Ep 25: Marc Evan, Maniac Pumpkin Carvers

Marc Evan is the co-founder of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, a New York-based studio that has elevated pumpkin carving into a legitimate fine art — with work displayed at MoMA, the Whitney, and Yankee Stadium, and clients including Martha Stewart, Food Network, and the New York Botanical Garden.In this episode, Marc traces the whole journey: from carving Halloween decorations at the East Village bars where he and co-founder Chris worked, to posting on Flickr, to getting a cold email from Wired Magazine asking for a Star Wars pumpkin, to fielding a call from the New York Yankees needing 50 pumpkins in 48 hours.What makes Marc's story especially interesting is how deliberate he and Chris were about not just building a business, but building an entire industry. When they started, there was no market for fine art pumpkins. People balked at spending $50. So every press opportunity — morning shows, Food Network, Martha Stewart — was a chance to plant a seed: pumpkins are worth spending money on. The long game paid off.We also talk about identity: what it means to call yourself a professional pumpkin carver, how pricing changed everything, and why Marc kept bartending for years even as the business grew. It's a story about following the fun, being ready when opportunity knocks, and sometimes having to create the market before you can sell to it.Maniac Pumpkin Carvers: www.maniacpumpkincarvers.comDana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com