We recently connected with Nick Martier and have shared our conversation below.
Nick, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose very serendipitously in high school. I went to a technical school so I could get out of regular school. I didn’t care where I went so I was going to take the automotive class because my friends all signed up for it, but I waited until the last minute and the class became full. I figured I’d take the carpentry class so I could wear a cool tool belt. Turns out that class was full too. So I asked which classes were still available. The advisor asked if I was interested in cabinetmaking/millwork. I didn’t know what it was really but I figured I enjoyed making my sister a CD tower in high school shop class, so why not. I did nothing the first month and one day I was goofing off in wood shop class and got in trouble. I wasn’t allowed back in the shop for the rest of the day. I sat all day in the classroom by myself and got really bored. I started looking through VHS tapes and found a Sam Maloof video on how he makes his rocking chairs. Don’t ask me what made me put that tape in the VCR, but I did. I was blown away at how beautiful his chairs were. I think I watched it three times that day! From that day on, I took the class seriously and developed a true passion for woodworking. The next day, I went to work. I got so into it that I built the project I was suppose to be working on the whole month in one week. Although I never got to build a rocking chair, I cherished the class. I watched that tape over and over and my teacher actually gave me it when I finished school. I still have it today, although I don’t have a VCR to watch it on. That’s where my woodworking ended. But I never stopped thinking about it. It wasn’t till 14 years later, with a wife, two small children and no real tools or experience other than that class I took more than a decade ago, I started my woodworking business. It was calling me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I started my woodworking career doing mainly built-ins. Money was tight, so I couldn’t afford a studio or proper tools. In the beginning, I used contractor grade tools and worked right on the clients driveways until I could finally afford a shop and proper equipment. When everything shut down for Covid, I decided if we’re going to be shut down for “two weeks”, I’m going to finally build a rocking chair. When it became quickly apparent that it was going to be a lot longer than two weeks, Kristen and the kids started coming to the shop with me everyday to keep from going stir crazy. This was great because prior to Covid, I would spend countless hours alone in my shop or on site, installing a built-in that I barely got to see my family. One night a few weeks before the shutdown, I was driving home on the turnpike late at night on the phone saying good night to my kids who were still asleep early that morning when I got up to go to work. I remember hanging up the phone and feeling so sad and lonely. Now all of a sudden, in the midst of such a chaotic time, it was complete calm. We would wake up every day as a family, make our coffee, fill our water bottles and all drive to the studio. I would teach the kids what all the machines were and they would make their own little woodworking projects. My daughter, Nicolina would help me with the projects I was working on. Graham, my son would collect all the scraps from the floor around the bandsaw and glue them together to make beautiful abstract statues. My wife, Kristen started helping out with the business and marketing side, which was the best part because I could design and make furniture in earnest. Once the shut down was over, I was trying to figure out how to get people to sit in the chairs and feel how comfortable they were. Kristen got the idea to do fine craft fairs so people could actually see and touch the furniture. Now three years later that is our life. I’m in my studio everyday making furniture and on the weekends Kristen and I are out at craft fairs trying to get more orders. It’s not always easy, in fact it’s really hard. There are times we’ll do three or four shows in a row and not get a single sale, but we’re confident that if we keep grinding and refuse to give up, eventually we’ll get my furniture in front of the right crowd and it will all payoff.
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?
Looking back I think my lack of skills have helped me more than anything. It’s made me fearless and willing try anything. Taking that class in high school and being a musician made me very aware of safety. Which is very helpful when attempting to try something you have no idea how to do. That mixed with not being afraid to fail or except help. When i was still just thinking about starting a furniture business a friend of mine told I was crazy and then listed all the reasons it will never work. So I just told her if thats true then they’ll be all reasons I fail, not why I don’t try or why I give up. If I had to give someone just starting out advise, it would be don’t be afraid to fail and if you do don’t give up. Also, don’t be afraid to except help. Pride makes a good servant, but a poor master.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
In someways this is a very though question because I have so many friends and family in my corner, but I chose this question anyway because there is one person that stands above them all. My wife.
Kristen is my wife, my courage, my confidence, my reason, my voice of reason and my partner. She is my knight in shinning armor. When I feel down and out and ready to give up, she builds me back up. When I have my head in the clouds, she brings me back to the ground. Kristen takes care of the business side. She keeps everything running and on time. She doesn’t have a business degree, but I also don’t have a degree and thats why it works. We do it our way with no apologies. My kids are pretty awesome too. My daughter has shown an interest in woodworking since she was a tiny thing. She is 12 now and starting to learn how use the machines and make my furniture. She’s also in charge of our TikTok account and our overall “social media advisor”. My son Graham has been in the shop sanding with me and is extremely creative in everything he does. He’s gonna be a great furniture designer, not that I’m pigeonholing them or any thing… Haha
Contact Info:
- Website: nickmartierwoodworker.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/nick_martier
- Facebook: Facebook.com/martierwoodworker
- Other: Email: kristen@nickmartierwoodworker.com
TikTok: TikTok.com@nickmartierwoodworker
Image Credits
Nick and Kristen Martier, Photo of Nick and Kristen Martier -Jackie DeLeon @buckscountymama
