I have always been drawn to building things. As a kid, I would build all sorts of things with my father, large and small, from fences to a new house. In college, where I majored in anthropology, I spent my weekends in whatever shop space I could find, teaching myself how to build furniture. After college, my first job was as the manager of the shop space for the Columbia School of Architecture, and after that I joined the New York City carpenter's union, where I became the "Golden Hammer" by winning a citywide and then a statewide carpentry competition.
Eventually, my family and I relocated back to my home state of Maine, where I have continued to hone and expand my craft.