A Collection of (somewhat) Deep Thoughts via Orbital Sander
Fundamental to any good business is a mission statement. I’m not talking about lip service to some corporate ideal or a marketing slogan written creatively as a mission statement. I mean a statement that truly defines the mission. Something that speaks to the core values that shape the personality of a business. Here are some thoughts on my woodworking philosophy, how it was formed and some stories from along the way:
We are what we do. (Woodworking Philosophy Distilled)
I remember my first time ordering business cards. While designing, I I realized they needed my title. I couldn’t settle for “Owner” or “CEO” or “President”. The goal was for clientspeople to get an idea of what I actually was and what this company meant to me. I did what anyone would do and searched “job titles” online. It was hard to find the right fit. I thought back on the 43 different jobs (yes I counted and made a list) I’ve held in my life and couldn’t find the one…
I set it aside, probably to run a sander for a few hours (that’s when I do my best thinking). Conclusion: This was an opportunity! I wasn’t beholden to a boss or a board. There wasn’t a chain of command to follow or a ladder to climb… I got to build the ladder. My job title gets to share a little piece of my woodworking philosophy in just a few words.
“Founder” because this business is my baby. I built it from the ground up… starting with a rusty pickup truck with too many miles and a small trailer with a bent frame.
“Chief Sawdust Maker“, number 1, because it’s tongue in cheek. It makes fun of job titles and how seriously corporate America takes them. And, number 2, at the same time, it shares my commitment to the work.
A Cornerstone: The Work
There are a lot of opportunities in business ownership to move into managing the business and scaling your team and become hands-off when it comes to the actual work. It becomes about leadership, forecasting and prospecting. Don’t get me wrong, as Fox Woodwork has matured, that role has taken up more and more of my day-to-day time. But, calling myself “Chief Sawdust Maker” cements my commitment to working on every single project that comes through the doors.
I love getting my hands dirty and going home covered in sawdust. There’s joy in ending my day with my body sore. I love the satisfaction of making something functional and beautiful from raw materials.
It’s somewhat of a paradox that my job title, which I hold so dear, was partially created to make fun of people who take their titles so seriously… But I’m proud of my commitment to make the work a cornerstone value at Fox Woodwork.
Growing up, my family was middle class. We never had to worry where our next meal was coming from or if the utilities would be shut off. I’m grateful for that. Living like that changes the way you’re wired. It’s hard to thrive when you’re surrounded by struggle for necessities. At the same time, we didn’t have the means to buy fancy things. We drove high-mileage cars that my dad would pick up for a deal and we would work on. When we wanted nice things, we had to work for them.
On Parental Influence and Inspiration: A Woodworking Philosophy Curated
My dad is an engineer in the automotive industry, but he always kept his builder’s license. He would take on construction projects on the weekends. I worked my first roofing job at age 11. Granted, I was cleaning up debris from tear-off and picking nails out of the landscaping, but that hard work ethic became my way of life. It’s that work ethic that drives my woodworking philosophy at its core.
My dad used the cash from side projects to buy dirt bikes, or snowmobiles, or an old boat we had for a few summers. They were never brand new, never top-of-the-line, but always the most fun you could have on a budget. I think that value was baked into me from the time I was born. Appreciating those things is a value I use every single day in my work.
My mom is a huge influence on my design eye. Growing up, if it wasn’t Jeopardy, we watched HGTV, Trading Spaces, or whatever design show she could find. First, we watched. Then, we analyzed. The intelligent woman she is, my mother would lead the discussion of the things we liked, the things we didn’t, what we would have done differently… Those conversations introduced me to exploring ideas and concepts and brainstorming solutions. I saw the effects time or budget constraints had on renovations and how they influenced celebrity designers’ decision-making. I still watch these types of shows with my wife, Always with an open mind and a keen eye to find the things that inspire me. These are the things that challenge me to approach problems differently and come up with unique and practical solutions.
The Business: The Foundation of a Woodworking Philosophy
This business was born out of necessity. I have good taste in furniture, or, as some might say, expensive taste in furniture. I always found myself working jobs I loved that didn’t pay well. To get the things I wanted, I made them.
I want to surround myself with unique things, things that have a story. The furniture and fixtures in my home should be eclectic and interesting, like the pallet wood coffee table with a vintage door as a top (complete with original solid brass hardware) or the wine barrel coffee table I made for some friends from one of their favorite wineries. This is another influence on my woodworking philosophy. The idea that the things we own can be more than their function. The idea that those things can be beautiful and unique like we are as individuals, and they can tell an authentic story about who we are.
What does Fox Woodwork do? Woodworking Philosophy Applied
When people ask, it’s a challenge to sum it up. I like to say that I’m a woodworker with a small shop specializing in using reclaimed wood and odd materials.
The business started in 2020 as a side hustle buying and selling reclaimed bowling lane wood. I met a guy in Chicago who was selling the lane wood from a closed bowling alley. I contacted him offering to buy 10 or 20 feet, thinking they would make cool dining tables or bar tops. He told me that if I bought a whole lane, 60 feet, he’d give me a better price. I asked if he cared if I sold it when I got back home, he replied “as long as you bring cash, I don’t care what you do with it!”
My first lane of bowling wood was sold before I got home. I went back the next weekend to buy 2 lanes, then 4 lanes. Then I bought 350 feet, then 700. Eventually, I bought whole bowling centers of 16 or 24 lanes and sold the wood around the country. By my count, in my first 3 years of buying and selling, I sold over 3 miles of bowling lane. That’s 300 tons of wood demo’d out of old buildings by hand!
Using reclaimed wood and other materials is another core value of Fox Woodwork. Saving something from the rest of its existence in a landfill is always preferred. My woodworking philosophy dictates that it’s better to change that material’s story, to add to it, to evolve its narrative.
The Many Jobs of The American Gypsy
Did I mention that I’ve had 43 different job titles? …so far. That’s a real number. I sat down one day and made a list. I’ve worked as a doughnut maker, taxi driver, cannabis farmer, ski bum and marketing consultant… built websites, operated drones, and managed social media, including photo and video content creation. On my resume is experience working in the trades for drywallers, painters, roofers, and managing a commercial renovation project. I’ve worked in logistics as a broker, I was a part owner of a bar, restaurant and music venue. These different industries and jobs each contributed something unique to who I am and my journey in life. They’re mini-chapters of my life.
Combined with a foundation of a hearty work ethic and a curious mind, these jobs eventually led me to start my own business. In my line of work, no two days are alike… but I’m hard-pressed to find a day where I don’t use skills I learned from at least 6 of them. Working so many jobs, and at times 3 or 4 at once I’d add, taught me to be resourceful and creative. It taught me how to manage hectic times and stay focused to push through. It taught me how to work with limited resources and still do the absolute best I can. These skills are invaluable to any worker, but especially to a small business.
The Many Jobs of The American Gypsy: Part Deux
Some people look at my jobs list as a negative, saying I’m a job hopper or not loyal to my employer. But, I prefer to look at it as a guy trying to soak up as much knowledge as he can. A guy willing to take any opportunity to work hard and learn something for it at the end of the day.
This variety of workplaces has contributed to my woodworking philosophy. I draw from these experiences by looking at challenges practically. I’m not afraid to, not only think outside the box, but to burn the box and make something with the ashes! I love solving problems with saws. Coming up with off-the-wall solutions is one of my favorite parts of what I do. They aren’t all home runs, but usually, I can weed out the less-than-ideal ones and come up with something pretty cool.
“The Fear” (yes that fear) of Failure (Woodworking Philosophy On Perfection)
Friends and family often ask me for advice on projects, it comes with the territory. Sometimes when I suggest something, I get objections like “Well that’s easy for you to do” or “You’ve got the tools to do something like that”… While that may be true, in some cases, the real thing that makes me different is the lack of what I call, “The Fear”.
“The Fear” is something we all have sometimes. It’s fear of trying something new or different. It’s fear of failure, of challenging yourself, or pushing yourself. Sometimes, I get “The Fear”, but I can’t afford to let it hold me back. I’m always willing to fail my way to success.
Voltaire’s famous quote says, “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good”. I use this mentality DAILY. Nothing we do is perfect. If my woodworking philosophy held perfection as the only option, I’d never get anything done!
There’s a certain degree of perfectionism in any good business owner, in any good craftsman, and in anyone who cares about what they’re doing on any level.
If there’s no part of a project you’ve completed that you can look back on and say well maybe I should have done this differently or it would have been better if… then call it a day. Fold it up and go home. You’re a master of your craft. I don’t know if I’ll ever call myself a master craftsman. Am I a good one? Absolutely. Am I a great one? Sometimes…
But it’s that constant reach for better work, it’s that holding of oneself to a higher standard. It’s that desire to learn new things that makes me good at what I do. I hope I never lose that. It’s one of the best tools in my bag.
Robots, Flying Cars, AI and The Future
I guess, to wrap up my story, I should talk about the future. There are times when I don’t know what that looks like. Will I always be a woodworker? Yes. Will it always be my job? Right now, I hope so. I’m so passionate about improving myself and my skills that I can’t imagine ever not doing what I’m doing.
Do I have ambitions of building the next revolutionary furniture manufacturing company? No. Simply put, I care too much about the work. It’s my art form. I don’t sell furniture. The pieces I sell are a part of me. I sell the time I’ve invested in learning my craft and the time I’ve spent creating.
Even as the business grows, I’m committed to keeping a firm grip on the idea that what people invest in when they buy my pieces is me. I’m committed to fine-tuning my woodworking philosophy while still applying it daily.
I’ll continue to honor and respect my clients’ trust by attracting like-minded craftsmen to build my team. I’ll share my knowledge, experience and values with the people on that team investing their time to help me achieve my dreams.
One thing I’m certain of, things will continue to change. My woodworking philosophy will continue to change! But without doubt, I’m beyond excited to see the future of Fox Woodwork. For now, I’ve got a sander to run…