Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Hossle.
Hi Justin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a child, I had a passion for building forts out of straw bales and creating tiny worlds with LEGOS ™.
The building was in my DNA. But in Middle School, I fell in love with live theater, and my days of straw bales and plastic bricks faded into the background. After years in a career as a Stage Manager for a large regional theater, I purchased a home in 2011 and began tinkering with building things again – not with Legos ™ or straw bales, but with wood. A few fixer-upper projects here and there took place, and eventually, I stumbled upon a YouTube video of a maker creating a mid-century modern-style coffee table.
I decided that I could make it, and while it was rough, I fell in love with the process and began designing and creating furniture for our home. More time passed, and while stage managing a production in 2018, I noticed my assistant shopping for a coffee table online. The moment I offered to make a table for him, everything changed. Creating furniture for other people was so exciting to me, and I decided I needed an official brand, a website, and…
Within 6 months, I had read numerous books, watched endless hours of online tutorials, and officially registered Hossle Woodworks as a business. In the spring of 2019, I closed the door on my theater career and fully embraced my passion for woodworking.
Flash forward to now, and the business is thriving and successful, and I work full-time designing and handcrafting mid-century modern furniture and decor.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Certainly, there have been minor bumps along the way, but no more challenging than any new business experience.
I had to learn how to do accounting, social media, advertising, and some simple graphic design. There were machine breakdowns and the occasional unsatisfied customer. But I don’t think I’ve faced nearly as many obstacles and challenges as I expected.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to get to where I am today. Since officially launching the business in 2018, I’ve always had a waiting list for commissions and have only grown and developed my craft in positive ways.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create mid-century modern furniture and home decor products. I’m known for pieces that are mid-century and minimalist in style, but that also have a modern flair. My signature designs use veneered Baltic birch with exposed edges – which means that the layers of birch are visible in the final product, leaving a striped appearance across the edges of all the pieces. It’s a striking look and a nod to famous designers of the mid-20th century, in particular Charles and Raye Eames.
I’m most proud of my initiatives and givebacks. I recognize that I’m in a very privileged place and that my ancestry has given me a leg up in many ways. To that end, my business contributes 2% of profits to the Beyond Land Acknowledgement Fund, a program run by the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (https://iltf.org). We also contribute 2% of our profits to the Fund for Reparations NOW! (https://www.fundforreparationsnow.org), a program organized by white allies of the National African American Reparations Commission.
Hossle Woodworks has a strong commitment to being sustainable, which is why every product I sell plants a tree, thanks to my partnership with One Tree Planted. In addition to this, I use the highest quality and most eco-friendly plywood and natural finishes and work to keep my business as carbon neutral (or negative) as possible.
What makes you happy?
I’m going to choose to answer this with less of a focus on my business because there’s a lot more to my happiness than my work. I derive happiness from an acceptance of my insignificance in the universe. That sounds strange, I know… but hear me out. When I think about the vast cosmos, both time and space, and realize how little of a speck I am, I realize that no stress, no anger, and no worry can bear any real weight.
And from that, I find that the only suitable response is to be calm, joyous, and kind. It puts me at peace and gives me a rush of energy whenever I ruminate on this. With that knowledge, I’m free to spend carefree moments of joy with my wife and son, and when I’m working, I’m free to rock out to my music all while creating some fun pieces of furniture.
Pricing:
- Decor starting at $15
- Furniture Starting at $649
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hosslewoodworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hosslewoodworks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hosslewoodworks
Image Credits
Abby Sherman Photography and Ryan Dyer Photography
