Meet Hannah Robinson | Your Lady Carpenter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Robinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
When a large legacy tree falls during a storm, I am one of the only people that will save it to make furniture or art from it. To move, mill, dry and finish these massive trees requires a great deal of knowledge about a dead trade and very expensive equipment. The equipment alone is hundreds of thousands of dollars, which deters most tree companies from saving the trees. All of our trees are dumped in ‘recycling centers’ where they are mulched. When I saw city blocks filled with our trees being tossed aside so callously, I decided to do something about it. I had no money. No resources. No tools. No space. Thinking back, I cannot believe that I literally started my first projects in my apartment living room.

Now? Three years later, I’ve saved hundreds of valuable local trees and produced priceless heirloom furniture for families all over the lowcountry and beyond. My passion for the trees drove me towards success, despite the towering odds against me. I had to move shops four times and every single penny went into tools and spacing to practice my craft. I almost gave up so many times! My family thought I was crazy and did not believe I could do it.

Now I have my own warehouse and design studio where I meet with interior designers and custom home builders to include these beautiful trees within homes all over the United States. It’s truly humbling and such an honor.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey was brutal., every single ounce of success hard-won. I witnessed the consequences of ‘leveling up’ my life play out as I continued to climb up the ladder to success. When you’re a mover and shaker, those that are not doing so in their own lives become energy drains and halt the progress. Whether they are meaning to or not is irrelevant.

As I do what I love everyday, my light within grows more potent and strong. I was not mentally prepared for the jealousy and hatred this would cause. I’d receive hate mail all the time, telling me that my work was subpar, that a woman shouldn’t be doing what I do or that I should dress and act a certain way. This was from friends and family too. It hurt!

Learning how to show empathy and inspire others without reacting to the negativity was difficult. I kept to myself a lot and focused on my boys and my craft. Humor was a great coping mechanism. I’d turn the comments into jokes and let them slide off my back as much as I could.

Whenever you are moving upward, expect to lose those that aren’t rooting for you. It’s a painful but necessary part of the process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I prefer places off the beaten path and historical sites. The Francis Marion forest is chalked full of plantations and Chapels of Ease. Some are in ruins and some are restored. I enjoy a nice long hike back to these historic places and spreading out a picnic to relax in nature.

Tourists can either help or ruin the vibe of a local’s joint, but if you were my best friend visiting, I’d take you on all the backroads and tiny diners where Aunt Bee has been making the best biscuits and gravy since her granny taught her. But if you’re not my dear friend, I’d keep it to myself!

One place I will tell you about is Awendaw Green. Every Wednesday night out in the middle of the forest stands a rickety old barn where musicians from all over the world come to play. There’s all sorts of characters that gather around bonfires with a bottle of wine or homemade moonshine. The stars shine brightly overhead (away from the light pollution). Rusty instruments dance in the breeze along with Twinkle lights that twist and turn amongst the live oak branches. Pure Magic.

Now there’s development companies that have bought up the land around it to put up more houses. Money talks. And as the taxes on the land rises with these sprawling developments, it puts pressure on locals that have been living there for generations. Taxes in that area are about to skyrocket. Not to mention the rise on the Cost of living.

So, in areas where tourism is about to increase dramatically, it’s important to present locals with options to make money off of the tourism. Problem solving and facing reality with a logical, entrepreneurial approach is a big part of my success. Not much phases me. And I tackle what challenges come my way and empower others to do the same, if they so wish.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is dedicated to my two little boys. Torrin, age Seven and Huck, age ten. They believed in me every step of the way—more so than I did! Whenever I wanted to give up on my dream and just get a regular job, they spurred me on to reach for my dreams. They are heavily involved in my projects, growing and learning alongside of me. They watch me make tons of mistakes and learn from them. They brag about me to all their little friends and that is all the accolades I need!

Website: www.liveedgefurniture.org

Instagram: https://instagram.com/your_lady_carpenter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainbellecreations

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@charlestonsladycarpenter9109

Image Credits
Hannah Robinson