((PKG)) MAKING A STATEMENT
((TRT: 06:10))
((Topic Banner: Making a Statement))
((Reporter:??Faiza Elmasry))?
((Camera/Editor:??Adam Greenbaum))
((Map:??Gainesville, Virginia))??
((Main characters:??2 female))
((Sub characters: 2 male))
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
My name is Dessirae Mantas and I am the owner of the Rustic
Texan Woodshop.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
Business started as an accident. I just wanted to make signs for
myself, give them as gifts to friends, family.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I’ve always loved the idea of giving a unique piece to someone,
not just a candle or something like that, something that people
would love and cherish. I think the whole concept of my business
is I just want to create custom and unique pieces for people out of
wood.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
There was a sign I created a couple of months ago. It was about
a guy that moved to Colorado. He was in and out of drug rehab
and was just piecing his life together and moved to Colorado for a
fresh new start with his partner, was going on hikes and was
enjoying life in different ways than he had enjoyed it before. And
his sister came to me, wanting to make him a sign to showcase
this new chapter in his life.
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
We came up with a piece. It was a round sign with mountains
and trees and we put a quote that he used on Instagram a lot.
That was her gift to him, and she told me that it was probably the
most important piece in his life. He looks at that as a reminder of,
“This is where I'm at now and life is good.”
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I just let it all come naturally to me. There really is no specific
process. I can’t have a specific process because then everything
would look very similar. I just let my customers talk, give me
ideas of things that they want to incorporate and then I just try and
mesh it as well as I can.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
It just kind of started honestly from the ground up. I mean from
way ground up. I built all of this knowledge myself. But no, as far
as classes, no, I never took any classes.
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I just read a lot. I YouTubed a lot. Pinterest a lot.
My dad was not any type of craftsman, but although I didn't learn
anything from him about woodworking, I did learn a lot of life
lessons.
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
And he told us constantly, “If you don't know how to do
something, you better figure it out.”
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I started my business at the beginning of 2018 as just a hobby. It
was just, you know, little, little things here and there.
((NATS: Dessirae Mantas husband and sons))
You going to come to lunch?
Yep.
Alright.
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
And my husband has always been on board with it. There’re days
when I spend all day in the shop and he's inside with the kids, but
he does alleviate a lot of pressure for me. So, I'm thankful for that
because while he's not in here working with me, he helps me in
other ways.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
One of the biggest challenges that I have with being a small
business owner and a stay-at-home mom is I don't have
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
all the time to be with my kids.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I have to kind of balance the two out. And in the beginning, that
was really hard. I didn't understand how to do those two things,
but over time, I quickly learned to incorporate my kids into my
work. Let them see what it is I'm doing.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I hope that my story can encourage other people that are just
beginning or discouraged by everything that, you know, they may
be facing and that you don't have to know everything about
anything to start out. You just have to have the will, the want, the
confidence and you have to believe in yourself. And I would not
have made it this far if I did not.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
Perfect!
((NATS/MUSIC))
((TRT: 06:10))
((Topic Banner: Making a Statement))
((Reporter:??Faiza Elmasry))?
((Camera/Editor:??Adam Greenbaum))
((Map:??Gainesville, Virginia))??
((Main characters:??2 female))
((Sub characters: 2 male))
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
My name is Dessirae Mantas and I am the owner of the Rustic
Texan Woodshop.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
Business started as an accident. I just wanted to make signs for
myself, give them as gifts to friends, family.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I’ve always loved the idea of giving a unique piece to someone,
not just a candle or something like that, something that people
would love and cherish. I think the whole concept of my business
is I just want to create custom and unique pieces for people out of
wood.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
There was a sign I created a couple of months ago. It was about
a guy that moved to Colorado. He was in and out of drug rehab
and was just piecing his life together and moved to Colorado for a
fresh new start with his partner, was going on hikes and was
enjoying life in different ways than he had enjoyed it before. And
his sister came to me, wanting to make him a sign to showcase
this new chapter in his life.
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
We came up with a piece. It was a round sign with mountains
and trees and we put a quote that he used on Instagram a lot.
That was her gift to him, and she told me that it was probably the
most important piece in his life. He looks at that as a reminder of,
“This is where I'm at now and life is good.”
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I just let it all come naturally to me. There really is no specific
process. I can’t have a specific process because then everything
would look very similar. I just let my customers talk, give me
ideas of things that they want to incorporate and then I just try and
mesh it as well as I can.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
It just kind of started honestly from the ground up. I mean from
way ground up. I built all of this knowledge myself. But no, as far
as classes, no, I never took any classes.
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I just read a lot. I YouTubed a lot. Pinterest a lot.
My dad was not any type of craftsman, but although I didn't learn
anything from him about woodworking, I did learn a lot of life
lessons.
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
And he told us constantly, “If you don't know how to do
something, you better figure it out.”
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I started my business at the beginning of 2018 as just a hobby. It
was just, you know, little, little things here and there.
((NATS: Dessirae Mantas husband and sons))
You going to come to lunch?
Yep.
Alright.
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
And my husband has always been on board with it. There’re days
when I spend all day in the shop and he's inside with the kids, but
he does alleviate a lot of pressure for me. So, I'm thankful for that
because while he's not in here working with me, he helps me in
other ways.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
One of the biggest challenges that I have with being a small
business owner and a stay-at-home mom is I don't have
((Courtesy: Dessirae Mantas))
all the time to be with my kids.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I have to kind of balance the two out. And in the beginning, that
was really hard. I didn't understand how to do those two things,
but over time, I quickly learned to incorporate my kids into my
work. Let them see what it is I'm doing.
((NATS))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
I hope that my story can encourage other people that are just
beginning or discouraged by everything that, you know, they may
be facing and that you don't have to know everything about
anything to start out. You just have to have the will, the want, the
confidence and you have to believe in yourself. And I would not
have made it this far if I did not.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dessirae Mantas, Woodworker; Owner, The Rustic Texan
Workshop))
Perfect!
((NATS/MUSIC))
