Brian: I am thankful for opportunities. This year has been a year of new possibilities: possibilities for the business, for my family, for my job, and for my education. 

The Business: Although the economy was tough this year the business thrived in many other ways. It gave us the chance to look for innovative ways to expand the business into different products and new venues. This year was the inaugural season of our Podcast “Pyro Toasty Talks” with David and Renee. I also had a chance to put some of my IT skills to the test and completely redesigned our website.

Family: We are crossing a threshold as a family as our boys are growing into young men. With college on the horizon, working part-time jobs, driving, and, of course, girls, we are starting to see what life beyond the nuclear family is going to look like. These are bittersweet times, but they are still something I am thankful for as it means that we’ve done our job of preparing them for life beyond the Greig household.

Job: Last year I made the decision to take a job at another employer. This would be my fourth company I’ve worked for in my 20 years in IT. It was a risk and I had to seriously consider the risk and reward. Fortunately it was the right choice and this year I achieved much more at this job than I have at others. Working with people I respect, and who respect me, has made it so much easier for me to start every day and achieve my goals. 

Education: This is a big one for me. This year I started my Masters degree. Over two decades have passed since I got my B.S. and I never thought I would be able to go back to school. Now, here I am, two semesters into my Masters Degree course and I am starting to realize this is something I can achieve. 

And, of course, I am thankful for my wonderful wife, Zona, who has encouraged me to seize these opportunities. Without her support I could very well have let these opportunities slip away and been content with what was ‘safe’. 

Zona: I am thankful for growing my friendships with my online friends / peers by spending time together, in person.  Having moved from NY to NC I don’t have a lot of friends who I can see in person. I have met a lot of people virtually through pyrography, some of whom I’ve met in person, and it is nice to meet people who are close enough that I can meet with them more frequently.

I am thankful for my opportunity to grow as a pyrography artist. By connecting with others who I look up to. It is nice to be able to talk to the people in the industry I consider mentors. They have pushed me out of my comfort zone and empowered me to create things that I, otherwise, didn’t think I could.

I am grateful for my loving husband who pushes me and supports in my dream. Without him I can assure you, I would not be doing this.

This year I sold several pieces that I was very proud of. When I was at my lowest I sold some of those larger pieces which gave me validation. Validation that I am doing what I should be doing.  I am thankful for those customers.

There is a lot for us to be thankful for. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season. What are you thankful for? Tag us @bz_furfur and let us know. And, as always, stay unique.

The post Thankful 2024 appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

If you are interested in helping here are some  ​charities you can donate to:

• Beloved Asheville (https://www.instagram.com/belovedasheville)
• Rural Organizing and Resilience (https://www.instagram.com/_roar_wnc)
• Brother Wolf Animal Rescue (https://www.instagram.com/brotherwolfanimalrescue)
• MANNA Foodbank (https://www.instagram.com/manna_foodbank)

Keep all our friends and neighbors in Western North Carolina in your thoughts and prayers.

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What’s a Pyro Toasty Talk?

David and Renee, of itsdavidandrenee.com, Brian, and I have been working on a podcast as a way to open up the community in a way that we feel has been lacking. There are other wonderful Podcasts that as well as blogs and other mediums that give people a foot in the door but we wanted to create something different. The aforementioned Pyro Toasty Talks is a podcast that takes a different approach. By focusing on casual conversation, open and honest dialog, stories of our own personal experiences, and a healthy dose of our unique brand of humor, we are hoping that we have created something that gives people the confidence and knowledge they need to succeed in pyrography, woodworking, and starting a small business.

The concept is simple. We both started out with little to no background in starting a business as an artist. As a result, we have learned a lot and come a long way from when we first started.  Now we want to pass that information on. We have met so many aspiring artists who struggle, get frustrated, and ultimately give up on their dreams to make a business out of what they love. It is our intention to get you on the right track to where you can build up the skills and wisdom necessary to create your own destiny.

What about the community? Won’t anyone think about the community?

At the center of any healthy industry is a community that is open to sharing ideas. We’ll be working on things to bring the community together. In addition to the Podcast, and the website pyrotoastytalks.com, we’ll also be starting a Discord channel to bring people together in meaningful discussion.  This will give people a chance to ask questions, offer ideas for future episodes, and build lasting relationships with other members of the community.

If this is a success we’ll hopefully be able to bring the community together in other meaningful and diverse ways. There are so many people with such a passion for woodburning and it is growing rapidly every day. Hopefully, we can see this continue to grow and build the tools and technology to bring everyone together all over the world.

That’s it for us. Follow the Pyro Toasty Talks Instagram to stay up-to-date on the release cadence for new episodes when they start to drop and, of course, stay unique.

The post The Gang Starts a Podcast appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

The Pressure

We do a lot of markets, juried shows, stock brick-and-mortar stores, and sell online but, in order to make sales, I have to create. There is ever-looming pressure to create things that people want to buy. The physical demands of shows (packing and unpacking the cars, traveling, setting up, selling, and breaking down) are extremely taxing as well sometimes leaving us too tired to even unpack the cars when we get home.

Trying to balance taking on enough shows to make the business profitable, working full time during the week, and being a parent doesn’t always leave enough time for enjoying life. The physical exhaustion starts to take its toll and, at some point you need to slow down and take a breath and breathe.

The Problems

Last year, for the first time in years, I came down with the flu. It was painful and the shivers were so strong that my body was sore for days. With fevers spiking I would become excessively tired and delirious. The markets didn’t stop, though, and we still had products to be made and sold. Work-life balance was impossible. When you are working a traditional job you can take sick time. I no longer have that luxury because, if I don’t create, there is no business. Luckily we had plenty of inventory so although I had to take a week off we still had inventory. 

More recently (three weeks ago to be exact) I was in the hospital. I was pregnant and developed a blood clot that turned into a pulmonary embolism. This wasn’t even something I knew to be concerned about. But there I was, having had a hard time breathing for about a week, I couldn’t even walk 10 feet to the bathroom. Figuring it was due to the pregnancy, or because I was starting an exercise regimen, I went to bed. After a nap, I attempted to go back to work, and I nearly lost consciousness. My doctor sent me to the Emergency Department, I was admitted for four days, and now I am taking blood thinners daily. It is an injection and it HURTS, it stings, but I was told it was the safest for my baby.

One week later I found out that our baby had stopped growing. I had miscarried again and I had to have surgery. To say we are devastated is an understatement. Physically I am healing, but mentally and emotionally it will take much longer to heal. Through all this, though, there is still a business to run. We have markets and shows planned and life has to go on.

The Solution

My therapist says I handle things with distraction. Creating has always been my reprieve, my constructive outlet to vent my frustrations and occupy my mind to prevent it from going a million miles an hour. Creating helps me think about all the big and little things. So I got back into my workshop and started creating again. The memories are still painful. Being an artist, however, allows me to create things, which gives me the ability to pour my energy into something beautiful. Working simply brings me joy and gives me a sense of accomplishment. When I create a piece that I love, I am happy. When I create a piece that someone else will love I am even happier.

Learning new techniques, creating new products, creating new art: all these bring me personal and professional joy. Working on new ventures with other artists I have met since I started the business brings me hope, and excites me for possibilities for the future.

Balancing “work” and life can be tricky, hard, and often impossible. I am lucky to have Brian, who is my partner in all things: business and personal. He keeps me grounded and serves as my professional, artistic, and personal compass.  I also have you, my readers, customers, and fans to keep me motivated. Thank you for your support, and encouragement, and, as always, stay unique.

The post Work-Life Balance  appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

The post Taking a break – be back soon appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

• More original, one-of-a-kind pieces. Our focus over the break is new techniques, new tools, and new original patterns. I have been hard at work on some new Mandala patterns that will make amazing adornments in your home.
• Juried shows, art walks, and bigger events. This year we are looking to get more of our pieces included in local art shows, juried shows, and other events that focus on local artists. We’ll also be looking at more events like Charlotte Pride and Small Business Saturday which got us in touch with so many new people.
• Commissions, commissions, and more commissions. We have started off the new year with some amazing commissions right off the bat with more coming down the pike. If you have something you would be interested in now’s the time to start talking so we can bring your idea to life.
• Calls for artists. With so many programs in Charlotte that are looking for artists, we’re hoping to have our pieces showcased in more venues throughout the year.

This is not to mention pop-up markets, our stalls at Peddlers Paradise and 923 Fabrics in Monroe, more products on the online shop, blogs, newsletters, and so much more. We’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date on all the plans as time goes on. As always, stay unique.

The post What’s in Store for 2024 appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

The post Wishing you all a Happy New Year appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

When I lived in New York I went a few times to see the Macy’s Fireworks display in Midtown Manhattan. The show they put on is legendary. I loved listening to the cracking and booming of the pyrotechnics being launched out of boats over the East River, watching them sparkle as they soar overhead to explode with colors and shapes. The smell of the powder in the air, the bits of burnt paper falling from the sky. It stimulated all the senses.

After we enjoy our annual BBQ Brian and I are looking forward to watching the night sky light up here in North Carolina with amazing fireworks and, as we do, enjoy some of our own in our backyard too. Every year we buy an assortment and let our kids light them (yes, supervised, of course). They are far from the grand displays of professional pyrotechnic shows, but the kids get to make things explode, and I love sparkly things.

As much as we love the boom and crack of the fireworks, please remember that our furry loves may not. Some animals do fine and are not scared of loud noises, but if your furry family members are like mine, remember it is scary for them. Thankfully, all of our cats have preferred safe places in our house (our walk-in closet is pretty soundproof). I still plan to check on them and offer comfort if they are particularly scared. Additionally, we have a Feliway diffuser to help lessen the anxiety for our cats.

On the horizon is a pretty busy Summer for us. We’ve got trips planned so we can spend time with family and friends, activities with the kids, and staycations with local friends. We are taking a break for the next couple of weeks from Markets so we can have some family time.  Have a great summer everyone.

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Having our own store is going to help us to better serve our customers, reduce overhead, and offer more customized products that better reflect your unique needs. We’ll be spotlighting some of our favorite custom orders so that you can see the detail and precision that goes into each of our pieces. This will also give you more options as far as sizes, styles, and materials. You’ll be able to see what kind of wood we’ve used on our products, what kinds of paints, and what techniques we used allowing you to make an informed decision about how you want your individual custom piece to look.

We’re also going to be posting to this blog more frequently giving helpful tips, and lessons we’ve learned, and talking about our favorite tools and materials. We want BZFurFur.com to be a well-rounded site for people who want to improve their pyrography skills as well as a place for people to shop for personalized gifts and home goods that our customers have come to love over the past two years.

We can’t wait to open the shop and we hope you’ll come back often to see all of our new designs and products.

The post New Store Launches – March 20th appeared first on Burning with Purpose.

If you are interested in a custom order now is the time to get your order in. Last year offered many opportunities to create unique and individualized decor that we can’t wait to share. Keep an eye on our socials and stay up to date on all our creative designs.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year.

The post Happy New Year appeared first on Burning with Purpose.