Exploring Life & Business with Will Peak of Peak Performance Woodwinds

Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Peak

Hi Will, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It started with strong interests in music, making things, tinkering, etc. I started playing saxophone in school band in 7th grade, and I gradually developed an obsession for the saxophone going forward. In the summer of 2011, I met Judi Dietz (owner/woodwind repair technician at Judi’s Woodwind Shop), in her repair shop. I was instantly fascinated watching her work on my saxophone, and I subsequently emailed her to ask if I could come back and learn more from her. From then on, I would visit Judi in her workshop on Saturdays, and during the summer as many days per week as she would have me. Judi’s mentorship ignited a spark within me for this craft, and by the time I graduated high school in 2013, I had a foundational understanding of woodwind repair, a basic set of tools, and several broken clarinets, flutes, and oboes to experiment with as personal projects. I set up a small work shop in my childhood bedroom, and practiced on my own while consulting regularly with Judi, instrument repair manuals, and a variety of online resources.
In 2013, I started school at UMKC Conservatory—at first as a BM in Music Education, but I switched to Music Performance the following school year. I continued to repair instruments on the side independently out if my parents’ house in Parkville, MO, where I began to get steady work from fellow UMKC students, professors, and local musicians (I also worked on my personal instruments, which taught me a lot).
By the time I finished my degree in 2018, there was enough demand for my work to officially start Peak Performance Woodwinds and do this work full-time. That summer, my girlfriend (now wife) and I moved into our own house in Clay County, the basement of which is where PPW is located.
PPW, today, consists of myself, one full-time apprentice technician, and a part-time assistant. We strive to provide a range of specialty woodwind services to musicians including artisan level repair, varies kinds of customization, and sales of a small number of unique woodwind products (several of which are designed and crafted here in our basement workshop). We also occasionally have some instruments for sale.
As demand for PPW’s services and products continues to grow, we remain focused on providing the highest quality we can for woodwind musicians. We are particularly sought after for our professional work on saxophones, oboes, and clarinets.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think starting and running a business is ever easy. There have been (and still are) a variety of challenges… but along the way, I have been fortunate to have a number of inherent strengths in my business to balance with the hardships. I have always had the blessing of high demand for my work (with the exception of the early months of the pandemic, which adversely affected the live music scene). I am also thankful for the consistent support of my family and friends—starting a business in the same city I grew up in has that advantage, I think. I imagine the challenges my business faces are mostly pretty common for small businesses like mine, and at this point, I think I have more going for me than against me.

Keeping up with growing demand has been the biggest challenge for me, and hiring my first employees was very scary for me… For a long time, I thought PPW would always be a one-man operation, and bringing others into the business felt like a big risk (not to mention the simple fact that I had no idea how to hire a person, so there was a lot I needed to learn in order to make that happen).

The number one challenge we still face (and probably always will) is maintaining high quality and attention to detail, continuing to innovate and move our craft forward, while working to grow to keep up with increasing demand for our services. Growing without compromising quality is a challenge many successful businesses face, I think.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are an instrument repair shop specializing in artisan-level woodwind repairs, customization, and other services. Ultimately, we are like mechanics and problem-solvers for woodwind musicians. We are particularly well-known for our work on all varieties of saxophones, oboes, and clarinets.
I think what I’m most proud of with this business, is that it feels like it came into existence organically. Growing up as a music student in the Kansas City area and going on to study at UMKC Conservatory, I feel like I became a part of this local ecosystem of musicians. Going on to fill a growing need in our arts community while pursuing my passion for this craft is an amazing privilege. I love that I get to play a special role in Kansas City’s music scene—not to mention numerous clients who travel to Kansas City to visit Peak Performance Woodwinds!

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I’m not sure if I’m an expert on general business advice, but sure, I have a few thoughts.

-More help is available than you might realize (and often times it costs little or nothing)—you don’t have to figure everything out by yourself. I took a summer course by the local Small Business Development Center that helped me a lot when I was in the process of finding/hiring my first employee. There is also an organization called SCORE that offers mentoring and workshops for small business owners. I have also had the privilege of working with the legal clinic at UMKC, which really helped me when working with the US Patent and Trademark Office (we recently successfully trademarked one of my logos).

-Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising, in my experience. I think especially if you’re providing a service, the quality of your work speaks for itself, and people talk. I’m in a rare situation, maybe, where traditional advertising isn’t really important (not for the service portion of my business, at least), so I’m not sure how applicable this advice is to other businesses just starting out…but I think the way your average customer learns about your business influences the type of customers you typically get. I’m fortunate to have clients that I really enjoy doing work for and interacting with, and I think the organic word-of-mouth “advertising” is at least part of the reason for that. I tend to get clients who value quality over convenience, and who respect my time and expertise. I suppose my advice is also to know what kinds of clients you want to do work for…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Peakperformancewoodwinds.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peakperformancewoodwinds?igsh=NDllbHdhYzl5YmZl&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peakperformancewoodwinds?mibextid=LQQJ4d