Carving Their Own Company with Steve and Stevie Thomson of Happy Life Wood
“To connect with people all across the world is amazing. It’s such a great experience, and we believe in that.”
- Stevie Thompson
Welcome to building a furniture brand with Ethan Abramson, the show that talks about the business behind the furniture business. In this episode, Ethan sits down with Steve and Stevie Thompson, co-owners of the Rochester, New York-based furniture company Happy Life Wood.
As you will hear early on in this episode, Happy Life Wood is not a furniture company. Although its roots started in the world of building and selling furniture, it has grown into something else entirely.
Ethan is sharing this episode for many reasons. But the real stand-out reasons for him are that he feels it’s a perfect representation of how a small company can capitalize on a stand-out viral video to turn itself from a one-hit-wonder into a sustainable business.
As much as the goal of this show is to help people grow their furniture business, Ethan would be remiss if he didn’t also show that there are businesses outside of what a standard furniture company looks like. You can still use the physical and mental skills learned from the furniture world to succeed in your new venture.
Starting From a Sneaker
“I spent 25+ years in the marketing slash communications world; I have a background and a degree in graphic design. So early in my career, I was a designer and then moved more into marketing and communications in several industries. After 25 years, I was always trying to keep that creative flow going, but I was missing that later in my career because I was doing more managing and less creative hands-on type things.
So one day, I wanted to put some shelves up in my garage. I had never picked up a tool in my life; I’ve never been a real handy person in terms of that kind of stuff. But I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll take a shot at it.’ So I got some plans online and started doing it. I bought a couple of tools I needed to do it and just found out that I absolutely loved the whole process.”
- Stevie Thompson
Having an outlet outside of work proved very therapeutic for Stevie, and his newfound hobby allowed him to come up with a unique gift for his son Steve. At the time, his son lived across the country, so Stevie needed to create something that would be easy to ship, and the idea of creating a wood image using different species of wood popped into his head.
After creating a sneaker piece for Steve’s birthday, his son told Stevie that he had something special happening and he should pursue it. So Stevie’s next project, a portrait of Kobe Bryant done in wood, happened to catch the attention of Pau Gasol, a friend, and teammate of the late Kobe. Pau later posted the work on Instagram, ensuring that the burgeoning woodworker’s art became a literal overnight sensation.
Turning a One-Hit-Wonder Into More
“It all started with the Pau Gasol post; I couldn’t believe that happened. He is one of the biggest sports superstars in America, the NBA, and internationally; he is massive. He has almost 2 million followers on Instagram, is an incredible business person, and is so well known. The coolest part about it was when that did go viral, we immediately locked in with a community that loves Kobe Bryant, and it was amazing to get that break.
After he sold that piece, I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s emotional to talk about because my dad and I have always been so close and have similar interests. When he called me, I was actually out on the golf course, and he had lost his job during that time during COVID. Obviously, that sucks, and It’s not fun to go through that, but this is a huge opportunity for you. There’s not even a question in my mind that he needed to take this on full time and start to develop more pieces.”
- Steve Thompson
Steve had always seen his father’s passion in the many jobs he’s had in his career, but never before this new endeavor had he witnessed something that was absolutely fulfilling to him. So Steve and his father chose to work together to develop the brand of this new business, which aligned so firmly with both of their dreams.
For those looking to develop their dreams into a business, Stevie and Steve advise listeners to be passionate about everything they are doing and surround themselves with people who are doing good things. This father and son team has had no trouble reaching out for help from people in areas they’re less familiar with, and they advise anyone looking to grow a business to do the same.
Website: https://www.happylifewood.com
Instagram: @happylifewood