SLO LIFE Magazine Oct/Nov 2018

So, how’s country living? Someday, my dream is to build a house there,
something other than the double wide. But now, actually starting a
couple of years ago, we host woodworking classes there at the property.
I do it twelve times a year, once a month, Friday through Sunday. It’s
kind of set up for intermediate woodworkers, people who know a little
bit but want to advance. During our weekend together they’ll build
a piece of furniture with me at the shop and take it home with them.
There are twelve people in each class, so it’s small and we all get to know
each other. It’s a lot of fun. We all pitch in to make it happen. My wife
cooks the meals; I’ll barbecue. My kids help out. There’s something
about that experience. People come and they’re like, “You know, this is
kind of cool.” I’ve had so many students tell me, “Man, I’m re-thinking
my whole way of living right now.” They’ll mostly stay in Paso at a hotel
or something, but we’re looking into building some cabins, maybe like
those tent cabins in Yosemite where we would also do an Airbnb thing
on the side, too.
Sounds like a nice business way out there “in the sticks.” So, what
I realized, you know, is that I’m really bad at business. And it’s hard
to make money in woodworking. I’m just running around like crazy,
trying to find time for everything. I’m hoping this will help me stop
working as many hours as I do. Right now we’re just trying to save.
Working hard and trying to save. And I’m building furniture mostly
for designers and architects. I don’t know how word gets out. They did
recently feature the Ping Pong table I designed and built in Vanity Fair.
And, a couple of years ago, I did hire a publicist. It was a huge jump
for us. But I realized that it just didn’t feel right, like it wasn’t what
we were supposed to be doing. And, as soon we stopped trying to
attract publicity, stuff started happening. My wife and I decided to
hit the brakes. We said, “Hey, let’s just slow grow it, you know? We’re
fine. We’re as busy as we want to be.” And when it comes down to it,
honestly, I don’t want to have a whole bunch of guys working for me.
That sounds like a nightmare; I’d be managing people. I don’t want to
do that. So, let’s just figure out ways to do what we’re doing, and keep
it in the family. And then we’re happy.
Expand on that idea, if you would. You start it. You decide to do
it. Then you work really hard trying to figure out how to make it
happen. You commit to it. No matter what, you are going to find a
way. Then you can see how you can make a living doing it. And, no
matter what you do, you go into it knowing that it’s not a sure bet.
A lot of things are going to come up. But you have to be open to it, >>
46 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV 2018