The Story Behind The Woodwork Nerd | Wix Insider Magazine

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Well, thank you so much for sitting with us today and sharing a bit of your story. To kick things off, can you tell us a little about yourself, your company, and the services you offer?

Response 1 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

My name is Matthew Irvine, and I am a self-proclaimed wood nerd! From as early back as the age of five working in the basement of my grandfather‘s home in Cleveland, Ohio I learned to hammer every sized nail he had in his coffee, can to making a rubber band gun to shoot flies with. Needless to say, my grandfather was my inspiration, and I wish he was here to see where I took the skills he taught me to an entirely new level.  Woodworking was implanted in me and I never quit.
It’s crazy to think that I have been able to work on and design some of the most beautiful spaces in the country all while being self taught through many many mistakes, (most of them costly), to taking on the en-wanted, because of the complexity and impossible. This was how I created my niche. 
I always felt as though I was one step ahead and creating designs that were different from the status quo. As my projects expanded, so did the designers and architects interest in my company I never stopped.
I built my business over the course of 30 years and the majority of my work was in the San Francisco Bay area. I recently had to move to Dallas, Texas and reestablish myself in my business. This is where things take a turn.

Every creator has an origin story. When did you first discover Wix, and what drew you to it as your platform of choice? How has your work changed from your very first project?

Response 2 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

When I left California, I decided to sell off the majority of my tools because I felt as though it was an opportunity to somewhat retire. However, once I settled into Dallas, I realized quickly that I needed something to stimulate my brain and contribute to society in other words I didn’t want to rust so I got off my butt and started a new business.
My concept started years ago while I was in a restaurant in San Francisco. I was sitting in a rather fancy white tablecloth restaurant, looking around at all of the beautiful finishes and fine woodwork. I thought to myself because I know just how expensive all of the woodwork, trim and finish details like upholstery lighting must’ve cost.  But it looked so dingy and unattended to. This is that lightbulb moment, where I thought of the solution and the business model was born.  
I called over the bartender and asked to speak to a manager. When the manager approached, I asked what they would think of if they had a company which would come in every quarter and run through the entire restaurant, addressing all of the worn out areas, by staining and touching up, polishing, brass, and metal and basically leaving it as though it was the first day the doors opened. The manager simply looked at me and said, “When can you start”?  He proceeded to explain to me that their restaurant, would close down one day a year to address this very problem and when you consider a restaurant losing an entire day of sales, it made total sense.
I proceeded to question restaurants throughout the year, running this concept by them and to my amazement about 95% all agreed that it was a good idea. So once I got to Texas, it was the obvious choice and Cypress & Brass was born.

What would you say makes your business unique? And for those who think Wix is “just templates,” what’s your take on why Wix is actually a strong platform for professional, custom sites?

Response 3 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

Cypress & Brass found itself in a very unique position. There is very little competition and the majority of the establishments that would attempt to repair or enhance any of their existing woodwork or metal would often come up well short, and it would look worse as they progressively, tried to make the repairs. Sadly, this is a result of years and years of people, lacking training or experience in the woodworking arts. The introduction of computers and technology shifted an entire workforce away from the industrial arts, like woodworking, metalsmithing farming and alike. Funny thing is, even a simple picture hanging in your living room is complicated for some people because they did not have a mentor, a father, a mother teaching them the skills. There is a gigantic movement as we speak, putting more of an emphasis on the trades and the importance of them, especially as AI starts to take over office jobs.
I can assure you that many people find the trades, daunting, scary, and financially, not rewarding, however, it’s just the opposite. It’s highly rewarding and highly lucrative as many industries pay six figures once you hit your stride.
Anybody interested in chatting with me can look me up through my website and I’ll be happy to sit and chat with you as long as it takes
I guess this is a great opportunity for me to explain to you about my absolute need for a professional looking website. My business solely relies on a media driven perspective so my clients can see examples of my work and read up on techniques and processes.
WIX of course was the website platform I chose to use, due to its ease of use, both manually and with AI. It was extremely quick and up and running in no time I found the platform to be extremely user-friendly and I find myself often toying around with it, adjusting, tweaking, and having fun, trying different things
Once I published my site, I found myself using it hourly each day with my customer base. It gives me a form of self identification that makes me feel credible and professional.
I remember back 20 years ago, developing a website cost thousands of dollars in the ability to write code whereas now it’s as easy as 123

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Let’s talk services. What do you offer today, and can you share a few project examples that taught you something meaningful or shaped how you work?

Response 4 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

Once I had my website, marketing materials, and a business plan, I hit the ground running. I was not surprised when I started noticing that pretty much every place I walked into had either signed me up or had some level of interest in signing me up at some point I found also having my iPad at the ready to pull the website up was very effective. 
The business model morphed, somewhat rapidly as I found myself steering away from restaurants and leaning more into hospitality, such as hotels with restaurants and other amenities. Albeit, restaurants are a great source, they often are filthy, sticky, dirty, and very difficult to prepare for finish work. Hotels and commercial establishments is where it’s at!
For example, the first restaurant I took on, I thought would be a walk in the park. I did not realize that once I got there at 5 o’clock in the morning with the chefs, all of the lights would be on. This is where my excitement dissipates. You may not realize it, but the finest white tablecloth restaurants are covered in a layer of grease and grime. That is difficult to see when the lights are lowered. I apologize if I’m revealing this, but it’s true. Just try not to feel around too much ha ha ha.   I’m here to help!

Do you consider yourself a builder who can create in any industry, or do you specialize in a particular niche? And what makes you an expert in that space?

Response 5 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

You know, I learned a long time ago that you’re only as good as how well you can fix your mistakes. I spent a lifetime of making mistakes. This is how I became an expert learning from those mistakes. This is why I encourage people not to get down on themselves if they do make mistakes, rather embrace that as a form of education and file it away so that it does not happen the next time. This advice works well as a parent too ha ha
I would encourage you to look at your own home. Find a room that requires some attention in the form of paint or stain and think about how you would approach fixing those areas. Don’t forget your phone is at the ready all the time in the form of. “Hey Google”!
This tool is basically having a guru at the ready. Look at different videos and find the one that goes at your pace and address your issues. Keep in mind, you most likely won’t screw anything up to too bad and if you do, well you just learned from your mistakes! Slow down, adjust and correct it most people who take on a home project or any project for that matter and completes it regardless of how good or bad it looks tends to feel pretty amazing. Therefore, the next few times only become easier to deal with so go out and screw something up. I would love to hear about it.

This has been such a great conversation. Before we wrap up, can you share three pro tips for anyone building a website on Wix — and let our readers know how they can connect with you?

Response 6 - Use a conversational tone, as though we are sitting and having a conversation.

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