EP 11: Mike Schloff of Maplewoodshop

In this episode, Anthony and Cyndie sit down with Mike Schloff of Maplewoodshop. He is the Founder and CEO of Maplewoodshop, a leading provider in woodworking education solutions for schools, camps, Maker spaces, and community centers. Mike created Maplewoodshop in 2016 with the mission of developing life skills in all children through woodworking. He started by teaching hundreds of students directly, then developed a portable and safe program which contains proprietary equipment, hand tools, and a training program for any classroom teacher. Prior to Maplewoodshop, Mike was an Internet pioneer, building websites in 1995. He led marketing efforts on major accounts at several advertising companies before helping WebMD develop and execute its mobile strategy. Later, Mike helped the publisher, Wiley, develop new digital business models. He sits on the boards of The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, Congregation Beth El, and the Newark Barringer High School CTE advisory board.https://www.maplewoodshop.com/https://eascarpenters.org/https://cctmarketing.org/00:00 – Welcome and show introduction by Anthony and Cyndie 01:20 – Introduction of guest Mike Schloff and overview of Maplewoodshop 02:26 – Mike explains Maplewoodshop’s mission to build life skills through woodworking 04:20 – Mike shares his early background and how woodworking became his calling 06:00 – Founding of Maplewoodshop and development of the portable classroom model 07:31 – Collaboration with the Carpenters Union and expansion into schools 08:47 – How the program works for teachers without trade backgrounds 09:51 – Benefits for students: learning math, problem-solving, and teamwork 11:13 – Lessons in resilience and confidence from hands-on learning 12:56 – Connecting woodworking to broader life and career skills 14:08 – How non-CTE teachers successfully run woodworking programs 15:11 – Breaking barriers and making woodworking accessible in all schools 16:35 – The need to rebuild respect for trades and hands-on education 18:29 – How early exposure builds confidence, purpose, and opportunity 20:13 – Mike’s experience on the Newark Barringer High School CTE advisory board 23:09 – National expansion and digital training that scales Maplewoodshop’s reach 26:14 – The transformation kids experience through hands-on woodworking 29:52 – Closing reflections on trades education, career pathways, and partnership success