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

Hi Laura, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
As the parent of two adult children, I think that leading by example is what I have done to impact my kids the most. For them to witness my work ethic, how I treat and respond to others, and my daily walk with God is the best way that I can influence them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Growing up, my grandmother had a set of round cutting boards on her kitchen counter. When she passed away, I kept the cutting boards and had them on my kitchen counter. Over time these boards began to break and fall apart. I loved these boards because they were small, convenient, and perfect for cutting up small fruits and vegetables like limes and onions. I asked my husband, Roland, if he could make a new set. Roland developed a prototype. It was a set of square cutting boards that stand on their side in a matching holder. Christmas of 2020, all our family and close friends received a set of boards. They were a huge hit. In the fall of 2021, one of my networking partners, Stephanie, asked me to create gift baskets for her clients. This was not something I had done as a business only for personal gifts. Stephanie loved what I designed and wanted to promote me as a business. Meanwhile, Roland and I were creating and developing other wood products. This was when the large cutting/charcuterie boards were born. Working side-by-side with each other in the shop is something we both enjoy. At this point, we felt buying a laser engraver would enhance our product and add a personal touch. We bought a laser engraver and jumped in full force. Of course, we went through a trial-and-error period, and by Christmas of 2021, we had orders for four large custom cutting boards in large gift baskets.

All our boards are made from maple, cherry, and walnut hardwoods. Each board is handmade from start to finish. It takes us about 7 days to create a board from raw wood to a finished board. This process includes the cutting, gluing, curing, sanding, engraving, and sealing of the board. Each board is unique in wood design and can be personalized. Many of our customers have their company logo, a picture, a family name, or designs that have special meaning to them. One of my regular customers is a real estate agent. He orders a board for each of his closings with the family name and the date they closed on their home as a thank you to his customers.

One of our many challenges was Implementing the laser engraver as it did have a learning curve. The software is not user-friendly. We did go through a trial-and-error period of adjusting the intensity and speed until we got it right. There have been a few projects in which I have had to completely sand off the engravings and start the whole process over again.

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 would take my friends to Fredericksburg, Texas. We would climb Enchanted Rock, visit Pedernals Falls, and go to as many local wineries as we could. Some must-do wineries would be William Chris Winery and Slate Theory Winery. Going to Hondo’s in Fredericksburg is a must, there is always great live entertainment. Eating at the Cabernet Grill is always delicious.

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 would like to shoutout to my Grandmother. She was the inspiration for our business.

Instagram: @rusticruckus

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RusticRuckus

Image Credits
Abby Parsons of AP Photo

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