We had the good fortune of connecting with Thomas and Beatriz Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thomas and Beatriz, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Our business has morphed completely from what our original plan was. One night my wife and I were sitting at the dinner table brainstorming about what our dads could do once they retired from construction. After much thought, we decided to purchase a CNC machine with the hopes of teaching them a new craft that would not only sustain them in the future but one that would be fun as well.

Surprisingly, little did I know, this business idea for our Dads would reignite a passion inside me! Being a novice woodworker, I have always loved working with my hands and creating new designs, and the more we worked on the CNC machine, the more I loved it!

As time passed, family and friends saw what we could do and encouraged us to post our designs on social media. As proud Houstonians, we wanted the name of our business to represent who we are and where we are from. We ultimately decided to call our business 8th Letter Designs as a homage to the city of Houston as the letter “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet. We figured it was the perfect way to encapsulate the city’s history with the number 8 as a whole, particularly with the Astrodome, nicknamed the 8th wonder of the world and 8th Wonder Brewery, one of our favorite spots in the city. We strive every day to grow our brand and social media presence as we share the ups and downs of our unique journey. Unfortunately, my father became ill and passed away almost a year ago to date. It pains me to say I was never able to teach or show him this amazing craft, but I like to think that he is in heaven – proud of what my wife and I are accomplishing.

What should our readers know about your business?
We feel that customization and attention to detail set us apart. One size does not fit all. Every event/ occasion is different and every customer has a different vision for what they are looking for. We value each opportunity and take pride in knowing our customers entrust us from start to finish. We strive to take a tailor-made approach to every request in order to capture the fine details of every customer’s exact vision and specifications. We love that family and friends are at the center of any celebration. The thought of our signs, props and backgrounds being part of someone’s special day and making happy memories motivate and encourage us to build it as if we were building something for OUR family. We want to be known for the quality of ALL of our products, from our custom laser engraving and custom wooden signs to our big beautiful party props. When someone receives one of our custom wood signs built just for them or receives a cutting board engraved with their grandmother’s famous recipe, we want them to feel true joy. By far, the most important thing to us is that our customers are truly happy with our work and that they feel like family.

We have learned many things along our journey. Relentless persistence and work ethic have been an integral part of our continued pursuit of success. There are many long nights and early mornings. It is tough to work a full-time job and still feel motivated to come home and work some more. Work ethic is something that both my wife and I have had the privilege to learn firsthand from our parents. My wife and I both come from a family of very hard-working immigrants who migrated here from Mexico in hopes of giving us a better life. They have taught us every day the true value of work ethic. Even when tired, you have to dig deep and keep going. There is NO substitute for hard work – it is the key ingredient to success. Persevere. When one door closes, you have to be persistent enough to keep knocking until another opens, or you just have to knock it down altogether. That is what we are here to do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We LOVE our city; it is filled with great museums, food, culture and diversity. If we could share our city with a friend, we would definitely attend a play at Wortham Theater. Take a day to experience some of our beautiful museums like the Museum of Fine Arts or the Museum of Natural Science. Catching an Astros game at Minute Maid Park is definitely a must. The atmosphere inside the ballpark is always electric. The food in Houston is amazing; our dining scene is one of the most diverse in the country. With so many great options to choose from, it’s difficult to answer the age old question of “what should we eat?”. When the choice is just too hard you can never go wrong with tacos from delicious taco trucks around the city such as Taqueria Alazan to eclectic restaurants like Tacos A GO GO. In our opinion, tacos is always the right answer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A Big shout out to all of our friends and family who continue to travel this road with us, supporting us, encouraging us and motivating us to keep going. My mother Livier Martinez, my father who is always with me Cecilio Martinez, and my sister Anna Martinez thank you for your role in making me the man I am today. A shout out to my mother in-law Sofia Rodriguez, my father in-law Melquiades Rodriguez and my sister in-law Ivette Rodriguez, thank you for your complete support in this journey, and for your guidance and encouragement. Most of all thank you to our friends, mentors and collaborators who always take time out of their busy schedule to encourage and lend a helping hand- from proof reading, to making food runs on late nights. Thank you to everyone who likes, reposts, engages and follows us on our social media we value and appreciate every single one. It truly makes a difference and is changing our lives. Thank you for sharing this rollercoaster ride with us.

Website: https://linktr.ee/8TH.LETTER.DESIGNS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8th.letter.designs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8th.letter.designs

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@8th.letter.designs

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