As a longtime entrepreneur, I never expected to fall in love with carpentry, nor did I anticipate taking the leap to found Charleston Live Edge, LLC as a single mom. Live Edge Woodworking was not on my radar until I picked up my first chisel and began to sculpt the wood, enhancing the natural beauty of creation and losing myself to it. I began with small coffee tables then worked up to enormous dining sets. I quickly gained traction and attention for my talents. Regardless of this, when I walked into a local Lumberyard in a green dress and work boots, I was invisible. The manager helped the man behind me in line before he helped me,his distaste for a woman claiming to be a carpenter quite evident. Squaring my shoulders, I walked out and never went back. I would cut the trees and mill them myself if I had to. And I did.
What I do takes a large amount of space to house and dry the massive wood slabs and a great deal of money invested in tools that are specific to the craft. I responsibly source felled trees in nature, mill, and dry them (some dry for years) before my hands begin to work their magic. Within a month, I barreled forth into the male-dominated industry and refused to back down.
The male carpenters had no clue how to react. Most were sweet but condescending, others were outright threatened by my abilities. After telling my only viable competitor that I would not work for him, He said to my face, “How in the world do you expect to do this as a woman? It takes eight men to lift some of these slabs.”
Relishing the challenges, I figured out how to run a forklift and hired men to help me move the tables. Now, between my big projects, I invest my time in teaching women carpentry classes. If you’d like to follow my work and maybe participate in a class, follow my IG @mountainbellecreations.