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

Eric, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

At this point in my life, I feel the biggest risk that I have taken is starting my woodworking small business. It wasn’t a crazy life or death risk, but a calculated and planned out sacrifice to challenge myself and do something that I truly enjoy. Being a teacher and Coach before for seven years, I decided to take a chance and try something different. I risked a job that guaranteed a salary for an exact number of hours with holidays and summers off. Being a small business owner, I work more hours and sometimes feel that it consumes my life. Even when I’m resting or hanging out, my mind is constantly thinking about business in some form or fashion. I feel like my social life and overall balance in life have suffered as a result of this risk. But I’m not complaining; I made my bed, and now I have to sleep in it. I knew what I was getting into, and I’ve taken the necessary steps to be somewhat successful in my eyes as of right now. I’m my own worst critic, but I feel confident in the direction my business is going and will be in the future. so speaking on how it turned out, I I guess we’re going to have to wait and see.

Eric, 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?

Certainly. At my core, I’m a San Antonio native, with a brief, formative interlude in Austin where I earned my business degree from the University of Texas. My entire life has been steeped in the world of sports, which naturally led me to a seven-year chapter as a teacher and coach. It was incredibly rewarding, but I felt a pull to build something in a more literal, tangible sense.

That’s where Mesquite Wave Woodwork comes in. The name is a nod to my favorite material to work with—the beautiful, rugged, and often unpredictable mesquite wood. My journey into this craft was less of a gentle wade and more of a headfirst dive. I entered the industry with more passion than experience, but I’m a quick study. Armed with a business background, a supportive network, and what I like to call a “doctorate” from the University of YouTube, I’ve dedicated myself to mastering the craft. I’ve now reached a point where I feel I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with woodworkers I respect, and I’m constantly pushing my skills further. My focus is on creating functional art for the home, primarily interior and kitchen decor. This includes everything from tables of all shapes and sizes and custom charcuterie boards to statement lamps and outdoor garden sculptures. The through-line in all my work is a commitment to quality that I would—and do—stake my reputation on. Every piece is handmade, designed not just to serve a purpose but to become a focal point of beauty and conversation. Ultimately, I want my clients to see me as more than just a woodworker. I want to be a genuine and trustworthy partner in bringing their vision to life. Being approachable and willing to go the extra mile is baked into my process. That ability to deeply collaborate and customize is not just a business advantage; it’s what makes this work so fulfilling and what allows both my business and my craft to grow.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The most significant lesson I’ve had to unlearn is the pursuit of a flawless, idealized vision for a project. In woodworking, and especially for a recovering perfectionist like myself, it’s dangerously easy to fall in love with the Platonic ideal of a piece you’re building. You imagine it in your mind’s eye, perfect in every seam and surface. The reality, of course, is that wood is a living, breathing material with its own history and personality—it doesn’t always read your plans. I used to let a single, tiny flaw consume me, spending hours, or even days, trying to correct what was often a character mark only I would ever see. The backstory is that this wasn’t just inefficient; it was unsustainable. It wreaked havoc on my schedule and my peace of mind. The unlearning came with a profound shift in perspective: those minor deviations from the plan aren’t necessarily flaws; they’re a signature. They are the subtle evidence that this piece was shaped by human hands, not spit out by a machine. They are what make it unique. This isn’t about lowering standards—it’s about redefining excellence. Excellence isn’t the absence of any “flaw”; it’s the presence of soul, integrity, and skillful problem-solving.

A true test of a woodworker isn’t avoiding mistakes, but mastering the art of the elegant recovery. Now, I approach my work with a healthier mindset: I give each project the focused attention and craftsmanship it deserves, but I also respect the clock and the client’s timeline. A project is a journey, not a shrine, and learning to call it “complete” with confidence is one of the most liberating skills I’ve ever developed in the shop.” We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Ah, social media. The modern-day double-edged chisel. I’ll be frank: my relationship with it has been a journey from skeptic to reluctant strategist. I remember the MySpace era and thought the whole thing was a passing fad. I never imagined it would become the central nervous system of commerce. My initial hesitation was philosophical; a lot of the online world feels simulated, a highlight reel that can be more about entertainment than substance. But in today’s world, opting out isn’t a viable strategy for a small business. So, I took the plunge with Facebook and Instagram and built a website. My early attempts were, in a word, clumsy. I’ve posted videos in the wrong aspect ratio that were practically unwatchable, mixed up my personal and business pages to everyone’s confusion, and fell into the classic trap of inconsistent posting. The result was, predictably, little growth. I realized that if I was going to play the game, I needed to learn the rules. I dedicated time to understanding the ever-shifting algorithms. Now, I’m more systematic: I film my process constantly, edit for clarity and impact, and schedule posts for peak engagement hours. The turning point was embracing consistency and authenticity. By posting regular pictures, videos, and reels with thoughtful hashtags that tell the real story of my work, I saw a significant increase in visibility and meaningful engagement. I’ll admit, it can be frustrating to see businesses with mediocre products achieve massive reach because they’ve mastered the art of the viral, comedic clip. It reinforces that social media is often a platform for personalities, not just craftsmanship. But I’ve learned to see it as a tool, not the trade itself.

My advice to anyone starting is to cast a wide net from day one. Get on every platform—Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, you name it—and post relevant content with relentless consistency. Intertwine them all with your website and sales channels. I’m playing catch-up now by doing exactly that. It’s a volume game, and the algorithm rewards those who feed it steadily. It’s not about being the loudest voice online, but about being a consistent, authentic one that eventually gets discovered.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.mesquiteWavewoodwork.com
• Instagram: @mesquitewavewoodwork
• Facebook: MesquiteWaveWoodwork
• Other: @threads (sorta new and used with IG) @mesquitewavewoodwork

Image Credits
Giordi Carrillo Nico Carrillo Brenda Carrillo Eric Bonham