Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Vanderheyden.
Hi Leslie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a person who loves to create things with my hands although I would also not describe myself as extremely creative or artistic if directly asked. I come from a family where my dad always seems to know how to do everything with his own hands, including additions to our family home. Every time I would have a problem with a house, apartment, or car I would call him and get his advice – usually, it was “Oh you can do that yourself!”
So when I moved into my first house by myself and needed furniture but did not have the budget for it, I fashioned some end tables and shelving from some scrap wood my dad had lying about. A few years later it was benches for my patio. A year after that I had a friend ask me if I could make a small table for her. As my portfolio grew, so did my tool collection along with my interest in woodworking. My mom finds great amusement when I send my birthday and Christmas wish list each year and it is always full of power tools, clamps, and random woodworking things I want – but she always knew I didn’t fit the mold of stereotypical “girly girl.” Lots of outdoor furniture, tables, serving trays, and media consoles later, I find myself here.
When COVID-19 hit hard and my current nursing job closed for six weeks in March of 2020 I found myself with A LOT of free time and idle hands that became restless. I decided to start making furniture pieces for friends who had a need for something and that idea slowly budded into, “I wonder if I could actually make a living out of this.” I was looking for a new career path already after having been a registered nurse for 10 years – I knew I wanted out of the medical field. That desire to make a change only became stronger after a global pandemic and working the front lines in COVID-19 ICUs for several months. The question was just, “What else am I qualified for?”
Fast forward to this year, the end of 2021: things haven’t progressed quite as I thought. Lumber prices and having to deal with a flooding issue at my house sidelined the plan for me to build a workshop and hopefully watch my small woodworking business blossom. BUT! I haven’t given up. I’ve just readjusted my timeline and expectations. While almost all of my business so far has been for family and friends or people they know, I’m hoping to grow that in the near future.
My eventual goal is to sell online via websites and maker sites such as Etsy once I have the capacity to do so. In the meantime, I’ve had the time to play around with different techniques, explore the woodworking community, and read and watch tons of articles and videos to learn the craft better.
I am excited to see where this path leads me in the upcoming year and I am so grateful to have family and friends who support me on this journey and are willing to trust me to make them something to display in their own homes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is this where I can add the rolling on the floor laughing emoji?!? I would definitely not describe it as a smooth road. The biggest challenge that comes to mind in starting this business would be a global pandemic, as I’m sure many businesses have and are still facing. I would also add that fear of the unknown as well as fear of rejection and/or failure is a hurdle to any business startup.
It is scary to be leaving the job security of a healthcare professional for the unknown that is self-employment. It’s also hard to walk away when I felt like there was such a need for my skills as an RN. I know that I’m in a better place mental health-wise because I made the decision to walk away from ICU nursing right now, but it is something I think about often.
It also seems like as soon as I was gung-ho excited and ready to launch a website and start building to open an online store nothing was cooperating. My house was suddenly having heavy flooding and mold issues. It rained every single day for weeks and I was unable to work on anything outside which unfortunately is my current workshop. I needed to put the money I had saved to build a workshop into fixing my house instead.
These challenges have tested my patience as well as my drive to continue pursuing this path. I have learned that woodworking is still a dream that I want to chase and I’m willing to wait a little longer and work a little harder to have it come to fruition. No one said it was going to be easy, and it definitely hasn’t been, but I have had so much support behind me encouraging me to keep going and that’s exactly what I plan to do.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am still a beginner in my field and I imagine I will consider myself one for a while. Saying I am a woodworker is so vague and can mean a million different things. I am still learning what it means to call myself that. I build small furniture and home decor pieces but am interested in trying anything!
As of right now my portfolio includes a kayak rack, an eight foot farmhouse desk, floating shelves, serving trays, media consoles, multiple coffee tables, a big green egg table, hanging artwork, dining tables, bed risers, nightstands, patio furniture, a firewood rack, a wedding cake plate, and a few other miscellaneous items. There is nothing too small for me to work on, and I’m recently taking on bigger pieces as I’ve improved on my craft.
I have yet to find my niche. I love to collaborate with customers to try and bring their vision to life. I want to build custom pieces for everyone’s every day. I want beautiful things to be affordable for every person. I want to be a part of the celebration of everyday life and when someone sees their vision for a piece come to life I want it to bring a smile to their face every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: vanderwoodanddesign@gmail.com
- Website: VanderWoodandDesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanderwoodanddesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanderwoodanddesign
