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

Garrett, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I’ve had multiple people ask me about my journey with my business in terms of when I started it in life, when I took a sabbatical from it, and when I relaunched it, and if I would change anything about the time-line.

I got into lutherie *instrument building* during my senior of high-school and immediately decided that was what I wanted to do with my life, and that is what I did for the next 4 years of my life. It was a great time full of learning more about the craft and honing different techniques, yet it wasn’t getting to a place where I was going to be able to move out from my parents house and make a living, so I came to the realization that it was time to “put the dream on the back-burner” and get an everyday job. This realization was a major factor for a mental breakdown that caused me to step away from my dream entirely for 6 years.

Fast forward to the fall of 2020…..somehow I found myself working on a ukulele I started a week before that breakdown happened in 2014 and this led to me re-igniting my passion for crafted musical instruments. The time away gave me perspective as well as a deeper appreciation for the craft; it also put me in position to where I was able to provide for myself and also be able to leave the corporate world to pursue an entrepreneurial dream again.

Garrett, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

People always like to say that “each person is unique and special” and that “each has their own personality and voice to be heard”. I like to take that mentality into crafting my guitars and ukuleles. The tree that the wood came from was once a living object and I want to respect it I it’s “afterlife”. No 2 pieces of wood are alike, there are differences in so many areas like density, flexibility, colour, strength, etc. Of the aforementioned areas, all but colour play into the sound that will resonate from a finished musical instrument.

Whereas a lot of companies/manufacturers want each of their instruments to sound identical to each other so the customer knows exactly what they are getting, I follow a different mentality; I let the particular piece of wood I’m working with speak to me. This is done through using my senses of sight, hearing, and touch. How transparent a piece of wood becomes under sunlight or how it flexes or the sound you get when tapping it with your knuckle are examples of this. I wouldn’t argue for or against either way of building an instrument, I personally just like to lean towards what I feel nature intended.

Outside of the building process, something I take great pride in with my business is how we give back every business quarter to different charities and nonprofits that deal with mental health awareness and research and suicide prevention.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

A late friend once told me *he was a big jolly hawaiian guy* “Brudduh! You got a gift; you just gotta figure out how to use it.” I know he was talking about the talent I had for building high quality ukuleles, but it’s taken a different meaning to me that I translate into how I interact with the world on personal and business level.

Having nearly committing suicide during my mental breakdown in 2014, I viewed my “second chance at life” as the gift my friend talked about. Perhaps I should try to leave an impact on the world by bringing joy to as many people as possible? It’s for that reason I decided on the price point I wanted for the instruments I build; something that will allow me to put a roof over my head and food on my table yet simultaneously be something that people from most walks of life could afford without putting extra stress on themselves.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

For me, something that significantly impacts my entrepreneurial philosophy and work ethic is the people I surround myself with.

I could mention Gary: the kind of guy who is the first to arrive at the job and one of the last to leave, usually taking his lunch at his desk so he can stay productive. As I have known him my whole life, he is where I get my work ethic from.

I could mention Max: a part time musician that works crazy hours at his day job before going and putting just as many hours into practicing his songwriting and performing with his band.

I could mention Anna: a full time musician who gives 110% at all times. Watching her go from learning the guitar in 2020 to playing ALL of the guitar on the album she recorded the next spring…..motivational!

Along with the people I surround myself with, I do frequently listen to podcasts of people who pursue their passions and talk about the importance of chasing your dream instead of just subjecting yourself to a life that brings you no joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: Stigmaguitars.com
• Instagram: StigmaGuitars

Image Credits
All images were taken by myself, so no credits or permissions are needed for any of files being used.