I spent years working a job I hated, wearing out my body as a self-employed carpet layer. One Christmas Eve, I found myself working late, alone in a new-home subdivision. I was broke, divorced, and miserable. As I paused to look out the picture window, I saw a family in the adjacent house sitting down for Christmas Eve dinner. Their tree was beautifully decorated, and they were together, celebrating the holiday. A wave of sadness, loneliness and disappointment washed over me as I reflected on where my life had taken me. Just then I thought back to a time in high school. Back then out of necessity, I built my first crude dresser by hand. I remember vividly designing and building a simple, six-drawer dresser for my clothes. Even though it wasn’t much to look at, I still remember the pride and satisfaction of building something useful with my own hands. That memory sparked something in me. I decided to dive into woodworking full-time, and I've never looked back. I got a job in furniture manufacturing to learn the trade. I eventually started a company of my own, trained others, and built countless pieces of furniture and wood art. Now, I want to share what I’ve learned with you.