Rocking with Dallas Gara of GaraWood

 

“I’m gambling. You know, I’m putting all my eggs in a basket. I’m saying that I want to be a guy who builds what I want to build.”

 

• Dallas Gara

 

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 Dallas Gara, owner of the Alberta, Canada-based furniture company, GaraWood. 

 

As season three of this show wraps, Ethan wanted to do an episode that was a little bit different. Dallas has a furniture company; he makes truly impressive museum-quality furniture that, in time, could reach the level of the masters that inspire him. But his story is different from other regular episodes, because like so many out there, he is one of those who has a full-time job and runs a successful furniture company. 

 

Ethan and Dallas focus on the business side and the personal side of what one goes through if they decide that the full-time furniture business is right for them. People who hear this will know that they are not alone in the personal struggles that they go through in their own furniture journeys. 

 

 

 

 

Putting it all Together

 

Dallas started building things at a very young age. When he was five years old, he would be building model cars in his basement, and as he aged, he transitioned into building skateboards and ramps. He felt that he always had to be keeping busy throughout his life.

 

That constant drive meant that as soon as work was done, he would get into biking, kickboxing, painting, playing guitar, and various other hobbies over the years. The challenge facing Dallas was that he felt that none of these pastimes resulted in an outcome. 

 

For example, although he loves to play the guitar, he eventually reached a point where he realized that he wasn’t going to join a band or become a professional musician. Ultimately Dallas was searching for something to do, and he really just wanted to create things.

 

“I’ll be honest; I love furniture. I’ll go to a store and see a piece that I’m just like, ‘How did this person make this?’ I remember seeing a Maloof rocking chair back in the day. And I was just blown away. I couldn’t figure out how it was all put together with the curves and the joinery. And so much of it just intrigued me.

 

It was funny because once I got a house, I was like, ‘You can go to the store and buy something, or maybe you can make something.’ Nothing that really had ever occurred to me. I never thought that I could make something or build something, and I never really even questioned it. It was just something I thought was just impossible.”

 

• Dallas Gara

 

 

 

 

There are no Boundaries

 

After quickly overcoming his concerns about the possibility of building his own furniture, Dallas got to work. He started with a cheap table saw and chop saw, and he simply began making things. Above all, the freedom of woodworking is what appeals most to him.

 

“The most interesting thing to me about woodworking is, you go to a store, you just buy a bunch of wood, whether it’s kind of prepared wood or just a raw chunk of lumber, and you can just do whatever you want with it. You have to abide by rules when it comes to woodworking, but with creativity, the sky’s the limit. 

 

It was just such an interesting thing to have a space in my house that I could go to any time I wanted and take this material that I bought at a store to create something. And it just amazed me. Then once I started learning about it, watching YouTube videos, and talking to people at stores and friends, it captivated me. I just love that there are no boundaries.”

 

• Dallas Gara

 

 

 

 

Working in that In-Between Space

 

As mentioned earlier, unlike most guests on Building a Furniture Brand with Ethan Abramson, Dallas has a job alongside his furniture company. A big part of that division is because he loves his job and the people he works with. However, he recognizes the potential future downturn of the oil and gas industry he works in and is preparing himself for a new way to make a living that allows him to work with his hands and be creative.

 

Another reason that Dallas keeps a firm hold on his job right now is that he worries about losing that freedom that drew him to woodworking in the first place. Dallas recognizes that if he quits his job and takes his furniture company full time, he may not be able to build only the things he wants to.

 

“I think that would be challenging. I heard another one of your guests say, ‘If somebody wants 20 of the same chairs, are you going to burn out because you’re not necessarily building the things you want?’ So my approach in the past six years is that I wanted to experiment with building one-of-a-kind items. 

 

I’ve said no to some projects that I don’t necessarily want to build. And I’ve tried to make the things that I really want to. Having a day job gives me that luxury because I do not depend on woodwork for my primary income. Being a part-time woodworker, I have that luxury of being able to say yes or no to certain things.”

 

• Dallas Gara

 

 

 

 

A Unique Perspective

 

Because Dallas has a unique perspective on owning a furniture business, he is well equipped to provide insight to prospective furniture business owners. Especially for those who find themselves in a similar situation where they love their job and love building furniture.

 

“My answer is going to be a little bit cliche, but I’ve done my best to try and build the things I want to build. There’s something to be said about making things that excite you and where you want to get back out to the shop and keep working on that thing because you really want to do it. 

 

So I think in a situation where you have a day job, the actual number of physical hours that you can be in the shop doing something can be limited. For myself, I just really try my best to be building something that really inspires me.

 

The other thing is having the confidence to charge what things are worth. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘Hey, this material cost me this much, and it took me this long. That’s what it costs.’ If you can be building the things that you want to build, that makes you want to spend time in the shop. That’s what keeps me going is because if I had to be out in the shop, building things I don’t want to make, I wouldn’t have much drive.”

 

• Dallas Gara

 

Website: https://www.garawood.com

 

Instagram: @garawood

 

This episode is brought to you by Jobber – getjobber.com/ethan