How to bring craftsmanship to your service-based business

Deeper, more meaningful work.

Sep 09, 2026

Craftsmanship.

"craftsmanship /ˈkraf(t)sm(ə)nˌSHip/”

“Craftsmanship is the high skill, care, and artistic ability a person uses to make or build something, especially by hand.” Cambridge Dictionary

This idea of craftsmanship has been on my mind lately.

When I think of it, here are some things that comes to mind:

A beautifully made Italian handbag.
The perfect pair of Japanese denim.
An as-yet unopened Moleskine notebook.
A smooth Danish sideboard with inlaid dovetailing.
A hand-knit sweater.

I picture Italian men working in their tiny shops creating and fixing things that the rest of the world throws away. Or nonnas hand-making pasta in their kitchens.

Everything made with intention and care. And in the case of the nonnas in their kitchens, with love.

What does craftsmanship mean to me?

I sat down and made a list in order to get to the root of what was tugging at me. Here’s what I came up with.

Craftsmanship means…

Attention to detail.
Seeing what others don’t see | Noticing what others don’t notice.
Depth, precision, intention.
Consistent, reliable quality.
Consideration and care, taking one’s time, not rushing.
Experience, knowledge, the how-to — usually developed through years of experience.
Fewer, better | Less as more | Resisting the urge to add another thing.
Knowing the best materials and tools to use for the job.
If a material is not available, knowing what to use instead.
A feel or an eye for what they do (the natural part of the work).
Passion for learning and deepening their craft.
That does not mean the craft does not evolve; there’s continuous learning, trying new techniques, perfecting what’s created.
Apply the rules, and know them so well they know how to break them.
Don’t follow trends; remain focused on what they do best and not what everyone else is doing.
Knowing when the time is right to create something new.
Making it for themselves – the joy of doing the work – and the person who will experience it.
Not everyone appreciates craftsmanship — anything made with craftsmanship is made for those who do.

How does this apply to our businesses?

This is the part, in particular, that’s been on my mind. How do we bring a level of craftsmanship to the work we do?

I started looking at it in this way. When I reviewed this list of qualities, I thought about what, if anything, was missing in how I approach my work. Where’s the opportunity to up-level.

For me, 2026 has been about “focusing on my own paper” (concept attributed to Intuitive Tarot Teacher Lindsay Mack). It’s been about not watching what others in my lane are up to and instead deepening my work, the work that only I can do. And it’s been about focusing on people who appreciate my particular form of craftsmanship.

I’m focusing more deeply with fewer clients this year. I’m continuing to expand my knowledge and to trust myself to break the rules when it’s called for. The latter has been especially relevant in terms of marketing and business development — where to show up and when, despite what everyone is saying is the right place and the right way.

Now it’s your turn.