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

Vincent , appreciate you joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I made was taking what little bit of money I had back in 2008 and investing it in a self-propelled project along with a buddy of mine. I was an architect working with my friend, a design-build contractor. We were designing renovations to an old building from the 1930’s in downtown Raleigh, NC, just as the downtown was beginning to see redevelopment and investment after being basically abandoned since the 1970s. We were measuring the crawl space and noticing the interesting granite and brick walls… what if we were to excavate this space and create some additional space for the building owner? He wanted to add a third story but we were limited by the zoning code, but we would be allowed dig out a basement. We asked the owner, and he said yes….and after a little more thought, we decided to ask him if we could rent the space ourselves and put a bar it. It couldn’t be anything else! A long story short, we designed, built, managed, and opened a bar in 2009 called FOUNDATION, which 16 years later is one of the most well respected cocktail bars Raleigh. It was a huge undertaking, but eventually paid dividends, mainly in the fact that it gave me more time to explore many of the creative outlets that I’m constantly pulled to.

Vincent , 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?

I was trained as an architect, with concentrations in industrial design and art. I worked for a few architectural firms in my 20’s and struck out on my own in 1999 with my own small architecture practice, even doing a few design-build projects, and eventually opening a bar with a partner in 2009. Throughout this time I’ve also maintained a steady focus on the visual arts (painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture), the artisan trades (knifemaking, furniture, wood carving), and music (both in a band and as an internet radio DJ). I like to stay busy.

At some point a few years ago I started a website: pedestrianmade.com to try to showcase/organize what I do. I do sell some of my work every year.. I keep at it. The most successful project I’ve had was definitely the bar, but my passion is in making art and music and I work on both constantly.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Well, I’m one of those folks that believes that artists are going to keep creating regardless, but that folks can certainly help support us by purchasing locally: Show up to art events, sales, shows, etc. I’m always surprised when I go out to shows (art and music) and only a handful of folks are out, but everybody will turn on the game on TV or talk about the NETFLIX series. Come on. Covid definitely had an effect, but we need to keep getting out and supporting local artists. And as far as art goes, consider buying from a local artist. There are artists selling work for any budget. Support these folks!

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

I had to unlearn that work only happens from 9-5. Some people are strict about when they “work” and how they partition up their time. It took many years for me, as self-employed, to realize that I can make my own schedule and work in however fashion I want to. There are times when I know that I am more productive. I would rather spend some time outside during daylight, so I do some of my carving or metal work at that time. I like to spend a few hours on the computer at night. In fact, I like getting a decent amount of work done in the evening hours. I also like working 7 days a week. There is always a task to do. I like switching tasks up during the day. Maybe only work on any particular project 2-3 hours a day, then switch to the other to keep things fresh. But have a big-picture view on time management, knowing that if I have 20 – 30 hours on a project I can finish it in 2-4 weeks, then budget accordingly, and occasionally, of course, I have to spend a little extra time getting stuff done!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pedestrianmade.com
• Instagram: @pedestrian_made
• Other: Poinsettia (band): https://open.spotify.com/artist/0bSIOrgZESoHrTecbrO5oT?si=pUusoqxISOa7XONg1J31eQ
  Poinsettia (band) Bandcamp: https://poinsettia.bandcamp.com/album/dark-farce-bright-light
  Poinsettia instagram: @poinsettia_nc
  Gutsy Radio (DJ): https://gutsyradio.org
  Gutsy Instagram: @gutsy_radio
  FOUNDATION instagram: @foundation_bar

Image Credits

All image credits: Vincent Whitehurst