Meet Drake Zion

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Drake Zion. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Drake, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity came from the example my father set for me as my main role model growing up. He was just one of those rare gems’ of a man that have a huge heart, a perfect family man, and a A-class gentleman, and man that had a strong christian faith instilled in him from a young age. I distinctly remember seeing him give things freely throughout my childhood, from him giving money, blessings bags, or even giving the very jacket off his back, to doing volunteer work , events, and some much more with him. One time going with him to a family in need from my childhood church and giving them one of our cars and signing the title over to them. He was also the type to be slow to anger, and I could count on one hand the times someone actually got under his skin. He definitely wasn’t perfect by any means, but one thing for sure he was one impressive man, father, and mentor. And so technical minded and well versed on a variety of subjects, because of his career path and thats just how his mind worked.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hello, my name is Drake Zion, I am the founder and operator of The Zion Woodshop LLC, custom woodworking creations. I specialize in, but not limited to creating high end custom made solid hard wood serving boards and tables for commercial and residential clientele. I mission to strive to make The Zion Woodshop, a well establish christian based, community based and supported ethical company, aimed to reduce and use the carbon foot print of the modern wood and reduce the waste of perfectly good lumber no mater that shape or status to give it one more chance before its left to rot or become fire wood. I grew up with a big open heart good man as my father and role model who showed me daily that no matter our circumstances we can always stand to help each other no matter the capacity. And I want to pay that belief through my work as a business owner and person, by volunteering when and where i can in my Community, helping others who want to pursue their dreams get their start, working with non-profits, and anything embrace any opportunities that come my way. This all started nearly six years ago now, with a passion for woodworking. Which started back in my freshman year of high school when I tried out shop class, sense I have always enjoyed working with my hands, and finding new ways to challenge myself, I figured it would be something new to get into. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I didn’t realize how much I would fall in love with the trade and learning all I could about it. Covid-19 came to the US that following spring with little warning, I finished my classes online that year, and started a hybrid schedule while in my sophomore year. This was also around the time when I asked my shop instructor to be my first mentor, which he was more than happy to do so. By early winter of 2020, I started getting ideas of exploring business and entrepreneurship from influences on TikTok, after making a lazy susan for my mom’s birthday, and getting my first order requests after words.

From there I went off to the races to get my first ever business cards and set up social media pages to post my projects on. then things proceeded as normal and continued onto my junior year, where I was offered the opportunity to be the teaching assistant for the lower level shop classes in exchange for community service hours I needed to graduate, which I stayed in this role during most of my junior year and all of my senior year. Also during my Junior year, I had a major set back due to the loss of my father in fall of 2021. Due to my father being the main source of income for my family and my main pillar of support, we hit quite a wall trying to recover, but thanks to all the support and help I got at my school it made a big difference. As I progressed my mentor took notice of my drastic improvements I made over the year(s), and he brought an opportunity to my attention that he believed would be beneficial in helping me get out of the rut I was in. He told me about the annual craft fair my school held at the beginning of December every year. He informed me that I should enter be a vendor at the event and the school would take care of the entrances fee, after some deliberation for a few days, I was finally convinced to do it. Over the years the back room attached to the shop had been filled with unfinished products that students abandoned over the years, so he made me a deal, for any of the projects I finish, I can sell at the craft fair and keep the full profit for myself, sense I would be doing him a favor to clear out the space for him.

After accepting his offer, I would stay after school with him several days out of the week in the shop at school to work on completing all the projects over the next two weeks, just in time for the event. The craft fair itself was nothing new to me sense I grew up going to many over the years with my family, but being a vendor was just something else entirely. throughout the day my family and my instructor came in and helped me out which made things easier. By the end of it I ended up with several orders, nearly sold out, and $1,200+ in my pocket to start building up my own shop. Entering my senior year I had been studying anything and everything I could to keep growing and getting more opportunities. Which came sooner than I would have imagined when I started the Northland CAPS program, in the business management strand, where I gain and refined soft skillsets, started building a network, and having an internship with a marketing company. All of which boosted me beyond any goals I had set for that time period. Which leads us to the current day me, I am a Sophomore at the University of Missouri Kansas City. My business is fully licensed and every day I am getting one step closer to achieving my goals and dreams as I find the best ways to continue to help bring others up around me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Embrace a jack of all trades like mindset: What I mean is, knowledge is power, and the more you have of it the more opportunities you see, the better decisions you can make, and the further you can go. Of course find something you can specialize in and build a career around, but also don’t limit yourself, and allow yourselves to learn about other things daily and about other industries, even if it just the basics of that topic. Because it makes it easier to embracing new opportunities and make the most of them when you can come in and understand what others do, and how you can help, being more efficient with research since you know the vocabulary and key words you would need, and over all just being prepared as best you can for what ever comes your way. there is no limit to your possibilities except the one you, yourself place in your path to becoming who you strive to be.

2. Being genuine: This should go without being said but, being genuine can take you a long way. I learned this a few ago when I first started networking and my internship boss at the time offered that advice to me. striving to take a genuine interest and making the conversation about the other person so so powerful and makes a great first impression and always comes across when you strive to do it. It’t definitely not easy, and takes a mindset shift, but when you do it is just contagious and brings the best out of you and those around to, creating such a positive, productive, and rich environment that the feeling can’t be put in words.

3. saying hello: This is a disconnect I see all the time bouncing in and out of the city, and going to smaller or more isolated communities in the area. In the inner city we have gotten to you point were we ignore that everyone exists, as we focus on getting places, doing things, and ourselves. Verses in smaller nearby towns everyone makes the effort to say hello, good morning/afternoon/evening to each other at you can just tell it really is a community and not just on paper, but in reality too. I am not saying to talk to everyone that passes you, but try to take the effort to say hello to who you can in the areas you frequent and you never know where it may lead, or who really needed it to feel okay that day, or just make there day better because you took a second to care about someone else.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

I service both commercial and residential clientele. For commercial, I look for companies that want a custom made to order statement piece such as conference tables, desks, or coffee tables that will tie into an existing commercial space and give then a high quality wood product that will be multifunctional and show off the brand or image the company wished to convey to those that will see it, if its clients, or business partners/employees alike. Or if they are in need of personalized closing gifts to add that finishing touch to round off the clients experience with that Company.

For residential, I look for people that enjoy cooking, hosting, or gifting, that have an appreciation for hand crafted items, and truly value the experience of working with me as I create their dream cutting/charcuterie board or to custom table to help them turn their houses/apartments into homes. tailor made to their vision and specifications.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

last photo- “Atkin Johnson farm: Sunflower 5k, Drake & sister Aug 2024”

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