About Mitch Pearson

Craftsperson. Organizational Psychologist. Researcher.

I come from four generations of craftspeople and precision manufacturers. My great-grandfather and grandfather were woodworkers, my father works in precision manufacturing for scientific research, and my brother specializes in CAD/CNC in guitar manufacturing. I learned guitar making through informal apprenticeship with master luthiers in South Africa before founding my own workshop in 2018.

From 2021–2025, I led the lacquering department at Nik Huber Guitars in Germany, one of Europe's most respected boutique guitar makers. I worked directly with master craftspeople, apprentices, and production teams—and I witnessed firsthand the challenges that craft businesses face: transmitting tacit knowledge between generations, maintaining team health under demanding conditions, and planning for sustainable succession.

These experiences led me to formal study. I hold a BSc in Applied Psychology and am completing an MSc in Behavioral & Organizational Psychology. I'm now developing doctoral research investigating how knowledge transfer, organizational dynamics, and occupational well-being intersect in European guitar-making SMEs.

My work bridges two worlds: consulting with craft businesses to strengthen their teams and conducting qualitative research to understand what makes skilled craft workplaces sustainable and healthy.