Christina Shuler

I would say my determination and my drive to prove people wrong. When I started talking about starting a woodworking business, so many people told me it wasn't gonna work because I was a woman. They said I wouldn't be able to lift the wood, that it's a male-dominated field, that people wouldn't trust me because I'm a woman - I heard everything. But that just gave me more motivation to prove them wrong. Now it's actually worked out in my favor because being a woman, the wives who are usually my clients actually prefer to deal with me. They trust that I have the same vision they do and that attention to detail that sometimes men don't have. So they trust me more to bring their vision to reality. It's funny how the coin has flipped - what people said would be my weakness has become my strength.

The best career advice I've received, just from my personal experience, is don't let anyone tell you you can't do something, especially being a woman. When I started talking about starting a woodworking business, I had so many people tell me it wasn't gonna work because I was a woman. They said I wouldn't be able to lift the wood, that it's a male-dominated field, that people wouldn't trust me - I heard everything. But that just gave me more motivation to prove them wrong. Now it's hilarious because the coin has flipped. Whenever I get new clients, it's usually the wife who has the opinion on colors and decorating, and they actually prefer to deal with me knowing that I'm a woman. I guess they have that trust in me that I also have a vision the way they do, whereas sometimes men don't have that attention to detail. So it's actually worked out in my favor - being a woman, the wives trust me more to bring their vision to reality.

I would say don't let negativity get to you. I dealt with that a lot, and I did let it get to me a lot at the beginning, especially on the internet where people will be mean for no reason. And especially if you're a woman, they'll be even meaner. So don't let that get to you. Now I look back and I say to myself, like, those people just might be having a bad day and they need to take it out on somebody else. Don't take it personally, and if anything, let it motivate you to do better. And always put out what you want back in return. It's really hard not to get mad back at some of these people who say some things, but I know karma works both ways, good and bad, and so it's all about putting out into the world what you want in return.

I would say the biggest challenge is that stereotype that women can't do this type of work, which makes it harder for women to get positions like internships or entry-level jobs. I was blessed enough to be able to start my own business myself and just hit the ground running right away. But I know a lot of people, before they could make that jump, they have to either start in a trade school or become an intern or something like that. And I guess as a woman, it would be harder to get those positions because of that stereotype. I had one lady reach out to me who said she was trying to get an internship, and they didn't say it outright because of discrimination laws, but they basically told her they were not gonna go with her because they didn't feel that she would be able to complete the job the way they wanted to. Some people aren't financially able to start their own business right away like I did, so they have to get the internships and whatnot, and I think being a woman, it's a little bit harder to kind of get past that stereotype in the woodworking field.

I am a big Christian, so I do give all glory to the big man upstairs. I wouldn't be here where I am without him. I wouldn't be blessed without that, and my daughter, and all of that - everything I do, I have to give thanks to him. And then just family and believing in yourself. I wouldn't be where I am without my family. My husband has been a huge supporter. My mom's a huge supporter. My dad's coming around - he second-guessed me for a little bit there and was one of those naysayers at the beginning who didn't think I'd be able to do it, but now he's starting to come around. And my neighbors are awesome - because my shop is on our property, if I ever need a helping hand, they're great. So just community, family, and then believing in myself is a big thing too. If you don't believe in yourself, then you can't do anything. There's a song, I forget who sings it, but he says if you look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you'll never be great, then you'll never be great. I know it's cliche, but you can do anything you put your mind to.