He goes by Rotten Roger.

But don’t let that fool you. After only talking with him for a short while, it’s obvious he’s the kind of guy that is a genuinely nice person.

He gave a quick history of Cigar Box Guitars and showed us the creme of the crop:

This is our Stratocrapper. This is our top-of-the-line model.

They only get mostly cleaned, because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to play the crap out of them.

Yes, that was one of the jokes. 😉

I enjoy learning things from people who are craftsmen. Roger genuinely cares about his craft. And he does well with it. He teaches people how to make them and also sells them at events. I caught him at Cider Days in Springfield, MO.

He sells about 250 of these guitars each year at about $120 each. I didn’t get one this time, but I’m looking forward to getting one if I can catch him another time.

And here’s one of the things that I observed.

Some of the best leaders are that way because they truly care most about the cause – not about pushing their agenda.

He really didn’t try to “sell” a purchase of one of his guitars. What he was doing is:

• trying to share the great history of the Cigar Box tradition
• let people experience it by playing themselves (or listening)
• encourage people to become part of a community & make their own

So now, the challenge: Simply lead. Care the most. Create something out of the scraps you have.