We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lawrence Batiste a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lawrence, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

The memory of my first client will be embedded in my mind forever. They were the
driving force that propelled me into truly pursuing my business dreams. For me, it was so much
more than earning my first dollar with the business. You see, I had recently turned my hobby of
woodworking into a business and social media platform for other creatives. At the time, this
was all new to me, and just like anyone else taking risks and diving into a new field, I struggled
with doubt and the fear of failure. Questions like, “Is there even a need for my products?”
“How am I going to start a new business in the middle of a pandemic?” “Am I good enough to
succeed at this?” These thoughts began to paralyze me to the point of almost giving up. But
then something changed.

I received my first business inquiry from a woman in Detroit, Michigan who was interested in purchasing two of the marquee letters that was in my product inventory. She had come across my social media business page. We set up a call the following week to gather details about her order that would ultimately change my business forever.
Before ending the call, she stated, “Your work is beautiful and your business is about to
blowup.” She continued by saying, “You are about to get so many clients because there is such
a need for the products you are creating.” She ended with, “Mark my words, you are going to
go so far with this.” I hung up the phone not only, with my first dollar of revenue, but a new
mindset and confidence. I was almost in tears when she was speaking life into my business on
that phone call. I didn’t know her and she had no idea the thoughts that I was wrestling with in
private. But somehow, she said every single word that I needed to hear and cancelled out every
negative thought of doubt and defeat that I was previously challenged with. It was so refreshing
to hear words of encouragement, especially after battling self-doubt.

A few weeks later, I completed and fulfilled my first order. I was filled with both joy and gratitude as I shipped the
order off from Indiana to Michigan. The customer was completely satisfied when she received
the order and I made a promise to her to continue following my dreams. Today, I am
experiencing every single word that she spoke into me during that initial phone conversation. I
am truly blessed and grateful for the love and support I receive on a daily as it relates to my
business. We all want the dollar, as it relates to revenue for our business endeavors, but I am a
person that cares more about the impact. Just like that random woman from Michigan used her
words to impact my business, I have made it a goal to reciprocate that by using my business as
a platform to encourage others. Who would have known, that a business that was on the verge
of dying due to the fear of failure would one day become a platform of encouragement for
others in similar situations. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to do this through my
business “Built by Law.”

Lawrence, 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?

My name is Lawrence Batiste and I am from Gary, Indiana. I made it to where I am today by using my spare time perfecting my craft as a wood artist to deliver high quality woodwork to customers across the nation. I’ve always had a strong interest in assembling things, the mechanics of different mechanisms and how objects work together to function as one. With working a full time job, it was tough to set aside time to work on my hobbies. But when we entered a global pandemic, I had a little more time to invest into something I truly love, woodworking. I realized that there was a need in my region for a woodworker who creates party props, backdrops, 4ft marquee numbers/letters and custom wood pieces. So I decided that I would learn more about that specialty. Specifically, wood marquee numbers and letters.

I study my craft by following other woodworkers and event planners on social media. I have made a ton of friends and built great relationships with woodworkers and event planners through my social channels. My social media presence has allowed me to gain experience as a content creator as I post instructional videos of my various projects. I desire for anyone willing to learn the craft, to be able to have access to my videos so they can be able to do it themselves as well as have access to them as a reference guide when they are working on their own builds.

What I am most proud of is the ability to bring a clients vision to life. I find it fulfilling to take an idea or sketch and witness the manifestation first hand. It brings me joy to see the excitement on my clients face when they see the finished project. While woodworking is my passion, it also serves as a vessel for my purpose. It gives me an outlet through my social media to motivate and encourage anyone who desires to learn the craft to pursue it. Whether it be woodworking or any other dream he or she desires to pursue.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was that I had to have everything in order before pursing my dream. Before I hit “record” on my phone to film my builds, I wanted to make sure I was producing mistake free content. So if that meant building a couple prototypes before recording myself then so be it. But was that really authentic? People need to see what truly goes into production. The faults, flaws and errors. That is how we learn. I learned so much from other peoples mistakes and I would like people from learn from mines. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes hold you back from starting your dream.

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

I built my social media audience by keying in on my niche and remaining consistent. I began by following and connecting with other makers who share the same hobby or community as me. Whether that is building party props, event planning or woodworking in general. Quite a few makers I’ve met through social media will turn into lifetime friends.

I’ve had several people ask me how did I grow my following, my response is “consistency.” I made it a goal to post several times a week to stay consistent and display a presence on my social channels. I like to compare it to working out. You will not see results after one day, one week or maybe even a month. But in due time, with consistent exercise and healthy eating habits, you will start to see your muscles grow and your body begin to tone. I believe it is important to keep a good mindset and remain persistent, even if you aren’t seeing growth. How passionate are you about your hobby or business? Will you persevere despite only receiving a few views and likes ?

My advice would be, to set a realistic goal of how many times per week you would like to post and do your best to stick to that goal. Posting everyday may not be a realistic goal for you, but maybe two or three times per week is more achievable. One of your videos will gain traction and you will begin to attract followers that are looking for someone who can solve their problem (YOU).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/BuiltByLaw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtbylaw/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@builtbylaw7818
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@builtbylaw