Oakenwell, what a great name! It’s not easy to come up with a great name for your business these days, but this one just fits. When I entered the booth, I noticed right away that this wasn’t just the same old woodwork. Just like the business name, every design, even the most simple one, has a touch of whimsy, which is why I just had to chat her up and see what Oakenwell was all about…

Can you describe what your business does?

I hand-turn useful and beautiful home and kitchen items from largely locally sourced and reclaimed wood.

Where did the idea come from?

The first time I used a lathe, I knew it was something I wanted to do every day for the rest of my life. Starting a business was an easy choice! I minored in Sustainability Studies in college and knew I wanted any business I started to follow the principles of sourcing materials ethically and minimizing waste. Oakenwell really marries my passion to create and be artistic with my passion to be caring toward the Earth and our resources.

Can you describe your typical work day?

I spend most days in my workspace analyzing my inventory of unprepared wood, deciding what logs are going to be cut down smaller and then what can be made from the scraps that remain. I start by chainsawing logs down to a size where they are small enough to be cut down even further with my bandsaw.

Big cuts are designated for bowls and vessels, smaller pieces get used for shaving brushes, bottle openers, and smaller vases, and the smallest pieces I have to get turned into bottle stoppers, pens, and jewelry. I do my best to make sure every little piece of a log or board can be made into something!

What is your best-selling product?

My best-selling products are one-off custom sentimental items. I frequently get contacted by people who have been saving wood from a special tree or are having a tree come down on their property and would rather see the wood be used to commemorate the tree’s memory rather than be put to waste or used as firewood. Sometimes this can be a large bowl or vase, a table lamp, an urn, a pen, or even a magic wand.

What sets you apart from other businesses?

All of my items are made by hand and are painstakingly labored over, sometimes for days to make sure I am doing justice by the wood and to the person who is opening their home to a unique piece of nature.

Every woodturner has a unique eye and vision when it comes to our work. The sky is the limit when it comes to design, and I love working closely with my customers to create something special for them that wasn’t spit out of a factory but cared for with craftsmanship and longevity of the piece in mind.

I’m honored to be able to work with the raw, natural woods and get to hear the stories the wood tells. Sometimes I’m even lucky enough to have known the tree or branch before it came down. I get to feel such a deep connection to the wood I use and I love that my customers get to feel those same connections when they take home the finished piece.

How is social media important to your business?

I love sharing my work on TikTok and Instagram! That’s where I connect the most with people in my community who have seen my work, as well as with others in my field. I’m fortunate to have an extremely welcoming and supportive community online. While I love a staged and well-lit product photo of my work, I mostly enjoy unfiltered shots of my work in natural light and works-in-progress photos!

What are your thoughts on technology today?

I’m grateful for a career that requires that I take a break from technology and work with my hands. Technology is mandatory for everyone in this age, but so many of us recognize that we need time away from the constant alerts. Working creatively and being present in the moment is a necessary counterpoint to our relationship with technology at large.

Regarding all the work that the business requires, do you hire contractors or does your family participate?

I have gotten so much help from friends and family over the years, that I could never pay them back for all the help they’ve given me out of their love! My husband especially. He’s the one who helps with small electronic fixes on my equipment, helps haul wood, and sets up for markets.

I couldn’t do it without him. One day in the future I may need to hire a helper in the shop to process raw wood, but to this day it has been me at the end of every phone call, email, invoice, and wood product to leave my workspace.

For finding new customers, doing outreach, and marketing, how do you manage this?

Marketing is the area of my business that I feel least well-versed in. Most of my customers have been people who find me at in-person markets or on my social media pages and my customer base has been a real grass-roots operation. As I pivot to developing my website for more online sales, I’ll be seeking the advice and expertise of other small businesses like mine that have been successful in this area.

Practically speaking, how do you balance work, growth, and personal time?

My husband and I are both self-employed small business owners in the early years of our businesses. We both have to work hard to carve intentional time for each other and for time away from work. It's too easy to slip into days that involve long work hours and evenings of administration work. We both try to keep our workday within reasonable hours, and not answer emails late at night or on weekends.

One thing we do is spend mornings together before diving into work. It's important to both of us to care for our growing businesses while also tending to the relationship with each other and with those important to us. We don’t always have a perfect balance, but well-rounded lives and flourishing businesses are our goals.

Regarding the environment, social issues, and being a partner to the community, do you have any specific things your business focuses on?

Having business practices that involve creating as little waste as possible while making the most of my materials and resources is something I value for myself and other businesses I rely on. Using reclaimed and recycled wood, sourcing hardware from small businesses, and investing in quality used equipment instead of buying the newest tools are all strategies I employ to keep my business in line with my environmental values.

Prioritizing these principles over the bottom line means my business might not grow as quickly, but sticking to my values is one of the things that sets me and my work apart from mass-produced wood products.

What do you see as the outlook for the future of your business?

I see a bright future for handcrafted home goods! So many of my customers and other small business owners agree that we see people looking for a path away from cheap and low-quality products. I observe more and more people seeking skillfully crafted, timeless heirloom goods to welcome into their homes and lives.

As my business grows, I look forward to expanding my workspace, possibly hiring an assistant, processing more discarded wood than ever, and adding more products and services to the list of things I offer.

Do you have a final thought for the readers?

I get to do my favorite thing in the world every day for my job, I get paid for it, and I get to connect perfect strangers with the things I create and see them fall in love the way I did, but I still get overwhelmed by even the fun parts of my job. Some days I have to remind myself to be brave enough to fail every once in a while.

In my practice, many turners have said that if you’re not making mistakes, you aren’t even trying. To anyone starting a new business venture or looking for the strength to keep going, I would encourage them to not be afraid to fail. We only really lose when we can’t get what we are fighting for and don’t learn something along the way.

Contact Info

If you would like to learn more about Oakenwell, contact Courtney, or purchase one of her awesome designs, you can find her online:

• Email: oakenwellbusiness@gmail.com

• Website: oakenwell.com

• Facebook Link: /Oakenwell

• Instagram Link: /oakenwell

• TikTok: /@oakenwell