Justin Hossle shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Justin, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m most proud of building my business from scratch, without any background in business, finance or marketing. When people see my work, they see the woodworking and craft, but not the enormous amount of work that went into creating my brand and my presence in the furniture market.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Justin Hossle, owner, founder, designer and craftsman of Relic Modern, a mid-century modern inspired furniture and decor company. I’m a self taught craftsman, so all of my pieces have relics of the many hours of trial and error, discovery, and play built into them.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment that shaped me as a person and how I view myself in the world was the first time that I saw the photograph “The Pale Blue Dot,” and the essay that accompanied it, written by Carl Sagan. Realizing that my existence was a mere speck in space and time freed me from feeling that every decision, every attempt, and every interaction had to be perfect. My insignificance allowed me to live in the present, live fully, and accept my faults.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Authenticity.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’ve always done what I was born to do. But that’s changed over time. When I left high school, I pursued a career in live theater, first as an actor, and then as a stage manager. I can’t imagine anyone would have pushed me toward those careers. I felt passionate and inspired by the work for many years, but then lost the love for it. I found, perhaps through instinct, my current career of woodworking and furniture design. No one told me to do it – not even me. It just happened organically, so I can only imagine that it was somewhere nestled inside of me waiting to come out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.relicmodern.com
- Instagram: @relicmodernfurniture
- Facebook: @relicmodernfurniture
Image Credits
Ryan Dyer Photography
