We had the good fortune of connecting with Griffin Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Griffin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a kid, I always loved building things and was constantly borrowing my dad’s tools. As I got older and YouTube started to take off, I would watch DIY videos from some of my favorite channels. When I got old enough to start buying my own tools in college, I began building basic furniture and serving trays for myself and my family. My dad always encouraged me to start my own business, but I went to school for marketing and got a good job right out of college and never felt like I could give that up. Then COVID hit, and I had to start working from home, which gave me a lot more time to build. Being able to work from home gave me the motivation to finally start a business. So, when we moved to South Carolina and bought our first home, I decided to turn our garage into my woodshop and start Fly Line Woodworking! I came up with the name Fly Line Woodworking from my love for fly fishing. It’s still evolving into exactly what I want it to become, but I’m super thankful for my wife and family who continue to motivate me to keep going.
What should our readers know about your business?
I started the business in September of 2023, knowing it would take time to grow our brand and attract clients, so I tried to give folks deals that would help build my portfolio. This helped me get clients, but it has still been a lot of work to get where we are now. I still have what I consider my day job, which is as a senior advertising manager for businesses that sell on Amazon. So, I spend a lot of evenings and weekends trying to complete woodworking projects for our clients. My goal is to get to a point where my business generates enough income to take it full-time, but I’m not quite there yet. One of the biggest challenges of launching a new business in a new state is not having many friends, but we’ve started to build a community, and I’ve gotten a lot more recommendations recently. I was a graphic designer in the Army for seven years and have learned how to build 3D renders for customers so they can envision exactly what we will be building for them and how it will look in their space. I think when it comes to high-end home projects, this is something that sets us apart. I’m really excited about building and designing more projects for kids. My wife had an amazing idea to start this side of the business by suggesting I build our kids a mud kitchen, which has been a huge success. Over the last year, I’ve learned I just have to keep pushing and be willing to evolve and find areas where a market is underserved, which we think we have found when it comes to high-quality kids’ toys.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Our family loves going to the beach! We love Kiawah, Folly, Sullivans, and IOP. We moved from the rainy Pacific Northwest, so we have loved the year-round sun and the ability to play at the beach even in the winter. We live in Summerville, so we would definitely spend a day walking around the farmers market and probably hit the Ice House for lunch and then La Rustica for dinner. I love golf, so we would for sure play a few rounds around Summerville, probably at Pine Forest and Crowfield. I haven’t played much in Charleston, but the last time my friend was here, we played at RiverTowne Country Club, which is an Arnold Palmer design, and it was amazing for the price, so I would make that a must. We also love taking guests to Shem Creek and have tried a few different restaurants down there, and it’s always a great time! Walking around downtown is also a lot of fun; all the blocks surrounding Rainbow Row have so much history, so it’s enjoyable bringing my friends from the Northwest there. Visiting a few of our favorite breweries would probably be a must as well. We love going to Edmund’s Oast, Holy City, and recently Bohemian Bull when we are headed back from Folly.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honestly, my wife and my parents are my biggest supporters. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I believe God has truly blessed me with a wife and family that push me to be the best husband, father, and son I can be. My wife had the idea to start building kids’ toys, which has been so popular with folks in our community. My dad has always encouraged me to take risks and dream big, and my mom is so loving and supportive of everything I do. My wife works so hard around our home to give me the time I’ve needed to help grow this business and has even started to help me with social media to promote the “kids” side of the business. I’ve been so blessed to meet so many people here in South Carolina who have allowed me to build their custom projects.
Website: https://www.flylinewoodworking.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fly_line_woodworking/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flylinewoodworking
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9DIa7_vNN1Dnc18d0Si3eA
Image Credits
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