What is your profession?
For my normal day job, I am a digital channel marketing manager, but my passion is with building – which prompted me to start MT Farm Tables about four years ago. It keeps me quite busy as a side profession that continues to grow. Right now, pretty much everything I build is custom and made-to-order.
Are you all self-taught?
I went to school for my day job in the corporate world. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time on the trades. I had a lot of guidance and instruction years ago from my dad and some other folks who were mentors. When you’re young, you don’t always pay attention as much as you should, so now looking back, I realize how much I actually did learn and how much more I could have learned if I was listening more. A lot of great lessons and a lot of value in that.
How did you get into the profession/what inspired you?
My father was a builder by trade. I always was around him working – the smell in the workshop, the sawdust, the tools – all that brings me right back to childhood. I think that’s also part of the reason I enjoy it so much today. What’s nice is that I still have a fair amount of his tools. My father passed away about 27 years ago, so the fact that I’m still using some of his tools – some of which being STANLEY and BLACK+DECKER – I just get a lot of satisfaction out of that.
Why would you recommend a career in skilled trades?
For me, that’s a very easy question to answer. I get a lot of satisfaction from making something for a customer and just seeing their reaction. Beyond the dollars that may go in your pocket, I thoroughly enjoy seeing my customers enjoy what I’ve built.
What advice do you have for students or individuals who may be considering pursuing skilled trades?
The first thing I would say is to go for it! Don’t be afraid to try something new. You’re going to make mistakes, but you’re going to learn from those mistakes. When I sit down now and look at what I’ve created compared to four or five years ago... I’m like “Wow! I’ve really come a long way. I’ve really learned a lot.” And yes, I learned those lessons the hard way sometimes. The main thing there is don’t be afraid to try and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
My second key piece of advice would be don’t undervalue your work. You’re going to come across people where you say the price is X and they’ll offer you Y. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground. Don’t undervalue the quality of your work. I think that’s really important.