Notes from Chris

Episode 1970

The pandemic brought about changes for many of us. In the United States, a lot of city dwellers left for rural settings. Executives accustomed to twelve-hour days in the office found themselves at home in their pajamas with more time on their hands. Meanwhile, healthcare workers became busier than they could have ever imagined.

For Harrie and Sandra den Boer, three significant changes converged during this time: quarantine, a knee injury, and the reality that they were now empty nesters. This trifecta of change didn't bring them down. Instead, the couple saw this moment as an opportunity for transformation and decided to begin their long dreamed-of side hustle.

But sitting by and watching wasn't their style; they pined for more action. So the crafty couple decided to use this abrupt change to shake things up a bit and pursue a long-time dream to turn Harrie's woodworking hobby into a small family-run business. They called it Protea and Thistle Woodshop, a name as quaint as their surroundings.

Next, they bought something called a CNC and added it to the workshop shop. If you're wondering, CNC stands for computer numerical control, a machine you program to make precise cuts, engravings, and more.

Then it was time to decide on a product. Sandra's love of arranging charcuterie on boards influenced that decision. It seemed like a good match of both their interests.

The couple created their first batch of boards from a piece of local walnut. They titled them The Plymouth Collection, after their hometown. Each one-of-a-kind piece is named after a street in Plymouth. It wasn't long before friends and family snapped those up.

They didn’t have a website, at least at first—instead, they made their Instagram page into a storefront and enlisted the help of their daughter, Pretoria. She shows their followers how to craft creative boards for various holidays, and they film mini-tutorials that demonstrate the boards' versatility.

Despite this minimal approach to marketing, Protea and Thistle Woodshop brings in up to $2,000 each month, and the den Boers have continued to grow their business by adding new products.

 

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Join the charcuterie trend by checking out the den Boer’s Etsy shop, @ProteaAndThistleWood.

SEE ALSO:

• Cheese Connoisseur Makes Legen-dairy Creations: When a remote worker wants to show appreciation for healthcare staff, she accidentally stumbles upon an untapped market for her charcuterie and cheese boards.
• Unofficial Schitt’s Creek Cookbook Folds in the Cheese: Two sisters fold it all in with a self-publishing venture that tastes like success.
• Catering Chef Cooks Up Private Meals: When a catering chef learns to offer an in-home restaurant experience, he proves that knife guys don’t always finish last.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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