NEXT CHAPTER: Hey there, friend! I’m really excited to have the chance to chat with you today. Thanks for taking the time to do this! I picked you for this interview because you’re such a fun and creative person, always diving into new adventures. It’s truly inspiring to see you thriving and making the most of life. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in—could you please introduce yourself?
JOE: Thank you for this opportunity to share some of my story and talk about my craft. I’ve been working with leather for about 18 years now and have been running a leather goods business for 9 years.
NEXT CHAPTER: Happiest belated birthday, The big 4-0! How do you feel?
JOE: This last decade has flown by. I don’t feel 40, but my recovery time from adventures is longer than it was a few years ago.
NEXT CHAPTER: What are your thoughts on aging—does it excite you, worry you, or something else?
JOE: There were so many things that could’ve taken me out when I was younger. I’m grateful to be here today. I don’t really pay attention to it and try doing as much fun stuff as possible as often as possible.
NEXT CHAPTER: I know you own a really cool leather company, but I’d love to hear more about what led you down this path. Is this your full-time focus now, or do you have other jobs or side hustles as well?
JOE: I own Ramblin’ Leather Goods, a business I started in 2016. This is my only source of income. I was unexpectedly led to this craft when I was traveling the country by freight train and hitchhiking about 18 years ago. I remember going thru Indiana and jumping off a train in Garrett. I didn’t realize my wallet had fallen out of my pocket when I was getting ready to jump off. I thought I heard something fall onto the steel, but I didn’t look very well before getting off. I realized this after walking into town and entering a store to buy something, and I couldn’t find my wallet in my pocket.
About a month later, I ended up in Portland, and my brother gave me a place to stay. I wanted to stop traveling and try doing something different. I had pretty bad issues with addiction, which made it difficult for me to do anything. I wanted to make changes in my life and get sober. I thought about making a wallet to replace the wallet I’d lost because that would keep my mind occupied and help me focus on staying sober.
I went to Oregon Leather Company and asked for suggestions on what to do. I ended up making a wallet that looked horrible but functioned. It was fun, so I got some patterns and tried making more things. I pursued this as a hobby intermittently until 2016, when I started my business.
My business was part-time until 2018. I had injured my back at work, and after six months of working limited hours, I left that job because ultimately I wasn’t going to continue doing it with the injury. I ended up not working for five months and travelled on my touring bike while being out of work. I ran my business while doing this. People would place orders on my website, and I’d have materials shipped to me through general delivery at USPS. I’d make their order, then ship it out. After five months, my business started picking up enough for me to support myself, just barely, though.
It was slow and rough those first couple of years, but I didn’t give up on this craft. I’ve continued to expand my business each year and am grateful for that.
NEXT CHAPTER: Wow, what an amazing story! You really should consider writing a book—I know I’ve said this before, but I’d be the first in line to read it. You’ve had such a wild and fascinating life, and I’m so proud of your sobriety. Staying on that path is difficult enough, and doing it after an injury is even more impressive. So many people with a history of substance abuse struggle to avoid relapse after being prescribed pain medication, but your strength and resilience are truly inspiring.
NEXT CHAPTER: You’ve also been a part of the bondage community for quite a while now, right? How did you get into that genre?
JOE: I’m not active with it right now. That’s where my business began in 2016. I remember people asking me about cuffs and collars, so I designed some and started selling them. They were popular, and I was able to be creative with what I made, as many people were interested in custom gear. That was fun to make, and I met a lot of great people while doing it.
NEXT CHAPTER: Are there any projects that you’re particularly excited about right now?
JOE: There are a couple of markets out of state that I’d like to check out next year. I have some business travel planned and am currently working on the details.
NEXT CHAPTER: I can’t wait to see where your out-of-state travels take you next! On the topic of adventure, you mentioned traveling by freight train—how did you get started with that? I always loved taking Amtrak as a teen, and I’m fascinated by those videos of young adults living life on the rails, but hopping freight trains is next level. When did you first try it, and what drew you to that kind of travel?
JOE: I traveled by Greyhound with my brother when we were teenagers then he got into riding trains and showed me how to ride them. My first ride was to Portland from Sacramento.
NEXT CHAPTER: Looking back on your teenage years, what adventures stand out to you the most? How have those experiences shaped who you are today?
JOE: Traveling was something that I was always into. I loved adventures and still do. I was very independent and learned survival skills that I don’t need today, but living the way I did then gave me a unique perspective. I lived with the clothes I was wearing and a backpack with a sleeping bag. I didn’t have a phone, social media account, email address, financial help, or internet access. I learned how to get across the country by figuring out what trains went where and just making things work. I panhandled and survived off food in dumpsters. It was a lot of fun to live this way then, and I feel like I can accomplish or figure out how to do just about anything now. That’s partly because of my lifestyle, then.
NEXT CHAPTER: ack in my punk rock days, I got into all sorts of wild adventures. With no parents waiting up for me, I was a free-spirited teen, roaming the streets and hitchhiking all over LA and San Diego in the ‘90s—even crossing into Mexico and staying in hotels by myself before I was 18. Thinking about it now, as a mom, it gives me gray hairs just imagining my own kid doing that! But those crazy experiences gave us some incredible stories and taught us to be tough, resourceful hustlers—not just people who had everything handed to them- and I am happier, I thin,k because of it
NEXT CHAPTER: What were some of your most memorable travel experiences?
JOE: Prior to getting off the street, my main way of traveling was on freight trains and hitchhiking. That was a crazy way to travel, and looking back, I don’t know how I survived several near-death experiences. I had a pretty bad addiction and don’t remember most of what happened, but I’ve got memories from here and there of cool experiences. I loved riding trains through remote areas and over old trestle bridges. I saw some beautiful places. I met interesting people and had a lot of fun. After getting sober, I got a bike. I then discovered bike touring, which became my replacement for riding trains. It’s healthier and less dangerous. I meet interesting people while touring, and it’s great spending weeks at a time outside.
NEXT CHAPTER: Are there any specific gadgets or apps that you find particularly useful while traveling or biking that you’d recommend?
JOE: Two very useful websites that I use when traveling are Warmshowers.org and adventurecycling.org.
NEXT CHAPTER: How have your travels and adventures contributed to your personal growth? Are there particular experiences that led to significant changes in your outlook or lifestyle?
JOE: Before getting off the street 18 years ago, I was miserable for a month before that. You get lonely while traveling alone but that last month I just felt alone in the world. It wasn’t a good feeling. It was something that made me want to make changes. I think tough times are an opportunity to grow and do something different. I’ve had a lot of challenging things happen since then, but now it’s easier for me to look at something challenging as an adventure. When I look back on the things I’ve gone through and the outcomes, it makes me realize that tough times always turn into something good and new.
NEXT CHAPTER: What words of wisdom would you pass on to those coming up behind you?
JOE: Don’t give up. That goes for anything you want to do. I see so many people start doing something they want to do, get discouraged easily, and give up. Not giving up and eventually accomplishing something or allowing yourself to move in a different direction is a great way to grow and build confidence. Have some confidence in yourself.
NEXT CHAPTER: Thank you for interviewing with us today. You truly are an amazing human, and I wish you the best in business and your travels.
If you would like to follow Joe and support his business, you can find him at
Instagram @Ramblin_Leather_Goods
Instagram @sobriety_Leather_Goods
He is a vendor at @PortlandSaturdayMarket
