Meet Joshua Stone | Joshua Stone | Custom Woodworker & Business Owner

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

Hi Joshua, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I initially started woodworking when we purchased our home. I did this to save money on décor and shelving, so I just made them myself. I did that for a few years and got pretty good at making things for our home. During this time I worked a full time job for a beverage distributor working 60+ hours a week. This worked out great for a while until the company I worked for started making too many changes. All of the sudden I felt like I was working for a completely different company. These changes made me start thinking about my future more and what was important to me and what I really wanted to do. I knew I loved woodworking and that I could do this as a job- if I could just figure out how to make woodworking a business. I spent the next couple of years learning about business and slowly buying the tools and machines I needed. Once I had some of the tools I needed I started my business as a side gig while working full time. Business was really slow starting out, but through trial and error and finding the right products that people would actually buy- i started getting orders. I thought it would take at least 5 years to hit my first goal, but orders went through the roof and i had more orders than I could handle. One thing led to another and now my full time job was more of a burden , so i decided to go full time with the business on Nov 1st 2019.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Stonewon Designs Co. is a custom woodworking business. We don’t have a retail location locally , as all our products are sold online in our etsy shop, our website, and a few retail locations like West Elm, Williams Sonoma  ect.. Most of our products are for storage & organization, and we specialize in Kitchen items like Noodle boards and stove covers. Seasonally our vertical planters , plant stands, and raised garden beds do well for us. Currently our piano hook & coat racks are our best sellers. All of our products are made from actual the hardwoods like walnut, oak, maple, Ambrosia, and mahogany.. We pride ourselves on using only the best quality materials, lumber, and finishes, but everything is always handmade by one of us. We want our products to last a lifetime and this can only be done by taking the time to build products sturdy with the best materials and finishes. As for some of the challenges along the way- I think I have made every single mistake there is in business. I did not have a business mentor, so i had to learn everything by doing it wrong first then realizing there must be a better way.. I would spend hours every night researching everything from trending product research, how to do bookkeeping, understanding state and local taxes, e commerce best practices and more.. I did all of this while working a full time job and not getting much sleep. I learned a lot by doing this and listening to audio books about business or podcasts about being an entrepreneur. This was time consuming but it helped me figure things out along the way. Each time I was completely exhausted and felt like I couldn’t go on like this forever- I would think back to a quote i read about entrepreneurship: ” entrepreneurship is living a few years like most people wont, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t”. For some reason this quote resonated with me and gave me that extra energy, knowing that people do this and they do succeed. I believe in my business even if it means risking everything.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Downtown McKinney Square has a great area to park and walk around visiting the small business owners craft shops, bars, restaurants, and antique shops. Depending on the date- there is always some event going on there and its a great place to enjoy shopping and being outdoors without having to eat at one place then drive to another.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife Christine Stone deserves recognition for managing the household, paying the bills and encouraging me to pursue this brand new business venture.

Website: www.etsy.com/shop/stonewondesigns

Instagram: www.instagram.com/stonewondesigns

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stonewondesigns

Other: www.stonewondesigns.com