Welcome to the latest episode of Behind The Print, where we bring you the creative stories of industry leaders shaping the world of professional printing. In this episode, I sit down with Eric Williams, a certified LEGO Master Builder and owner of Eric’s LEGO Bricks, to discuss his journey from building models for museums to creating custom LEGO replicas for Cedar Point Amusement Park. Our mission is to provide you with inspiring, actionable resources that elevate your business projects and accelerate your journey to excellence in profit and print.

Below, you’ll find the transcript of our conversation, edited for clarity to ensure easy reading. If you want the full, authentic experience, make sure to check out the video attached at the end of this post.

6-minute read

“The challenge is making the LEGO model look as close to the real thing as possible, and then turning that into readable instructions for others to follow.” -Eric Williams

Transcript from Behind the Print with Eric Williams

Zoe Fisher: Welcome back to Behind the Print, the podcast where we feature industry leaders and uncover the creative minds and their businesses behind the world of professional printing. Our mission is to provide you with inspiring, actionable resources that elevate your business projects, accelerate your journey, and excel your profit and print.

Today, we have an exciting guest with us: Eric Williams, the owner of Eric’s LEGO Bricks and a certified LEGO Master Builder. Eric, welcome to the show!

Eric Williams: Hey, thank you for having me, Zoe! I’m excited to be here.

Zoe Fisher: We’re excited to have you! Eric is based out of Northern Ohio and has over half a million LEGO pieces for building his MOCs (My Own Creations), plus over 230 official LEGO sets waiting for him to assemble. Eric, you’ve built some really incredible LEGO structures. Who are the main groups or communities you work with?

Eric Williams: I wish I could say the LEGO company itself, but most of my work is for myself. I love working with LEGO, and I’ve donated a lot of my pieces to underprivileged schools. I also volunteer for the Nickel Plate and Mad River Railroad Museum in Bellevue, Ohio. That’s actually where I got the inspiration to build the Berkshire 757.

Zoe Fisher: That’s so cool! The LEGO replica looks so accurate. What did you do next?

Eric Williams: The museum loved the Berkshire 757 model and asked me to display it in their gift shop. From there, Cedar Point Amusement Park saw my work and commissioned me to create replicas of their trains. They have five trains, but I ended up building all of them, not just the one they asked for! Those will be on display for the 2025 season.

Zoe Fisher: Wow, that’s incredible! It must be an exciting journey to build your LEGO creations then see them displayed at such large venues.

Eric Williams: Absolutely! It’s been a surreal experience.

Zoe Fisher: Besides just building, you also solve creative challenges for your clients. Can you tell us more about doing that?

Eric Williams: The main challenge is making the LEGO models look as close to the real thing as possible. Then, I need to turn those models into readable instructions for others to follow, which is where working with PrintingCenterUSA.com has been helpful. They’ve helped me with printing the manuals for my LEGO sets.

Zoe Fisher: That’s amazing! You’re inspiring others to create with LEGO, which is such a rewarding process. How do you approach a creative project, especially when faced with challenges?

Eric Williams: I take it one brick at a time. LEGO is very fluid—you can build something, take it apart, and rebuild it until you’re satisfied. The Berkshire 757 took me three months to complete because I wanted it to be perfect.

Zoe Fisher: Perfection! Would you say your hands-on approach sets you apart from other LEGO builders?

Eric Williams: Definitely. A lot of builders use computers now to design their LEGO creations, but I prefer working with my hands. It may take longer, but nothing beats the experience of holding the model in real life.

Zoe Fisher: I agree, like print, having something physical to look at in your hands makes a big difference! What are some of the biggest milestones in your LEGO journey so far?

Eric Williams: One of the biggest moments for me was attending a LEGO brick convention. I showed my work to someone who turned out to be the organizer of the world’s largest LEGO convention. He invited me to exhibit my creations at the convention in Chicago next June. It’ll be my first time displaying my work in front of thousands of people!

Get your tickets and visit the Lego convention in Chicago, June 2025!

Zoe Fisher: That’s incredible! It sounds like you’re just getting started, and there’s so much more to come. What challenges are you currently facing with your marketing?

Eric Williams: One of the challenges is that LEGO does not produce certain bricks in the colors I need, which can be frustrating. But as for printing, you guys at PrintingCenterUSA have been handling everything perfectly. I’m very happy with the work Josh and the team have done for me.

Zoe Fisher: Thank you! We’re thrilled to be part of your journey and can’t wait to see where you go from here.

Fun Fact: Did you know there are more than 60 different colors of LEGO bricks in production? Even with this wide variety, builders like Eric sometimes face challenges when the exact color they need isn’t available. But it’s all part of the process. It really shows how dedicated LEGO enthusiasts are to bringing their vision to life!

Zoe Fisher: How can our listeners get in touch with you if they want to collaborate on a project?

Eric Williams: You can find me on Instagram, YouTube, and my website, all under Eric’s Legacy Bricks!

Zoe Fisher: Perfect! Readers, don’t forget to check out Eric’s amazing work. Eric, thank you so much for sharing your LEGO journey with us. We can’t wait to see what’s next for you, and hopefully, we can chat again soon.

Eric Williams: Thank you for having me! I’d love to come back anytime.

Zoe Fisher: That’s a wrap on another episode of Behind the Print. If you’ve enjoyed today’s show, be sure to grab a sample pack from PrintingCenterUSA.com for your next print project and share it with your fellow business enthusiasts. Until next time, keep those creative sparks flying, and remember, there’s always more to discover Behind the Print.

“The good thing about LEGO is it’s very fluid—you can take it apart and put it back together until you’re satisfied. When people ask me how I do this, I tell them it’s one brick at a time. Brick by brick, you’ve got to build them up.” -Eric Williams

Order Today!

From a train to LEGO to a professionally printed book, manuals come in all shapes and sizes with all different purposes. For Eric, PrintingCenterUSA was that partner, helping turn his first replica LEGO train, the Berkshire 757 into a step-by-step LEGO manual for others to learn from and follow. Order your book, magazine, or manual today!

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