Meet Jesse Frampton | Woodworker & Speaker Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jesse Frampton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jesse, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Before starting my own business, I could do whatever I wanted on the weekends, or after work, take vacations, be a little spontaneous. Not any more. I am working on my business everyday. Whether I am in the garage building, at the kitchen table assembling, or on the couch editing my website, finding new leads, or editing photographs; its a non stop process. I don’t know if I realized how much work it would take, but I also am weirdly ok with it. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely some days that I would like to just sit back, drink a beer, and relax, but I also can’t sit still knowing that I have work to do. I know that I get more out than I put in, so I just keep grinding and moving forward.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s a very strange feeling to me that I actually build pieces, and they are so unique and awesome, that people buy them from me. I’m not the only person building speakers out there, but mine are very different, almost works of art that are very functional. I’ve had numerous years of art school, many years of fabricating, and my entire life of tinkering with electronics which culminated into what I’ve created today. I think the biggest thing that sets me apart was a willingness to fail and learn from my mistakes while betting on myself.

Im most proud of the fact that I found a way to take a vintage styling of old school radio’s, and using that inspiration to create new modern technology, but all from scratch. I get asked all the time if my speakers are vintage radios, or just new radios, and people are so blown away that they are actually portable bluetooth speakers. I’m also very proud of my material selections. It’s a big part of the overall esthetic, and I pride myself on not using any dye’s or stains.

Knowing what a piece will look like completed before its even started is fun and challenging at the same time.

My whole situation has evolved in the few short years since I started (even a global pandemic). My first event was a huge success, and without that, I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to continue. My biggest step was renting my own space in a shop and having a permanent booth setup. That really helped me start expanding and growing, which then led me to move to Austin Tx where I’ve really begun establishing myself and brand here.

One of my biggest struggles was learning the business side of running a business. I enjoy getting in the shop, being creative and building new items, but taxes, bills, scheduling did not come natural. I had to figure out how to get a business license, file my business taxes, setup accounts, all the things that are the opposite of what I enjoy, but are equally important in running a business.

One of the biggest lessons that I have learned along the way has to be knowing your market. In the beginning, I would do any event that I could get into, which didn’t always lead to great events. I started realizing the places and customers who I had the most success with, and then pivoted to focusing on them. Knowing who your customers are, and where they are leads to a better experience for you and them, and I’m glad that I am figuring that out.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First stop would be Celis Brewery for a local beer and the best Pizza in town from Blaze Pizza. We would go down to Vulcan Gas Company to catch a comedy show.

The next day would be a float in san marcos with a steak dinner at Steiner ranch for dinner, with a view, followed by a beer at the oasis brewery down the street.
We would get some breakfast tacos from Mickey V’s and catch some local vendors in Georgetown followed by cocktails at Still Austin Whiskey.
After this I’d be done planning and would give some options of my favorite things.

Top golf at the domain
Chicken Shit Bingo at the little LongHorn Saloon
A trip down Congress to check out the local shops
Rainey street for the experience
A Picnic at Zilker Park
Tex Mex from Baby A’s and Lupe Tortillas
Barbecue from Styles Switch, Blacks and Stubs
and some Chines from Rice Bowl Cafe
and we can do any of these in any order throughout the week

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My journey has been a wild ride for sure. I have had sooo much encouragement and support along the way. There were many times where I wasn’t sure if I would make it, but many of of my friends and family kept pushing me to continue.

From getting new materials, finding new outlets to sell through, or even people sharing me and my products, I definitely got a lot of help along the way.

Website: tinkeraudio.com

Instagram: @thetinkeraudio

Facebook: @thetinkeraudio