of Denver coming down the hill on I-70. We’ll finish off the day by taking the 8″ Dobsonian Telescope I named after my dog who passed away, Charlee II, to Cherry Creek Reservoir and check out the night sky.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would say my grandmother Ruth. She has been the one person who has supported whatever I was passionate about. She always wants to learn about the process and then helps me formulate a plan to make it profitable if I want to make money from it. But she is equally excited about it if it’s just for fun. When I first saw Willow with her, I wanted to make Madmartigan armor. The only thing I knew about making armor was that I had to heat it up, hit it with a hammer and quench it with water. I had this crazy idea that I would heat it up in the oven, use my dads, tack hammer, and quench it in the toilet boil. That worked about as well as you would expect, but I was 6. Just so I wouldn’t walk away with nothing, she taught me how to sew my own costume for the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. So my costume and crafting journey was born.

Website: ashcraftstore.com

Instagram: scottydoesnotknoweth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-harrison/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashcraftws

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashcraftworkshop

Other: www.amirharrison.com www.ashcraftworkshop.com

Image Credits
I took these myself