Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Carr.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I had never so much as nailed two boards together when my wife told me she wanted a farmhouse table. Of course the only appropriate response I could give was that I would build her one. And that is what I did. I built her the most atrocious table one could imagine. I found the plans online and went to work. I bought 2x4s from the home center, because at the time I thought all wood was basically the same, and put my considerable shop to use. By considerable shop, I mean an old hand me down drill and a compact table saw that wobbled when you touched it. I had no idea what I was doing. The plans called for pocket screws and I didn’t even know what those were. The whole thing was glued and screwed.
As anyone who knows anything about wood would guess, within a few months the weather changed and the table top began to expand and contract. By the end of the first year the table that I was originally proud of had become a source of great shame any time someone came to our house. Giant gaps formed between the boards that I didn’t even bother to glue together and plates rocked back and forth because they could not sit flat. I finally had enough and determined to learn how to make a table that wasn’t an eye sore. So I did what anyone does in the 21st century. I went to Youtube University and began to learn. I quickly determined that beyond my limited knowledge, my barely functional tools were holding me back. I decided I needed a new table saw so I went to the home center to find one. Not knowing what I was looking at I called the one person I knew would be able to give me some answers; my dad the former cabinet maker.
This phone call would literally change my life. I’m standing there in the store asking him which of the two table saws I had picked out were the best. He hesitated a bit and said he would get back to me. Later that night he calls me and tells me that my table saw would be delivered in a few weeks. I was stunned and told him he didn’t need to do that and that the saws I was looking at were in stock and that I could just get it the next day. He informed me that he had bought me a legitimate cabinet saw. Once I saw the price tag and felt the quality I felt like I needed to try to use it for more than one project. I made my wife a new table, which we still have eight years later, and went back to the university to learn how to make more projects.
I became interested in all teh tools that the people I had learned form were using. Over the next four to six months I would ask my dad about a particular tool, he would give me his thoughts, then a few days later he would inform me that it would be delivered shortly. I began to preface every tool question with a stern warning not to buy it. It didn’t matter. He was going to buy it. So within a little less than a year I went from two busted up tools to a respectable woodworking shop. I felt like I needed to really commit to making projects for the house. Of course, that turned in to friends and family asking me to make things. Then, faster than I imagined, strangers were reaching out to me for me to build furniture for them. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have a custom furniture business today because my wife wanted a farmhouse table and my dad wanted to share his love of woodworking with me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Has anyone ever said yes to that question? If so, I would be less inclined to trust them. I’ll answer the question under two categories; skill development and business growth. As I stated in my previous answer, I knew nothing about woodworking. Nothing is an understatement. I had been given a router table at one point and I could not comprehend what it did despite having it explained to me repeatedly. Today my router (all six of them) is one of my favorite tools. I had to learn everything from scratch and that was most assuredly a bumpy process, but I truly believe that failure is one of the best paths to success.
The second category, business growth, has been even more challenging that skill acquisition. It has been a whole new world for me. Let’s just say that I keep putting myself on the path to success. Marketing is challenging, especially since most of it is done through social media. I loathe being on social media so one could imagine how that might present some marketing challenges.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in custom wood furniture and home decor. I absolutely love building custom furniture that will become part of someone’s family story for generations. I enjoy every part of the process from meeting the client and sketching out their dream piece to selecting the perfect wood and bringing their dream piece of furniture to life. I love making all kinds of furniture, but my absolute favorite piece to make is a dining room table. To create one of the most important pieces of furniture in a home is a real honor. That table is where family meals will be had, hard conversations will be discusses, parties will gather, and so much more. The dining room table is, in many ways, the center of the home, and when I get to be part of making that piece even more warm and inviting I get very excited.
I also enjoy making home decor items. I make a lot of different idtems, but I really enjoy making pieces that beautify the home and declare the glories of Christ. There is a lot of kitchy Christian art out there that focuses on the same few bible verses and inspiration quotes. I like to create pieces that are unique, not the type of art you find at the local craft store. There is nothing wrong with those pieces, but I want to stand out and give my customers a piece that provides a talking point for their guests.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I don’t know that it comes as a surprise to any who understand the name of my business, but I am a huge fan of church history, especially the Protestant Reformation. I came up with the name for the business because I love the five solas of the reformation and I have five children. I will show restraint and not launch into an expanded explanation of the solas, but suffice it to say that much of my home decor is inspired by the art and language of the reformation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fivesolaswoodworking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fivesolaswoodworking/?next=%2F
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076173965348
