Meet Stan Gottschling | Wood worker, creator and tinkerer.

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

Hi Stan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks wasn’t too big of a deal early on in my business because there wasn’t very much to lose. Over the years I’ve learned that cliche saying “without risk there’s no reward” holds a lot of truth. These days any risks I take are a lot more calculated and researched. What’s the return on investment? Whether the risk is big or small there’s always pros and cons to weigh. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But there’s always a lesson buried somewhere in my decision. And that’s an opportunity for growth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
“You’re an artist!” I hear that all the time from clients. While I don’t really consider myself and artist I do recognize that what I’m doing comes across as art. Especially when a client has a mental picture of what the finished product will look like and then I unveil the actual piece I created for them. It’s their vision come to life through my talent. So sure, it’s art to them. Their excitement and giddiness is like the cherry on top. The final step in the whole process that lets me put it in the books and move on to the next project. I’ve had clients invite me to their post renovation open houses. Holiday parties. Backyard barbecues. I’ve received thank yous in the form of scotch, tequila, on site lunch, and one time even an old hand plane.
Treating my clients like humans, instead of a number creates a sense of comfort and vulnerability. It lets us communicate openly about design ideas. Come together to work around obstacles on a kitchen remodel. Getting personal is one of my favorite parts of the job outside of the shop.

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.
If I had an out of town friend coming for the full Colorado experience I’d probably los up the truck and head for the hills. Starting in Estes park and up through Rocky Mountain national park. Exploring the beer and hidden eatery gems. Trying a new place I’ve never heard of is fuel for the adventure fire. Making a trip from Estes park and circling all the way around to grand junction would be a great road trip to eat up a week. The scenery, wildlife, food, meeting locals. I think that would be a perfect adventure to give someone the Colorado experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had a lot of support over the years and I’ve picked up words of wisdom and advice from numerous people, books and articles. I can’t really give credit to any one person or publication. I’ve had bosses that have taught me how to think outside the box and become a better problem solver. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic. My sister has given me very blunt, sometimes painful to hear advice and criticism. Self help books. Therapists. Even clients have bestowed words of wisdom on me. But I have to say, over the past few years I have had more realizations and ‘ah ha’ moments than I ever could have imagined from my own children. They’re 13 and 16 and since I’ve started having more down to earth conversations with them and helping them navigate the trials of their teenage years, they have taught me, or rather helped me realize, so many different ways to think about problems. How to come at a difficult situation from a different angle. New resources to look into for problem solving. From seemingly out of nowhere my teenage kids have become a huge part of how I tackle difficult situations and problem solve. I guess all those TikTok videos may not be such a big waste of time after all.

Website: Gottwooddesign.com

Instagram: @Stanleyswork

Image Credits
Stan gottschling