Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Matthews. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Karen, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

Thank you for this important question. I believe students today would greatly benefit by having more options than just college. Vocational education should be offered in high school, but not just starting then, kids should have exposure all throughout public school starting from the beginning. Vocational careers need to be discussed with the same level of respect that college degrees are. Kids today need to understand the value of these trades and what type of training it takes to become proficient at them. Not only are these careers satisfying and financially rewarding, they provide valuable life skills. Communities will always need carpenters, artists, plumbers, electricians, brickmasons, chefs, tailors, welders, landscapers, and auto mechanics.

One of the reasons that our company Sawdust & Sage was started, was because my son Tyler, after finishing high school, decided he wanted to be a carpenter. We were homeschoolers and we were used to exploring whatever was highly interesting to him. This was not a big or hard decision, just the next thing to learn about. It did not escape either of us that most of the teenagers we were around were headed to college and had prepared themselves in high school for this. Lucky for us homeschoolers have the opportunity to explore different career paths as parents are the ones to provide those opportunities without judgment from others. Tests, exams, and college is not for everyone, some people would just rather work with their hands or be creative. I suggested Tyler start out using pallets as a free wood source and he could practice building. Since then, he has taught himself so much and built quite a professional arsenal of tools in his shop. Our business was formed and continues to evolve.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Our company Sawdust & Sage is a mother and son owned woodworking and upcycled wood art business. The business was started in order for my son, Tyler to practice the skills of carpentry using pallets. We loved the idea of keeping all of this usable wood out of landfills and creating something totally unique out of them. Our customers are amazed when they walk up to see our artwork and furniture and we tell them that they are made from pallets.

After about a year, we took the pallets to the next level by milling the wood with a several step process. We cut out mitered designs in the style of barn quilts and other geometric shapes, they are framed and ready for display in their new homes. We make a variety of sizes ranging from 6 inches up to 36 inches. We make custom pieces as well with colors representing schools, wedding colors, birthstones, and yes even to match outdoor furniture cushions. They are all one of a kind. From pallet to finished product is a very labor intensive process but the end result is pretty unique.

Tyler really enjoys furniture building. Whether he makes a chair set for you to sit on your patio, around your fire pit, an entryway bench, sofa table or a hardwood (not pallets) farmhouse table for your dining room it’s his favorite thing to do.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Our following on social media was built by sharing not only our finished product for sale but glimpses of our process. Sharing our works in progress helps our customers and followers see how special the piece they purchase really is. We try and add some humorous content as well as list upcoming events so people can come see us alongside other great artists and vendors, not just at our retail locations. We are definitely consistent in our posts and the timing of those posts. When is your potential follower/customer scrolling? That’s when we post! We also try to be very interactive with comments and messaging. We love talking to our people!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As half of the partnership in Sawdust & Sage, and the mom, I am very proud of what Tyler (the son) has accomplished with his life so far. Up until fourth grade, Tyler was in public school. His learning style is definitely tactile and visual and he needed extra support in school. Super structured brick and mortar school was tough. Being in and out of class for extra helps was disruptive, so not ideal. That’s when our homeschool journey started. All of the obstacles to learning the way that was best for him fell away and we enjoyed following our bliss for the years ahead.

At the beginning of 2020, when applying for a vocational internship, Tyler was diagnosed with autism. Initially he wasn’t very comfortable ANY of that, but as we’ve evolved and shared his story, met other kind and accepting people, he now sees his autism as just a part of his personality as is his natural talent, humor, problem solving, and driven work ethic.

Now he’s a business owner and a carpenter continually challenging himself to learn new skills and has his own YouTube channel where he reviews tools and gives advice for beginner carpenters.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sawdustandsage.co
• Instagram: @sawdust_andsage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sawdustsage?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sawduststudios2291