Name: Brett Eichmann

Profession: Woodworker

Age: 34

 

What do you do for a living? 

I am a professional woodworker and general manager of Indivisible Hardwoods + Creative Customs. Our team of talented woodworkers excels at making a myriad of custom products, including bookcases, dressers, desks, floating shelves, built-in cabinetry, entertainment centers, and more. In addition to working with both interior designers and homeowners themselves to take a vision for a piece and make it a reality, we are a proud dealer of the best woodworking tools in the region for fellow professionals and hobbyists alike.

What type of training do you need to do your job? 

There are several paths that lead to this profession, but I recommend taking advantage of wood shop or building classes if offered in middle school or high school as a start. ASU has a woodworking program, so if you take it in secondary school and still love it, then look into that program or a trade program here in town. There are also myriad chances to apprentice once you get a little training under your belt.

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

There is nothing like having a customer come in with a vision – usually from a magazine or something they scribbled on a piece of paper or just something in their mind – for a piece that they want and then sitting with them and together making it come to life. From bouncing ideas off of each other to sharing my expertise as it relates to a cut or type of wood or new technique, the entire creative process is a true joy.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

My dad was a mechanic and amateur handyman, so I was always working with my hands as well. I vividly remember getting hand tools to use at just 10 years old and eventually got into power tools when I got a bit older. In high school, I took wood shop, where I got to make my first cabinet, and soon wanted to flex my creativity a bit more so taught myself drafting and how to design by hand. After high school, I moved from Illinois to Arizona to attend ASU, where I started in business management, unaware there was a wood sculpture program on campus until walking around one day and hearing the unmistakably sound of a power saw. I ended up studying with the school of art as well as business, eventually collaborating with ASU on its Common Shop, a combination campus wood shop, metals lab, textiles classroom, and screen-printing classroom. So, I’ve truly been focused on wood since elementary school and never stopped!

What advice would you give to a kid who wants to have a similar career? 

In addition to all I noted above, definitely get a mentor. I was lucky enough to mentor under Professor Tom Eckert at ASU, who helped open my mind that woodworking was as much art as science, allowing me to become a true creator of one-of-a-kind and functional art pieces as an adult.

One fun fact NOT about your job? 

My wife and I are building our dream home. And I mean this literally. We bought 40 acres outside Flagstaff and together are physically designing and building the house using our four hands over the next several years. Our only other help is our baby, Millie, who we joke is our foreman.