Meet Susan Rangel-Medina | Woodworker/Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan Rangel-Medina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always knew I wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t exactly know what I would do or how I would do it, but I knew working for someone was not my “thing”. When I became pregnant with my youngest, my husband and I decided that if I wanted to pursue a different career path that would allow me to be more available to my kids, to go for it. I remember making a small, simple mug holder all on my own and texted him how proud of myself I was for not only building it, but also not chopping a finger off with the miter saw! That was all it took for me to fall in love with woodworking. Starting my own business would give me more opportunities to spend time with my kids, but also allow me to learn so much about what I am capable of.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would say about 90% of my work is custom. Clients come to me for anything from kennels and furniture to signs for their weddings or kids room. The best part of my job is seeing the looks on their faces when the finished product is presented to them. That definitely makes me feel proud of myself. The biggest challenge was learning from scratch. Tools can be a little scary if you’ve never used them before. Thankfully, there is so much to learn from online now! YouTube and Pinterest were my greatest tool in the beginning.
What I’d love the world to know about my story is that no matter what point in life you are at, its never to late to do what you love. Its never too late to learn a new skill or keep improving.

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.
Museums are a must! An Astros game is always fun too. Parks on cool days because our heat during the summer is too wild, lol. Axelrad is a recent fav for Cumbia Night so that would make the itinerary!

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?
The first person would be my husband. He pushes me to keep learning and experimenting with techniques even when I feel intimidated by them. He was, after all, the first person to support my idea of starting a business. I’m also incredibly thankful for everyone who has ever liked, shared, commented on a post and/or trusted me to build something for them. It really is an amazing feeling to have the support of friends, family, and even strangers.

Website: http://www.gorgeousgrainswoodworking.com/

Instagram: @gorgeousgrainswoodworking

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