Today we’d like to introduce you to Alvin Price.
Hi Alvin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always been the DIY-type of guy who would rather research a project ad nauseam then dive into it rather than paying a professional. I kind of figured that each project was a little education and if I managed to complete the task, I won! Also, if I screwed up the project and had to pay a professional to fix my work, I won because I could learn by watching her/him do it the “right way”. Luckily, I never screwed anything up bad enough to have to call in a professional, so I just kept taking new tasks and learning from them along the way.
I spent over 20 years in the financial industry and found the last 7 to be quite unfulfilling. I am the type of person who requires a constant challenge and the monotony of corporate America fell short; the only challenge presented was to outperform the previous month/quarter/fiscal year. Therefore, I decided to return to college and earn my master’s degree so I could make a career change (that I did not take). A family member counseled me and said that maybe I should look in my personal life for that challenge that my professional life could not provide…the only problem for me was I didn’t know what to do until one day I embarked on a new project, which was a sliding barn door to replace the French doors in my master bathroom. As I worked on the door, I posted progress photos and the final photo on my Facebook page, which, surprisingly, led to people asking me to build and install doors for them. I gladly tackled each door, honing my skills along the way and a childhood friend who had recently commissioned a barn door for a remodel his company was doing suggested that I start an official business in which I could work on nights and weekends and continue to advertise on Facebook…I had definitely found my challenge!
After about five years with a different employer, I received notice that my position was being relocated to another city and I was given severance. I worked solely in my woodworking business, taking on any project so I could sharpen my skills and offer a variety of custom projects including barn doors, dining tables, accent walls, banquettes, mudrooms, all sorts of built-ins, electric fireplace surrounds, mantels cabinets, beds and more! I worked for approximately two months, fully enjoying life as a custom woodworker when I reluctantly accepted a VP position with a financial institution that turned out to be a complete mistake. I remained with that employer for eight months before realizing that if I was going to be happy, I needed to go full-time and build my woodworking business, so (with my wife’s blessing, of course), that is exactly what I did in the summer of 2019!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. In fact, my first project with an interior designer (within a couple of weeks of starting my full-time endeavor) was an abject failure. I took on an immense scope of work with an unrealistic timeframe, which resulted in several weeks of working 16-18 hours per day, seven days per week only to have the designer and client kick me off the project in the middle of the job because they did not like my progress. I invested a tremendous amount of time and energy into those projects for which I did not receive any compensation outside of the materials costs that had been incurred. I chalked that up as a lesson in timelines; I know how long a given project will take and I have to be true to those timelines regardless of how much profit I stand to bring in.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks, LLC?
I am a custom woodworker and I describe my business as the woodworking equivalent to The Cheesecake Factory, in that I offer an extensive menu of options for my clients. If you search my company Instagram and Facebook accounts, you’ll see that the projects include built-in bars, banquettes, bookshelves, and desks, as well as dining tables, benches, barn doors, dog kennel/console tables, accent walls, mantels, electric fireplace surrounds, vanities, floating shelves, cabinets, beds and more!
I am most proud of my relationships, which is a skill that I developed in corporate America as a relationship manager. I have great relationships with my vendors, other contractors, my neighbors, and most importantly, my clients. I believe that along with my attention to detail and refusal to accept the mediocre, are what set me apart.
I really just want people to understand that when you are thinking of commissioning a custom project, you really can have it your way (as long as it works logistically). My goal is to provide a piece that makes you smile every time you look at it and feel a since of pride for the decision to go custom AND for the decision to choose Farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Only that I service Austin and the greater metropolitan areas including Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Leander, Cedar Park, Hutto, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Dripping Springs, Spicewood, Kyle, Buda, Manor, Lakeway, New Braunfels, etc. But I will travel to Waco, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio and I am willing to ship items like tables, benches and other furniture pieces that don’t require installation to any place within the continental United States.
Contact Info:
- Email: alvinatfarmhouse77@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/farmhouse77_woodworks?igshid=e3vz0u3ro8dt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmhouse77CustomWoodworks/
