Meet Nathan Stefanelli | Maker & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Stefanelli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I’m always hesitant to view any of my businesses as “successful”. I’m fully aware that all of this can go away in a moments notice. For now I am just doing what I love every day and affording the essentials in my life. Any success that I have can be almost entirely contributed to all of the people that I have surrounded myself with throughout the years. Without their knowledge, support, and guidance I would be treading water. I always knew that I wanted to run my own business and create my own schedule (even if that includes much longer days/nights than 40hr week jobs), but I have found that finding the right partners and friends have been integral to building my businesses. I thrive and am motivated by the energy and drive of others and also acknowledge there are plenty of aspects to business that I am not the greatest at. They fill in the gaps here and also provide accountability for me to do my part to the best of my ability. I think anyone can find something they enjoy doing and work hard at it, but finding the right people to help out is the true catalyst.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up my family had a construction company that I started working at when I was 13. I mostly helped out painting and doing a lot of grunt work. I didn’t love this kind of work but it provided me with some cash. I always figured that I would go to college, get out, and get a job in whatever field I chose. Not being sure of what I wanted to do, I changed majors five times throughout my collegiate stint and ended up getting a BA of Science in Kinesiology with intentions of going to grad school for Physical Therapy. I ended up getting rejected on my first application to grad school. I was pretty bummed about it, but only a couple months later I came across the New England School of Architectural woodworking. I had done my fair share of home construction and carpentry but was always inspired by the more high end work that required attention to detail. I decided without a second thought to sign up that day. It was the first time in my life that I felt fully engaged and excited to learn the material every day. Upon completion, I realized that there was still so much to learn. This is what continually keeps me engaged in the craft of woodworking, and ultimately made me want to teach to others. There is always more to learn and every new project brings new challenges. Woodworking is always viewed as a labor of love, but I do believe that it can also provide financial security once you are confident (and skilled) enough to charge for your worth. Finding the clients that are willing to pay appropriately for the time and attention that is necessary to create high end pieces isn’t easy, but once you are able to provide a product and experience that matches the sticker, there is no shortage of work. I do everything I can to make sure every aspect of every piece (even in the unseen places) I create is never overlooked from the design to the finished product.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I had a friend come visit from my hometown on the east coast a few months ago and I took him to some of the spots that we love for food around my neighborhood. Some of these places included Hippo, Villas Tacos, Korean BBQ, and Homestate. Anyone that comes out to visit, I am sure to show them the beauty of CA outside of the city for at least a few days. We went to sequoia national park and kings canyon. Rented a nice airbnb right outside the park and spent the days doing long hikes and finding lakes to swim in. Of course we ended with bringing him to LA Woodshop to see the space, meet some of the makers, and see some of the projects that were in progress or completed. One week is never enough to experience all that LA and CA have to offer. I have been here 8 years and still do incredible new adventures every year!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I start with shoutouts? There could be an entire article on just this topic. I moved to LA ~8 years ago and was almost positive I was moving back home (Massachusetts) throughout the entire first year. Trying to afford a life in LA was a real shock and seemed nearly impossible. Thankfully I had an aunt and uncle who lived in Venice for years and let me land with them for the first few months. They did everything imaginable from housing and feeding me, to introducing me to people and pointing me in the right direction. Forever grateful for everything they’ve done and continue to do throughout my entire life. I was introduced to Sam Moyer (of Samuel Moyer furniture) and he brought me into the woodworking community in LA. Went above and beyond to introduce me to all of the important people, recommended a maker space run by Laura Zahn where I ended up working out of and teaching for almost 4 years. Sam also gave me enough work and opportunities to start making ends meet, even flying me back and forth to upstate NY to help him in his shop. Many of the makers that I met have had huge influences and also provided endless support over the years. Nathaniel Hill of Brawleymade furniture taught me so much in those first few years and has been a great friend throughout. I could always count on him when I was stuck and he bailed me out time and time again. He is one of the most knowledgeable and talented makers I’ve come across and I feel very lucky to have spent so much time in a space with him. It is in this same space where I met Eric Clem (brooklynbowyer) and Marty Johnson, who I have since started LA Woodshop, a woodworking collective and school with. They have both put everything they have into creating a community that we can be proud of and I look forward to continued growth with them by my side. Even in building LA Woodshop we have not been alone. Todd Hewitt of Last Ditch Design came on board as a partner a year after our start, Briana Pero our shop manager, all of our residents and instructors/employees, and students. I continue to meet so many great and talented people at LA Woodshop that create opportunities. A few months back I partnered with one of our resident makers Scott Hanson to create Hanson & Stefanelli. Scott is an extremely talented maker and has worked in project management for 10+ years. We have been working on larger commission projects and both love a challenge. Very excited to grow a brand with him. And lastly, I can’t forget to mention my life partner Sarah Haber. She motivates me every day to be better with her work ethic and thoughtfulness. She has been supportive since day one of all my ventures and kept me going when I wanted to give up. There’s still so many people that are not included here and through writing this, I realize how lucky I have been.

Website: www.lawoodshop.com

Instagram: stefanelli_design

Other: www.stefanellidesignbuild.com www.hanson&stefanelli.com