1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Episode 27 is a small business story about saying yes to opportunities and having the courage to follow new paths. After moving to Baltimore in 2014, Kate Christian—who had worked as a business analyst, a boat captain, and as chief operating officer for a company that made at-home STD tests—got a gift certificate to the Station North Tool Library from her wife. She took a cutting board class, fell in love with working with wood, and ultimately found a new career path. Today, Kate owns Bliss Woodworks, which specializes in custom woodworking projects and furniture like vanities, bookshelves, tables, wardrobes, and more. She also teaches one-on-one classes on topics like buying rough sawn lumber and project planning, and offers private instruction in her large studio space. In this episode, Kate talks about: Her early careers before she discovered woodworking; Why that cutting board class was so pivotal for her, how she approaches her woodworking projects, and how she built Bliss Woodworks; Taking big leaps and when she knew it was time to do so, such as when she moved from a 200-square-foot studio space to a 1,200-square-foot warehouse; The psychological challenges of being a business owner, as well as her successes and advice for other small business owners; Evolving as an entrepreneur and what her vision is for Bliss Woodworks going forward; and more. Follow Bliss Woodworks on Instagram Follow We Built This Life on Instagram Mentioned in this Episode: Bliss Woodworks, Kate Christian’s Baltimore-based small business specializing in custom woodworking projects and furniture and one-on-one classes Station North Tool Library, a nonprofit tool-lending library that offers 30,000 tools, 30 classes, and more Made in Baltimore, an organization that supports makers and manufactures in Baltimore City (and is a great place for consumers to learn about Baltimore-based small businesses) Subscribe on&amp;nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&amp;nbsp;Spotify, or listen on&amp;nbsp;my website, follow and get in touch on&amp;nbsp;Instagram&amp;nbsp;(where I am most active), like on&amp;nbsp;Facebook,&amp;nbsp;or email&amp;nbsp;webuiltthislifepodcast@gmail.com&amp;nbsp;(but getting in touch through IG DM is better!)! We Built This Life https://www.webuiltthislife.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25300692/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/25300692