We were lucky to catch up with Evan Patterson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Evan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It’s 2015 and my wife and I just got our first place together. We both had furniture but it was a combination of childhood furniture and hand-me-downs, which was great! But it was exactly the look we were going for when it came to our home. We both really liked a more modern/clean look and I found an end table for the living room that we both liked and it was nearly $400, each! At the time there was no way we could responsibly afford a pair of those end tables. After looking at the picture for a while I decided that I could make it myself. (Mind you I’d never made a single piece of furniture nor did I own a single tool! In fact, making a piece of furniture was on my bucket list!) my brother had some old pallet wood I could use so all I needed was a few tools. So for the next week or so after work I cut and sanded each piece of wood on the floor of our apartment with a hand saw and sanding block. And to my surprise it came out great! And then the flood gates opened… lol my wife asked if I could make a head board. Check! And then a pair of nightstands. Check! And then the most ambitious build (at the time) a dining table. And what do you know. Check! At this time a few months have passed and she looks at me and says, “you should sell your furniture!” I immediately shot it down. Absolutely not. Wasn’t something I wanted to do at all. I had a lot going on at work and didn’t want to add anything else to my plate. (Not to mention, starting a business isn’t exactly the easiest thing in world) but she kept telling me I should sell my work. And then her friends would say the same thing and they started asking me to make items for them. So in June of 2016 I stepped out on faith and started an LLC and opened an Etsy shop to begin selling my pieces to the world. And once again, to my surprise people actually bought my furniture! And now fast forward 6.5yrs, through MANY ups and downs, we now have pieces in homes and businesses in nearly all 50 states, in 12 countries on four continents. And the most amazing thing of all is we’re just getting started!…

Evan, 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?

At Christiani Modern Wood Designs, we create handmade, custom furniture for the everyday home and business owner. But what sets us apart is that we do not simply create furniture for clients, we create experiences and build connections. I started this company out of a need of my own. My wife and I needed furniture but the modern style we loved was way out of our budget. Even though I had no tools or experience, I decided to make my own furniture! And as a result I discovered a talent that I never knew I had! It was then that I decided I wanted to help bring custom, quality furniture to the everyday home. And I’m so grateful that I get to do just that every day.

But the thing that sets us apart is the fact that it’s not just about selling furniture. I’ve committed myself to the mission of leaving this world a better place than I found it, and that’s why a portion of all proceeds go toward cancer research in honor of one of my dear friends, as well as my father in law, and my step father, and all those that have fought this battle.
We also partner with One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every item sold.

This journey is not easy. There were many challenges that could’ve ended everything. But with a strong support system and even stronger faith, we’re able to continue on. I’ve learned so much already. One of the most important things is that failure is inevitable, because if you never fail at anything, that’s a good indication that your goals aren’t big enough!

At the end of the day what I want people to know about me and my brand, Christiani, and to always remember for themselves is that we believe that life is about people and we all have a chance to impact and change someone’s life every single day. And together we can truly make a difference and leave our mark on the world. And doing so is the thing that I’m most proud of.

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

It’s so important for anyone who has decided or is thinking about embarking on the entrepreneurial journey to know that it is not easy. At all. What you’re about to read isn’t a story, it’s just life and all that comes with it. It’s proof that “life isn’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” The past 4 years have been a true testimony building journey for me, my business, and family. With the loss of my workshop because the property owner decided they simply didn’t want me there anymore, moving in with my in laws to help care for my ill father in law, and now working in half of a single car garage, the passing of my father in law and step father to cancer, having to start my business over from scratch when my e-commerce shop/site was closed, and running my business full time while also being a full time/stay at home dad to two toddlers. There were many opportunities and excuses to quit. Set backs, loss of loved ones, my wife having the courage to leave work and go back to school to pursue her dream, money being unbearably tight, the list goes on and on. And honestly i came very close to quitting and going back to work. Diapers and formula for two is very expensive… But the thought of giving up on my dreams caused me more pain than everything else I just mentioned. I knew that God had given me this ability and allowed me to discover it for a reason. Right when I thought I was going to quit I heard Kevin Hart say, “you dont start things and dont finish them. You dont quit. theres nothing that comes out of quitting besides knowing that you didnt finish. We finish everything. you start it, finish it. If youre going to do it, do it to be the best. Not be better than other people. But be the best for you.” And that’s exactly what I needed to hear. Went over a year as single income home with a very unpredictable income month to month, I didn’t quit. Tools broke and I maxed out credit cards to replace them, I didn’t quit. Kids starting preschool and now having to pay tuition for two each month, I didn’t quit. Struggling to find clients, I didn’t quit. And it’s because I didn’t quit that now things are better than ever. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m going to finish what I’ve started.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

E-commerce sites make it so easy for you to set up shop and sell your products to the world. That’s how I got started with my business. I opened my Etsy shop, listed a coupe of items and “Cha-Ching!” I got my first sale! And they kept rolling in after that. Day after day. It was fantastic. They make it easy to market, sell, ship, the whole nine yards. And these are just some of the amazing pros of an e-commerce platform. But if you’re thinking of going this route please understand that, while it’s super easy to set up and run, there are many major set backs that can happen. And I’m speaking from personal experience. My Etsy shop was running like a well oiled machine. I was cruising on my way to my 1000th sale when disaster struck. During the holiday season of 2018 I had a few customers complain to Etsy that their items did not ship. I told them that USPS informed us that tracking information would be delayed with the increase in shipments. But it did nothing to appease the customers. And even though everyone did in fact receive their items, the damage was done. And because I had 6 people out of nearly 1000 orders report to Etsy that I had taken their money and not shipped their items, Etsy decided that my shop had violated their policies and closed my shop indefinitely. My entire income and business was gone just like that. This is definitely the biggest con on the e-commerce route. The day I received the email I immediately went online and found Wix.com and created a website of my own. So I’d say, yes, the e-commerce platform route is great, but definitely don’t rely on it 100%. Be sure to create your own website in addition to whatever e-commerce platform you choose to use.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CMWoodDesigns.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChristianiDesigns
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CMWoodDesigns
• Other: www.Pinterest.com/CMWoodDesignsLLC