Episode 346 – Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons – Cultivating a Mindset of Innovation and Excellence
Audio Stream:
“I can’t sell Harman because there’s a dealer too close to me, but I’d donate a kidney and my firstborn to get it.”
In this episode, Tim sits down with Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons to trace how a burn pot rooted in anthracite coal became the backbone of one of the hearth industry’s most beloved pellet stoves—and what it takes to keep innovating decades later. Dane built Harman Stoves into a legend, Karen carried its values forward, and Peter built a pellet market from almost nothing on an island ninety miles out in the Atlantic.
In this episode, Tim, Dane, Karen, and Peter cover:
– Why Dane’s 1991 Pellet Pro feeder still works today—and how a coal-pushing block evolved into a laser-cut slide plate that runs entirely on temperature.
– The real difference between a private company’s “right” decision and a public one’s—and why a profitable model can still get killed to protect a stock price.
– Whether tightening EPA regulations actually force better stoves or just strip the fun out of innovation—and where diminishing returns turn good intentions into expensive ones.
Don’t miss the moment Dane explains why deciding—truly deciding—pulls a whole team behind you, because this conversation about fire, family, and pressure-fueled innovation will change how you think about building anything worth keeping.
——
Links from this episode:
Big Enough: Building a Business that Scales with Your Lifestyle
Fire Time Podcast Q&A Episode
http://itsfiretime.com/ask
——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nXru0bLymCQ
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join