Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben & Matilde Gillespie.
Hi Ben & Matilde, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
A little about us, We are a small family-run business. Ben and I (Matilde) met at college in Illinois in 2016. Five years later we are now married and expecting our first baby this September (2021). Oh, and how could I get this far without mentioning our dopy 4-year-old bloodhound Oliver, he’s kind of our firstborn. Dei Campi, meaning “of the land”, began as an idea very early on in our relationship, we didn’t know exactly what it would look like but we knew that we wanted to work together. So when Covid-19 left Ben looking for work, we decided to finally make the leap and make it happen. Woodworking has always been in Ben’s blood, his grandpa was a high school shop teacher, and from age 5 he always had a tool of some kind in his hands. His first “business” as a child was making walking sticks from the hedgerows around his home in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Once he got to high school and started his first woodshop class, he knew that’s what he wanted to do, and it has been his passion ever since. As for me (Matilde), I know very little about woodworking, but I grew up in beautiful Tuscany, Italy, where I learned to appreciate art and craftsmanship. After meeting Ben and getting my marketing degree, it became apparent that our complimentary skillset would help us create a business together. I currently run the logistics side of the business, while sl0wly learning the fundamentals of woodworking.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business any year is hard no matter what, but starting one in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic with no financial stability and a very uncertain future was an extra challenge. Fortunately, we had a great support system, and the KC makers community helped us get through this first year. One of our biggest challenges has been learning how to work with such a small workshop, Woodworking tools take up a lot of space, and you need a lot of them. Working out of our home’s car and a half garage has presented a multitude of challenges. The tight space has had its benefit though, it’s forced us to be creative with our product lines and organized with our layout, storage, and project timelines.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We specialize in all things wood, custom furniture, salad bowls charcuterie boards, etc. During this first year, we took all the work we could get, which truly pushed our limits, and we are very grateful for it. We were fortunate to get commissioned some very unique work, such as a set of oversized and fully custom dining room chairs, which was the largest and most complicated order we’ve had. It has been a pleasure to work with clients turning their ideas into reality and knowing that they will last for generations. While one-man garage woodshops are a dime a dozen nowadays, what sets us apart is our professional experience in the field and attention to details often overlooked by your average hobby shop woodworker.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are too many people to name that have supported us both over the years, but here is a few that stand out. Ben’s woodworking experience started in his preschool babysitters workshop, Les Hodge. Les spent many hours allowing Ben to sit in his shop, holding tools and asking questions. My bosses, Jay and Jeanne Mackay, were always ready to give us great business advice. Jay and Nick from KC Custom Hardwoods, Ben’s old employers, encouraged and help us get started.
Ben’s high school shop teacher, Scott Diebold, had the patience to deal with Ben’s endless questions and to help him as he constantly took on more than he could handle. Ben’s parents sacrificed their garage for six years so he could build his tool collection and our client’s supported us and gave us a chance to build wonderful things.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.deicampiwoodcraft.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deicampiwoodcraft/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deicampiwoodcraft
