Meet Joshua Bowling | Owner/Woodworker

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

Hi Joshua, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
When I was younger, I had very little hesitation in taking risks. I had far less to lose or worry about if I was to fail. Now that I am older, and I have a family to think about, taking risks is far more complicated and, well . . . riskier!

With that said, I still have that part of me that is willing to throw myself out there if it is something I care enough about. My business is a perfect example of that.

I really enjoy making things that people will be happy to use. I feel strongly enough about this that I recently decided to walk away from my career to be able to focus on the very thing that makes me happy, and hopefully brings some degree, however small it may be, to others. My career was not bringing me or anyone else any happiness, and with some recent personal tragedies in my life and the amazing support of my wife and daughter, it really made me focus on what matters most to me which made taking this huge risk feel right.

There is a lyric in a song that I keep in the back of my mind when I am faced with something scary or risky; “Pursue happiness with diligence.” This in no way makes taking risks easy, but I feel it is a good reminder of maybe how best we should think about life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always had a passion for Woodworking going back to Woodshop in junior high. I would watch Norm Abram on New Yankee Workshop and dream about having a huge workshop filled with tools and equipment like his so I could make my own furniture. I renovated a few of our homes over the last 20+ years which sort of dipped into some woodworking and carpentry and I greatly enjoyed the many projects, but I officially started Woodworking as a hobby in 2018 as time allowed.

I started Black Castle Woodworking in 2023 after a few cutting boards I made for Christmas presents were well received. Since then, I have primarily made high quality cutting boards, charcuterie boards, and serving trays with a focus on using exotic woods that you can’t find in products available at a regular store. Each piece of wood has its very own aesthetic and some of the exotic species are just simply amazing to look at. My goal is for my boards to be used and enjoyed for years to come and hopefully generate a few conversations and compliments from visitors to your home!

It has been a struggle professionally primarily from a time management standpoint. Juggling a full time career and raising our daughter and then squeezing in Woodworking on nights and weekends. I now focus my attention on my business as I have left my full time career, which is much less stressful from a time management point of view, but of course now there are more risks financially, so its a trade-off. It is and likely will be a challenge that I have to continually contend with, but I think that comes with the territory of being a small business owner, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

There is no shortage of great Woodworkers out there. I follow some and have met some in person. It’s a great trade to be involved in and has a very supportive community.

On the surface, I think what sets me apart is I really want to make things that serve a purpose. I want my products to be used and enjoyed. I don’t want them to just sit there on a shelf somewhere. I make things that last, and it’s ok for them to get a little scratched and worn, it often times adds a great deal to the look and character of the piece. I have a side table my grandfather made in Woodshop class as a boy that is nearly 100 years old, and I wouldn’t dream of sanding and refinishing the scratches out. Every knick, ding and scratch on it has a story to tell.

On a deeper level, I am a perfectionist (as a great deal of fellow Woodworkers are), but I really am my harshest critic. I spend a great deal of time milling my own lumber in my shop from rough boards in order to get the wood as close to perfect as possible before design and assembly. I also sand my work with 3 or 4 grits of sandpaper, one at a time, in order for it to be silky smooth to the touch. I do not cut any corners with my builds, well literally I do “cut” corners, but you know what I mean.

This year is an exciting one for Black Castle Woodworking because it is the first real opportunity I have had to dedicate myself fully to growing my skills and my business. I will still be making my cutting boards and attending some maker’s markets and craft shows, but I am also excited to take on some bigger commissioned projects like furniture building, LP/record storage (as I am also a collector), and some built-in entertainment walls that dip a bit back into carpentry. I will be posting these on my Instagram @blackcastlewoodworking. I will also be working on building a website soon.

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.
I greatly appreciate the natural beauty of Colorado, and there aren’t too many days that I don’t stop and take it all in. Generally I like things that aren’t typical tourist spots, so I may not go right for the bigger places. With that said, I would definitely go to Meow Wolf! I think that place is an amazing, dream-like experience that you can’t get anywhere else outside of the other Meow Wolf locations.

I would (and have when friends have visited) drive around through the greater Denver/Front Range areas that originally drew me to settle down here. I love driving through the Red Rocks Amphitheater, and the Ken Caryl area. I also love driving through parts of Larkspur. I will always remember driving my Dad through the Perry Park Country Club/Golf Course area and him nearly jumping out of his seat with how gorgeous it was.

I love our downtown area here in Castle Rock. My wife and I knew we wanted to settle here when we saw it. There are so many great small businesses here and nice little restaurants. We still enjoy walking around downtown and always take friends and family there when they visit.

For food, my favorite restaurants are Adriana’s Mexican Restaurant in Franktown (definitely check out their deep fried tamales), and the Castle Cafe here in Castle Rock. Their historic building is such an amazing place to be especially on a snowy day, and their pan-fried chicken is delicious. I desperately need to know the secret of their homemade Thousand Island Dressing!!

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?
I have several people that I would like to thank. My loving wife Aimee. She has been very supportive of every part of this journey and I am thankful for her everyday. Our amazing daughter who, in wisdom beyond her years, encouraged me to take chances in order to be happy that I was initially hesitant to. I love you both very much.

A special thanks to my Dad. He supported this endeavor and provided so much encouragement and enthusiasm that I truly did not expect from him. Hearing him say he’s proud of me and what I do will always stay with me no matter what happens. I miss you everyday Dad.

A special thanks to my Mom. She encouraged me to take risks to move forward and helped me feel that this wasn’t a selfish pursuit. I miss you very much Mom.

I also want to thank my large extended family and friends. They have been the first to offer their help and encouragement. They were the first to support my Instagram, and have been there from before day one encouraging me and helping me actually start a business (looking at you Ricky and Cheri). Without them I don’t know that I would have even felt that this could be a business. Barb, Nancy, Brad, Mario, Dave, Jen, Jess, Blake, Montana, Kay and Tom, Jamie and Ryan, thank you all!

There are also some other businesses/vendors that have helped me along the way with advice, or just words of kindness. Mike @ FTshdzofMike LLC was the first fellow vendor I met at my very first show and helped me learn the ropes a bit. And Doug @ Dug-E-Dee Designs has also been a great source of support and knowledge. Please check them out and support their businesses!

Instagram: @blackcastlewoodworking

Other: blackcastlewoodworking@gmail.com