We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adam Stroder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adam below.

Adam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Entrepreneurship does not come easy. Oftentimes it is born from necessity. I went through many career-focused educational changes over the years, and when the time came that I found a major I really enjoyed, I was no longer able to get school funding to complete my degree. Being a new homeowner and new father all within a year of this, I decided I had to make a move. I had built a wood deck, fence, and dog bed for my family using basic second hand tools, and with my wife’s encouragement, I decided to take my life on a new path and learn an age old craft called woodworking. It has been a difficult road at times, and very rarely easy, but seeing the creations my craft can compose has been most fulfilling. Sometimes the things we love to do are not the easiest choices to choose, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Adam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a self taught woodworker that has been practicing and perfecting my craft for almost seven years now. My medium is strictly reclaimed wood, as the shop is focused on not only making beautiful and long lasting pieces, but also focused on being as environmentally friendly as possible. We help other fellow small businesses, by assisting in reducing costs and environmental impacts, and by using materials they no longer need and would normally discard. We even use directly recycled boxes from the community for shipping as well. When you shop with our little family business you will be contributing to the beauty of your home and the planet with every piece you purchase, as well as bringing a little piece of our community into your home.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

You can find A.S. Is Designs on ETSY and on our newer website. We have been selling on ETSY for the past five years, and have earned many achievements such as being top .5% of sellers on ETSY that have had the Star Seller status for six months or more, meaning we have exceptional communication, customer feedback, and ship our Handcrafted made to order pieces on time consistently. We have had several products featured in their email blasts, and we consistently have best sellers and Editors Picks among items in our shop.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We truly take every piece to heart. Every positive review brings us great joy, and any negative feedback has helped us grow and learn. We are only where we are because of the support of our amazing customers, and we like to make sure they know how much we care, whether it is with a handwritten thank you note, the general high quality pieces we put a bit of extra love into for them, or even having a bit of normal conversation about their lives in our communications. We love our customers, and it shows in every aspect of our business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.asisdesigns.shop
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/a.s.isdesigns
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/a.s.isdesigns
• Other: ETSY: www.etsy.com/shop/asisdesignsshop TikTok: @asisdesignsshop