Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Finn.
Hi Ed, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
A rainy weekend, YouTube suggestions, and an imagination that’s not afraid to fail is how I got started. I had watched quite a few hours of ‘how to’ epoxy videos, I saw hundreds of beautiful creations, and thought it must be easy enough to try. It was also easy enough to fail, at first! I’m born under the astrology sign of a Taurus… the bull. As such many have told me I’m stubborn, but I’ve refused to listen to them throughout my life. Sometimes that equates to a positive feature, if I’m able to be too stubborn to accept failure and give up on endeavors. Thankfully this was one of them, I keep tinkering with trying to figure it all out. Nearly 5-6 years later, I’m still tinkering trying to figure it all out, although I’m doing much better than before. I have two directions of my business aspects; custom charcuterie boards, and military memorabilia. I’ve always had an interest in wood working, and making ‘something’, I have a sense of satisfaction when I can see a physical result of something I’ve put effort into. For my charcuterie boards, I was fortunate to be directed to a local urban saw mill called San Diego Urban Timber. Through persistently just showing up and asking a lot of dumb questions, looking around at everything they were creating, asking more questions to what I’m sure was their annoyance, I left with some unique wood. I came back, they let me back in, and the process repeated with what I hope were better and more thoughtful questions. A habit was created, and had made our personal charcuterie board and a few others. Then I was out of wood and epoxy. We still have and use the first board I made 6 years ago, but at that time I had more unused and ideas which haven’t yet materialized. So I bought more epoxy and wood, with the grand idea that if I could sell what I made next, I could possibly repeat the cycle. So after gifting some initial projects, the second batch was meant to be sold. My first boards presented to anyone was to Rancho Bernardo Winery’s gift shop Olive and Cork. It’s a very satisfying accomplishment that I still have my boards predominately displayed and sold there. They gave me an opportunity to get my footing, and I’m very happy and honored to have the relationship I have with them. After 20 years in the Navy, flying on 4 different aircraft with 100s of operational flight hours from counter drug flights to search and rescue missions, creating what I have in 5 years has been one of the most satisfying senses of accomplishment I’ve realized. While I’ve had tons of encouragement and motivation, everything ever made has been done by me, for better or worse. A true sink or swim situation where at best I feel I’m treading water with a current behind me, and other times like I’m treading water with a pair of boots on.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When it comes to making charcuterie boards, I’m doing what everyone else is doing. So I’m always trying to create something different to stand out. The best way is to do the same as others… only better. A constant struggle is ensuring to provide the highest standard in quality I’m able to provide. When it comes to epoxy charcuterie boards, especially with any style of ocean waves, there’s only approximately 238 others doing the same thing. From finding the highest quality epoxy and unique wood, to the oil and wax used, I try to ensure the highest of quality is presented to my customers. They can be the judge of my work, but I hope they know they at least have the best materials available.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have two totally different directions in my hobbyist-art work. For a number of years I’ve been active and busy with making military memorabilia for retirement and going away gifts. This actually paved the way financially for making custom charcuterie boards. The military work is a ‘rinse and repeat’ process and I’m always happy to have an odd request to break away from the repetitive order. The charcuterie boards have allowed freedom of imagination and design, with my best accomplishment being my “Art-Cuterie” board. I used to be annoyed being told my board was ‘too beautiful to use’ and it sat as an art piece. I want to make something meaningful with purpose, and usefulness. So I designed an oversized board which I enabled to be hung on a wall when not in use as wall art, and then taken down to be used to entertain, cleaned, and placed back on display. So it’s a “win-win” for me and my customers.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The most beautiful cheerleader on my team… is my wife. She’s always been my biggest supporter, and in fact I’m not sure she’s ever told me “no”… or at least not too loudly. She may have always questioned my… everything, with good intentions, but has always provided 100% support. Jessica from San Diego Urban Timber, who with her husband Dan answered all my questions every time I wondered around their mill. They never served as an obstacle but a bridge helping across that void of “I have not idea how… but I got ideas!”. Lastly is Katy the manager of ‘Olive and Cork’ at Bernardo Winery, 6 years ago she gave me an opportunity to display my boards in her shop and they’ve been there ever since. Without that starting chance I’d have a garage full of boards waiting for homes.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designsby_edward/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designsbyedward
