Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson Ethan Abramson

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