We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ryan “Zeek” Jennings. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ryan “Zeek” below.
Ryan “Zeek”, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I would have to say my work ethic comes from my parents. My dad expected a lot from me as an athlete and worked very hard to excel in sports from a young age. We also helped with all projects/work around the house from renovations, maintenance, yard work, etc.. There was also lots of work put into some of the baseball fields, I played at growing up so manual labor and hard work have always been very familiar to me. My mom has also worked since we were kids and ultimately supported the family when my dad faced some health issues that did not allow him to work for a few years and has always excelled in her career while also raising three boys somehow.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I do woodworking on the side and am a sales representative for a cabinet company as my day job. Over the last 4-5 years, I have worked what feels like non-stop growing my side business and maintaining my career. After going through a divorce last year, I do not have as much time to focus on my woodworking business as I have my kids every other week. They are pretty young so I cannot work in the shop when I have them and find my time in the shop pretty limited these days. I stayed busy with a table project as well as several crafts/arts shows last year. I sold most of the old inventory I had, and not sure when I will be making more or attending anymore crafts/arts shows. I am at a bit of a crossroad at the moment and not sure exactly what side of my business I want to focus on (small items vs larger furniture). Time will tell.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Start marketing/posting your work right away if it is something you want to continue to do. I wish I would have started on social media earlier and put more work into a website and other digital marketing tools.
Be yourself and do what you enjoy most in your craft. It may not always be worth it to do/make things that sell if you do not enjoy the process, so stick to what you like and be yourself.
Build a portfolio/do lots of work at the beginning of your journey, and then you can begin to be more selective with the work you accept and can help avoid burnout.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Me
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jenningswoodworks
Image Credits
@SPSProductions edited some of the uploaded photos
