Have pencil, will draw. Sometimes it’s something cool for y’all.

People often ask - Where did you find this pattern? or Where did you first see this? Often times the answer is - In my crazy head!

Waaaaayyyy back when, in the days of learning to make cabinets, we used old school technology. A “story stick” as we called them, was simply a stick of wood with a bunch of lines on it. To the average person, it was a piece of scrap. But when building a cabinet, it really was the measuring stick. Laying out every cabinet from the same story stick maintained consistency, and saved time because you didn’t have to pull out the tape measure or ruler for every single cut. As funny as that may be, I literally made a story stick yesterday for a custom corner cabinet we are getting ready to build. We utilize CNC and laser in our shop, but nothing can replace a ruler and pencil.

In our line of business, so many people have saturated the market, because everyone thinks they can do it. A lot of people can, and a lot of people can’t. And unfortunately, those that can’t but think they can, lower the bar and put out inferior quality products. That’s where we have to set ourselves apart. We do this in several ways - every product is of the highest quality. Before we put our name/logo on it, it must meet our standards and that’s pretty high. Second, we like to be unique and so many of our products are one-of-a-kind in the wood, pattern and layout of the piece. And lastly, we’re always looking to try to be different. While many will copy, we try to be the originator.

We’ve seen individuals take a rectangle cutting or charcuterie board and take a “bite” out of the corner. That “bite” represents where a shark bit the corner off and then they call it a Shark-coochie board. Say what????? Ok, in my best West Virginian accent - That ain’t happin’ in our shop. That’s plumb dumb. To each their own, I guess. Now, I liked the concept as I thought it was a bit different and I thought I should take a bite at it, pun intended. So while on vacation a year ago, I started sketching out what our “Shark-cuterie” board should look like. I made a drawing, and then made a prototype. It was ok. So I sent a picture to a friend. She said, the tail isn’t quite right, and maybe a change here or there. It was good feedback, so back to the drawing board I went. A change here, and adjustment there, and then we were on to something. Then I spent the next few days turning the drawing into a file that would allow me to create Shark-cuterie board after Shark-cuterie board, all matching.

Sadly, one of my biggest problems is I think everything we do is going to sell. Kristen, the realist, always cautions not to make too many till we know. So we started out with 2. One sold the first day we took it to market. That meant I got to make more! Another sold shortly thereafter. So I made more. When we loaded up for the show in Myrtle Beach, we had 4. We were down to our last one and a couple said they wanted to think about it and set it down. Then another couple that was just a few feet away jumped when they put it down and bought the last one. Sometimes you’re the bait, and sometimes you’re the trophy fish. You just never know, but it’s one of the coolest things to picture something in your mind, be able to make it, and people are willing to buy it. Oh, and be on the lookout for the next version, baby Shark-cuterie. Yep, I went there. And yep, they’re really coming. It’s just part of this Design and Refine Woodworks dream, and I hope I don’t wake up anytime soon.

This is our year…or not…but we’re ok with that

Years ago, I was an Atlanta Braves fan. And by years ago, I don’t mean in the glory years of Glavine, Smoltz, Avery and Maddox. I mean Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Rafael Ramirez, Glenn Hubbard, Gene Garber - those days. Each year as the season started, there was hope and optimism that “this year” was going to be our year. I was a Braves fan when it wasn’t cool. Eventually the Braves got there, and everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Everyone loves a winner, right? So I sort of jumped off. I still route for the Braves, but also the Orioles and Nationals from out time in northern VA, and now more for the Tampa Bay Rays as we’ve been going to that area for some time now in the summer and usually catch a game. As of this writing, TB is currently in first place - let’s hope the bandwagon does get too overloaded.

This year marks our third year of being an approved artisan vendor at the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market. In year one, we worked to get our name out there. People visiting the market didn’t “expect” us, so when they saw us, they often were not prepared or “in the market” (pun intended) for our products. As the year went on, we had people move from the surprise of seeing us, to actually shopping with us. We learned a lot, we changed our layout/setup too many times, and we started to learn the habits of our customers. While we are limited as to where we can set up, and it can literally change every week, we moved around to see what worked and what didn’t. We did start to realize consistency seemed to work in our favor. Overall, it was a good first year of face to face selling.

With year two, we had a better plan and became pretty consistent with our booth setup. We also started to recognize more and more faces and started having more and more conversations. Those conversations, where nothing was purchased, at first were very frustrating. You spend time educating your customer, finding their pain points and working on solutions, only to have them leave without a purchase. Sometimes, they just needed to think about it. Sometimes, they were just curious, and sometimes, they would leave a better educated individual yet go buy something cheap at a chain store. We’ll never push someone for a sale - we don’t like a pushy salesperson, so you’re not going to get that with us. We want you to have a positive experience. Then, some time later, a customer we spent time with would come back, because they felt comfortable with us, they now knew where the product came from, and they are consistently seeing us most weeks, so we were an actual, legit business in their eyes. It became part of our goal to educate the customer, teach them about the product, and leaving them a more prepared consumer, even if they chose not to buy from us. We also took a leap, applied to the Craftsmen’s Classic promotion group, and were approved. That was a big moment for us, because it’s a big promotion. With that, we did our first Craftsmen’s Classic show, locally in Greensboro, NC, over Thanksgiving weekend last year. It was hard, we were new, and it was our biggest setup. We build new display items, took way too long to decide on a layout, and brought in WAY too much product. All told, I think we spent like 10-12 hours just getting set up. This wasn’t the market, this was proving we belonged. We made it through year two, worked on developing our brand and reputation, learned how to adapt our setup and sales to a 3 days show, and we started having repeat customers.

This year marks year three as an approved vendor at the market, and we have things pretty dialed in. We started in March (early!) and had better than expected sales for that early in the year. But this year, our strategy has been a bit different. While the market has been our primary focus, we felt comfortable enough that we could make it our secondary and made the decision to tackle six promotional events, most of which were with the Craftsmen’s Classic group. So far, we’ve ventured to Columbia, SC, Roanoke, VA, and Myrtle Beach, SC. In October, we’ll hit Roanoke again. Then in November, we’ll head to Richmond, VA and then close out the year in Greensboro, NC. We also chose to invest in a 7’ x 16’ trailer, which has been a very nice addition. With six big shows and the market in between, we were very optimistic that this year, might be our year…we’ve taken a big swing; we may strike out, we may get on base, or we may hit a home run. It’s all in how you measure up to your goals. We stepped out of our “division” this year, played more road games by venturing into some new markets (and more to come) and are meeting more and more great people. Our fan base at “home” is expanding, and we continue to strive to provide high quality products for a fair price, and are seeing more and more repeat customers. If you’ve stopped by our booth just to chat, we appreciate that. If you’re a Design and Refine Woodworks customer - fantastic, thank you! If you’re a repeat customer, we so happy to have earned your business again. If you don’t know us and just happened onto this blog, check us out - we would love to earn your business. We’ve had a good year - we’ve learned a lot, put some systems in place, met some incredible people, tackled a few custom jobs and continue to show up every inning, giving our best effort. Will this be our year? Who knows…but we are hyped as we enter the “seventh inning” of the year, so to speak. As my former High School Cross Country Coach always said - You gotta love it! And we do. This may be our year, or not, but we’re ok with that. We are so blessed to get to do this, and to God be the glory.

That’s a wrap…goodbye Myrtle Beach!

Five days, 450 miles (9.9 miles to a gallon in the Silverado pulling the trailer, ugh!), 4 nights in a hotel (and not a very nice one), booth fee, extra parking passes, several restaurants to eat, 5+ hours to set up, 22 hours of selling, 3 hours to pack up, and never did we see the ocean or the sand. There’s a lot that goes into these road shows, and you just never know what the crowd is going to be. Will there be a lot of people? Just a few? Why would people come to this show when they could be on the beach? Is this the right market for us? Do we have items that will interest those that come? Will we sell anything? Is this our target market/demographic? Will the often repeated line of “they’re too pretty to cut on” lead to our doom?

If we truly step back and look at the numbers, given the investment of money, time, and travel - the ROI isn’t that great. So what positives can we find? We spoke with a lot of great people. We have one custom order we’re working on to fulfill (with the potential of a couple more). We met some new vendors on the circuit and shared some positives and opportunities we’ve all encountered. We distributed a lot of business cards and at least got the Design and Refine Woodworks name out there a bit more. But the best part of this trip was it was the first time both of our girls were with us on a road trip for most of the time - and that’s hard to put a dollar figure on.

Most of the vendors we spoke with had very nice, handcrafted and “professional” products for sale. I’m talking pottery individuals that have their own studios and kilns; artists with not only hand painted but also lithographs of their work for sale. We met an incredible glass artist that had some amazing talent, and several others which for them - this is their livelihood, not just a side job. All of us had struggles for the weekend. So much, we were all praying for rain Sunday hoping that would drive people to visit the indoor show! It wasn’t our products collectively, and, as artisans ourselves, products were priced very fair. Like most events, we had several people tell us our prices were too low for the work that goes into it. We agree, but the market yields what the market yields at times. There were several things that we and the other artisans picked up on, but here is what really is starting to hit home for us. Not only did we see this in Myrtle Beach, but we also saw it in Greensboro last November. There are 2 options for us - we can say that ROI and revenue generation is our prime focus, and lower the quality of our products and look more like a beach souvenir shop; or, we stay true to our name - Design and Refine Woodworks - and our branding. Almost every business major, entrepreneur, and successful business owner would overwhelming go for option one - degrade your product in return for more sales. John Deere did it - I mean you know the JD equipment you get at Home Depot is not the same quality you get from a JD dealer, right? FACT. Cub Cadet did it - same deal. FACT. You think businesses don’t sell out to Wal-Mart? FACT. Or, we continue to believe in what we do, continue to seek and find our target/core market, and provide the best product we can at the best possible price. Will we lose easy sales? Yep. But we’re not willing to lose our reputation. We may only be 5+ years old as an official company, but we’re 41 years in the making. Almost every week, someone stops in to see us at the Farmer’s Market to tell us how much they love something they purchased from us. Just a couple of weeks ago, an individual reached out - said someone told him they saw us at the market and our products looked great, and they want to do a custom piece - and they’ve never seen a single item of ours. We have several repeat customers, who will just stop by to say hello, and then start selling our products to customers for us - you can’t buy that publicity. If your products can speak for themselves, and your customers speak for you, then you better listen. There is only one options for us. We will never lessen our quality standards, because our customers deserve our best.

From here, it’s back to the Farmer’s market, Saturday mornings when we’re not traveling or bad weather occurs. We look forward to Roanoke, VA in October, Richmond, VA early November, and capping the year off Thanksgiving weekend in Greensboro. We’re thankful that we get to do something we enjoy, something that gives us a creative outlet, and something we get to control. Will we ever have an annual revenue of 6 figures? Sure, if you count the two numbers after the decimal point! That’s the beauty here - no shareholders to please - just a husband and wife doing it their way and trying to spread some joy to others along the way. If you’re purchased from us - thank you. If you’re a repeat customer - thank you. If you’ve seen us in person and gave a compliment on our products - thank you. If you’ve never bought anything from us - thank you because you’re on our website reading this and the shop tab is right there! If you’ve liked/shared our posts on Facebook or Instagram - thank you. If you’re a fellow small business and you’ve promoted us (Yeah Crooked Pine and Timber and Through the Looking Glass Photography to name a couple) - thank you. If you’ve served or are serving in the military - thank you - because you gave us the ability to live out a bit of a dream, and protected our freedom to do so. And finally, thank you Lord for the talents you have given us - may we use them to bless others.

It’s all in the prep…

For any project, putting the time in early to prepare yields a better product. If you want a flawless finish, you need to put the time in sanding. That also holds true for events. This weekend, we are at the Craftsmen’s Classic Arts and Crafts show in Myrtle Beach, SC. As we greet customers, answer questions, and print receipts, most will never realize everything that occurred to make that experience the best it can be.

It starts with inventory. What do our customers want? How much do we make? What wood species will appeal to this market? Sometimes it’s just a guessing game, because as customers ourselves, things change. We do our best based on past sales, market research, peer business conversations, and other factors. Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes, it’s a swing and a miss. But every now and then, it’s a grand slam and customers leave happy.

That inventory then needs loaded - into our software, into totes, into the trailer. It’s both mental and physical. Pricing needs to be accurate. The sales tax needs updated for whatever state we are selling in. Pictures taken. Quantities updated, internet sales paused to keep inventory accurate. Then, each piece needs packed up for transport, and at that point you find out if you have enough microfiber cloths - and if you don’t - then you pause, run out and get more. Sounds simple, right? What goes in which tote? What items do you combine? What items get displayed on peg board? What items sit on the table? What items are free-standing? What items need to get set up first? Second? Third? What items get packed unassembled, to be put together at the event? How do I fill this tote so things don’t shift? How do I keep the tote weight so that it’s not overly heavy? And then we have to load the trailer. Loading may seem simple - just stack totes and run some straps. That’s what we thought with our first event! Now we color code totes based on need - last items in the trailer are the first ones needed and first ones unloaded. Others stay in the trailer until replenishment is needed. Even then, product isn’t the first thing off, as we need to get all our display items, tables, props, etc. out first.

Once loaded, everything needs secured, event paperwork handy, truck and trailer checked. Now, for us. Logo’ed polo’s packed? Check. Snacks for the trip, for the event, and for the hotel packed? Check. Water? Check. Other clothes and items? Check. So by 1 am, we believe all our prep works is done, hit the bed for a few hours, and then prepare to roll south by 7 am. What time did we roll Thursday morning? About 6:51 am. And this time the youngest daughter is going with us, following behind. Off we go!

It’s a smooth drive down to Myrtle Beach and then we join the line to check in at the MB Convention Center. As of 11:01 am, we are checked in, and able to drive into the venue to start unloading. Here we have a major treat - we can pull the tailer inside the venue, unhook and leave it there for the duration. This is a major luxury! From there, it’s game on to start unloading and start setting up. Shortly thereafter, our oldest daughter fresh from her move to Myrtle Beach, arrives, and brought us an unexpected lunch!

Trip after trip, setup after setup, tote after tote, each of the pieces start to come together. Layout changes often happen on the fly due to product mix. Do we have every product category represented? Does the display look appealing? Are all the product cards filled out? Is everything priced? Do we have batteries? (Nope, and a Wal-mart run is now in our future). Spotlights aimed correctly? Business cards accessible? The list goes on and on…

With the final empty totes together and toolbox closed, we take a final look at the booth to make sure it is customer-ready. With all final touches complete, it’s 4:15 and time to head to the hotel to check in. At just over 5 hours, yep 5 hours, we can feel comfortable and start thinking about tomorrow. This setup was several weeks in the making, and a lot of hours crammed in at the last moment. Now it’s time to see if all the hard work pays off - It’s time to Design and Refine.

An early wake-up call

It was Saturday morning. I’d just completed another week of middle school and I was excited to sleep in. And then I was awakened by a knock. Then I hear my dad say it’s time to get up - get dressed and ready. Ready? Ready for what I questioned in my head. It was Saturday morning. It was sleep in time. Why is he waking me up early? And then I hear - hurry up, we need to get going.

I roll myself out of bed, realizing my thoughts of some extra sleep will no longer materialize. I get dressed and ready and then into the truck dad and I go. Where are we going? The response was - you’ll see when we get there. Here we were, driving down the road, all the while I’m trying to figure out where we’re going and why I had to go on a Saturday morning. A little while later, we arrive. I don’t remember all the exact details, but I remember getting out and going into a building or a garage or something. There were several other people around. Apparently we were at some sort of estate sale, and now I’m really wondering why we were there - that isn’t something my parents did, much less take me along. My dad apparently knows someone because he’s having a conversation with them. I hear the other man say that what dad is looking for is over there. And then he says he isn’t sure of their condition, but all the motors are good. Motors are good? I’m totally confused.

Then we walk over, and before my eyes covered with rust, corrosion, and dust was an old scroll saw that has seen better days, a sander that was probably older than my dad, a bandsaw that looked promising, and then the gem - a little 8” Homecraft table saw may by - Rockwell. Oh baby! I may have not even been a teenager, but I knew the name Rockwell. Delta Rockwell. Norm Abram - sponsored by Delta Rockwell. It was small, but it was my size. It was covered in rust, but I knew it could come back to life. Dad looked at me and said - what do you think? I was a bit unsure of the scroll saw and sander. I thought it would be cool to learn to use a bandsaw, and that table saw with maybe a 10” rip capacity - it was going to take some work but I knew it was a game changer. If I recall, dad paid the man $150 for the 4 pieces of equipment and motors, which in the 1980’s wasn’t just pocket change, and said this should give me a good start.

Over the next few days, dad and I built stands for each of the machines and mounted the motors. I continued to clean them, getting rid of years of rust, corrosion, and sawdust. I was never able to get the scroll saw and sander back to a sustainable life. The bandsaw gave me some experience but eventually caused me more chasing of problems then creating solutions. But that table saw, that little Homecraft by Rockwell table saw with it’s 3/4 HP motor…that was the starting point for what is today Design and Refine Woodworks.

That table saw made project after project, birdhouse after birdhouse, box after box, key holder after - you get it. I made enough money using that saw that when I was 16, I made my first major independent purchase - a Craftsman cast-iron table saw with a 1 HP motor that develops 2 HP (yeah right…) and a 26” rip fence. My friends were trying to buy cars, and I just paid $474 for a new table saw. Now you tell me who had their priorities straight!

Looking back, that was the best sleep I never got that Saturday morning. Also, making the stands for those tools was one of the very few projects my dad and I did together. The shop was really my thing, not so much his, but he made an investment in my future. For that, I am thankful.

Where it all began…

They were just scrap pieces, some thrown into a corner; others scattered around. Pieces of pine 2×6’s, 2×8’s, 2×10’s…all scraps accumulated over the last couple of weeks destined for the fire pit. My pre-teen mind questioned - does it have to be this way? Can I find new life for these discarded pieces? Having no power tools, I searched through the scraps, trying to find pieces of the same width and length. After organizing them by size, it was decision time. I’m sure my parents were just watching and wondering why I was giving so much attention to what was now in their minds firewood. I stood there thinking, what can I do with this? I thought I should sit down and try and sketch out some ideas. Then I realized there was no place to sit.

Armed with a hammer and 16p nails, I started cobbling pieces together to make a seat. How do I even out the legs? How do I get the back straight? How do I keep it from wobbling? I had yet to hear the word geometry, much less understand the concept. How many hits does it take to sink a 3” nail? I soon found out is was more than the licks to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop. And there was no wise owl guiding me. My parents were putting up walls moving full steam ahead.

Eventually, it came together. It was a bit high, not the most comfortable, but it was the seat I built. Total cost - $0.00. Total retail value - $0.00. But every weekend I looked forward to sitting in that chair. Pieces now saved from the fire pit had a new life. A life not envisioned earlier. Mistakes were made along the way, but that chair was solid (at least for my body). The irony here is this was the very start - the kindling that lit the fire that continues to burn 40 years later.

The same love that went into building that chair goes into every product we make here at Design and Refine Woodworks. We wouldn’t have it any other way.