We were lucky to catch up with Caleb Jordan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Caleb, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

For most of my adult life, I worked managing health clubs. I moved around quite a lot with these roles and each new city brought new experiences and new people. Throughout my time I learned that most of what we do is sales of some kind. Whether selling a physical product, an idea, or convincing your team to share in your vision, it all boils down to helping someone find the answers they need to move themselves in the right direction. Each person you interact with is different, so I learned quickly to go into each situation with as few preconceptions as possible. I forced myself to listen and to ask the right questions in order to gain their trust and help them find what THEY want and need. I learned (eventually) to listen with the intent of understanding and not just to respond helps build trust and alignment. This has helped me in my woodworking business by being able to give my clients as close to what they want as possible and creating lasting relationships that not only produce sales, but create referrals and recommendations so that I help more people create their custom furniture pieces.

Caleb, 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?

Woodworking became a hobby of mine after some requests from my wife. I built a few pieces for our home and quickly our friends and family took notice. One client turned to two, and quickly blossomed into a little sales army, generating referrals and new customers each step of the way. My passion for woodworking grew quickly and my skill set grew along with it. I still have relationships with many of my clients-turned-friends and they continue to champion my work and help me grow my business.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

About 3-4 years into my woodworking journey, I was diagnosed with brain cancer. After surgery, many hours of radiation and chemo, and a couple years away from woodworking, I was finally able to get the strength back to begin creating again. I really felt like I was back to my old self again once I got back in my shop and started making furniture again.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Referrals. Word of mouth is everything in my business and without referrals I would not have lasted this long. I found that by creating quality products and genuine relationships I will have as much work as I could ever want, as long as I keep treating people how I’d want to be treated

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @UpNorthMNshop
• Facebook: UpNorthMNshop