Don’t Talk About It, Be About It with Nick Sawyer of Sawyer Design

 

“I think if you want to push yourself to the next level, you need to find the next thing that pushes you out of your comfort zone.”

 

• Nick Sawyer

 

Hello, and 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 Nick Sawyer, owner of the Portland Oregon furniture company, Sawyer Design. Not all those who wander are lost. This could easily sum up the beginning of Nick’s working life.

 

He had the drive, but he didn’t know what that drive was pushing him towards. With the help of a mentor, a new city, good experiences and hard ones, and a newfound community of online furniture makers, Nick found a place where his passion and his skills could come together into a profession that he loved. Follow along as they talk about the value of your pieces, how to sell a story, the importance of community, and much more.

 

 

 

 

Finding his Direction

 

“I got out of school, and I knew I wanted to do something for myself. My dad is an entrepreneur, he had an excavation company, and I saw the benefits of that lifestyle. I’ve always known that it is in my blood, and it’s something that I could become passionate about and want to pursue.

 

I met my wife; she was just about to get into medical school and decided that I needed a hobby. So I got a chop saw for Christmas. I had a background in airbrushing and body art from music festivals and things of that sort, so I was doing a lot of signs. I moved into doing reclaimed fence pickets into outdoor furniture. I had no idea what I was doing. But it was fun. 

 

One of the first things that sent me down the path that I’m on now was when I went to my buddy Tim’s shop in Boise, and he was working on a six-drawer chest dresser. All custom designed. He had a similar background. He went to furniture school while his wife was in residency and was an engineer before that. I saw his dresser, and I was like, ‘Wow, that is what I want to make.’ That got me down that hand tool route.”

 

• Nick Sawyer

 

After meeting with Tim, Nick began collecting planes, chisels, and other joinery tools needed to create custom-crafted furniture. He found his joy, but like many other artisans, the challenge became finding people to purchase these high-quality creations. However, he took it one piece at a time.

 

 

 

 

Detail Oriented Precision

 

“Initially, when I started woodworking, I was into very geometric things and execution. Right now, if I look at something, I can see exactly how it’s made. But back then, it wasn’t so evident. I didn’t know what joint went where I was just building things how I thought they should be constructed. I wasn’t following plans. And I have never had the desire to do so. 

 

Seeing Tim’s training and it was all half-blind hand-cut dovetails, book matched case with piston fit drawers. The attention to detail really clicked in my head. I was like, ‘Okay, if all of this stuff on Pinterest that I’ve seen if I wanted to know how one of these was built, it’s that one.’ 

 

I feel like doing this without a mentor; I would not be here without meeting Tim. Something just fell into place after seeing that in person. I think it’s different seeing a picture of some of this stuff versus seeing it raw, unfinished. We had to move, unfortunately, but I was on the phone with him this morning; I still talk to him weekly, at least. He’s been an incredible resource for guiding me, showing me the light.”

 

• Nick Sawyer

 

If it weren’t for Tim’s influence, Nick believes that he wouldn’t have found the appreciation that he has now for curves, lamination, and other advanced techniques. Having someone there to teach him specifics, especially surrounding mathematical methods, was so vital to his growth as a furniture maker.

 

Nick believes strongly that anyone interested in creative work should find someone to teach and mentor them. Creative people, in general, tend to be very excited to share their knowledge and nerd out about their passions, so it’s not that difficult to find assistance when you need it.

 

 

 

 

Avoiding Stagnation and Always Growing

 

“I put less importance on Excel spreadsheets and more on presenting my work more professionally in a way that gains eyeballs and knowing how organic reach works and using proper hashtags and SEO to get your work in front of the right people. I am a firm believer that for every piece, every next piece if you’re trying to take it to the next level, you have to take your craft to the next level and learn something new. 

 

As soon as I feel comfortable throughout an entire build, that’s where I feel the most uncomfortable because it feels stagnant. I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. But I think if you want to push yourself to the next level, you need to find the next thing that pushes you out of your comfort zone. And then really working to improve each thing one at a time.”

 

• Nick Sawyer

 

There are many hats that a business owner wears, and if you just do your best to focus a little bit on everything, you will be shocked at what 1% does a day over the course of 365 days. Hard work and dedication to your craft will always provide the most benefit in the long term while keeping you busy and always learning day by day.

 

Website: https://www.finefurniture.studio

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SawyerDesign/featured