Heather Black is a wife, mother, and incredibly talented woodworker.
With her dad as her teacher, Heather quickly learned the woodworking ropes, fell in love with the process, and made a lot of incredible memories. Today we dive into how her childhood passion turned into a business, the unique process of getting large products to customers, and so much more!
Check out the show notes below and then go listen to the entire interview on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify!
How did Black and Taylor officially become a business?
As a mother of three (two of those being newborn twins) Heather was feeling a little overwhelmed and knew she needed some time for herself. She knew that getting back into the woodshop would be a great way to add a little self-care and growth while still allowing her time to spend with her kids.
As she started to create projects for herself, family members and friends started to request that she make things for their own homes. By the time she started sharing what she was up to on social media, she was one busy lady!
What was the process of product creation like for you as a handmade business?
“Measure twice, cut once.” Learning how to plan out each project from the very beginning saves so much time! It’s important to take the time to really plan every step and detail out ahead of time to make sure each item comes out exactly right.
Heather not only designs her own products, she works with clients to create products they have in mind specifically for their homes, as well!
You create some amazing, big, beautiful products. How has that impacted your business structure with shipping, etc!?
Though many products are easy to ship across the United States, some of the larger items are unavailable for shipping at this point. This has opened so many opportunities to get closer to people in the community and really get to know people in the area. Customer referrals and word of mouth are a huge way business has grown and working so closely with the community has really made this opportunity amazing.
How do you balance the creative and business side as a handmade business?
Keep learning! Spend time every day or week to focus on and learn something new about a different aspect of your business. This way neither the business side or the creative side ever seems boring.
Involve your family and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
What would you do differently if you could go back and start fresh with your business?
“In the beginning I struggled so much with comparison. I kept putting off starting and launching my business because I had this idea that I needed multiple products to launch at once so that people could be like, ‘oh wow! Look at all she can do!’...so I just kept pushing it off thinking I wasn’t ready or I didn’t have enough ready to launch. And I finally just went with it.I launched with one shelf design and I just told people, ‘this is an example of what I can do, but I can do any woodworking that you need.”
“Just stop comparing, and start with what you’ve got.”
“A business grown naturally is so much better than a business you try and force into happening.”
“Do it now, start with what you have, and everything will grow from there.”
Heather's Top Three Book Recommendations:
Everything is Figureoutable - Marie Forleo
Anything by Dave Ramsey
Girl Stop Apologizing - Rachel Hollis
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice when you were first getting started what would it be?
“Have confidence in yourself, your products, and what you offer people. You can do this! Even though you don’t know everything right now, you learn as you go.”
“Just have ten seconds of courage! When you’re telling someone about your business or about what you do - own it!”
Where can listeners connect with you? (IG handles, etc!)
Instagram + Facebook: @blackandtaylorwoodworking
https://www.instagram.com/blackandtaylorwoodworking/
Website: https://www.blackandtaylorwoodworking.com