Time and Money with Tyreik Jackson of Are You A Fixer LLC

 

“There’s a lot of success to be had doing this, so don’t be afraid to get dirty because there’s some money out there in that mud, for real.”

 

• Tyreik Jackson

 

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 Tyreik Jackson, owner of the New York City and Hudson Valley New York company, Are You A Fixer LLC.

 

Furniture maker, renovator, family man. Tyreik is all those things, but not always in that order. When he decided to start his own company after working in the building trades for over 20 years, he knew he had the skills. But he also knew that if he were going to do his own thing, he would do it on his own terms and in his own way.

 

When you can build anything custom for your clients, why not build a custom business for yourself? Follow along as they talk about the rise of respect for working with your hands, why it’s important to learn from others and to give that knowledge back, balancing life and work, and much more.

 

 

 

 

The Talent for Building Things

 

“For me, the building journey is a part of something else. People always say, ‘Oh, man, you’re so gifted.’ That’s God’s gift, and I always tell them that building things is my talent. My gift is people; I like people, and I like socializing. I’m just trying to use my talents to get the most out of life and do some good things for my fellow man.

 

I could go back all the way. I grew up in the projects, and I remember at a young age finding an old nightstand that was thrown in a big pile of garbage outside my building, and taking it up to my house and asking my mom if I could get a couple of dollars for some sandpaper. How I knew about sandpaper, I can’t go back that far, but I knew you needed it.

 

At a very young age, I remember sanding it, and I remember my sister helping me put a stain on it. We never finished it, but I remember after it was all done, I remember I was really proud. I put all my GI Joes and Transformers in it.”

 

• Tyreik Jackson

 

Tyreik describes himself as having not been the most studious at a young age. After finding himself kicked out of junior high school, a friend introduced him to the idea of attending a trades school where there wouldn’t be any homework. At the time, that was enough motivation for a young Tyreik, and he immediately went to learn more about the trades.

 

The school offered carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC training, and Tyreik immediately took to the carpentry side of things. He enjoyed the more dangerous tools and being able to take home the projects he created. At first, Tyreik’s mother showed pride in his creations, which soon led him to pride in his own work, which helped push him in the direction he has ended up in today.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Look at What Others are Doing

“Try not to look so much at what other folks are doing. Go at your pace, find out what you’re good at and what you feel is a strong point, and start there. You can always add on. None of us knew everything we knew, no matter where we started. We’ve been learning since day one, and it doesn’t really stop with the industry.

 

There are some basics, but as materials and codes change, we always learn different ways to do it, and there are so many people that know so much more than any one of us on any given day. Try not to watch what people are doing and gauge what you’re doing. But seek people out that you feel are like-minded in your approach. It doesn’t matter where the skill level is because that can change with time, but if you’re going to try and learn, you should find a mentor.

 

Try to pick the one you admire, see what they’re doing, see what they’ve done, and mimic it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them either. I reached out to folks, and I’ve had people call me and ask me advice about stuff. People DM me, ‘Hey, bro, I saw you did this. What do you think about that?’ The first thing I do is say, ‘Hey, here’s my number. Give me a call. Let’s talk about it.’”

 

• Tyreik Jackson

 

The adage ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ applies so strongly to woodworking and the trades. As Tyreik has experienced in his career, this industry revolves around people reaching out to and communicating with each other to develop and improve their skills. Take the time to reach out to those who inspire you, find yourself a mentor, and you will be able to grow your business beyond your wildest expectations.

 

Website: https://www.areyouafixer.com

 

Instagram: @areyouafixer