To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we sat down with Jonathan Conrad, the founder of The Catholic Woodworker, to get his thoughts on what it means to run a Catholic small business.
Read below to learn his insights on faith, responsibility, and the challenges of entrepreneurship—plus get a sneak peek at some exciting projects ahead!
What does being a Catholic small business mean to you?
It means working with a right understanding of the dignity of the human person because that’s what’s at the center of business. Business does not exist to exploit people. It exists to serve people.
From the customer all the way down to the employee, the vendor, the supplier, and the contractor, all of those human persons are created in the image and likeness of God and ought to be treated as such.
Through our business at The Catholic Woodworker, we have the obligation and the opportunity to serve others in that capacity and to know and care about each individual who has a part in creating or using our products.
What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started this business?
In a way, nothing. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have started this business in the first place. Whether in my arrogance or naivete, God let me start something not knowing how difficult it would be.
I’m grateful for that because it allowed me to dream bigger and go after things that I thought were going to be easier—things I might not have attempted if I’d fully understood how hard they would be.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned since starting The Catholic Woodworker?
Learning when to say “no” to something has been an invaluable lesson. We can’t say “yes” to everything. When we were trying to, we ended up saying “yes” to nothing because no one thing was the priority. By saying “no” to one thing, I’m able to say “yes” to something else and that’s making us a stronger company.
How has running this business shaped you personally?
Running my own business has taught me responsibility in a way that I haven’t ever seen before. As a parent, you learn responsibility with your kids, but in some regards, the consequence of a lack of responsibility isn’t fully realized until your kids are grown up. Whereas in a business, you have almost immediate feedback on the consequences of your lack of responsibility.
Having a business has really forced me to be disciplined and to take responsibility for the success of the business, especially because as we continue to grow, more and more families and customers depend on the work and products that we offer.
What product are you most excited about right now and why?
I’m most excited about our women’s rosaries because, more than any other product that we sell, I didn’t have anything to do with it. I built the company and hired the people that work here. But the women’s rosaries are their labor of love, specifically the women that work here. They’ve put their heart and soul into these rosaries and it’s really rewarding for me to get to see their hard work come to life as an observer in that process.
What projects are up next for The Catholic Woodworker?
We’re working on new crucifix and centerpiece designs for our women’s rosaries. We really love the ones we’re using right now for our women’s line, but we still think we can do better! I’m excited to tackle that now that we have the right team in place for it.
Thank You for Shopping Small!
Our team at The Catholic Woodworker is grateful for the opportunity to help Catholics grow closer to Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Mother and the rosary. If you’re looking for a handmade, heirloom-quality rosary to pray with or gift this season, shop our Black Friday Sale today. Thank you for your support and God bless!
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