Meet Tanya Thompson | Woodworker

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

Hi Tanya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Initially, I started woodworking solely for personal home projects. When I bought my home, I found that I was limited in what was available to me as far as designs go. And having someone do something custom, was not in my budget (hey…I had just bought a house). So I set out on Pinterest and came up with my own design. Once I successfully completed that project, I started to find other areas where I could benefit from the whole DIY phase. This led to making an entryway table. After making the table, family and friends started requesting custom pieces for their homes…and they were willing to pay me for it. What?!? I do not know why, but I was very surprised. I totally did not mind making the items for free because I realized how much I enjoyed just being able to build something. But hey, I was not going to turn down money.

It was at that moment that I really sat and thought about what I could make and whether it could really be a business. What really made me move forward was that I realized if I was out there looking for a special piece/design for my home and was having trouble finding just what I wanted, how many more people are out there having that same struggle? So, Dynamite Decorations was born!!!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Let’s start with the name – Dynamite Decorations. My initials are TNT, so I thought it only fitting that dynamite be somewhere in my business name.

What I think sets me apart is that I am a minority, woman-owned business. Although we are out there in this industry, we are very few and far between. So, that is definitely a differentiating factor. Also, I am an auditor/CPA…that is my day job. And yes, I still have a day job. As I work to expand my business, one day I will not need to support myself through other work. But until then, I still need that job. And although they are very different fields, I feel like they relate, and not because I’m working with numbers. It’s more about the accuracy…when we are auditing, we’re looking to see how accurate an organization’s books and records are. With woodworking, accuracy is important when building since one mistake can ruin an entire project or your build will come out looking wonky.

All my materials are locally sourced. I try to steer clear of the big box stores as much as possible. So, my lumber is always bought at a local lumber yard.

I am excited for this next chapter of my business. I officially opened Dynamite Decorations in 2021 and have seen steady growth over the last three years. However, I’ve worked at putting myself in different spaces and around other business owners which has stretched my ideas and has helped me grow. So I look forward to seeing how that effort impacts my business in the future. Getting to this point was definitely not easy. There have been many markets/events I’ve attended where I did not make any money…not even enough to cover the admission fee. It is those situations that will make you second guess yourself and consider whether it’s time to close up shop. But I had to learn that having a successful, thriving business is not going to happen overnight. So I need to be patient and just keep showing up.

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?
Before Arizona, I lived in California (yes, born and raised). One of my favorite spots was Roscoe’s. So when I moved to Arizona, I was a little sad I wasn’t going to be able to get my chicken and waffles. But, then I found Lolo’s…and I was happy again. So any time someone comes to visit, I always suggest a stop there. Another favorite of mine is Snooze. I am a big breakfast person and I absolutely love their food. So that is another immediate suggestion for visitors. If you can get in during the season when they have their sweet potato pancakes, don’t pass that up! There are so many specialty food areas popping up around the valley, that I’m sure if they googled, they’d find somewhere to eat.

Outside of the valley, of course Sedona and Grand Canyon are must stops. The vastness of the Grand Canyon is something that does not get old to me. Just seeing creation and the beauty of it…it’s amazing. And Sedona is so beautiful, with great hiking trails that it should not be passed up. And if they have time, heading to Antelope Canyon is a requirement. I had pictures of the canyon for years, but being able to see it in person is another story. Again, just seeing the beauty and awe of creation is amazing and makes me realize I am a small part of this great big world.

And of course hiking. There are so many great hikes in the Valley as well as the state, that it should be a no-brainer…if you are able of course!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many that I need to give a shoutout to. First would be my mom and sister for encouraging me and providing constructive feedback on the items I made. A HUGE shoutout to my best friends Hannah and Alicia for supporting me on my first big show/event. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but they were down for the ride. They have been so supportive of my business and are always giving me different ideas/suggestions. My friends Paige, Ambar, Leah, Michelle, and Melissa for so much love and support. I really have an amazing support system. They all believe in me and my business and have helped me to believe in my vision even more than I did when I first started on this journey. A special shoutout to Acacia and Madeline. I met these wonderful ladies by chance, signed up for a pop-up event at their store, and they ended up challenging me with some different order requests. Just working with them has created a new and different vision for my business and they are both awesome entrepreneurs that I look up to.

Website: https://www.dynamitedecor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamite_decorations/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070297036154

Yelp: https://yelp.to/pbRGSZQlJO