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

Hi Andrew, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Canary Workshop started a bit unexpectedly. I never really decided to start a woodworking company, it just sort of happened. It began when I made my own entertainment system and shared it on Instagram. I got a positive response along with a handful of people wanting something of their own.

After about a year, I was booked up nearly 4 months out with projects. With the encouragement of my girlfriend at the time (we’re now married), I decided to turn it into a business. There were strong motivators right off the bat. First, I loved building and pushing my capabilities on every project. Second, the idea of being my own boss was paramount. And third, as more requests came in, it became clear that there was potential.

From that small beginning, Canary Workshop grew 100% by word of mouth and referrals. We would not be here today without our amazing clients and employees. We are a 4-man operation today and have no plans to slow down. We are driven by our love for woodworking, the desire to be better than we were yesterday, and to create the best products we can for our clients. I’m excited to keep making unique pieces and seeing where the process takes us.

What should our readers know about your business?
I think what sets us apart is our attention to detail and customer relations. We do so much work up front before we even start a project to make sure the client is going to get exactly what they want.

This industry is definitely not easy, it’s incredibly competitive and stressful at times. But, I don’t really pay attention to my competitors nor do I really think of them as a competitor. I just try to create the best product that I can, treat my clients the best I can, and hope the relationship with them continues.

To overcome big challenges I have to look at each problem as a step. I take one step at a time and eventually I’ll have it figured out and organized. Looking at a huge problem or a large project as a whole is intimidating and overwhelming, but if you break it down into small pieces take take care of it that way it will make even the biggest issues manageable.

I’ve learned a whole bunch of lessons, and unfortunately a lot of them in a hard way. One particular example early on was “average effort brings average results.” Running a small business is incredibly difficult and mentally taxing. Like most small business owners, I have had my fair share of burn out. In the early years of Canary when I had those moments, I would put in average effort and I would receive average results, or none at all. Today that is different. When I have those moments now I think of a quote by Mark Belle, “I’d Rather be dead than average.” Or, “nobody cares what you can do when you’re fresh, what matters is what you can do when you’re tired.” When my clients come to me, they expect a certain attention to detail, quality, and customer service, and I do everything I can to give them that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man we have so much cool stuff here in Arizona it’s hard to even pack it in to a week. I’d probably start in the Valley. Maybe start off a morning with a coffee at Berdenas or Four til Four in Old Town Scottsdale, then walk around the shops down there. If it’s Saturday we would make it over to the Farmer’s Market Downtown to visit our friends at Sorelle for their awesome food. At night, we’d grab food and drinks at one of our favorites like LGO, Ingos, Dynamite Brewing or Fate Brewing. We live up in Cave Creek and there is a rodeo within walking distance of our house called Dynamite Arena that has team roping 3 days a week when it’s nice outside, so we would definitely walk over there with a beer and watch. Going up north would be a must. We would go check out Sedona and do some hiking, stop at Page Springs and the other wineries in the Cottonwood area. If time allowed, we’d do a little camping and hiking in Flagstaff. My family likes to camp and hike up at Lockett Meadow in the fall as the aspen trees are turning color.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is an incredibly long list, I have a lot of people to be thankful for. First of whom being my wife Rachel. Without her unwavering support for me, Canary Workshop would have never been a thing in the first place. I’d like to thank my early clients that are still with us today: Zach and Nicole Richards, and James at James Elliot Jewels. I’d like to thank Grant at Lignum Cabinetry and Woodworking for all the help and tips of over the last few years. Lastly, I’d like to thank my employees. They are incredibly hard working, talented, dedicated to their craft and are genuinely fun to be around.

Website: www.thecanaryworkshop.com

Instagram: @canaryworkshop

Image Credits
Megan Cary Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.