Meet Bao Loi: Content Creator and Woodworker

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

Hi Bao, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, risk is word that often implies that things are out of your control. You take a leap and see where you fall. But I think it’s important not to take risk for risk sake, but to take calculated risks. Taking calculated risk involves planning, assessing the possible outcomes, and foreseeing issues that might arise. But this could be a negative in that too much thinking and planning can cause you to not make a move. Early on when I thought about opening my business, I made many plans. I thought about the possible downsides, and upsides. I thought about the outcomes, both good and bad. I thought and thought and what consumed me was this fear to even start. I feared not having the safety net of a paycheck. I feared that I would disappoint my loved ones, my wife and family. I think the biggest part was being unsure of the finish line and not succeeding. I came to understand that by not moving I risked not chasing my dreams, not being able to grow, and not being able to give me the chance to succeed. Now that I look back at where I started, I’m glad that I took that step. I’m glad that I indeed did plan and made the calculations because I saw the benefits of that process throughout this journey. I’m much happier now than I was back then.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started out on Instagram just posting my woodworking creation at first. I wanted to share with people what I was making and I notice that people were taking noticed. From there I decided to be more consistent in my content and it paid off. Originally, I wanted to use the platform to show my creation, but now I want to teach others more about woodworking. So I have turned to YouTube for that. So far, things are going great and I’m loving the community that I have been able to build through these platforms.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the Heights. I think its a very unique place and I love the diversity of food in the area. Normally, I do have around Chinatown because it’s close to home.

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?
There’s too many people to name, but the main people are my family. There support has been critical to me and my development. My wife has been amazing patient with me and allowed me to pursue my dreams to which I’m so grateful for.

Website: Designcraftworkshop.com
Instagram: @baoloi_Designcraft
Twitter: @designcraftwksh
Facebook: Www.facebook.com/Baoloi.designcraft
Youtube: Www.youtube.com/designcraftworkshop