Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson

On this episode I sit down with Vic Tesolin, owner of Vic Tesolin Woodworks. If you want to hear the full story behind how Vic Tesolin Woodworks got started, check out the show archives - episode 165 In this industry, you never stop learning. As your craft continues to evolve, so does your thirst for knowledge. But when you are starting out, that knowledge barrier - of what you know and what you don’t - is pretty apparent. And it can show up in your earlier work in ways you certainly don’t want it to. That's what happened to Vic, when his commissioned tables, didn’t hold up as well as he imagined they would. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Vic wears a lot of hats. Furniture maker, teacher, writer, speaker, the list goes on. Chances are, if you have spent time reading about woodworking you have probably read something he has written. Being around so many furniture makers and understanding furniture at a deep enough level to not only write about it but to also teach it to others (and let's not forget building impressive furniture in his own right) has given Vic a perspective on the industry that many aim for but not all achieve. A perspective that he gladly shares in this episode. Follow along as we talk about learning to have an ego, how important mistakes are, why showing up can be your greatest skill, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Candice Luter, owner of Candice Luter Art + Interiors If you want to hear the full story behind how Candice Luter Art + Interiors got started - check out the show archives - episode 163 Sometimes, your biggest obstacle turns out to be your biggest win. Thats what happened with Candice and one of her products. Instead of giving up and counting her damaged materials as a loss, she went outside the box to find a solution to her problem. And that solution, well, it took her farther than she ever thought possible. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Candice follows her heart, and it has taken her to some very impressive places - both in design and in business. As you will hear, her company started out not even really as an idea, it was just a feeling that she needed to create something. But from that first spark, she has grown her company to soaring heights, building a wonderful team, appearing in some of the most respected publications out there, and working with some of the biggest retailers in the world. All doing so, by following her own compass and making her own way. Follow along as we talk about, believing in your own vision, how to treat your team with respect, failure being the road to success, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Brent Biglow, owner of Biglow Woodcraft If you want to hear the full story behind how Biglow Woodcraft got started, check out the show archives - Episode 161 What keeps you up at night? If you are a furniture maker, especially one just starting out, I’m going to bet you have had some sleepless nights thinking about projects that you built being out in the world. People using them and how they are holding up. Early in his career, Brent had one of these moments. A project he built stressed him out so much that he ended up having to do something about it. That story, and the lengths he went to to fix it, is what this episode is about. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Brent has a busy 5 person company. Everybody working in sync to keep the orders on track. If you listen closely you can actually hear them all working in the background of this episode. And honestly, I think that’s great because it gives a real snapshot of the way Brent sees his role in his company. He understands that as a business grows the role of the owner changes, and he doesn’t want to be, in his own words, “ the bottle neck”, for production. So even when he is talking with me, he is also aware that work needs to go on. And he has built his company in a way that lets it do just that. Follow along as we talk about changing your goals, being a good boss, building a visual brand and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Suzi McAfee, owner of Monarch Woodworx. If you want to hear the full story behind how Monarch Woodworx got started, check out the show archives - episode 159 Most furniture makers love getting orders for mass produced pieces. Not only can you batch out the work, but it means there is enough demand for your work that multiple people or places want it. Suzi’s first production run started out like a dream, which quickly turned into a nightmare. But would an unhappy commercial client, a literal no shipping zone, and a global pandemic be enough to stop her from making things right? That story, and the unexpected results that followed is what this episode is about. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Suzi has grown her South Africa based furniture company to where it is today, not by taking shortcuts, but by fully immersing herself in the world of furniture. She loves it all, from the building, the design, and the community that surrounds the industry. Coming from a childhood with zero experience handling tools, to now running a widely successful furniture company, she has literally used her own hands to build her company into what it is today. Follow along as we talk about designing for your clients and yourself, running a business through social media, understating what to outsource and what to keep in house, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Ray Brents, owner of Ray Brents Design. If you want to hear the full story behind how Ray Brents Design got started - check out the show archives - episode 157 Those early mistakes in your business always stick with you. Either on the business or the building end. When you have a client issue during the start of your career it can be painful and the very least and a company killer at the very most. On one of Ray’s early projects, he didn’t account for wood movement in his table. And when he got that client call, it was a make or break moment for him Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Ray understands the importance of details. Details in his workmanship, building the best furniture for his clients. Details in his design, making sure what he delivers meets with all his client’s needs. Details in his business, honing his pricing, customer service, shipping, and everything else over the years that helps him keep his company running smoothly. In case you couldn’t tell, details are important to Ray, and what makes his company stand out from the rest. Follow along as we talk about getting outside of your building comfort zone, the things you forget with pricing, shipping your work, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

On this episode I sit down with Aaron Moore, owner of Moore's Refinishing. If you want to hear the full story behind how Moore's Refinishing got started, check out the show archives - episode 155 The start of a business is hard. Learning the skills, getting the clients, and making the money you need to keep the doors open. Although comfortably successful with money coming into his company now, at the beginning Aaron was anything but. So much so, that he had to decide if he wanted to keep the business going or have his truck repossessed. The story of how Aaron dealt with this experience is the topic of this episode. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Customer service is key, thats Aaron’s business practice in a nutshell. Yes you have to be great at your job, yes you have to understand how to price your work, yes you have to know how to handle your employees, but to pull everything together and be a successful company, you need to have that customer service down to a science. For over 20 years, Aaron has been building his skills in finishing alongside his skills in keeping customers happy, while all at the same time still making the money he needs to keep his business running smoothly. Follow along as we talk about trying new things for industry growth, buying into a business vs starting from scratch, the joys of teaching your skills to others, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

We talk a lot about building a community on this show, and Austin is taking that idea and giving it a physical form. So why not celebrate that. This episode is not only a look behind the curtain at the Texas Woodworking Festival event but also an overall conversation on marketing and brand development and how you can use them both in your own business. As you might remember, Austin was on the show before, episode 137. So if you want to hear his backstory and learn more about his furniture company and the school he started (the Austin School of Furniture) please take a listen to that before you go further. For this episode, follow along as we talk about digital marketing for your business, growing your brand, the Texas Woodworking Festival origin story, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

This special episode is with Mike and Michelle Ranger, owners of Ranger Home North West. If you want to hear the full story behind how Ranger Home North West got started, check out the show archives - episode 152 Navigating lumber yards, and buying wood in general, isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to do. No matter how many years you have done it, there are always some idiosyncrasies with each purchase that changes the final outcome you were thinking it would be. But, it gets even harder when you know something is wrong with your material, and the supplier just won’t believe you. Mike and Michelle had this exact problem, when their largest order of white oak turned out to be - not exactly what they planned. This mistake from their supplier almost sunk their company, so what did they do? The story, of what Mike and Michelle did next, is what we cover in this episode. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

By focusing on a commitment to their brand, a commitment to their skills, and a commitment to each other, Mike and Michelle have been able to rapidly grow in an industry that is relatively new to them both. By still respecting the traditional ideas of furniture making, but building a brand in the digital marketing age, they are able to reach clients and expand their company in a way that would have been unheard of only a few years ago. Follow along as we talk about how to grow with your pricing, working together as a couple, learning as you go, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

This special episode is with Bryan and Erin Kerr, owners of Kerr Woodworking. If you want to hear the full story, behind how Kerr Woodworking got started, check out the show archives - episode 150 Bryan and Erin make beautiful furniture. The meticulous attention to detail in their work is one of the many reasons clients continue to reach out to them and how they have been successful over the years. But what about when parts of that furniture are out of their hands? When they have to source materials, and the pieces they get aren’t on par with the work they need to do? As their furniture continues to rise this has become a problem for the couple. One they needed to deal with if they were to continue to be successful. The story of how Bryan and Erin are dealing with this scenario is what we cover in this episode. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

No furniture maker is an island. No matter how much you can take on yourself, at some point, you are going to need help. Although coming from different industries, Bryan and Erin understood that need. And when they started their own furniture company, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and being the support the other needed, is how they have grown their company to where it is today. Follow along as we talk about moving in on other people's clients, keeping good notes, how much you want to grow, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

This special episode is with Jay and Deb Lopez of Together We Build. If you want to hear the full story behind how Together We Build got started check out the show archives - episode 148 You know those projects that start out like every other project you have done, but then one thing after another goes wrong and before you know it the whole project has completely gotten away from you? Jay and Deb had that happen to them on a Kitchen project that kept going down hill until they almost just gave up. But, did it stop them in their tracks, or did they overcome and learn from that experience so they could do better in the future? Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

Jay and Deb, are a married couple but also business partners in their company, Together We Build. And, just like the name suggests, they build together. Not just the business, but the actual furniture as well. As the company has grown over the years they have grown a team around them to help with demand. But at the core of the business, it is still both of them, working side by side building quality furniture that they feel good about putting their name on. Follow along as we talk about understating the customer you want to work for, managing a company as a couple, how to break down your pricing to keep yourself safe, and much more. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com

This special episode is with Hunter Hedenberg, owner of Oak & Main. If you want to hear the full story, behind how Oak & Main got started - check out the show archives - episode 146 Quoting and time management, no matter how much you try to avoid it, one of those two always seems to be an issue in every project. For Hunter, at the start of her company, she had a build where both quoting and time management went wrong in a big way. And as you will hear, it almost broke her physically and mentally. But as the old adage goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you a better furniture business owner and so instead of breaking her, she came out of that situation learning how to run her company better going forward. Learn more at buildingafurniturebrand.com