Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Manor.
Jesse, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
First things first…
I’m originally from Toronto, Canada. I moved here with my beautiful wife and two amazing dogs (Crosby & Mavericks) in 2014. We have always lived in the San Diego region and truly feel like we’re at home here. We love the people, the vibe and more importantly the great quality of life.
Woodworking was not a growth market when I graduated, so I went to college and basically led a long and stressful life in the corporate world. This relationship with the corporate world ended in 2016 and I decided to go back to what I loved doing – woodworking!
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to work with wood. It has always been something that I enjoyed, I even built furniture and trophy display cases for my high school and really enjoyed the process. Creating something with your hands that has a purpose and makes people happy just stuck with me. Even when I was in my corporate position I would build substantial pieces of furniture in my spare time for friends and family.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business, when you have had multiple levels of support in the corporate world has been eye-opening, to say the least. Being your own accountant, IT department, HR, sales, operations, and labor has been a steep learning curve. My biggest challenge, if I’m being honest, has been leveraging social media in a meaningful way, I thought I could figure that one out but it continues to be a challenge for me.
There are not many professions you can start that don’t require a substantial investment – machinery and material for woodworking is extremely expensive. I truly appreciate the huge challenges that a small business goes through especially in the earlier stages.
The most popular types of wood right now are live edge slabs or boards. Due to the time required to mill and dry a selection of live edge slabs the investment is significant. It can take years to dry good thick material, then you have to shape the piece resulting in numerous steps and costs before it gets to a customer.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Manor of Living – what should we know?
Our company specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces made out of wood that are truly customized. We have a proprietary laser unit that allows us to personalize almost any sized item from a key chain to a barn door. We can add wording or an image to almost any surface to bring the piece to a new level.
Lately, we have been focusing on the charcuterie and serving board phenomenon. We create hand shaped boards from 1′ to 6′ in length and only use domestically sourced woods like walnut, mesquite, carob and olive. Adding images or wording to our boards makes them perfect for events and the hospitality industry. By using only FDA approved resins and dyes we are confident that our charcuterie boards are second to none. We rarely put legs on any of our resin tables anymore because people want to use the customized table surface as a serving platform. We can even add LED lighting to our boards to really enhance the impact of these unique pieces!
What sets us apart from other companies is our absolute dedication to customer service, you call me, I promise I will call you back! Another stand out for our offerings is that we truly value workmanship, and we won’t compromise on that. Because we specialize in custom pieces it requires a heightened level of communication with our customer, and also attention to the details of the order.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Be consistent, it develops trust! Always be kind and humble, your confidence will shine through on its own.
Pricing:
- Charcuterie boards range from $50 to $500 depending on size and personalization.
- Tables can range from $300 to $5000 depending on size, resin work, type of wood.
- Smaller decor type items range from $150 to $2000- really depends on the type.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2804 Jacaranda Ave.
- Website: Manorofliving.com
- Phone: 760-405-5204
- Email: jesse@manorofliving.com
- Instagram: #
manoroflivingdesign
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
