Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Tippetts.
Hi Matt, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born into a family of makers. My dad owned and operated a custom cabinet and furniture shop for over three decades in northern Wyoming with clients all over the United States. My grandpa on my mom’s side also ran a solo woodworking business building custom fine furniture. Things were being built around me all the time and I remember seeing some of the pieces my dad and grandpa had built and wondering “how did they do that?!” At one point, as a small child, I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and enthusiastically saying, “I want to be a maker!”
I spent every summer after my 10th birthday working in my dad’s shop. Mostly just sweeping floors and cleaning up messes at first. Eventually, the other guys in the shop taught me how to build cabinets and use all of the tools. I’ll admit that I wasn’t the most enthusiastic employee. I had developed a deep interest in music and planned to pursue a career in that field so cabinet was just a job. It didn’t occur to me until years later that those 10 or so years I spent in that shop taught me invaluable skills that I still use today.
I eventually finished a bachelors and masters degree in music education and started a career as an instrumental music teacher. Along the way, however, I found that those skills really came in handy as a homeowner or even just as a neighbor and member of the community. A really significant moment came early in my marriage when my wife and I were looking for some end tables for our first home. It was really disappointing to face the prospect of spending more money than we’d like on products that were lower quality than we’d like. My wife, Abby, asked back then, “Didn’t you work in a cabinet shop? Can’t you make something better than this?”. I replied that I could, but didn’t really have the right tools. So we decided to spend the money we would have spent on the end tables on some tools so I could build them.
Those end tables were the spark that lit a fire that is still burning 10 years later. I fell in love with building furniture for our house and slowly acquired more tools and equipment to do it better and faster. Soon, other people began asking me if I would build things for them. At first I declined because I had a full-time job and wasn’t sure how my craftsmanship stacked up against professionals. Before long, I relented and started doing work for friends and family. It was a blast. I found a lot of happiness working with my hands and it was fun when others got to enjoy my work.
I had never really done any sort of marketing at that point. All of the business I got was just from word of mouth or people who saw my Instagram posts. I wasn’t trying to really build a business, it was all just for fun. In 2021, however, I decided to see if I could do a small run of cutting boards, cheese slicers, and some other kitchen trinkets to see if I could sell them online. I set up a website and did a little bit of advertising and figured out all the ecommerce setup. All of the products I made were sold before I even had them finished. That was really exciting! I wanted to do more an see where it could go.
However, in early 2022, I began experiencing intense abdominal pain that gradually grew so intense that I was admitted to the hospital through the ER. For a few days, the hospital staff was confused that my liver was failing without a clear reason. Thankfully, it was discovered that the problem was being caused by my gall bladder and was able to be corrected through surgery.
I ended up missing about one third of the school year that year due to health reasons. Although I had developed a love for the school I taught in and the students I had worked with over the years, that time away from the classroom forced me to spend some time reflecting on my career goals. Even though I had always loved music and it brings so much good into my life, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had another story to tell through woodworking.
With encouragement from my wife I began making plans to shift my career more into woodworking. I set aside my initial plans to build a small side business selling wood kitchenware, and began to actively seek out clients looking for custom wood furniture. Early the next year, we took a leap of faith and left my full time teaching position for a part time position at another school so that I could devote the remaining time to my small furniture business. It has been wonderful. I love taking a client’s ideas and bringing them into reality. I have had opportunities to create some really unique pieces and I’m grateful that my path has crossed with some wonderful people who appreciate the craft. I feel a really strong connection with my dad and grandpa.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel very blessed to have a supportive wife who genuinely wants me to be happy. There have been struggles along the way, and she has been there through all of it. I went to school to teach music, not run a business. The most intimidating thing is navigating all of the administration of small business. Licensing, accounting, taxes, etc. those are all things that you are expected to do and don’t come with an instruction manual.
I’d say that most of my struggles have been self-imposed. After investing years of my life pursuing degrees and training in music education, I worried what others would think or say when I started making a major career shift. After all, I had reached a point in my teaching career where I felt a lot of job security. I wrestled with the idea of leaving something financially stable to pursue something that didn’t have any of the same guarantees. My wife is also a teacher and I think she understood some of my hesitations. She also was able to recognize some things about me that I couldn’t see myself. She saw my ability, my personality, my mental and emotional well-being and helped me to recognize that I am capable of doing what needs to be done.
I can say that all of that worrying was mostly for nothing. Sure, there are occasionally people who give me confused looks when I explain what I do for a living and how I got here. It’s ok though because the journey has been worth it. I have a much better handle on my mental health, I have a lot more emotional capacity to invest in my own children. The longer I have followed this path, the more I am amazed at the doors that have been opened to me and my family. Taking a leap of faith a few years ago, I didn’t know if this was a viable business model, but I’m continually amazed that my work schedule seems to stay constant booked out for months at a time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a woodworker and furniture maker. From dining tables to dressers I work with clients to create unique, custom pieces of furniture that are tailored to their tastes and meet the function required in their space. The design process is really a team effort as I try to synthesize all of the client’s ideas/hopes/dreams and I combine them with time-tested construction methods and traditional joinery. Although I personally prefer Shaker-influenced and modern designs, I have built several pieces spanning many different styles and time periods.
I’m proud of my woodworking heritage. My dad has taught me a lot about efficient construction practices which have helped me develop skills in both furniture making and cabinetry. I have a lot of admiration for my grandpa’s interest in “Mission Style” furniture and his efforts to combine traditional and modern in his time. I am happy when I finish a piece that can bring tradition and history into a modern context.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I had a very happy childhood. It’s hard to pinpoint a “favorite” memory, but I have to say that most of my most fond memories involved making something. I loved crafts, I love Legos. I loved bringing something from my imagination into reality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tippettswoodworks.com
- Instagram: tippettsmatt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TippettsWoodworks
